A Brief History of

John Jenkins Williams

and Rebecca Evans

Written by Mary Elizabeth Green, 1953

John Jenkins Williams was a pioneer of the year 1862.  He was the son of Daniel Williams and Catherine Jenkins Williams and was born November 19, 1827 at Templeton Green, Pembrokeshire, South Wales.  We have no record of his childhood but we do know that as a young man he became proficient enough to teach music and that one of his pupils was Rebecca Evans, whom he later married.  He and Rebecca were married November 17, 1848 at Amroth parish, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

By trade John was a coal miner, following the occupation of a great many of the Welsh people.  As the rich coal mines opened along the south coast of Wales, many young couples migrated from all parts of Wales to work in these mines.  John and his family were among them.

They moved about from place to place wherever his work took them.  We find them in Rhymney in 1850, in Ebbw Vale in 1851, back at Rhymney in 1853, at Aberdare in 1854, then on to Cornelli.  At Cornelli he held the responsible position of superintendent of the mines. During these years nine children were born to them:  Elizabeth, Thomas, Mary Ann, Margaret, Daniel Vincent, Catherine, Agnes, Isaac, E. Cornelieus.  Of these nine, four died in infancy.

Sometime during this period of years, this family heard and accepted the teachings of the Mormon elders and became converts to the Latter-day Saints Church.  Later, at Cornelli, John Williams became a traveling elder for the Church.  Like most Saints in foreign countries, the Williams family had a great desire in their hearts to join the Saints in Utah.  Also, John's father had emigrated some years previous, about 1853, so there was more than the spirit of gathering to bring them to Utah.

(The following account was added by Rebecca L. King, granddaughter of John J. Williams.)

"Rebecca and John Jenkins Williams traveled in Wales as musicians, Rebecca as a concert singer and John as orchestra leader of his own band.  Tom was the oldest of their children and he was one of their attractions in their musical travels.  The other children were left with housekeepers while their parents were traveling with their musical attractions.  Thomas sang for Queen Victoria at the palace.  He dressed like his father with a high silk hat and tails.  He was killed (22 November 1861) leaving the palace at midnight.  Thomas fell from the high seat of the coach he was riding on and was run over by the wheels.  Rebecca had a large family, three of them died of scarlet fever.  John came to Utah before the rest of the family, and settled in Tooele.  After they came to Utah, John made a lime kiln to make plaster for the houses; it was the first of its kind there.  John was a mining engineer, and died of mine lung trouble in Tooele."

With the discovery of ore in Utah, it became necessary to find ways of smelting in this country.  Previous to this time there had been no facilities for smelting in this region and ore had to be shipped to Wales.  This we can readily see was far too lengthy and costly a project.  Therefore smelter workers, men who knew the trade in Wales, were sent for.  John Jenkins Williams was one of those chosen workers. 

Williams, with his wife, Rebecca, and their four children set sail April 23, 1862 on the sailing vessel John J. Boyd.   The John J. Boyd was a relatively large sailing vessel, weighing 1311 tons and measuring 195' x 38' x 28'.  It was built in New York City in 1855. 

During one of the terrific storms they encountered at sea, the people were advised to dispose of all the clothing and other goods they could possibly spare to lighten the ship's load.  Rebecca had been Lady-in-waiting in one of the castles in Wales and had in her possession numerous beautiful and prized articles of clothing.  It must have nearly broken her heart to part with some of her treasures.  During this voyage, tragedy came to the Williams family.  One of the children, Daniel Vincent, accidentally fell down the hatch.  He was killed instantly.  We can well imagine the anguish of those parents being compelled to bury him at sea. 

In his book Ships, Saints, and Mariners, Conway B. Sonne elaborates on their voyage.

Under the command of Captain J. H. Thomas, her master since 1857, the John J. Boyd sailed from Liverpool on 23 April 1862 with 702 Latter-day Saints aboard.  Apostles Charles C. Rich, Amasa M. Lyman, and George Q. Cannon organized the company and appointed Elders James S. Brown as president and John Lindsay and Joseph C. Rich as his counselors.  There were also five other returning missionaries besides the presidency.  After a thirty-nine-day voyage, which though successful was somewhat longer than usual because of head winds, the Saints landed on 1 June at New York.

After seven long weeks, they reached the shore of America, traveled by train through Chicago and eventually arrived in Florence, Nebraska.  From Florence they turned westward to cross the plains on July 22, 1862.  Copying from Journal History:

They crossed the plains in Captain Homer Duncan's first church train, a company of about 500 emigrant saints.  They left Florence, Nebraska on July 22, 1862.  Brigham Young received a telegram on September 9 saying they had arrived safely at Pacific Springs.  They arrived in Salt Lake City on September 24, 1862.

They went from Florence to Salt Lake City in 130 days.

This little family spent a few days at the home of George Bywater, a fellow Welshman who gave generously of his hospitality to his countrymen until they could get located in this new land.  After several days they went on to Tooele to the home of John's father, Daniel Williams, who had located there some years earlier.  They lived in the Fort, which was built by the pioneers as a protection against the Indians. 

John went to work in the mines as was scheduled, but remained there less than a year.  President Young found that men were needed more on farms and to settle and colonize new territory.  Also the work in the mines had begun to affect his health considerably.  Once again he gathered his family together and set out for Wellsville, Cache County, to homestead there.  As there was a scarceness of lumber and very little money, their wagon had no box on it; therefore the entire family, together with all their earthly belongings, were loaded on the running gears to make that trip of nearly 150 miles.  Added to this inconvenience and hazard, Rebecca was expecting her tenth child very soon.

For a time they lived out in the open, with only the stars as a roof over their heads.  Their beds were ticks filled with cattails or cornhusks.  They were able to rent a barn from a Mr. Bailey.  It was in this barn that another baby boy came to bless their home, August 10, 1863, and he was named for his father.  John built a log cabin for his family.  There were no windows in this cabin, only the top part of the doorway was covered with a tablecloth to let in the light.

John threshed his first harvest of grain with a flail he had fashioned himself.  After the crops were gathered in, he hauled wood from the mountains for fuel and buildings.  Because of his declining health and failing eyesight, his family suffered many hardships and privations, but they exemplified the Welsh native pride in ability to be self-sustaining and independent. 

John was a very versatile man.  His skills were many and he taught them to his children.  They learned from his special ways to knit fence stitching, fox and geese stitching and to make beautiful knitted lace.  They also made straw hats by hand, using the straw from the straw stacks and bleaching it white.  During the first winter in Cache Valley, John made shoes for his children, tanning the leather himself and cutting up his precious Prince Albert coat to make the uppers.

Rebecca spun all that winter and made enough cloth for her husband and his father each to have a suit of clothes.  She also made dresses for her two daughters using bluing and rabbit brush to make blue and yellow stripes in the material.  At one time she and her daughters made quilted petticoats and sold them in order to obtain a little money.  Another time they pulled sunflowers in the summer and together received sixteen yards of calico as payment for their hard work.

Five children were born to them in Wellesville:  John, Edith, George, Susan and Rebecca.  Martha, who died at birth, was born in Tooele.  This made 15 children in all.

Not too much has been recorded of John's activities in the next few years.  He was present at the driving of the Golden Spike on May 6, 1869.  A few years later we find him back in Tooele working at his old trade of smelting.

John passed away February 18, 1875. (The date of death as recorded in the sextant records at the Tooele cemetery was February 2, 1875.)  The mines had taken their toll.  He died of lead poisoning.  His life span was short, only forty-eight years, twelve of which he was privileged to spend in the Promised Land.  He had a large posterity and enjoyed the blessings made possible through his labors and sacrifices.  He gave his all to his family, his church and to his fellowmen.

Rebecca remained in Tooele for some years and was very active in church work.  She became interested in Primary work and served as the president of the Tooele Stake Primary.  She was also a Relief Society teacher for many years.

Late in the year of 1881 she returned to Cache Valley and was married to George Thomas.  She and Brother Thomas resided in Benson Ward.  From this time on she enjoyed a little more prosperity but her life was not easy.  Brother Thomas owned a dairy farm and there was plenty of work to be done.  His family can remember the beautiful pounds of butter she used to churn and take to Logan to sell.

While in Benson she was able to realize a dream she had long cherished, that of doing temple work for her people.  For twenty long years she had carefully collected and kept the names of her relatives in Wales and now she was rewarded for her efforts in being able to accomplish that great work for them in the Logan Temple.  Much of this information she obtained from the letters she received from her dear mother who still remained in Wales.  Many of these priceless letters are yet in the possession of the family.  One of the most touching of these is one written in 1880 which expresses the great joy of her aged mother when she received a "likeness" of her daughter, Rebecca.

In 1890 Brother Thomas passed away and Rebecca was again a widow.  Her later years were spent in the little town of Portage where she owned a home and where she could be near her three daughters.  She passed away in March of 1906 at the age of 76 years and was buried in the Portage cemetery.

Rebecca Williams was remembered as a very distinguished looking woman of medium stature, orderly in dress and stately in appearance.  She was thrifty, independent and full of vigor.  Her sense of humor was readily expressed by her easy laugh.  Even as she grew older and her health was not good, the God-given talent she possessed remained with her.  Her children remember many times seeing her rise from her sick bed to answer a call from someone who needed her service.  She lived 76 full, rich, wonderful years, raising a large family anyone could well be proud of, enjoying to the last a life full of service to her fellow men and to her Father in Heaven.