Elizabeth Welch's pioneer dress

Jeannie and I met in West Valley City yesterday at the home of a fourth cousin, Karla Grant. She is also a descendant of British pioneer couple Elizabeth Briggs & Nicholas Welch through the Ann Crookston line. She had posted a photo of Elizabeth's dress on FamilySearch, so I had contacted her to see if I could come see it in person.

Karla had the dress framed after her mother last wore it in a DUP parade, so it was an imposing wall display taller than me. She said that the dress showed Elizabeth was 5'6", tall for a pioneer!

It was so moving to see the sweat stains on the bonnet (supposedly this is the dress she wore crossing the plains in 1852, although it is in such good shape one does wonder a little about that provenance), and the lace made by laceworker Elizabeth herself. The shiny jet buttons, the detailed buttonholes, the vibrant floral fabric colors and the lavender trim were almost close enough to touch.

sleeve lace

remembering our Welches

Elizabeth had a hard life, leaving her homeland, losing children, being widowed more than once. This beautiful dress is a testament to her work, and the important legacy she left to be remembered by us all. 

(Karla said if her kids don't want to inherit it, she will donate it to the Brigham City DUP museum, which would be the perfect place for such a treasure.)