Eliza Clark was born May 17, 1830 in Herfordshire, England. Her father's name was Thomas Henry Clark and her mother's name was Charlotte Gayley [Gailey]. Eliza was one of a large family and her father was a farmer. I suppose he worked for the gentry as they call them in England. I think they all worked as I remember Grandmother saying she sewed the fingers of kid gloves.

She told how they would go caroling of a Christmas Eve and I remember one of the tunes was one that is sung now at Christmas time. The father was an elder in the Church of the United Brethren, but when he heard Wilford Woodruff speak, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He and his family were members of the congregation that joined in a body, and sailed to America. They were six weeks making the journey. They were very poor, but anxious to come to Zion. They went immediately to Nauvoo and were there for a while. I remember Grandmother saying that she sold eggs for three cents a dozen at the Mansion House.

Grandmother went out to work in order to help out and also so there would be one less mouth to feed, but the woman where she was working put a barrel of pork that was in brine on her head and told her to go down the steps to the cellar. It was too heavy for her and so it strained the cords and muscles of her neck so that she always had a big neck (a large growth). She said she was very ill for some months and her father was also ill and each had a bed on each side of the fireplace. The father was called to go on a mission to England and went as soon as he could. Grandmother finally got up and around but the large growth always remained.

The family finally got to Utah and went to live at Grantsville. Grandfather (Joseph Stacy Murdock) who already had one wife (Aunt Eunice) met and married Eliza Clark on June 2, 1852, in the Salt Lake Endowment House. Grandfather married three other wives, but Grandmother proved to be a good wife, helping in every way to care for her family. Whatever she suffered, she did so without even a murmur. Wherever Grandfather was called to go, she was there in her quiet way to back him up. She was always quiet and if she ever got excited, no one knew anything about her feelings. She liked to have a little money of her own.

I remember she went to take care of a lady who was sick. She told them she would take as her pay, a small calf, and so she was in the livestock business with her one calf. When her father died in Grantsville and his property was divided, Grandmother had as her share a few head of cattle, and also some sheep. She paid for their feed. After she got started she always had a few beef steers to sell in the fall. This was good as it also helped Grandfather, as he would sell her his hay, thus ensuring him a little ready cash, as he needed it.

I remember some good advice she gave my sister, Eunice, and me one day as we were talking about something that had happened in the neighborhood. Grandmother said, "A now girls, I would not tell this to anyone until I heard others talking about the affair."

Grandfather would come in every April and October before conference and say, "Eliza, could you let me have ten dollars to go to conference?" He always got his money, for Grandmother was very careful. She could find five, ten or twenty dollars if the need arose.

Grandmother let four of her children go to live with Uncle Nymphas and his families. It seems that Uncle Nymphas had had bad luck with his children, and only three of his children lived, so Grandfather asked his wives to let some of their children go live with him. Grandmother always regretted letting her children go. She said it was a big mistake, for the agreement between the principles was not kept and the children were weaned away from their home

By her granddaughter, Amelia Brittingham Murdock Witt (1895 – 1957)