Son of James Martindale and Elizabeth Addington

Married Mahala Stigleman, 5 Aug 1833, Wayne, Indiana

Married Elizabeth Bunnell, 12 December 1840, Wayne, Indiana

Married Rebecca Ann Haines, 23 August 1846, Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska

Married Uphrasia Isabella Pratt, 15 October 1857, Virgin City, Washington, Utah

Married Kindness Ann Haines, 6 Jul 1867, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Caroline Smith, 24 April 1865, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Biography - William Addington Martindale, second son of James and Elizabeth Addington Martindale, was born on 11 June 1814 in Washington, Wayne County, Indiana. He married Mahala Stigleman in Greensfork, Wayne County, Indiana. They had two children: William Clinton and Martha Jane. William, being moved by the Spirit, decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mahala was much opposed to it and so they divorced.

William was baptized into the Church by John E. Page on 20 January 1840 and lived for a short time in Nauvoo. He married Elizabeth (Betsy) Bunnell and was given his patriarchal blessing by Hyrum Smith on 8 October 1843 in Nauvoo. While in Nauvoo in 1843, he received a mission call to labor in Ohio, and then in 1844, he received another call to labor in Indiana.

During his time in Nauvoo, he shared many of the trials of the Saints. William was involved in the election campaign of Joseph Smith for President of the United States. He was also involved in building the temple at Nauvoo. When the Saints migrated, William left with them and migrated to Garden Grove, Council Bluffs, and then Winter Quarters. While in Winter Quarters, he received a call to serve on a mission: "In the opening and the founding of missionary work in Texas." William was given a letter from President George A. Smith, dated 12 May 1848, and also a recommendation from Orson Hyde, President of the Twelve Apostles, dated 23 October 1848.

William arrived in Texas on 26 December 1848, traveling through St. Louis, down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, crossing the Gulf of Mexico to Galveston, Texas, and then finally to Houston. During his mission, he visited Lyman Wight to see if he was ready to return to the Church, however, he and his companion found Lyman Wight in feeble health and still very bitter. William labored in Texas until 14 March 1849, when he left for Council Bluffs.

In 1852, William sold all he possessed and bought oxen, wagons, and supplies to prepare for the trek to the West. He crossed the plains as captain of the first ten wagons of the James Chaney Snow Emigrating Co. He brought his wife Rebecca Ann Haines and his 18-year-old son William Clinton with him. While crossing the plains, they reported that "the health of the company was good as no sickness had made its appearance." They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on 9 October 1852.

William and his son William Clinton were called to settle in the Grantsville area. At a conference on 27 March 1853 in Grantsville, William was sustained as First Counselor in the Grantsville Stake. About a year later in April 1854, he was called on a mission to East Texas-Louisiana. He labored under considerable disadvantages to his health until 7 August 1857, when he returned to his family in Utah.

After returning home, William married Isabelle Pratt in Grantsville, Utah. On 26 August 1860, William was called on another mission. He went to Florence, Nebraska, where many Saints were gathering, working, and saving their money to come to Utah. William and his companion, Elder Wareham were told to gather up these fragmented groups of Saints that had come from all over Western Europe and organize them into branches, and get them to Utah. On 3 July 1861, under the direction of Captain Milo Andrus, 68 wagons of 620 people left Florence. The wagons included 28 under the direction of Captain William A. Martindale. His group arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on 13 September 1861.

In 1864, William, his wives, and the family moved in 1864 to Duncan Retreat along the Virgin River in southern Utah and purchased land on which he grew many kinds of fruit, wheat, corn, potatoes, sorghum, and cotton. He was the Presiding Elder in this area for a number of years.

After William's wife Rebecca died in December 1865, he married her sister, Kindness Ann Haines Badger, and were sealed on 6 July 1867. He helped raise the Badger children Kindness had brought with her. Rebecca Ann was the only child of the marriage to Kindness Ann, and with the other six children, their house was full. William died on 14 February 1873.

Bibliographical Note:
"William Addington Martindale" biographical sketch found in the Additions to the William Addington Martindale Collection (MSS SC 3101), BYU L. Tom Perry Special Collections.

"My father's brother, James Martindale, settled on a farm in Wayne County, near Washington, where he lived until his death. He had two sons, John and William. John lived on a farm near his father. He died many years ago. His children remain in the same locality, near Washington, Wayne County, Indiana. William, the other son, married Mahala Stiggleman, whom he deserted and went to the Mormons, and became a great apostle in expounding that faith. He left one daughter in Indiana when he went to the Mormons." Autobiography and Sermons of Elder Elijah Martindale: Also Pioneer History, Elijah Martindale, Belle Stanford, p. 118.

Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 13, p. 531:
Duncan's Retreat, a small settlement located on the north bank of the Rio Virgin, about four miles east of Virgin City, was first settled in 1861 by Chapman Duncan and others. Fertile lands skirting the river were taken possession of, but were flooded by the action of the high water in the river; then most of the settlers became discouraged and moved away. Others moved in until the place contained about a dozen families. The name of the place was suggested by the fact that the first settler, Chapman Duncan, retreated to other parts of the country after the floods during the winter of 1861–1862. In 1864 William Theobald was placed over the group as presiding elder, but in 1866 the place was temporarily vacated because of Indian troubles, but resettled in 1868 when William Martindale presided. In April 1891 Duncan's Retreat was a small branch of the Virgin Ward, but continued floods caused the place to be abandoned. In 1930 nothing was left except fragments of the foundations of several houses and three pear trees still bearing fruit. The present federal highway passes directly over the site where formerly stood the Duncan's Retreat L.D.S. meetinghouse.