Autobiography of David Stoddard Part 1
"Fig Tree in Zion" by Mary Ellen Stoddard Smith
On June 2, 1830 at 3 P.M. at Cowpits Parish of Inveresk, Mid Lothian, Edinburgh County, Scotland, a child was born. He was given the name of David Kerr Stoddard, son of John Stoddard and Janet Kerr.
I remember when I was four years old, my father was imprisoned for three months for a sin of another. Lord Dendas, the estate man, was so enraged at the court that he ordered my father’s family to move from a tenement to an uninhabited house.
During the time of my father’s imprisonment my sister Ellen was married to Alexander Archibald. On Christmas Eve of 1834 she was crushed to death by a fall of rocks in a coal mine.
When Father was released, we moved from Cowpits to a place by the name of Stoneyhill which is about three miles from Cowpits. We lived there until I was about five years old. Our next move was to Penston in Haddington County, Parish of Gladsmuir, East Lothian. Penston is about 11 miles east of Edinburgh. This is where I went to school. My brother John was born here. We lived here one year, then moved to a place called West Pens (Salt Walks).
This is where my career commences. West Pans is seven miles east of Edinburgh. I was now ten years old; the happiest time of my life was spent here. I could not then tell of the great tribulation I would be compelled to go through. I attended school here and tried to learn all I could.
We moved from West Pans to Crofthead, about 20 miles west of Edinburgh. I was only ten years of age, but had to go to work in the iron stone mines, and it has been work ever since that time.
After an elapse of time we moved to a place called New Battle near Dalkeith, six miles south of Edinburgh. We lived here a short time. The Marqins of Lothian, meaning lowlands, gave my father a new residence near the coal shaft. We were well treated by the Marqins. While here my brother James was married to Violet Bennett.
Our next move was to Westbrian, two miles south of Crofthead. We lived there until I was about 12 years old. Rosewell was our next home, which was about six miles west of Westbrian. We then moved to Betteyrow, ten miles east of Edinburgh. We moved from Betteyrow to Stubhill which is ten miles south of Edinburgh. We lived there a short time and then moved to Westgrange.
About this time I became acquainted with Matthew McCurrin, an Elder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He came every Sunday morning from Edinburgh, a distance of ten miles, and walked all the way to preach the gospel as restored to Joseph Smith. I became converted at the age of 14 and I firmly believed in all the principles. I walked four miles on the morning of June 2, 1844 to see Brother McCurrin. This same month and same year the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred.
I met Brother McCurrin and I said, "Brother McCurrin, I have come to be baptized.” He said, “Does your father and mother know you wish to be baptized?”
I said, “No.”
Brother McCurrin then said, “I cannot baptize you without the consent of your parents for you are under age.” He finely consented and took me down into the river called the Ask, at a place in Mid Murdendeen, and baptized me in the name of the Lord. In the afternoon of the same day I stood up before a great audience and was inspired by the Almighty to talk to the people. Sunday after Sunday I used to bear my testimony.
We moved to Crofthead again. We spread the gospel all the time to people that had never heard of it. We then lived at a place called Bathgate, six miles north of Croft head. We lived here one year and moved to a place called Hunterfield which is ten miles south of Edinburgh. We lived here until I was eighteen years old. We then left Scotland in the fall of 1848.
I crossed the sea in the ship called “The Sailor Prince” and arrived at New Orleans in the latter part of October 1848. We then moved to St. Louis the same fall and arrived three days before Christmas. I used to walk to a place called Dry Hill – a distance of six miles to meeting and to work every day. We lived here until the spring of 1851.
We organized a company of ten to cross the plains to Salt Lake City. John Easton was appointed captain to the ten. The names of the members of the company were John Easton and family, James Easton and family, Robert Easton and family, Alexander Easton and family, Mrs. Easton their mother, and two young men George and Matthew Easton, James Williamson and family, Sandy Kear and family, Sandy Mustard and daughter, John and Andrew Bert, Joseph Horn, James, Robert, and David Bullock, James Berner, Alexander Kear and family, John Stoddard, and our father and mother and I.
