Archibald McPhail (1816-1856)

Archibald McPhail was born 11 May 1816 at Bridge of Weir, Renfrew, Scotland. He celebrated his 40th birthday aboard the ship Thornton in 1856. Traveling with him was his wife, Jane McKinnon McPhail, and their 3 year old daughter Jane, as well as Archibald's 13 year old daughter, Henrietta, from his previously deceased wife. Jane and Henrietta both celebrated birthdays on the trail.
Archibald kept a diary on board the ship. he wrote that at 3am on the Friday the 23rd of May; It began to blow very hard and continued to increase until it blew a complete gale and continued on til Monday morning about five o'clock when afterward it cleared up a fie day with not so much wind as would blow out a candle... During the gale the water stove in the glap window that was in the hatchway and came down where we were in the lower deck in torrents until it went over our shoes and with the rocking of the ship it would carry with it pots, pans, kettles, and water pots with great furry, but was moving about such as heavy chests, trunks boxes, etc. which we had to lash up tight or have our leg broken. There was one by the name of James Laird thrown up against a chest and got his leg out of joint but got it put in the next day and is getting better very fast. This Monday the 26th being very fine, all the women were called up on the deck and heard a good sermon while the men stayed down below and cleaned out the ship.
Archibald was responsible for a group of immigrants which included the twenty people who shared his tent. Two of theses were older women who constantly lagged behind the others. After struggling with his handcart one day in a blizzard, Archibald reached the camp at Rock Creek Hallow and found that only one of the women had arrived at camp. It was late at night when Archibald went back on the trail and found the missing woman on the other side of a frozen creek. he tried to convince her to come across the ice to him but she refused. She felt that she was dying anyway and did not want to risk the ice breaking. Archibald finally crossed the creek to get her. He picked her up and was in the process of bringing her across when the ice broke and Archibald fell through up to his waist. With his shoes and clothing frozen to him, Archibald was somehow able to get is charge back to camp, arriving very late at night.
Henrietta McPahil, in later years, described that night to her daughter, Rachel Ecckersell Minson, who wrote: By the time they returned to camp (Archilbald's) clothing was frozen on him and he was taking heavy chills. The air was cold and wet and men were so weak and hungry they could not go in search of dry wood to make a fire; so without anything warm to eat or drink, he was placed in a cold bed (under a handcart)..Henrietta sat by his bed brushing the snow from his face.
On the night of November 6, 1856, Archibald's wife sat lovingly with his head on her knew and prayed that a small piece of tallow candle she had burning might last until Archibald passed away. Her prayer was answered, for the light of the candle and the life of her husband went out at the same moment. Archibald had made the ultimate sacrifice and the woman survived.
Archibald's wife remarried shortly after reaching the Salt Lake Valley. Henrietta was cared for in Brigham young's home until she was able to work for room and board at Anthony W. Ivin's home. Henrietta married James Burrows Ekersell and they became the parents of 10 children, faithfully moving and pioneering new communities whenever called on to do so. Jane McPhail also grew up in the Zion of her father's dreams, married Alma Peart, and gave birth to 10 children.
the same faithfulness exhibited by Archibald McPhail was later reflected in Henrietta's life. her son, Archibald and his wife and some of their children fell victims to a criminal act in which they all died. Henrietta's daughter Rachel wrote: In Henrietta's great sorrow she was asked to drink a cup of tea to quiet her nerves but she reused by saying, "I must depend on the Lord for help and not on that which He has forbidden." The Lord did bless her. She was privileged to live to see her children enjoy that which she had sacrificed so much for.
In later years Archibald's wife stated that she would gladly go through all her trails again for the Gospel. Jane cleaned schools in order to finance her children's education. She was set apart to be a midwife by Wilford Woodruff and practiced obstetrics for more than 30 years, never losing a mother or a baby.