Joseph Bucklin Bosworth

Joseph Bosworth was my 3rd great grandfather on my mother's maternal side.  I hesitate to delve too deeply into that particular lineage as there are still a few unverified relationships.  My grandmother knew little of her family and I have had to piece together some pretty random bits of information.  However, I feel pretty secure in saying that IF my grandmother's parents are who we believe they are, then my information about our ancestry is correct from there on back.  It is also important to carefully verify every link since the Bosworth family is one of our links to the Mayflower.

Joseph Bucklin Bosworth > Orlando Marcus Bosworth > Eva L. Bosworth > Teresa/Ethelyn Allen > Virginia M. Crofford > Teresa Zaun Austin

Joseph Bucklin Bosworth was born on March 6, 1790 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Providence is one of the many places where both my maternal and paternal ancestries lived). His father was Benajah Bosworth; I have not yet discovered his mother's name.  By 1800, the Bosworths were living in Burlington, NY.  One source states that he lived in Pittsburg PA at one time; however, I believe there was confusion with Pittsfield, Otsego County, NY where the Bosworths lived in the early 1800's.

Joseph was a Private in the Army during the War of 1812, serving as a musician.  He married Lucinda Hopkins on May 17, 1815.  By 1818, he was living in Copley, Ohio, where his occupation was given as farmer, though another account gives his occupation as millwright (the two are not mutually exclusive).

Here's where the story takes an interesting turn.  Sometime after 1830, Joseph was baptized into the Church of the Latter Day Saints.  He had a close personal relationship with Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS church, and was ordained a High Priest in September 1834.  The lucky thing about this is the LDS church kept very detailed records about everything.

Joseph Smith himself wrote about "Bro. Joseph" in his journal, 1832-1834:

Next morning, 19, started and arrived at brother Joseph Bozworth's in Copley, Medina County, where we took dinner.  Bro. Bozworth was strong in the faith - he is a good man, and may, if faithful, do much good.

The minutes of church meetings also mention Bro. Joseph frequently, as he spoke, described visions, and made important church decisions.  A few excerpts:

Bro. Joseph Bosworth occupied a short time in exhortation and instructed the brethren into the propriety of the deliverance of Zion. He said that he had no property but if necessary for the deliverance of Zion, he would sell his own clothes at auction if he could have left to him a garment as the Savior had in the manger.

Bro. Bosworth then related a few items of a vision which he gave us as a testimony of those things contained in the revelations read by Bro. Sidney... concerning the building of the house of the Lord. 

Bro. Bosworth then laid hands upon certain children and blessed them in the name of the Lord.

Joseph was included in Joseph Smith's patriarchal blessing book records (1833-1843), making him officially one of the 144,000..?

Joseph and Lucinda had eleven children:  William Benjamin, Elvira Alzada, Albert Alfonda, Miles, Giles Crihenden, Carlos Clark, Orlando Marcus (our ancestor), Omer Richardson, Benejah Ogden, Malon Montilla, and Joseph Bucklin.

They moved to Hancock County, Illinois before 1840, and Joseph was "appointed to serve mission to Louisiana and to preside over the area" in April 1844.  They moved back to Copley, Ohio, by 1850.  He died of cholera on a visit to Peoria, Illinois, on July 16, 1850, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur.

Joseph's son Orlando was born in Copley, Ohio in 1825, and was a lifelong resident of Littleton, Illinois. This is where his daughter Eva met and married my great grandfather Augustus Allen.