Today is the official beginning of all that is Irish...

I would like to share the history of one of our Irish ancestors. Her name is Mary Benson Hull.
(this isn't really the most flattering picture--I'm sure she was much more lovely than she is portrayed here :-)

Mary Benson Hull was born in Londonderry County, Ireland, June of 1812. Her father was Peter Benson, son of Daniel Benson. Her mother was Biddy Douley and her grandmother was Rachel Mauglin. Her mother died when she was born. Her father remarried. It is reported that he and his second wife had ten pair of twin girls.



Mary's uncle, James Benson, a physician, taught her obstetrics and nursing. She did a great deal of work nursing the sick and practicing obstetrics while she lived in Ireland and was even busier in her profession when she moved to Scotland and America.

She married Thomas Hull in 1834. In 1841 she with her husband and five children moved to Delry, Scotland. They left Ireland because there was difficulty among her husband and his brothers regarding the division of their father's large estate of woolen mills. When they reached Scotland, her husband had to work in the mines. This was hard on them as they were not used to the hardships of poverty.
Mary seemed to be a leader among the women in the community of "In the Den" where they moved when her husband found employment in the mines.

When she heard some Mormon elders were holding a meeting in the woods near her home, she gathered a group of women together to break up the meeting by throwing rotten eggs...and potatoes... into the crowd and the speakers. The women armed themselves with all they could carry and stationed themselves around the people. At a given signal from Mary, the women were to bombard the speakers with the spoiled food. The siganl, however, never came as Mary became absorbed in what the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormons, were saying and she was converted to the gospel then and there. When her husband came home that evening, she told him she was ready to be baptized. He began to investigate the gospel and in 1849 all he, Mary and their children all joined the church. They were baptized in the river Garnet in Derby County Scotland by William Sterrit.

After the family joined the church, they were treated very badly by all their former friends and neighbors. They scrimped and saved to go to Salt Lake City in America.In 1854, the family left for Liverpool and on June 30, 1854, they boarded the sailing vessel "Stetson" and sailed for America. A terrific ocean storm lasted many days, but finally after thirty-one days at sea, they reached New York City.

The family moved to Peoria County, Illinois where the family found work. Here they labored until they had saved enough money to buy oxen, a wagon, food and clothing to journey to Utah. In March 1859 in Omaha, they joined with a group of Saints and started across the plains. The family had walked to Omaha and now they set out again on foot for Salt Lake City, where they arrived September 7, 1859.
When they reached Salt Lake City, Mary's husband was ill with Rocky Mountain Fever. Mary and the boys started to look for work so they could buy food. For several days they walked all over the city and its outskirts looking for any kind of work they could get. They came home each day very discouraged. Each day Mary would gather her children around her in prayer, supplicating our Heavenly Father to open a way for them to obtain the necessities of life and praying that her sick husband might be restored to health. One evening as she knelt in prayer, someone laid a hand on her shoulder and said, "Arise sister, your pleading have not been in vain. Come with me." She and two of the children followed him. He loaded them with food and gave them milk and fruit for the ailing husband. They later learned their benefactor was Heber C. Kimball. The food he gave them lasted until they found work and could buy food.

Mary's husband was still ill when they moved to Kayscreek just north of Salt Lake City in a two-room log house.Mary was fearful her husband would die as he was still so very sick. The elders had administered to him, but he was no better in his health. One evening Mary had been out milking their cows and as she came to the door and looked in, she saw tow men in the act of administering to her husband. One of them turned, pored out a spoonful of olive oil and had him drink it. Then they placed their hands on his head to give him a blessing. Mary bowed her head and closed her eyes during the prayer. When Mary opened her eyes the men had disappeared. Thomas improved rapidly after that night.

Thomas and Robert, the two oldest sons, had been called to help get out rock for the Salt Lake Temple. Mary, with 3 daughters and 2 sons were moved back to Temple Square in Salt Lake and lived there in a wagon box until the boys completed their assignment. Her husband Thomas, son William , and daughter Mary went to Franklin, Idaho in beautiful Cache Valley.

In 1860 Mary and the rest of the family moved to Franklin to make their home. She was a most valuable person in this pioneer community with her knowledge of nursing and obstetrics. The family reported she never seemed to be instrumental in bringing any disease home although she nursed people with black smallpox, diptheria, and typhoid. In later years when she moved to Hooper, Utah the people thought she had super human power. Many cases of severe illness she nursed back to health after doctors had given them up. This was especially true of cases of typhoid fever.

Mary was also expert in spinning flax, which her husband wove into cloth for towels, men's shirts, etc. She was also adept in using newly clipped wool from sheep, which she would clean, spin and dye in many colors. Pioneers told of the wonderful dress goods she would make from the flax her husband grew.

One piece of cloth is especially remembered well. She used this clothe to make dresses for Mrs. Smart, Mrs. Dunkley and for herself, they were the most lovely dresses in that pioneer community. Madder colored the red, burdock and indigo blue gave them green yarn, and blue from indigo blue they bought in Salt Lake City. It was a checked pattern. These dresses were worn for years and considered most beautiful. They were made with full skirts and will fitted basque waists.
Mary suffered with the rest of the saints at times for food. Having been reared in the higher class of people in Ireland, it was difficult for her to meet the requirements of western pioneer living. She seemed able always to rise to whatever hardship the occasion demanded. Shearing sheep, dying wool, spinning and sewing by hand she took in her stride. Milking, making cheese and butter and such accomplishments she also mastered. She nursed the sick, took care of her family, fed the poor and hungry, clothed the destitute, and would give her last bit of food or raiment she wasn't wearing to help others.

Mary Benson Hull died at the age of 64 in Hooper, Utah. She bore a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout her life and what is more important--she lived it.