Son of John Kirton and Grace Barrass
Married Elizabeth Jane Mason, 20 September 1884, Ellison Street Chapel, Hebburn Colliery, Durham, England
Children - Hannah Gardner Kirton, John William Kirton, William Kirton, Joseph Mason Kirton, Wilford Woodruff Kirton, Lorenzo Snow Kirton
John Kirton was killed in the coal mine disaster, Winter Quarters #4, at Scofield, Utah, May 1st 1900. It was a black day for sure. He had over two hundred other good men as company. John Kirton was the first man brought to the surface. He was still alive, but presented a terrible sight. His scalp was burned to a cinder and his face was almost unrecognizable. In his horrible pain, he cried out to his companions, begging them to end his misery by taking his life. Many insist the actual count of dead to be over 250. The youngest was 14 years.
The family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the efforts of Elizabeth Jane Mason Kirton. When she first learned of the gospel, Elizabeth was already married. One evening she heard singing and talking in the apartment below hers. Curious to know what was transpiring, she had her pail ready later that night so that she could fetch water at the community pump at the same time that her neighbor did. Upon learning that Mormon missionaries were holding cottage meetings downstairs, she readily accepted her neighbor’s invitation to join them.
She read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of its truth. When she asked her husband, John Kirton, “a man of few words,” if he had any objections to her baptism, he said, “No, but while you’re about it, make arrangements for my baptism, too."
When her mother, Hannah Gardner Armstrong, learned what Elizabeth had done, however, she was shocked and infuriated and ordered her out of the house with instructions never to darken her door again. She had heard terrible stories about the Mormons and Brigham Young and polygamy, and thought her daughter had surely gone astray. But the rift didn’t last, and it wasn’t long before mother and daughter were reconciled.
At Elizabeth’s request Hannah read the Book of Mormon. Initially unimpressed, she read it again but this time she followed Moroni’s admonition to pray about it with a sincere heart. She could scarcely believe it was the same book. “If the book had been taken from my house, I would have believed this was a different book.”
Convinced that it was true, she asked for baptism, and eventually all of her children were also baptized. John William Mason, Elizabeth's brother, was never baptized although the missionaries were always welcome in his home. He was a large man, almost 300 pounds, and I’m told he did not think the elders would be able to handle him in the water. Prior to his demise, he asked to have his temple work done for him following his passing.
Married Elizabeth Jane Mason, 20 September 1884, Ellison Street Chapel, Hebburn Colliery, Durham, England
Children - Hannah Gardner Kirton, John William Kirton, William Kirton, Joseph Mason Kirton, Wilford Woodruff Kirton, Lorenzo Snow Kirton
John Kirton was killed in the coal mine disaster, Winter Quarters #4, at Scofield, Utah, May 1st 1900. It was a black day for sure. He had over two hundred other good men as company. John Kirton was the first man brought to the surface. He was still alive, but presented a terrible sight. His scalp was burned to a cinder and his face was almost unrecognizable. In his horrible pain, he cried out to his companions, begging them to end his misery by taking his life. Many insist the actual count of dead to be over 250. The youngest was 14 years.
The family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the efforts of Elizabeth Jane Mason Kirton. When she first learned of the gospel, Elizabeth was already married. One evening she heard singing and talking in the apartment below hers. Curious to know what was transpiring, she had her pail ready later that night so that she could fetch water at the community pump at the same time that her neighbor did. Upon learning that Mormon missionaries were holding cottage meetings downstairs, she readily accepted her neighbor’s invitation to join them.
She read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of its truth. When she asked her husband, John Kirton, “a man of few words,” if he had any objections to her baptism, he said, “No, but while you’re about it, make arrangements for my baptism, too."
When her mother, Hannah Gardner Armstrong, learned what Elizabeth had done, however, she was shocked and infuriated and ordered her out of the house with instructions never to darken her door again. She had heard terrible stories about the Mormons and Brigham Young and polygamy, and thought her daughter had surely gone astray. But the rift didn’t last, and it wasn’t long before mother and daughter were reconciled.
At Elizabeth’s request Hannah read the Book of Mormon. Initially unimpressed, she read it again but this time she followed Moroni’s admonition to pray about it with a sincere heart. She could scarcely believe it was the same book. “If the book had been taken from my house, I would have believed this was a different book.”
Convinced that it was true, she asked for baptism, and eventually all of her children were also baptized. John William Mason, Elizabeth's brother, was never baptized although the missionaries were always welcome in his home. He was a large man, almost 300 pounds, and I’m told he did not think the elders would be able to handle him in the water. Prior to his demise, he asked to have his temple work done for him following his passing.
Son of John Kirton and Grace Barrass
Married Elizabeth Jane Mason, 20 September 1884, Ellison Street Chapel, Hebburn Colliery, Durham, England
Children - Hannah Gardner Kirton, John William Kirton, William Kirton, Joseph Mason Kirton, Wilford Woodruff Kirton, Lorenzo Snow Kirton
John Kirton was killed in the coal mine disaster, Winter Quarters #4, at Scofield, Utah, May 1st 1900. It was a black day for sure. He had over two hundred other good men as company. John Kirton was the first man brought to the surface. He was still alive, but presented a terrible sight. His scalp was burned to a cinder and his face was almost unrecognizable. In his horrible pain, he cried out to his companions, begging them to end his misery by taking his life. Many insist the actual count of dead to be over 250. The youngest was 14 years.
The family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the efforts of Elizabeth Jane Mason Kirton. When she first learned of the gospel, Elizabeth was already married. One evening she heard singing and talking in the apartment below hers. Curious to know what was transpiring, she had her pail ready later that night so that she could fetch water at the community pump at the same time that her neighbor did. Upon learning that Mormon missionaries were holding cottage meetings downstairs, she readily accepted her neighbor’s invitation to join them.
She read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of its truth. When she asked her husband, John Kirton, “a man of few words,” if he had any objections to her baptism, he said, “No, but while you’re about it, make arrangements for my baptism, too."
When her mother, Hannah Gardner Armstrong, learned what Elizabeth had done, however, she was shocked and infuriated and ordered her out of the house with instructions never to darken her door again. She had heard terrible stories about the Mormons and Brigham Young and polygamy, and thought her daughter had surely gone astray. But the rift didn’t last, and it wasn’t long before mother and daughter were reconciled.
At Elizabeth’s request Hannah read the Book of Mormon. Initially unimpressed, she read it again but this time she followed Moroni’s admonition to pray about it with a sincere heart. She could scarcely believe it was the same book. “If the book had been taken from my house, I would have believed this was a different book.”
Convinced that it was true, she asked for baptism, and eventually all of her children were also baptized. John William Mason, Elizabeth's brother, was never baptized although the missionaries were always welcome in his home. He was a large man, almost 300 pounds, and I’m told he did not think the elders would be able to handle him in the water. Prior to his demise, he asked to have his temple work done for him following his passing.
Married Elizabeth Jane Mason, 20 September 1884, Ellison Street Chapel, Hebburn Colliery, Durham, England
Children - Hannah Gardner Kirton, John William Kirton, William Kirton, Joseph Mason Kirton, Wilford Woodruff Kirton, Lorenzo Snow Kirton
John Kirton was killed in the coal mine disaster, Winter Quarters #4, at Scofield, Utah, May 1st 1900. It was a black day for sure. He had over two hundred other good men as company. John Kirton was the first man brought to the surface. He was still alive, but presented a terrible sight. His scalp was burned to a cinder and his face was almost unrecognizable. In his horrible pain, he cried out to his companions, begging them to end his misery by taking his life. Many insist the actual count of dead to be over 250. The youngest was 14 years.
The family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the efforts of Elizabeth Jane Mason Kirton. When she first learned of the gospel, Elizabeth was already married. One evening she heard singing and talking in the apartment below hers. Curious to know what was transpiring, she had her pail ready later that night so that she could fetch water at the community pump at the same time that her neighbor did. Upon learning that Mormon missionaries were holding cottage meetings downstairs, she readily accepted her neighbor’s invitation to join them.
She read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of its truth. When she asked her husband, John Kirton, “a man of few words,” if he had any objections to her baptism, he said, “No, but while you’re about it, make arrangements for my baptism, too."
When her mother, Hannah Gardner Armstrong, learned what Elizabeth had done, however, she was shocked and infuriated and ordered her out of the house with instructions never to darken her door again. She had heard terrible stories about the Mormons and Brigham Young and polygamy, and thought her daughter had surely gone astray. But the rift didn’t last, and it wasn’t long before mother and daughter were reconciled.
At Elizabeth’s request Hannah read the Book of Mormon. Initially unimpressed, she read it again but this time she followed Moroni’s admonition to pray about it with a sincere heart. She could scarcely believe it was the same book. “If the book had been taken from my house, I would have believed this was a different book.”
Convinced that it was true, she asked for baptism, and eventually all of her children were also baptized. John William Mason, Elizabeth's brother, was never baptized although the missionaries were always welcome in his home. He was a large man, almost 300 pounds, and I’m told he did not think the elders would be able to handle him in the water. Prior to his demise, he asked to have his temple work done for him following his passing.
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