CORNELIA BROWN CLAWSON 1803-1853
Born 22 Oct. 1803 in Salisbury, Herkimer Co., New York to William Brown and Hannah Sweet, the 4th daughter and 6th child in a growing family of 9 children. William Brown was Scottish and came to America as a drummer boy with at least one brother in 1778 with the British. He was captured by the Americans and stayed after the war. Hannah Sweet was born in Rhode Island and descends from John Sweet of England. The Brown family moved to Dryden, New York by 1808. William Brown died in 1819, when Cornelia was 16 years old. The oldest 3 children were married by that time.
Cornelia married a local boy Moses Clawson 28 Oct 1821 in Grotton, New York. Their first child Eunice was born 14 May 1822 in Dryden. They moved to Troopsburg Township, Steuben Co., New York where Ebenezer was born 18 Oct. 1823. As was common, several related families moved together including Moses' half uncle Eliseph Sanford and Cornelia's oldest brother William Brown, Jr. They were busy ""improving their land"" cutting the dense forest and burning what they could not use so they could plant crops between the huge stumps. It took years of back breaking labor to remove the stumps. The women had the children, home manufacturing and food preservation, as well as helping their husbands farm, to get enough to wear and eat for the winter. Greenwood was created in 1824 from part of Troopsburg. William Henry was born 6 Nov 1825 in Greenwood. The next four children were born here: George Washington 4 Sept. 1827, Wallace 18 Sept. 1829, Lola Amanda 12 Mar 1832 and Moses Jr. 25 Mar 1834.
On 2 March 1835 Cornelia and Moses and his sister Lola Clawson Allen joined a new sect, the Mormons. Cornelia's mother and brother Ebenezer living in Crawford Co., Pennsylvania also joined the Mormons 13 June 1835. Moses' mother, stepfather, and uncle David Foote had joined the Mormons earlier. Cornelia and Moses sold their farm for $150 and moved in May 1836 with the new church to Caldwell Co., Missouri. On their way they stopped in Kirtland, Ohio and received their Patriarchal Blessings from Joseph Smith Sr.
Moroni was born 1 Jan 1837 near Far West, Missouri. Sarah Jane was born 24 Jan. 1839 in Far West where they had been driven by the Missouri State Militia during the Mormon War. They were forced to sign over their property, feed and clothe the Militia and Moses was put in jail. He was released 17 days later for lack of evidence.
They and some of their friends moved as ordered in late winter to Pike Co., Illinois. Here they had peace for awhile. In 1840 their oldest daughter Eunice married Lorenzo Jackson in Pike Co. Moses signed the consent for her to marry. Cornelia's brother Ebenezer lived a short distance north and William Draper a good friend lived very close.
By late 1843 they had moved to Lima, Hancock Co., Illinois. Cornelia Eliza was born in Lima 18 or 19 Dec 1843. Their oldest son Ebenezer married Malinda Clift in Pike Co. 1 Feb 1844 and Moses signed the consent for him also. During this time Moses went on two or more missions in the eastern United States. Cornelia had to take care of the family with the help of her older children while he was away. When Joseph Smith Jr. was killed in 1844, Moses was in the east. Moses immediately returned home. Cornelia and Moses were endowed in the Nauvoo Temple 6 Jan. 1846. In 1846 they were burned out of their home and driven into Nauvoo where Artimesia was born 9 Feb 1846.
In the spring they moved to Kanesville, Iowa on the Missouri River. Two of their children died there of Tuberculosis, Lola Amanda 13 June 1848 and Wallace 22 March 1849. David was born 6 April 1849 after which they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah arriving 27 Oct 1849. William Henry married Mary Stoddard in Pottowattamie Co., Iowa 22 June 1849.
Moses bought a city lot and one in what is now Draper. In April 1850, Moses was called on a mission to England. Before leaving, Moses and Cornelia were sealed by Brigham Young 14 April 1850. Moses was gone 3 years 6 months less 2 days. Again Cornelia was left with a young family to support.
While in England, Moses met Sarah Ann Inkley, who was planning to immigrate to Salt Lake and marry Joseph E. Taylor. Joseph Taylor had been a missionary and close friend of Sarah and her grandmother Smith's family. Moses was president of the ship Ellen Marie on which Sarah Ann Inkley was a passenger. Moses became ill and Sarah helped nurse him. After they arrived, Moses was appointed Captain of the wagon train which included Sarah Ann Inkley.
When he returned, Cornelia was dying of Tuberculosis. She was so near death that a messenger was sent to meet the wagon train to tell Moses about Cornelia's illness. Moses borrowed a horse and hurried ahead to be with her.
Before his mission, Moses mortgaged his land to support his family while he was gone. When he returned home, he was met with many problems including a large debt, his dying wife and his children were scattered among relatives and friends.
When Sarah Ann Inkley arrived, Joseph Taylor was engaged to be married 25 Sept. 1853 to another woman. Sarah did not want to be his second wife. Being disappointed, she turned to Moses who she knew. On Brigham Young's advice, Moses and Sarah were married the 25th or 27th of Sept. 1853 by Brigham Young. Moses was 30 years her senior.
Sarah nursed Cornelia until her death 21st or 22nd of Oct. 1853. Moses was a polygamist for just over one month. Many of Cornelia's children felt she died of a broken heart due to the second marriage. We have no way of knowing her true feelings but from the feelings expressed by other plural wives it could easily have caused more distress than her nursing helped, even though she likely agreed to it at the time? She was buried in a poor section in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, plot B-2-1. There is only one headstone in that plot and her grave location is not known exactly. A marker was placed by the Moses Clawson Family in May 1994 and dedicated on Memorial Day.
There are no known pictures of Cornelia Brown Clawson. If anyone knows of one or has information which would shed more light on her history, please send copies to the Moses Clawson family.
Her son Moroni Clawson was disinterred from his grave in the Salt Lake City Cemetery and moved by his brother George Washington to the Draper Cemetery in 1862. Draper has no records back that far. A marker was placed next to his uncle Ebenezer Brown in that cemetery May 1994 and dedicated on Memorial Day also.
Neil R. Clawson
Moses Clawson Family Historian
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