Published References and Early Typescripts Related to the Life of Christina McNeil Reynolds
Published References that Mention Christina McNeil:
1. Allphin, Jolene S., Tell My Story Too, A collection of biographical sketches of pioneers and rescuers of the Willie, Martin, Hodgett, Hunt Companies 1856, pages, 3,7,8,10, 82; 2001, Dingman Professional Printing, Ogden, Utah.
Note: Referring to Christina McNeil, Allphin reported that she came from an "abusive home." The sources of this conclusion are the writings of Veara Southworth Fife, grandaughter of Margaret Ann McFall Caldwell. Veara was born in 1896, nine years after her grandmother died. Veara made her assumptions based on the impressions handed down to her by her mother, Agnes Caldwell Southworth, who was a nine year old child when she crossed the plains with Christina McNeil. Veara S. Fife also is the author of the published statement that Christian Taylor McNeil, mother of our Christina, was a drunkard. Whether or not Agnes was correct in her assessment of Christina's mother and childhood home, as written by Fife, it is here noted that this kind of allegation was not contained in any of the historic typescripts or life sketches produced by the direct descendants of Christina McNeil Reynolds; furthermore, it is an instance of hurtful dialogue, based on hearsay and poorly sourced at best. Brad Dimock's wisdom is very appropriate here -- "Memories evolve over the years, events gain and lose emphasis. Hindsight carries its own distortion, and attitudes fall prey to the power of suggestion." -- Brad Dimock in "The Very Hard Way," Fretwater Press, Flagstaff, Arizona, 2007, page 91.
2. Madsen, Susan Arrington, I Walked To Zion, True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail, page 58, in account of Agnes Caldwell Southworth, original source is "Autobiography of Agnes Caldwell," typescript of interview conducted by Veara Southworth Fife, her daughter. Original in files of Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1994.
Note: Agnes Caldwell was nine years old in 1856 when she crossed the plains to Utah with the Willie Handcart Company. She was born in 1847 and died in 1924. The "Autobiography" referenced above by Madsen should probably be referenced as a biography since it actually was written by a second party.
3. Manful, Elvera, Biography of Margaret Ann McFall Caldwell Bennett, written for the Federal Writers' Project by Elvera Manful, Ogden, Weber, Utah, December 1939, from notes written by Mrs. V. Fife, grand-daughter of Margaret Bennett and daughter of Mrs. Agnes Caldwell Southworth in 1933.
4. Swinton, Heidi and Groberg, Lee, Sweetwater Rescue, The Willie and Martin Handcart Story, Covenant Communications, Inc., American Fork, Utah, 136 pages, June 18, 2006.
Note: Referring to Christina McNeil, Allphin reported that she came from an "abusive home." The sources of this conclusion are the writings of Veara Southworth Fife, grandaughter of Margaret Ann McFall Caldwell. Veara was born in 1896, nine years after her grandmother died. Veara made her assumptions based on the impressions handed down to her by her mother, Agnes Caldwell Southworth, who was a nine year old child when she crossed the plains with Christina McNeil. Veara S. Fife also is the author of the published statement that Christian Taylor McNeil, mother of our Christina, was a drunkard. Whether or not Agnes was correct in her assessment of Christina's mother and childhood home, as written by Fife, it is here noted that this kind of allegation was not contained in any of the historic typescripts or life sketches produced by the direct descendants of Christina McNeil Reynolds; furthermore, it is an instance of hurtful dialogue, based on hearsay and poorly sourced at best. Brad Dimock's wisdom is very appropriate here -- "Memories evolve over the years, events gain and lose emphasis. Hindsight carries its own distortion, and attitudes fall prey to the power of suggestion." -- Brad Dimock in "The Very Hard Way," Fretwater Press, Flagstaff, Arizona, 2007, page 91.
2. Madsen, Susan Arrington, I Walked To Zion, True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail, page 58, in account of Agnes Caldwell Southworth, original source is "Autobiography of Agnes Caldwell," typescript of interview conducted by Veara Southworth Fife, her daughter. Original in files of Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1994.
Note: Agnes Caldwell was nine years old in 1856 when she crossed the plains to Utah with the Willie Handcart Company. She was born in 1847 and died in 1924. The "Autobiography" referenced above by Madsen should probably be referenced as a biography since it actually was written by a second party.
3. Manful, Elvera, Biography of Margaret Ann McFall Caldwell Bennett, written for the Federal Writers' Project by Elvera Manful, Ogden, Weber, Utah, December 1939, from notes written by Mrs. V. Fife, grand-daughter of Margaret Bennett and daughter of Mrs. Agnes Caldwell Southworth in 1933.
4. Swinton, Heidi and Groberg, Lee, Sweetwater Rescue, The Willie and Martin Handcart Story, Covenant Communications, Inc., American Fork, Utah, 136 pages, June 18, 2006.
Other References of the Handcart Companies:
Cornwall, Rebecca, and Leonard J. Arrington. Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies. Vol. 11 of the Charles Redd Monographs in Western History. Provo,
Utah 1981.
Hafen, LeRoy R., and Ann W. Hafen. Handcarts to Zion: The Story of a Unique Western Migration, 1856-1860. Vol. 14 of the Far West and the Rockies Historical Series. Glendale, Calif., 1960.
Lund, Gerald N. Fire Of The Covenant. Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah. 1999. - an excellent book.
Utah 1981.
Hafen, LeRoy R., and Ann W. Hafen. Handcarts to Zion: The Story of a Unique Western Migration, 1856-1860. Vol. 14 of the Far West and the Rockies Historical Series. Glendale, Calif., 1960.
Lund, Gerald N. Fire Of The Covenant. Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah. 1999. - an excellent book.
Resources listed by Jolene S. Allphin:
Early Typescripts:
Please click to access PDF copy.
1. Bowthorpe, Hazel, "Christina McNeil (In Character)," typescript, in first person tense, of the life of Christina McNeil, retyped from document in possession of Arthur V. (Woodrow) Reynolds, R.R.1, Moore, Idaho, 83255 for a younger sister, Wilma Florence Reynolds Powers, who submitted the typescript to Mary Buys Camp, Davis Heritage, Bountiful, Utah, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 15 October 1990, six pages with cover page and title page.
Note: This typescript appears to be a re-typed and slightly edited version of the original document produced by Josephine Reynolds Bowthorpe Workman, first cousin of Hazel Bowthorpe (1895-1981); see item number 5 below. These documents are marked by embellishment of the driving forces said to have shaped Christina's early life, and the handcart episodes are obviously based on borrowed information from early day historical accounts; a noticable glitch in the narrative has Christina McNeil a member of the Martin Handcart Company rather than in her rightful place with the James G. Willie Company. The authors have frequently exercised the liberty of fusing their religious sentiments into Christina McNeil's character, which moves classification of this typescript away from being a statement of fact. It is interesting to note that the location of Christina's birth is given as both Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland on the title page and in Methul, Perthshire -- an unknown or misspelled town. Moreover, the addition of the "Title Page" on this document is the first attempt, of the several old typescripts, to record the source and date of the information.
2. Reynolds, Arthur Woodrow, "William Warren Reynolds," typescript in first person tense of the life of William Warren Reynolds (1871-1961)," three pages, undated and unsigned by the author.
Note: Written by Arthur Woodrow Reynolds, last living of William Warren and Alberta May Green’s sixteen children. In personal conversation with Woodrow I inquired about his "first person tense" authorship of his father and mother's life sketches. I recorded his response verbatim in an updated version of his typescript: “My father and mother did not write their histories. I am the one who did this even though it is written in the first person. I had to write them up after the folks had passed away. It is made up of facts told to us during their lives and not fabricated by me in any way.” – August 04, 2006.
3. Unknown, "Christina McNeil Reynolds," A life sketch typescript with photo cover page, four pages, undated, unsigned.
Note: This typescript represents a later version workup of Christina's life that was widely distributed to family members at reunions in Idaho and Utah. It was an apparent attempt to pass on vital information including birth dates and places, but it confused both the year and town. Take your pick between 1831 and 1832 and Perth, Scotland or the unknown town of Methul.
This document contains significant items about Christina which were passed on by "word of mouth." Most of these have been perpetuated to our day without further research or substantiation. Her physical appearance is described has having "black hair and dark eyes." Her mother was a "corset maker" and is said to have been bitterly apposed to Christina's baptism into the LDS church -- an event that caused Christina to be "refused entrance to her home." According to this document, Christina went to work for Margaret Ann Caldwell vs. just boarding there. The document records that Christina was visited by her sister and brother-in-law upon leaving Liverpool for America. No sources are given for any of the above items.
The Willie Handcart experience is presented mostly in the form of Chislett's historical account. Of significance is the appearance at the end of the document of a paragraph attributed to granddaughter Mabel Reynolds Baker which treats Christina's life after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. Again, no sources are given, so we may assume a degree of common knowledge was the basis for most of the story line. Note: Mabel Reynolds Baker was eight years old when Christina died.
4. Unknown, "Margaret Ann Reynolds Nichol," Typescript "bio" or life sketch of Margaret Ann Reynolds Nichol, three pages, undated, unsigned.
Note: This sketch was produced by an unknown family member sometime after the death of Margaret Ann, or as she was known, "Aunt Maggie." Maggie was born in 1863, the third child and second daughter of Warren F. and Christina McNeil Reynolds. She died in Holladay, Utah in 1928. This typescript circulated among Reynolds family members as it was distributed at family reunions etc. In personal discussions with Nichol family descendants, it is clear that the sketch was not looked upon favorably by Nichol descendants as it tells a negative story of Margaret Ann's husband, James Nichol, who mysteriously disappeared after a gambling loss and never returned. The allegations regarding Nichol are not sourced in the three page document and may very well be untrue. It is included here as a stimulus for further research and information on the uncertainties contained in the story.
5. Workman, Josephine, "Christina McNeil (In Character)," PDF document saved from copy of old typescript, six pages, undated, unsigned.
Note: This six page life sketch typescript was created by Josephine Reynolds Bowthorpe Workman (1898-1989). It is undated and unsigned. Only a note is attached referencing Workman's authorship. The note states that the document was "taken from a history written by Josephine Workman as told to her by Isabelle Bird." Rosina Isabelle Reynolds Bird (1867-1956) was Josephine's aunt. Josephine's mother, Philanda Maria Reynolds Bowthorpe and Philanda's younger sister, Rosina were children of Warren Ford Reynolds' first wife Edna Merrell. Philanda married and left home in 1880, and Rosina married Henry Edward Bird in 1893. This typescript is an example of a life sketch written by a granddaughter, in the first person tense, from information passed down by a child of someone not in the direct line of descent from Christina McNeil.
6. Workman, Josephine, "Edna Maria Merrill In Character," PDF document saved from copy of old typescript, three pages, undated, with note typed at bottom of last page, "taken from a history written by Josephine Workman as told to her by Isabelle Bird."
Note: See preceeding notes under item three, immediately above. Only difference is that in this instance, Edna Maria Merrill, is the grandmother of the author, Josephine Workman. Workman was born two years after Edna died.
7. Workman, Josephine, History of Warren Ford Reynolds, three pages, PDF document saved from old typescript submitted to Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Twin Peaks Camp, 1954.
Note: This typescript appears to be a re-typed and slightly edited version of the original document produced by Josephine Reynolds Bowthorpe Workman, first cousin of Hazel Bowthorpe (1895-1981); see item number 5 below. These documents are marked by embellishment of the driving forces said to have shaped Christina's early life, and the handcart episodes are obviously based on borrowed information from early day historical accounts; a noticable glitch in the narrative has Christina McNeil a member of the Martin Handcart Company rather than in her rightful place with the James G. Willie Company. The authors have frequently exercised the liberty of fusing their religious sentiments into Christina McNeil's character, which moves classification of this typescript away from being a statement of fact. It is interesting to note that the location of Christina's birth is given as both Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland on the title page and in Methul, Perthshire -- an unknown or misspelled town. Moreover, the addition of the "Title Page" on this document is the first attempt, of the several old typescripts, to record the source and date of the information.
2. Reynolds, Arthur Woodrow, "William Warren Reynolds," typescript in first person tense of the life of William Warren Reynolds (1871-1961)," three pages, undated and unsigned by the author.
Note: Written by Arthur Woodrow Reynolds, last living of William Warren and Alberta May Green’s sixteen children. In personal conversation with Woodrow I inquired about his "first person tense" authorship of his father and mother's life sketches. I recorded his response verbatim in an updated version of his typescript: “My father and mother did not write their histories. I am the one who did this even though it is written in the first person. I had to write them up after the folks had passed away. It is made up of facts told to us during their lives and not fabricated by me in any way.” – August 04, 2006.
3. Unknown, "Christina McNeil Reynolds," A life sketch typescript with photo cover page, four pages, undated, unsigned.
Note: This typescript represents a later version workup of Christina's life that was widely distributed to family members at reunions in Idaho and Utah. It was an apparent attempt to pass on vital information including birth dates and places, but it confused both the year and town. Take your pick between 1831 and 1832 and Perth, Scotland or the unknown town of Methul.
This document contains significant items about Christina which were passed on by "word of mouth." Most of these have been perpetuated to our day without further research or substantiation. Her physical appearance is described has having "black hair and dark eyes." Her mother was a "corset maker" and is said to have been bitterly apposed to Christina's baptism into the LDS church -- an event that caused Christina to be "refused entrance to her home." According to this document, Christina went to work for Margaret Ann Caldwell vs. just boarding there. The document records that Christina was visited by her sister and brother-in-law upon leaving Liverpool for America. No sources are given for any of the above items.
The Willie Handcart experience is presented mostly in the form of Chislett's historical account. Of significance is the appearance at the end of the document of a paragraph attributed to granddaughter Mabel Reynolds Baker which treats Christina's life after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. Again, no sources are given, so we may assume a degree of common knowledge was the basis for most of the story line. Note: Mabel Reynolds Baker was eight years old when Christina died.
4. Unknown, "Margaret Ann Reynolds Nichol," Typescript "bio" or life sketch of Margaret Ann Reynolds Nichol, three pages, undated, unsigned.
Note: This sketch was produced by an unknown family member sometime after the death of Margaret Ann, or as she was known, "Aunt Maggie." Maggie was born in 1863, the third child and second daughter of Warren F. and Christina McNeil Reynolds. She died in Holladay, Utah in 1928. This typescript circulated among Reynolds family members as it was distributed at family reunions etc. In personal discussions with Nichol family descendants, it is clear that the sketch was not looked upon favorably by Nichol descendants as it tells a negative story of Margaret Ann's husband, James Nichol, who mysteriously disappeared after a gambling loss and never returned. The allegations regarding Nichol are not sourced in the three page document and may very well be untrue. It is included here as a stimulus for further research and information on the uncertainties contained in the story.
5. Workman, Josephine, "Christina McNeil (In Character)," PDF document saved from copy of old typescript, six pages, undated, unsigned.
Note: This six page life sketch typescript was created by Josephine Reynolds Bowthorpe Workman (1898-1989). It is undated and unsigned. Only a note is attached referencing Workman's authorship. The note states that the document was "taken from a history written by Josephine Workman as told to her by Isabelle Bird." Rosina Isabelle Reynolds Bird (1867-1956) was Josephine's aunt. Josephine's mother, Philanda Maria Reynolds Bowthorpe and Philanda's younger sister, Rosina were children of Warren Ford Reynolds' first wife Edna Merrell. Philanda married and left home in 1880, and Rosina married Henry Edward Bird in 1893. This typescript is an example of a life sketch written by a granddaughter, in the first person tense, from information passed down by a child of someone not in the direct line of descent from Christina McNeil.
6. Workman, Josephine, "Edna Maria Merrill In Character," PDF document saved from copy of old typescript, three pages, undated, with note typed at bottom of last page, "taken from a history written by Josephine Workman as told to her by Isabelle Bird."
Note: See preceeding notes under item three, immediately above. Only difference is that in this instance, Edna Maria Merrill, is the grandmother of the author, Josephine Workman. Workman was born two years after Edna died.
7. Workman, Josephine, History of Warren Ford Reynolds, three pages, PDF document saved from old typescript submitted to Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Twin Peaks Camp, 1954.