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Submitted by Susan Hawkes
Born: 14 Sept 1823, Derbyshire, England
Died: 8 Jan 1880, Franklin, Idaho
Charles Wilson Fox was born in Derbyshire, England in 1823; he was the son of Robert Fox and Martha Wilson Fox. Charles’s brother Isaac and his family would be the only members of his family that would join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints. Charles was excited to join the church and wanted to become a missionary, later on he would immigrate to Utah. Elder Lorenzo Hill Hatch, from Lehi, Utah, was called to serve in the British Mission. He arrived in July 1856 and served until 1858. Lorenzo taught Charles the gospel and baptized him in 1856. Lorenzo and Charles would soon serve together as missionary companions. Charles would become lifelong friends with Lorenzo Hill Hatch and would assist him in building up the kingdom of God in many places. Historical records would often list Charles, as Elder Chas Fox. In January 1857 Charles would be called on a mission to Scotland with his brother Isaac Fox, who was appointed President of the Glasgow Mission this position he would hold until March 1860. During this time Isaac and his family housed the missionaries in the area.
In the spring of 1857 missionaries that had traveled abroad were called to return to the Utah Territory in preparation for the advancement of Johnston’s Army. Andrew P. Shumway whom later settled in Franklin, Idaho along with Charles would record in his journal the preparations and returning travels of the missionaries serving in the British Mission.” The missionary would travel home starting in January 1858, sailing on the Underwriter, from Liverpool to New York arriving in March 1858.” The Underwriter ship records indicate the returning Elders would travel home on different ships. Lorenzo Hill Hatch would instead sail to America on the Steamship, “City of Washington.” Charles would also leave and follow his friend Lorenzo Hill Hatch for America. Separated from Lorenzo Hatch, Charles would travel to America on the Ship “Empire” leaving from Liverpool on February 19 and arriving in New York on March 19, 1858. On the manifest Charles Fox is listed as – Chas Tot. A misspelling of his last name but listed his first name as Chas, which he used on many Franklin, Idaho records in his life.
Thomas Bullock recorded: “The Ship “Empire” would make wonderful timing sailing to America; they were favored with a strong breeze, which brought them near to Greenland and many icebergs floating in the water.” Their trip across the Atlantic was only 28 days long with little incidents. However the “Underwriter,” which had left Liverpool earlier then the “Empire” had not yet arrived, when Charles made it to America. Fighting bad weather and strong head winds the ship “Underwriter,” struggled to stay on course. During rough seas the ship had to stop for a sailor who had fallen overboard. Unable to find him the rescuer’s had to come in from the violent seas. Losing their life boat and struggling with damaged rigging the “Underwriter,” finally made it to New York after 56 days crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Elder Charles Fox would cross the plains in the “John W. Berry Company,” on May 10, 1858, leaving from Ft. Des Moines, Iowa. He would travel with returning missionaries called home from abroad traveling back to Utah. On June 21, 1858, with 110 people, 20 wagons and 93 animals Charles would enter the Salt Lake Valley. Traveling to Provo, Utah, where the temporary church headquarters was located Charles was released from the missionary company. Charles Fox would then travel to Lehi, Utah, and once again join his friend Lorenzo Hill Hatch. In Lehi, Charles built a spacious three-room adobe house and worked as a mason, gaining a reputation as a well-to-do bachelor. There he took in boarders, and would make the acquaintance of Elizabeth Brook Scarborough, his future wife.
Elizabeth Brook was born on January 5, 1825, to Joseph and Martha Proctor Brook in Pudsey, Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Her family made their home there and ran a little business connected with the Corporation Flour Mill Company. While in her teens she went away from home, to learn the trade of French Polishing, she worked doing this until she was married on March 7, 1850 to John Scarborough, who was from Barkisland, Halifax, Yorkshire. After Elizabeth had been wed only a few months, her parents both died, and so the young couple moved into her parent’s old home and took over their business of selling flour and cereals of different kinds. Two children, Joseph and Annie, were born to them there. In March 1851, Elizabeth joined the Church, only a year after her marriage. Her husband seemed cooperative at first, but later became very bitter and went away, ostensibly to work in a nearby city, leaving her to take care of herself and their two children. During the time that he was gone, he sent little money. Elizabeth recorded in her journal, “John, did not seem much opposed to my joining the Church about that time, but after a few years he grew very bitter and began staying away from home at nights and doing things that made home anything but pleasant. He said a great many things about the Mormons that were very aggravating to me. I did at one time wonder if I left the Church matters would be improved, but through the blessings of my Heavenly Father, I held on to the faith I had espoused.” Elizabeth and John Scarborough would soon divorce.
Elizabeth was anxious to immigrate to Zion; she prepared to save enough money for her and her two children to travel to America with a company of Saints. Elizabeth and her children sailed from Liverpool with a group of 624 LDS immigrants on April 23, 1861, on the Ship “Underwriter,” arriving in New York on May 22, 1861. Under the leadership of Milo Andrus, from his records we learn more about their journey: “On board the Underwriter, travelers were divided into nine wards and assigned to various places where they held their separate Sunday meetings. It was the custom of the Saints to put on clothing they saved for this day, their “extra clean and gay dress…in preparation for the sacred business of the day.” Here they heard sermons and bore testimonies, then if weather permitted singing hymns would take place on deck. Although many people suffered greatly from seasickness, there were days when all enjoyed social times with songs, sentimental recitations and dancing.” Boys such as Elizabeth’s son Joseph were engaged in scraping the deck and touching up the floors. A number of violent storms rocked the ship, some of which made the passengers feel like they were in the middle of a whirlpool. Milo Andrus describes it, “like a game of “pitch and toss” with everything flying about unless it was tied down.” As the ship neared the coast of Newfoundland, the waters were calmer and eagerness to see land grew daily. When they were ten days out, they encountered a small ship from which they obtained newspapers. News of the outbreak of war between the North and the South gave the Saints much concern.
Two days from landing, there was a drenching storm which forced all to stay below: “The air was foul but spirits were high. In port, a doctor came on board to inspect the company. He declared that he had never seen a company bearing such signs of good health. (Two babies had died on the journey. However, they had both been ill with consumption when the ship left England.)” Milo Andrus wrote in a letter upon their landing in New York, stating: “We cannot speak in too glowing terms of the good spirit and feeling manifested by the Saints on this happy voyage. The power of God has been with them, and they have governed themselves according to the counsels which have been given them almost without exception.” Elizabeth had a brother who had immigrated to America a few years previous, John Brook and his wife Ann lived in New York City. Elizabeth and her children were able to visit with them only for a short time before her journey would continue taking her family further west. Elizabeth turned down their offer of home and comforts and went on by rail with the immigrant company to Florence, Nebraska, arriving on June 2, 1861.
At Florence, they waited a month for oxen teams from Utah to pick them up and take them back to Utah. She found work to supply food for her and her children. Elizabeth recorded, “Our stay lengthened into one month and we were very happy to see the ox carts pulled by their teams roll in to take us on to Zion.” She and her son would walk most of the way, but Annie was quite ill when they crossed the plains, and had to ride much of the way. Their journey was uneventful as far as any trouble with the Indians or herds of buffalos were concerned. It certainly was a novelty to see the teams pitch into the great streams, blocking the wheels going down hills, hearing the teamster holler to his two and three yoke of oxen pulling up the hill again. Elizabeth would recall: “We would gather buffalo chips to make fires for cooking and for bonfires.” On September 12, 1861, after a journey of three months, traveling with the Milo Andrus Company, Elizabeth and her two children arrived safely into the Salt Lake Valley.
Elizabeth and her family stayed in Salt Lake with her friend, the Phineas Young family for a week or so. Then finding work in Lehi, Utah, Elizabeth and her children moved to Lehi, here Elizabeth met Charles Fox and on January 30, 1862, they were married. The newlyweds would live in Charles’s adobe home in Lehi, Utah which was considered quite large at that time. In November 1863, Charles Fox and his family, together with the Lorenzo Hill Hatch family, answered the call of President Brigham Young to move to Cache Valley to a settlement name Franklin, which was then in Utah. Charles built a one-room cabin. In the nearby hills up Maple Creek, Charles discovered some fascinating white rock. He hauled it to their home site and used it to build a room onto their cabin. This was the first rock building in the town of Franklin. In 1868, Bishop Hatch asked Elizabeth and Charles to go to the work camp of the Central Pacific Railroad to cook and look after the railroad workers; they would take their family with them. The transcontinental railroad was nearing completion and the settlement Bishops of the area had subcontracted to provide needed services for the workers, Bishop Hatch had signed up for a mile of track. In 1872, Charles and Elizabeth built a six-room rock house. As there was no hotel in Franklin at that time, they often took in boarders. During this period, when they were in Franklin, some of the railroad surveyors stayed with them. Elizabeth was a fine cook and hostess and loved people. They also entertained visiting Church authorities from Salt Lake City.
Charles was a good stepfather to Joseph and Annie; he never had children of his own. He supported Elizabeth in her extensive church responsibilities and travels, and was a faithful church member. Charles would build a large two-story house of stone, since his profession was a carpenter and master mason. Charles would also be called to help build many of the rock buildings in Franklin, Idaho, as well. Charles also would continue to help his dear friend Lorenzo Hill Hatch in the operation of the ZCMI Cooperative Mercantile in Franklin, Idaho. Keeping records of the settlement of Franklin, Idaho, tithing records, store records, and other business records. The Foxes where very active in church and community life, Elizabeth served in many capacities. She taught Relief Society for a number of years and afterwards served for 13 years as president of the ward Relief Society. The minutes of the meetings of the Franklin Ward Relief Society reflect the sisters’ involvement in donating means toward the building of the Logan Temple, purchasing a stove, collecting money for the Deseret Hospital in Salt Lake City, creating a fund to help with immigration, and caring for the poor with service, goods, quilts, and cash. By 1882, they had funded and built their own Relief Society House. Answering the Relief Society’s call for wheat, made in 1876, they had gathered 193 bushels by June of 1883.
On January 1, 1880, after celebrating another year together, Charles suddenly became ill. Elizabeth and Charles had gone to their son Joseph’s home to eat New Year’s dinner. While Charles was returning home, he began to cough and broke a blood vessel. He died seven days later from a hemorrhage; Charles was only 57 years old. This was a great loss to his family and the community. His loyalty, righteousness, and hard-working example, impacted many lives of those that knew him for the better. Elizabeth would pass away at the age of 81 years old, on April 9, 1906, in Franklin, Idaho. Elizabeth had spent her first Christmas in Franklin, in a cabin with a dirt roof and floor. After a wonderful marriage Charles and Elizabeth Brook Fox would build a lovely home together which is still standing today, on a quiet street in Franklin, Idaho, a symbol of the strength and courage of these two pioneering spirits.
Even today their influence is felt by those that read their historical writings, housed at Utah State University is the Charles Fox Papers a collection of historical document recorded by Charles Fox of the early history of Franklin, Idaho. And on file at the LDS Church history Library is the early Franklin Relief Society Minutes recorded by Elizabeth Brook Fox. When we think of the courage, faith, and willingness to serve the Lord under any circumstances, that both Charles and Elizabeth Fox displayed throughout their life, we realize what an influence for good they both have been to so many.
