Elizabeth Smith Prigmore

Elizabeth Smith Prigmore
A Brief Sketch of My Mother
By Charles Henry Prigmore


Date of Birth: 22 December 1845
Place of Birth: Oakley, Bedfordshire, England
Parents: Elizabeth Craddock and James Smith
Spouse: Thomas Prigmore
Date of Marriage: 12 October 1882
Child: Charles Henry Prigmore
Date of Death: 14 April 1903

Mother was born in Oakley Bedfordshire, England. Her Father, James Smith, was a religious man who read the Bible and believed in family prayers. Mother belonged to the Wesleyan Methodist Church. She liked her religion, the best she knew, and she saw to it that I went to my church meetings and we studied the Bible. I learned to pray at mother’s knee. This was a stepping stone to the true and everlasting gospel. Prayer was a safeguard as I got older. I am sure mother would have accepted the gospel, as we know it, had she had the opportunity while living. However the work has been done for her. What a kind Heavenly Father we have in giving those who did not have a chance in this life to hear the gospel, the opportunity in the spirit world. Oh what a plan this is! Our Heavenly Father does not want to lose one of His children.

Mother did not marry until late in life because of her bedridden mother. Her mother could not dress herself and needed much attention. My mother made a living making pillow lace and always had a market for her lace. She liked to sell to the wealthy people in Milton, Oakley or Bidnam and other villages ‘round about. If she couldn’t sell it there, she could always sell her lace at the stores, but she did not get as good a price.

My mother was widowed when I was 12 years old and she died when I was 19 years old.