Harriet Ann Craner

   Ancestral File Number: 45NZ-1P.

  General Notes:

HARRIET ANN CRANER (1834-1874)



Harriet was born 26 April 1834 in Maxstoke, Warwickshire, England. She is the eighth child and third daughter born to George Benjamin and Elizabeth West Craner. She was christened 25 May 1834 in Maxstoke, Warwickshire, England. The family lived in Hall End in Maxstoke. Her father was a laborer.


In 1845, Harriet's family listened to the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her mother was the first to be baptized, 5 June 1845 followed by her brother, George, 1 January 1846, and then Harriet, 6 January 1846. She was only 11 years old at the time. Her father was baptized 10 March 1846. Her two sisters, Ann and Martha were baptized in 1852 and another brother, Abraham Frederick was baptized in 1856.
Harriet Ann Craner
The family had a great desire to join the Saints in America. Harriet's older brother, George, was the first of the family to come to America, in 1851. He worked and established a home and farm in Tooele, Tooele, Utah for the family to live. On 22 February1854, Harriet (age 20) along with her parents, two sisters, Ann (age 15), Martha (age 9) and her brother, John (age 11) set sail from Liverpool, England on the ship Windermere for America.
Alexander Harris
They had many harrowing experiences at sea. They arrived at New Orleans 23 April 1854. A few days later they boarded a steam boat and journeyed to St. Louis, Missouri. The journey then continued on to Kansas City. Harriet's father died on the Kansas plains enroute to Salt Lake. Her mother and four children arrived in Salt Lake City on 1 Oct 1854. They immediately went on to Tooele, Tooele, Utah to live with George.
Harriet met Alexander Harris, who courted her, and they were married 21 June 1855 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Harriet and Alexander were the parents of ten children:

Name:Birth Date:Death Date:
1.Alexander Harris, Jr.4 Sep 185620 Mar 1937
2.Harriet Ann Harris18 Mar 185811 Sep 1906
3.Mary Elizabeth Harris31 Dec 185921 Mar 1893
4.Martha Caroline Harris27 Sep 18621 Feb 1946
5.George McGee Harris10 Jan 186412 Jan 1864
6.Emily Deseret Harris10 Jan 18642 Feb 1864
7.John Walter Harris25 Apr 186823 Feb 1926
8.William Frederick Harris27 Jun 186929 Dec 1935
9.Emma Arminta Harris2 Sep 18726 Aug 1959
10.Gertrude Harris9 Aug 187420 Oct 1960

Harriet was an excellent housekeeper, mother, and wife. She had a fine team of horses and a surrey which she drove about town. Alexander was an industrious early Mormon Pioneer. He came west with his family at the age of 15, in 1848. Alex was willing to do any task that was asked of him by his leader, and was appointed to help the suffering Saints of the Handcart Company when they were stranded in the snow. He took blankets and food, and helped save many lives.
The Harris' went to Richmond when that community was settled, and lived in the old log fort.
During the Indian battle near Preston, Alex hauled some of the wounded soldiers to Salt Lake City.
Alex and his oldest son, Alexander, Jr. operated a freight train of wagons from Corinne, Utah to Butte, Montana. They each had two wagons. They trailed behind one other, with 16 head of mules to each train. This was a strenuous trip over rocks and creeks. There were no roads. At that time there were many Indians and outlaws roaming the country, and they were always on the alert. It was on one of these trips that Harriet passed away, 15 September 1874 in Richmond, Cache, Utah. She was 40 years old. There was no way of carrying news, save by pony express, so a runner was sent to tell Alexander the sad news. His eldest son, Alex Jr.,(age 18) never quite recovered from the death of his dear mother.
She left a family of seven children, the oldest being 18 years of age and the baby only 5 weeks old. Her oldest daughter, Harriet Ann, was 16.












































Sources: Family Group Sheets and histories, Naomi Lowe, 607 Holiday Drive, Brigham City, Utah 84302
Histories, Vera McBride, Beth Sorenson, 5311 Brush Creek Bay, West Valley, Utah 84120
Maxstoke Parish records, Maxstoke, England
Immigration Records


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  LDS Information:

Baptism: 6 Jan 1846

Endowment: 6 Jun 1856, Endowment House

Sealed to Parents: 7 Nov 1895

She was sealed to her spouse on 6 Jun 1856 at Endowment House. (Alexander Harris was born on 24 Mar 1834 in Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, USA, died on 20 Feb 1889 in Cleveland, Franklin, Idaho, USA and was buried on 24 Feb 1889 in Richmond, Cache, Utah, USA.)