Histories

Personal History of Jane Evington Bitton

Jane Evington was born in Deptford, London County, England on September 29, 1805, the daughter of John K. Evington and Mary Beeble. She had two step-siblings, and a full sister named Elizabeth (Mina).

She married William Farman Bitton in England about 1837. To this union six sons and four daughters were born. They were: Amelia, John Evington, Louis, Amelia (2), Jane, Stephen, Walter, Walter (2), Harriet and William. All of her children were born in London or at Great Yarmouth, England. Her first daughter Amelia died when she was just a child and little is known of her. Her second daughter was also named Amelia.

One son, the first Walter, was jumping from one boat to another and fell between the ships and was killed.. His body was not found for about two hours. Two of her other sons, Louis and the second Walter came to America by ship, which exploded soon after arriving in the harbor.

Jane’s husband, William was a seafaring man, like his father before him. One day while he was unloading some cargo, the pressure of the weight he was lifting caused his optic nerve to burst. As a result he became totally blind. This was just one more tragedy Jane experienced in her life.

One day William heard the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints preaching in a meeting, and he went home to tell Jane he had found what he was looking for. The Elders’ testimonies and the teachings of the gospel impressed Jane also, and she was baptized on February 9, 1852.

Six months after her baptism her youngest son, William was born, He died when he was seven years old, adding to Jane’s lifetime of heartache.

On May 25, 1856 Jane’s oldest son, John Evington, his bride Sarah Wintle, and John’s nineteen-year old sister, Jane left England aboard the ship “Horizon” and sailed for America. They traveled with the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company to Salt Lake City, Utah to join their fellow Latter- Saints. Seven years later, Jane, William and their daughter Harriet sailed for the United States. They crossed the plains on a wagon pulled by an ox-team in the fall of 1863. Because her father was blind, Harriet led him by hand most of the way. They settled in West Weber, Weber County, Utah where their son John and his family lived.

William passed away in 1864, just one year after coming to the United States. (Jane’s obituary in 1891 noted that he was buried in the Ogden City cemetery. However no records exist to verify this burial.)

Sometime after her husband’s death, Jane went to Menan, Idaho where her two daughters, Jane and Harriet lived. (Both daughters were married to John Rawlston Poole as polygamist wives.) Jane became sick while living with her daughter and passed away in Menan on January 24, 1891. Because of the hardship and poor transportation of the time, it was impossible to take her body to Utah to be buried with her husband, so she was buried in the Poole family plot in the Little Butte cemetery. (The cemetery is located in Annis, Idaho, just outside of Menan.) Her daughters, Jane and Harriet were later buried beside her.

(Compiled by Barbara Fowers King
great, great, great-granddaughter)