---
title: History of the Prophet Joseph by His Mother
description: 1902 edition of Lucy Mack Smith's memoir about her son Joseph Smith.
authors:
  - Smith, Lucy
editors:
  - Smith, George A.
  - Smith, Elias
collections:
  - history
tags:
  - history
  - biography
published: "1902"
publisher: Improvement Era Office
edition: As revised by George A. Smith and Elias Smith (Salt Lake City, 1902)
language: en
type: book
reference: 'Lucy Smith, *History of the Prophet Joseph by His Mother*, rev. George A. Smith and Elias Smith (Salt Lake City, UT: Improvement Era Office, 1902), chap. 10, "A Present of One Thousand Dollars, from John Mudget and Stephen Mack, to the Author," 42-42.'
source:
  url: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45619/pg45619-images.html
  identifier: gutenberg-45619
  transcription: "Project Gutenberg eBook #45619 (Mormon Texts Project proofreading of the 1902 edition). The Gutenberg header, license and transcriber notes are not included, and no text from later editions is present."
start_page: 42
end_page: 42
curator_note: Revised by George A. Smith and Elias Smith.
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: 1902 US publication (Salt Lake City, Improvement Era Office; text of the 1853 original as revised by George A. Smith and Elias Smith); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States
  source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45619
  publication_year: 1902
  note: "Verified: the text is the 1902 Improvement Era Office edition; it contains no introduction, notes or other matter from later editions (for example the 1945 Preston Nibley edition)."
---

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# Chapter X. A Present of One Thousand Dollars, from John Mudget and Stephen Mack, to the Author

Soon after I was married, I went with my husband to see my parents, and as we were about setting out on this visit, my brother Stephen, and his partner in business, John Mudget, were making some remarks in regard to my leaving them, and the conversation presently turned upon the subject of giving me a marriage present. "Well," said Mr. Mudget, "Lucy ought to have something worth naming, and I will give her just as much as you will."

"Done," said my brother, "I will give her five hundred dollars in cash."

"Good," said the other, "and I will give her five hundred dollars more."

So they wrote a check on their bankers for one thousand dollars, and presented me with the same. This check I laid aside, as I had other means by me sufficient to purchase my housekeeping furniture.

Having visited my father and mother, we returned again to Tunbridge, where my companion owned a handsome farm, upon which we settled ourselves, and began to cultivate the soil. We lived on this place about six years, tilling the earth for a livelihood.

In 1802, we rented our farm in Tunbridge, and moved to the town of Randolph, where we opened a mercantile establishment. When we came to this place we had two children, Alvin and Hyrum