James Joseph BOOTH

                   James lived at Halls cottages with his wife Margaret and their daughter Martha Annie.  Margaret's parents lived next door and ran a dying business using vegetable dyes.

When Margaret became pregnant with her second child Alice Jane, James deserted them and took up with another woman.  At this time around the early 1870's the Mormons were becoming very populr in England and were recruiting new members to their faith.  It's believed that James joined them and went out to Salt Lake City to live.  He was a photographer and sent many photographs over to my Grandmothers of his family and home.  After his Father's death, his Mother, Ruth and Sisters, Sarah & Hannah, went ove to America to join him.  They had an arduous journey overland which took several months.  About 1911 Sarah came over to Stockport on a Mission, lecturing at many Mormon meeting houses.  She brought with her a child Tiny Marie, whon it's believed, she had adopted.  They stayed at my Grandma's for several months.  The family heard no more news of them after the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and the last address they had was a box no. in Minersville, Beaver County, Utah.

James & Annie & the two children emigrated to America in March, 1873, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, in April.  They joined the Mormon Church & moved to Washington, Utah in the summer of 1873.  Soon after they moved to St. George where he made his home and took another wife.  Poligamy was of course allowed in the Mormon Religion until some States outlawed it.

During this period James' occupation was a photographer until the las few years of his life during which he kept a store.

James filled a two year mission to England leaving St. George on October 15th 1887.  During this visit he returned to Uppermiss and set out to find Alice Jane the child he had never known.  A friend of hers came to the house at the Halls to tell her a gentleman wished to see her by the station.  She went and spoke to him at some length.  Taking a train ride to Oldham with him he told her of life and home in America, and invited her to return there with him.  After listening she told him what she thought of him and his offer and left him in the train speechless.  He was never to return to Greenfield again, and Alice Jane hated him for what he had done to them.

James returned to St. George in the fall of 1889 and continued to live there till his death in April, 1897, at the age of 54.  His Obituary was recorded in the "Washington County News" as follows:

James Booth, Son of John and Ruth Gamble Booth, died in St. George, Utah, on the 11th April, 1897.  He was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England, on June 12th 1843, and with his wife and two children, emigrated to America in March, 1873, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, in April.  He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the 14th Ward in Salt Lake City.  The same summer he moved to Washington, Utah, and soon after to St. George, where he has made his home ever since.  He filled an honourable two year Mission to England leaving Salt Lake City on 15th Oct 1887, and returned in the fall of 1889.  He has been an honourable, useful, and consistant Latter-day Saint.  His occupation has been photography until the last few years of his life, during which time he has also kept a store and done a very creditable business in Merchandise.

He leaves two wives and six children living, while three children have preceeded him to the spirit workd, and a large circle of friends moun his loss.  The funeral services were held in St. George Tabernacle on the 12th April, and the speakers were as follows - Wm. Atkin, Jos Orton, Rd Morris, Bp James Andrus, and E. Pace, each of whom had been aquainted with the deceased a number of years and known his real testimony to the truth of the same.  Many times he has suffered a great deal of pain in his later years, and six days prior to his demise, he too with severe pain, but at times he seemed better, yet he gained no permanent relief.  A few minutes previous to his death, he walked out of one room into another and seemed better than he had been for several days.  He sat down and expired without any apparant warning.  He was in his own home surrounded by his family and friends.  All join in sympathy with his bereaved family.