BIRTHDATE: 29 Mar 1838

Malaga, Malaga, Spain

DEATH: 1 Nov 1903

West Weber, Weber, Utah

PARENTS: Thomas Pool

Eliza McCormick

PIONEER: 17 Oct 1853

John Brown Company

SPOUSE I: John Western

MARRIED: 26 Oct 1853

Salt Lake City, Utah

DEATH SP: 1864

Meadow, Millard, Utah

CHILDREN:

Elizabeth Jane, 29 Dec 1854

Mary Ann, 15 Dec 1856

Emma Florence, 9 Jan 1860

John Francis, 29 Jan 1862

Sarah Ellen, 5 Apr 1864

SPOUSE II: James McFarland

MARRIED: 3 Jun 1867

Salt Lake City, Utah

DEATH SP II: 14 Dec 1915

CHILDREN:

Thomas Pool, 8 Mar 1868

Alexander, 5 Jun 1870

Archibald Charles, 12 Aug 1872

Francis Joseph, 20 Jun 1874

Matilda, 28 Sep 1875

Matilda (Tillie) Pool was born in Spain in 1838 of English parents. Her father was helping with the iron industry in Spain, but they returned to England in 1850. She joined the LDS church in 1851. Her mother was a member and her father gave his consent, but never joined.

Matilda sailed for America with the John Western family, on the ship "Carnillus" in 1853. They left Kanesville with the John Brown Company to cross the plains. Matilda's sweetheart, George Martin, died on the plains, and so she was persuaded to marry John Western as a plural wife. They arrived in the valley 17 Oct 1853, and she married John on 26 Oct 1853. The family settled in the Cedar City area and Matilda bore five children before John died in 1864.

Matilda then went to West Weber to be near her mother's sister Margaret Mitchell McFarland. A few years later she married James McFarland, son of Margaret, as his second wife, and had five more children. Matilda was a good homemaker, cook, seamstress and mother. She was also an active Relief Society and community worker. She served hot meals to men working on the railroad near her home. She always stood up for the principle of polygamy. Besides her ten children, she raised two grandchildren when her daughter died. Matilda died in 1903 at West Weber, Weber, Utah after a painful fight with cancer.