Memorials › William Henry Shirley
William Henry Shirley
19 Jan 1829 – 27 Sep 1886
| Birth | 19 Jan 1829 |
| Death | 27 Sep 1886 |
| Cemetery | Fish Haven Cemetery Fish Haven , Bear Lake County , Idaho , USA |
| Added by | cyndi chamberlain on 15 Jun 2005 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9010220 |
Bio
William Henry Shirley was born in Portsea, Hampshire, England on January 19, 1829 to Thomas William Shirley and Harriet Ann Ayling Hawkins Shirley. He had two brothers, Thomas and Edward. When William was 12 years old, his father died. He and his younger brother Thomas eventually went to South Africa to try to build a life for themselves there. In the village of Uinenhage, South Africa, William apprenticed as a wheelwright and his brother Thomas apprenticed as a blacksmith. William apprenticed with the Streak family, which is where he met his future wife, Esther Maria Bubb, who was living with the Streaks. In 1853 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, William married Esther in an English church. In 1855, William and Esther were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1857, Esther's older sister Martha married William's brother, Thomas. Eventually, Thomas and Martha were also baptized into the church. The two families decided to travel to America to join the other members of their church in the Utah Territory. In March 1859, William and Esther and their baby Thomas, boarded the ship "Alacrity" and sailed for America. They arrived three months later in Boston. They then made their way to Council Bluffs, Iowa and joined a Mormon wagon train bound for Great Salt Lake City. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September 1859. They initially lived in the Millcreek area of the Salt Lake Valley and William worked as a painter for the Silver Brothers Company. A few years later, they moved to Paris, Idaho in the Bear Lake Valley but returned to the Salt Lake Valley a few years after that. In 1879, they returned to the Bear Lake Valley where they settled permanently in Fish Haven. There, William worked as a painter and a wagon maker. Between 1856-1876 they had seven sons: George, Thomas, William, Charles, Edgar, James and John. Their first baby, George, died as an infant while they were still in South Africa. William, Edgar and John died as infants while they were in the Salt Lake Valley. William died at the age of 57 on September 27, 1887 in Fish Haven, Bear Lake County, Idaho. He left behind his wife Esther and three sons, Thomas, Charles and James. He was buried in the Fish Haven Cemetery. (Information provided by Find A Grave member MTM.)
Photos
Family
Spouse
Children
- George William Shirley 1856–1856
- Thomas Shirley 1858–1937
- William Shirley 1863–1863
- Charles Coulson Shirley 1864–1954
- Edgar Shirley 1869–1871
- James Frederick Shirley 1873–1924
- John Shirley 1876–1877
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