Frederick Giles, Mary Ann Moulton, Mariah Elizabeth Sharp, Hannah Roberts written by Ron Carlile.

Fred Giles and Mary Ann Moulton – A Heber Fort Family. Their cabin was located on the North side of the fort, along 500 North, and in the middle, between James Carlile and Willis Boren.

Frederick Giles was the fourth of five boys, along with four girls born to William Giles and Sarah Huskinson. This prominent pioneer family has left an indelible mark on Heber Valley from its earliest days. Fred was born on March 3rd, 1835, in Strelley, Nottingham, England. About the age of 4, Fred’s family moved to Broxholme in Lincolnshire. Travelling up the river by boat to Saxelbye young Fred fell into the river. Sister Elizabeth pulled Fred out saving his life. William, Fred’s father, was a brick mason and even served as foreman with many of his jobs. Because of the nature of Williams trade, the family moved periodically to follow the work. Many of the sons, including Fred, also developed skills in this trade.

Following one move from Lincoln to Gringely, Fred decided to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was baptized along with his sister Emily on January 27th, 1852, and both were confirmed that day. Fred’s parents and other siblings were also receptive to the message of the restored gospel and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints during this same timeframe.

Two siblings, Elizabeth and George, had joined the church previously and had already immigrated to the states. Elizabeth lived near Quincy, Illinois and George with his family in Burlington, Iowa. The remaining Giles family members now planned to join them before the trek west to Zion. After departing Liverpool a 57-day voyage ensued until their arrival at New Orleans. Fred describes seeing dolphins, sharks, and flying fish among many other things. After arrival, the family took a river boat up the Mississippi first to Elizabeth at Quincy then onto Burlington where George lived with his family.

In the Spring of 1854, the family left to meet up in Council Bluffs for their trek west. After arrival, they discovered there were no other immigration trains available for them to join that year. Young Fred found work in a local brickyard in which he was accustomed. Finally in the Spring of 1856, the family joined the Captain Merrill company that included 40 to 50 wagons and headed west. Again, Fred describes seeing hundreds of buffalo and traveling on the north side of the Platte River all the way, crossing the plains of Wyoming and finally reaching emigration canyon. Once there they had to lock the wagon wheels on their descent down the canyon into Salt Lake City.

After meeting and marrying Mary Ann Moulton, Fred makes the following entry in his own words: “Provo Valley (Heber) was first settled in the year 1859. Quite a number of my relations came to Provo Valley in the year 1859 to work making fences and prepare to bring my wife and child. In the winter of 1859. Father Moulton, my father-in-law, and I walked from Provo City into Provo Valley a distance of about 27 miles. It was a hard days walk. I walked with clogs on my feet. After visiting our friends and the good people of Provo Valley or what is now called Heber City there was not a house in it, quite a difference between the year 1859 and the year 1896. I have lived in Heber City from the year 1860 till the present time. It is now 1896.”

From 1896 until his death on April 2nd, 1902, Fred lived to see and describe the new railroad that came to Heber in 1899. What an advancement in travel from the days of walking the canyon with his father-in-law. Fred was the father of 11 children and numerous grandchildren and an extensive posterity today. He is buried in Heber City cemetery.

Mary Ann Moulton
Mary Ann Moulton was born May 5th, 1841, to Thomas and Sarah Denton Moulton at Irchester, Northampton, England. Being the oldest of ten children, many responsibilities were hers even at a young age. During the year of Mary Ann’s birth, this young family accepted the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which started an eventful, but faith filled story for the Moulton family. At the age of 15, Mary Ann along with her parents and five siblings, by that time, set sail for New
York harbor in the United States. During the voyage a seventh sibling, Charles Alma, was born. The family arrived at New York harbor on June 16th, 1856. The first part of their trip to Zion went smoothly as they travelled by rail from New York City to Iowa City, Iowa. Once there, the Moulton’s were informed the and carts were not available and that they would need to wait until they were made ready.

With the introduction of this new mode of travel from wagons to handcarts, this new method of travel would not only be more cost effective but may even afford more immigrants to cross the plains during the summer season and arrive more quickly than traditional wagon trains. Handcarts were at a premium in 1856, the first year of operation. When the Moulton’s arrived at Iowa City, production of handcarts was already behind schedule. To catch up to the demand, lumber was inadequately dried causing the constructed carts to break down on the trail from the heavy loads.

When carts finally became available, it became very late in the migration season. The Moulton’s were assigned to the Willie Handcart company and the company departed Iowa City on July 15th crossing Iowa to Florence (Omaha). Once there, they deliberated for a weeks’ time whether to go forward or wait for the next season. The company decided to go forward which produced a trek of unspeakable suffering and misery. Of course, Mary Ann was in the middle of all these experiences, pushing and pulling the family handcarts, as well as helping with the younger siblings. Despite the long miles, freezing temperatures, and death around them daily during the extremities of Wyoming a miracle occurred with the Moulton family. Back in England, before the family ever left their homeland, mother Sarah received a priesthood blessing that none of the Moulton family would lose their lives during the trek west. Miraculously, this blessing was fulfilled. The Moulton’s, along with the others that remained of the Willie company, arrived in Salt Lake City on November 9th, 1856. The journey was over, the family had survived, but not without exacting a terrific physical price on several of the family members. Because of Mary Ann’s small and frail body, she suffered with many ailments the remainder of her life.

After moving to Provo, Mary Ann met and then married Fred Giles on January 19th, 1859. Between Provo and then Heber, Fred and Mary Ann had three children, two boys and a girl. On July 4th, 1869, not ten years since Fred and Mary Ann were married, Mary Ann passed away while suffering increasing leg pains, a stubborn and lingering cough and a lung ailment diagnosed as consumption that took her life at the age of 28. She was laid to rest in the Heber City cemetery after living a life filled with patience, faith and devotion. (There is no known photograph of Mary Ann).

Fred and Mary Ann’s three children were Frederick William Giles, John Thomas Giles, and Sarah Giles Mahoney. Grandchildren include Frederick Alva Giles, Lula May Watkins, Vincent T Giles, Ralph F Giles, Verna Hicken, and Dr. Leroy Mahoney.

Mariah Elizabeth Sharp
Mariah Elizabeth Sharp was born at Goole, Yorkshire, England on March 24th, 1846, to Jonathan Sharp and Elizabeth Thorpe. Mariah was the seventh of eight children. Mariah, her brother Jonathan, his wife Annie, and parents all joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints in England before emigrating to Zion. They sailed on the ship” Colorado” leaving England July 14th, 1868. The railway was in development at that time, so the Sharps were able to take it to the
“2nd crossing of the Platte River at which point they purchased a wagon, a cow and a horse. The purpose of the cow was to help pull the wagon with the horse, and to provide milk. At that point they traveled with the John G Holman company and were met in Laramie Wyoming by William Lindsay, John VanWagoner, and Abe Penrod, a young man from Provo. These men accompanied the Sharps to Heber where they arrived on September 25th, 1868. According to records, the
Sharps brought the first horse to Heber.

Fred met and married Mariah on March 8th, 1869. Along with having and raising her own children, Mariah was there to assist with Fred’s children from Mary Ann after her passing. This had to be very helpful to Fred at this difficult time. Fred and Mariah had 21 years together until her death on July 4th, 1890. She passed away at home with husband Fred and her aged father Jonathan at her side. Funeral services were held at the Stake Tabernacle after which she was buried at the Heber City cemetery.

Fred and Mariah’s six children were Mary Ann Cummings, Sylena Giles Walker, Lorenzo Sharp Giles, Mariah Elizabeth Chatwin, George Franklin Giles, and Heber Huskinson Giles. Grandchildren include Viola Cummings, Clifton Chatwin, and Don Giles.

Hannah Roberts
Hannah Roberts was born October 2nd, 1855, at St. Eileens, Lancashire, England to John and Prescilla William Roberts. Hannah joined the Church of Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day Saints in 1888 and then immigrated to Heber City Utah. She met and married Fred Giles on November 12th, 1890, after the passing of Fred’s 2nd wife, Mariah Sharp.

In her nearly 40 years of living in Heber, she was very faithfully devoted to the restored gospel, attending all her Relief Society meetings and was also very involved with Sunday School. She passed away on March 20th, 1937, at the age of 81 following a six-week illness with influenza. Though much younger, Hannah lived nearly 35 years after the passing of her husband Fred. Her services were held in the Heber 2nd Ward church, and she was then buried in the Heber City
cemetery.

Fred and Hannah’s children were Henry Leonard Giles and Celia Kate Chase. Grandchildren include Beulah Giles Murdock and Leland Chase.

Heber Valley Heritage Foundation