John Hurst Beecroft

1846 – 1919

John Hurst Beecroft was born October 19, 1846 at Little Horton, Yorkshire, England. His parents were Joseph Beecroft and Sarah Hurst. They had joined the Church at Bradford, Yorkshire, England in the year 1843. Joseph and Sarah were active members, he being one of the first Presidents of the Bradford Branch.

The following is recorded in Joseph’s diary on October 19, 1846: “This day was important in my history. About a quarter to one p.m. my wife was safely delivered of her seventh child, a fine boy, John.” He was baptized by his father, in 1854, while they were still in England.

In 1856 his parents came to America, destination Salt Lake City, Utah. John was the only one of the six living children who came with his parents. The others came later as money was earned to pay their passage.

They located in Holden, Millard County, Utah. In the year 1864 he was called by President Brigham Young to go back to St. Louis, Missouri to meet an emigration company from Europe. In that company he met his future wife, Ellen Chestnut. They were married on November 20, 1864 at Rockfort, Summit County, Utah. She was the daughter of William Chestnut and Ellen Macdonald. Eight children were born to them. Four of these children, William, Sarah Ellen, John Chestnut, and Robert Chestnut spent much of their lives in the colonies of Mexico.

The pioneer life was hard. Ellen, his first wife, died at Scipio, Millard County, Utah December 14, 1879. He took his five children to live with his father and mother. He was a freighter and during one of his freighting expeditions, he met Catherine Martin. They were married February 25, 1880. They settled in Manassa, Colorado. Five children were born to them:  Isabel, Mary Ann, Rose, Laura, and Christopher.

In November, 1889, John Hurst Beecroft left Manassa with his team, wagons and his family for Old Mexico. They arrived in Colonia Juarez, December 24, 1889. They stopped at Colonia Dublan for a short time staying at the home of the children’s uncle, Henry Chestnut. In the “History of Robert Chestnut Beecroft” we find the following: “Sometime in the first part of January, 1890, father and family moved to Colonia Pacheco together with the following families: Heaton, two families; W. A. Porter, three wives; Henry Lunt, two wives; John Walser, two wives. Brother Walser stopped at Colonia Juarez and took over the tannery.”

Although freighting was his occupation, “fiddling” was his much-loved hobby. Many were the dances he fiddled for. He was also a caller for the Quadrilles as he fiddled.

For some reason John Hurst Beecroft left Mexico and returned to the United States. His wife, Catherine, died January 3, 1895, at Central, Graham County, Arizona. Then, once more, he returned to Mexico, taking his five children to live with some friends in Colonia Oaxaca, Sonora, Mexico. By 1910 he returned to the United States, going to Utah, where he married Tyrena Dally in 1911. This was a very happy marriage. She died in 1913. He then went to Douglas, Arizona to live. There two of his children, William and Mary Ann, lived. He died at Douglas, April 25, 1919.

Carl J. Beecroft, grandson

Stalwarts South of the Border,

Nelle Spilsbury Hatch page 25