Ada Alice MacDuff RAMPTON

Ada Alice was born on November 15 1850 in Chesterfield Derbyshire, England, to John Robertson MacDuff and Ellen Hancock MacDuff. The MacDuff family was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder Joseph F. Smith and Elder John Nicholson in England. Many of the Elders received hospitality in the family home until they emigrated to Utah in 1864.

They left on the vessel George B. McLelland. The vessel had to take a northern route because of the Civil War and possible molestation by vessels of the South. The vessel ran into huge icebergs and caused great fear and confusion. The women and children were crying and huddled together. The mate of the vessel too khis lantern to examine parts of the vessel for possible leaks and found Ada Alice and her sister Jane, and said "Little girls aren't you afraid?" They answered "No, we're not afraid, the Lord didn't bring us out here to be drowned in the sea". Then the mate, in joy, swung his lantern round and round and cried out very loudly "Hurrah! this vessel won't sink, there is faith enough here to save our ship". The vessel did not sink and they reached America safely. The next year this same vessel was caught in a similar storm and everyon eabord was drowned in the Atlantic Ocean.

After Ada Alice was married she lived in Bountiful for about eighteen years. The family then moved to West Syracuse where the family was engaged in farming. She took care of the farm with the help of her children. The farm was close to the Great Salt Lake and the nearest neighbour was over a mile from their house. Ada Alice was a first Counsellor in the Primary in the Syracuse Ward when the Primary was organised. she remembered that Sister Aurelia S. Rogers and Sister Clark from the General Board Presidency visited their Primary quite frequently. She served as a counsellor for about twelve years. Ada Alice loved to read. She was self-educated. Nearly every night she read the last thing before she turned off the lamp to sleep. She read from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. She was fond of the English Classics; Scott, Burns, Dickens and others. She also liked SHakespeare and was acquainted with grand Operas and knew many lines and verses from memory. Ada Alice possessed a beautiful voice and loved to sing. She was Active in Relief Society, and Sacrament Meetings. She believed in the principles of the Gospel. Her religion was the most important part of her life.

... Now I must say my father had not given me anything to assist me on my journey and I did not know how to act. I wrote to father from Reading to ask him the reason that I was so hated ast to be allowed to go away forever apparently from them and he not to give me anything to help me perform my journey. I requested him to write to me and direct it to Liverpool accordingly. I received a letter from him with an order in it to the amount of £2. I wrote to him again as I then had not enough to ensure my passage to New Orleans in the ship John M. Wood. By the return of the post I received a letter from Bill, my brother, to say that I did not care who sunk so that I swam and a deal more not worthy of mentioning here. By a denial to my request I was greatly put about. I did not know what to do. I asked a frenchman, a Brother Baliff but I suppose that he did not like to do it for me. I offered my watch and a clock that I had not sold but it was not enough. I offered it as a security for the money but he did not do it. At the last moment as it were the Lord provided a friend for me in Eli Whitear who lent me £3 so that I was able to pay my passage to New Orleans. I pond [sic] my watch for ten in Liverpool and sold my clock to Mrs Powell at 63 Great Crop Hall Street for 11 so that I was able to get a few things as necessaries in the wares and so on. I wrote home again to father and asked him to send me a little more money and I received another letter from him with another £2 order in it. I took out my watch again and Eli wanted it so I let him have it for £1 to help pay off what I had borrowed. I let him have a coat and leggings so that I owe him 2 now. But I will endeavour by God's blessing to pay him as early as possible. Now I had £1 10 shillings after all as I had spent the rest in buying one thing and the other as necessary. I wrote back and thanked my father for what he had sent me. Now we stayed a week at Mrs Powell's waiting for the ship. After that time we went in the ship John M. Wood, and our rations there.

We stayed 10 days before we left the docks at last the time arrived for our departure which was on Sunday 12th day of March 1854. It was a very fine day. All things went well through the day except my wife, she began to be seasick. It was beautiful and fine when we went to bed about 10 o'clock. In the morning the wind blew up a hurricane which lasted all the day on the Monday and Monday night and we made nut ittle or no progress sailing backward and forward on the Welsh Coast under the shelter of the Welsh hill sometimes in the St George's Channel and then contrary winds would blow us back again so that we made but little progress until the following Saturday when we cleared the Irish Coast and got in the western ocean. We nearly all suffered from seasickness. I myself was sick for a week continually since that time up to the 25th day of March in the morning.... No contrary wind since the above date not worthy of mentioning. Our health have been tolerable good each of us.... Our voyage was a prosperous one. I will say so because I know it.

We arrived in New Orleans 2 of May 1854. We shifted our luggage on board of a steamboat by the name of Josiah Lawrence. We was 12 days coming to St Louis from Orleans. We were detained at quarantine 5 days but we reached quarantine on Sunday and on Monday I went by permission of the doctor to St Louis to seek for employment with another Brother by the name of Kempin. We succeeded and in also getting a room. We returned the same night but too late to cross the river. We had to sleep by a heap of rocks until the next morning. On the Thursday evening the ferry boat came for us and we took our luggage from the Lava to the room. So we left the Saints. I went to work in Gratriot Street on the Saturday and on the Monday I went to work in the Mississippi Foundry. There I satyed 2 weeks then I left and went to work on the Monday as I left on the Saturday night before. So we had the room up over the shop.

We had not been there past 6 weeks before my dear wife was taken sick. The heat was too great for her strength and the state of he body. She continued sick about 3 weeks. I took her to a more healthy part of the city to a Mr Patterson in Biddle Steet I took her there on the 1st day of August and she died on the 2nd of August 1854. Her body lies interred in the Wesleyan Cemetery which is 2½ miles out of St Louis. Her loss I thought I could not endure but God in his goodness and mercy has found me another partner which came in the same ship as ourselves. After the death of my dear wife I used to frequently go to see Frances Dinwoody and I spent the greater part of my leisure time at her house for I found in her company was joy to me and my heard began to feel after her and we mutually agreed to be married and at the expiration of 5 months or on the 25th of Deccember we were married by Elder Milo Andrus, President of St Louis Stake of Zion at a tea party in the church being CHristmas Day and now I thank God that he has so ordered that my dear Francis and me are come together. We live with her father and mother on Washington Avenue. Nothing of importance transpired for several months... In the month of June my wife's parents emigrated to Salt Lake Valley arrived there quite safe as they informed us by letter. I myself during my stay in St Louis held several responsible offices such as counselor to the President of the priest quorum, afterward called to the office of an elder ordained under the hands of Bishop Chas. Chard on the 28th of June 1855. I acted as his second counselor... Nothing of importance transpired until my wife bore unto me a son which I am thankful to God for. He was born November 4, 1855. His name is Henry James Rampton.... The little lad is growing fast and we are striding to pursue our journey across the plains. According to our desires we endeavoured to make a start for the plains and thence the Salt Lake City. We started on the steamboat on the 2nd June 1856 arrived at Florence on the 14th of teh same month and laid there until the 6th July and then started across the plains and after traveling some 3 months arrived in Salt Lake City 5th of October 1856. All well and glad to see the place after so long and tedious a journey...