William Ellis Jones, his story and extracts from his journal"
Gunlock, Utah
1890
William Ellis Jones
(1817-1898)
Journal Excerpts
William Ellis Jones, the subject of this journal, was born April 6, 1817 in the Parish of Mold, County of Flint.
My father's name is John Jones. He was born in the Parish Hawarden.
Mother's name is Catherine. Her maiden name was Ellis.
My father's father and mother were John and Ann. My mother's father and mother were Robert and Elizabeth. My parents had nine children. Paul, the oldest, now living at Manchester, England. John died in infancy. Ann, my oldest sister, died at the age of 14. John the 2nd is living near St. Helens, Lancashire, England. Mary is living at Churton, Grange Farm, Cheshire, England. Her husband's name is William Parker.
I am next in age. I am the only one of the family that has hitherto embraced the Gospel. Elizabeth is next younger than me. She died when 3 years old. Elizabeth 2nd is still living on Buckley Mountain, where all of mother's children were born. Thomas is still living at Buckley too. He is the youngest of the family. He has possession of father's old homestead, though it rightly belongs to Paul.
Always inclined to be religious from childhood, I learned to pray in secret when I was a very small boy and was very fond of reading good books, the Bible being my chief study. I used to attend Sunday School and was a teacher when quite young. At the age of seventeen I united with a religious sect called, The Independents, and was very strict in attending meetings. But as I grew older I found that I could not endorse the doctrines of their sect, and I looked about to find some society that suited my notions of religion better than the Independents. Accordingly, I united with the Wesleyan Methodists as they suited my views of religion better than any other people. At the age of twenty I commenced to preach the Methodist doctrine and preached four years.
At the time I left the Independents I was working at a pottery belonging to a Mr. Catherall, who owned the chapel and was himself a member of the Society of Independents, and in a short time after I had joined the Methodists I was discharged from his employ. As it was difficult to find another situation, I was a long time finding regular employment and was deprived of the means to get suitable clothing to attend my appointments for preaching. I at length got employment at a colliery and worked under ground about 3 years.
While at this work, I first heard the Gospel preached. I did not embrace it at first but inquired and searched after it for about 6 months, at the end of that time I obeyed the Gospel. I was baptized (a Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) June 27, 1841.
I obtained a testimony to the truth of this work the day I was baptized and still have it and know it is the work of God. I soon got the spirit of gathering and on Feb. 2, 1842, I left my native land, for the land of Zion.
I was sick nearly all the time I was on the sea, and many predicted that I would have a watery grave; but the Lord willed it otherwise, and I landed with the rest of the passengers at New Orleans, April 3, 1842.
The ship I sailed in was the "Hope," Captain Soule commanding. I still continued sick while traveling up the Mississippi River.
I arrived at Nauvoo, (Illinois) April 13th still sick. I went to work at the Nauvoo brick yard. (In 1844) I was there standing guard when Joseph Smith (the organizer of the Mormon Religion) and Hyrum (Smith) were killed.
1856-I went to Omaha (Nebraska) and made bricks for the Capitol then being erected.
Nov. 21, 1888 - I have a nephew in Wales, William Jones, he writes to me regularly and I answer all of his letters. He is a religious man and he belongs to the Congregationalists. I got his last letter on the 12th of this month. I answered it on the 16th. He does not want me to stop writing to him and if anything happens to me that I cannot write, he wants some of my children to write to him-which I hope they will do.
Aug. 3, 1890 - My nephew that I have been writing to for four or five years, died on the 26th of May 1890. He was 44 years old. His name is William Jones. He was a good man and beloved by his family and neighbors. I had one letter from his daughter, Agnes.
July 14, 1893 - Mentions his Niece, Mary, who was married to Alfred Wainwright. Mary and Alfred had one child before Mary's death.
William mentions Margaret Lewis, born in 1819 at Buckley Mountain, the daughter of John and Mary Lewis. "She is an old sweetheart of mine."
Nov. 11, 1895 - I have had a letter lately from my niece in Wales, by which I learned that my two only brothers died this year. I want to record their births and deaths. John was born in 1812 in Buckley, Flintshire, North Wales. He died May 28th, 1895. Thomas was born April 30th, 1829 in Buckley. He died June 19th, 1895, in Buckley.
May 22, 1896 - I had no idea, one year ago, that I would be alive today. It will be one year tomorrow since my wife died. I thought then that I should soon follow her, but I am here yet but very feeble. I would like to write more but my arm fails me.
May 22, 1896 is the final entry preceding William's death in 1898.
Author: Jones, William Ellis, 1817-1898
Tags
Year = 1890
Gender = Male
People = Single
Extra = Formal Portrait
Extra = Pre 1900
Copyright © 2015 The Buckley Society