John Blain, Sr., was born June 28, 1817, at St. Mary, Carlisle, Cumberland (later became Cumbria), England to William Blain and Jane Handsome Blain. At the age of twenty-one he married Isabella Graham. She was born January 31, 1818, in Carlisle, England, the daughter of William Graham and Mary Adams. She worked in a woolen factory as a young girl and continued working until her marriage at the age of nineteen. It was customary to announce a marriage in church three weeks before the ceremony, but Isabella was afraid that if it became known that she was married, she would lose her job, as [married] women were not allowed to work in factories. For this reason, she and John planned a secret marriage. They ran away to the little town of Gretne Green and were married on Christmas Eve [records show December 25, 1838].
Isabella's sister had found out about the marriage, and when they returned home there was a crowd waiting to shivaree them and to have supper. So the marriage was made public and Isabella lost her job. She then took up housekeeping and motherhood; their first child, William being born September 14, 1839. They were converted to the LDS Church and were baptized February 20, 1841. In September of that same year, their second child was born, a girl which they named Mary. She died in 1846, at the age of five.
Between 1843 and 1860, they had nine more children, making a total of eleven. All lived to come to America except little Mary.
Children:
William Blain, Mary Blain, Robert Blain, George Blain, Jane Blain, John Blain, Jr., Joseph Blain, Thomas Blain, James Blain, Sarah Blain and Isabella Blain.
John made a living selling cattle, sheep and hogs. They also had a store on the ground level of their home, with living quarters upstairs. After joining the Church, however, their friends turned against them and refused to buy from their store. They continued to work and save money to bring their large family to America to be with the body of the Church. This was their greatest desire.
John suffered a stroke at age 44 and was unable to speak from that time on. He wrote notes to his family encouraging them to prepare for their emigration to America. He had a second stroke on January 23, 1862, while sitting at the table with his son Joe and passed away. Some of their sons arrived in America before Isabella made the voyage with the remainder of her children in 1863.
--Source: The Olsen-Blain Family History by Sherrie Ahlstrom Hundley, Garn J. Olsen and Grace Olsen Ahlstrom; transcribed with some editing by Annie Duckett Hundley, GGG Granddaughter-in-law.
Isabella's sister had found out about the marriage, and when they returned home there was a crowd waiting to shivaree them and to have supper. So the marriage was made public and Isabella lost her job. She then took up housekeeping and motherhood; their first child, William being born September 14, 1839. They were converted to the LDS Church and were baptized February 20, 1841. In September of that same year, their second child was born, a girl which they named Mary. She died in 1846, at the age of five.
Between 1843 and 1860, they had nine more children, making a total of eleven. All lived to come to America except little Mary.
Children:
William Blain, Mary Blain, Robert Blain, George Blain, Jane Blain, John Blain, Jr., Joseph Blain, Thomas Blain, James Blain, Sarah Blain and Isabella Blain.
John made a living selling cattle, sheep and hogs. They also had a store on the ground level of their home, with living quarters upstairs. After joining the Church, however, their friends turned against them and refused to buy from their store. They continued to work and save money to bring their large family to America to be with the body of the Church. This was their greatest desire.
John suffered a stroke at age 44 and was unable to speak from that time on. He wrote notes to his family encouraging them to prepare for their emigration to America. He had a second stroke on January 23, 1862, while sitting at the table with his son Joe and passed away. Some of their sons arrived in America before Isabella made the voyage with the remainder of her children in 1863.
--Source: The Olsen-Blain Family History by Sherrie Ahlstrom Hundley, Garn J. Olsen and Grace Olsen Ahlstrom; transcribed with some editing by Annie Duckett Hundley, GGG Granddaughter-in-law.
John Blain, Sr., was born June 28, 1817, at St. Mary, Carlisle, Cumberland (later became Cumbria), England to William Blain and Jane Handsome Blain. At the age of twenty-one he married Isabella Graham. She was born January 31, 1818, in Carlisle, England, the daughter of William Graham and Mary Adams. She worked in a woolen factory as a young girl and continued working until her marriage at the age of nineteen. It was customary to announce a marriage in church three weeks before the ceremony, but Isabella was afraid that if it became known that she was married, she would lose her job, as [married] women were not allowed to work in factories. For this reason, she and John planned a secret marriage. They ran away to the little town of Gretne Green and were married on Christmas Eve [records show December 25, 1838].
Isabella's sister had found out about the marriage, and when they returned home there was a crowd waiting to shivaree them and to have supper. So the marriage was made public and Isabella lost her job. She then took up housekeeping and motherhood; their first child, William being born September 14, 1839. They were converted to the LDS Church and were baptized February 20, 1841. In September of that same year, their second child was born, a girl which they named Mary. She died in 1846, at the age of five.
Between 1843 and 1860, they had nine more children, making a total of eleven. All lived to come to America except little Mary.
Children:
William Blain, Mary Blain, Robert Blain, George Blain, Jane Blain, John Blain, Jr., Joseph Blain, Thomas Blain, James Blain, Sarah Blain and Isabella Blain.
John made a living selling cattle, sheep and hogs. They also had a store on the ground level of their home, with living quarters upstairs. After joining the Church, however, their friends turned against them and refused to buy from their store. They continued to work and save money to bring their large family to America to be with the body of the Church. This was their greatest desire.
John suffered a stroke at age 44 and was unable to speak from that time on. He wrote notes to his family encouraging them to prepare for their emigration to America. He had a second stroke on January 23, 1862, while sitting at the table with his son Joe and passed away. Some of their sons arrived in America before Isabella made the voyage with the remainder of her children in 1863.
--Source: The Olsen-Blain Family History by Sherrie Ahlstrom Hundley, Garn J. Olsen and Grace Olsen Ahlstrom; transcribed with some editing by Annie Duckett Hundley, GGG Granddaughter-in-law.
Isabella's sister had found out about the marriage, and when they returned home there was a crowd waiting to shivaree them and to have supper. So the marriage was made public and Isabella lost her job. She then took up housekeeping and motherhood; their first child, William being born September 14, 1839. They were converted to the LDS Church and were baptized February 20, 1841. In September of that same year, their second child was born, a girl which they named Mary. She died in 1846, at the age of five.
Between 1843 and 1860, they had nine more children, making a total of eleven. All lived to come to America except little Mary.
Children:
William Blain, Mary Blain, Robert Blain, George Blain, Jane Blain, John Blain, Jr., Joseph Blain, Thomas Blain, James Blain, Sarah Blain and Isabella Blain.
John made a living selling cattle, sheep and hogs. They also had a store on the ground level of their home, with living quarters upstairs. After joining the Church, however, their friends turned against them and refused to buy from their store. They continued to work and save money to bring their large family to America to be with the body of the Church. This was their greatest desire.
John suffered a stroke at age 44 and was unable to speak from that time on. He wrote notes to his family encouraging them to prepare for their emigration to America. He had a second stroke on January 23, 1862, while sitting at the table with his son Joe and passed away. Some of their sons arrived in America before Isabella made the voyage with the remainder of her children in 1863.
--Source: The Olsen-Blain Family History by Sherrie Ahlstrom Hundley, Garn J. Olsen and Grace Olsen Ahlstrom; transcribed with some editing by Annie Duckett Hundley, GGG Granddaughter-in-law.
Bio by: Annie Duckett Hundley
Family Members
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