Elizabeth Jane Brandon

• Elizabeth Jane Brandon
• Born: March 10, 1837 Nashville, Tennessee
• Died: June 9, 1897 Brigham City, Utah
• Related through: Erin's grandmother Margaret Udy Hanni

Elizabeth Jane Brandon Pett was born near Nashville, Tennessee, March 10, 1837. She was the daughter of George Washington Brandon and Keziah Fowler. Her parents were among the first families in that vicinity to embrace the gospel and soon moved to Nauvoo and then to Utah. They endured many hardships on the way to Utah and had to walk many miles each day. Her father died in Winter Quarters and her mother brought her large family to Utah as a widow. In company with other saints they arrived in Salt Lake in the fall of 1852. She traveled in the James McGaw company. They first settled in Provo and then Grantsville and eventually Centerville.

She once told of an incident which happened while living in Grantsville, Utah. A neighbor’s young son ran away with a band of Shoshone Indians for a pinto pony. Two years later she met the boy camped at Black Rock on the Great Salt Lake. He was clad in Indian clothes and still had his pony. Elizabeth Jane recognized him and reprimanded him for the worry he caused his mother and they had a good reunion.

Elizabeth Jane was married in 1860 in the Endowment House to James Pett, a young architect. She was 23. According to one of her daughters Jane was a real Southern beauty with beautiful dark hair, blue eyes and fair skin.

Brother and Sister Pett raised a large family, fourteen in all. She was married twice before, and James also had two children from a former marriage. (Elizabeth was married very young as a polygamist wife to two different men. I am not sure what happened to those marriages. James was a young widower.)

Sister Pett was a good wife and mother, and wonderful help to her husband in those pioneer days. She not only made the children’s clothes, but spun yarn to knit socks and hose for the whole family. She made soap and candles for their needs. Besides many household tasks she went to the river during the summer on their farm.

Brother Pett had a farm at Three Mile Creek (now Perry, Utah) and made a home there until President Lorenzo Snow had them move to Brigham City in 1862. He felt Brother Pett could be more useful in Brigham City as the courthouse roof had blown off. He helped in the erection of many buildings.

Sister Pett was a member of the First Ward Relief Society and a block teacher for several years until her health failed. She remained a faithful Latter-day Saint until the end of her life. She died June 9, 1897 and was buried in the Brigham City Cemetery.

This article is from the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers archive.