Richard Jenkins Davis
and Rebecca Morgan
Richard Jenkins Davis, son of William Jenkins and Gwenllian
Thomas Davis, was born in Ystradyfodog Parish, Glamorganshire, South Wales on September 3, 1826. His father died when Richard was very
young. He lived with his grandfather, Richard Thomas, doing farm work. Later he
worked in the coal mine. While working in the mine at Llantwit Vardre Parish,
he met and married Rebecca Morgan on July
22, 1849. Rebecca Morgan was born June 30, 1828, at Llantwit Vardre, Glamorganshire, South
Wales to Lewis and Margaret Phillips Morgan.
On January 23, 1851,
Richard was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Rebecca was baptized April 11th of that year. Richard was
ordained an elder May 21, 1851, and appointed counselor to the President of
Llantwit Vardre Branch of the Merthyr Tydfil Conference where he labored until
January 25, 1853, when he bade goodbye to his friends, relatives and native
land and started for America with his wife and two-year-old boy, William, who
was born November 29, 1850, at Llantwit Vardre.
They left Liverpool on the ship
"Jersey" on February 5, 1853. After being towed out of the Liverpool
harbor down the River Mersey, the Yankee ship sailed into the open sea. As the
shore disappeared her 314 Mormon passengers from England
and Wales
lifted their voices to the straings, "Yes, My Native Land, I Love Thee". Soon, however, the ocean swells resulted
in dizzy heads and queasy stomachs, and their singing faltered and died away.
Under the leadership of Elders George Halliday, Aabednego Jones, William Parry,
and John Davis, the emigrants were divided into districts. Regulations were
decreed to ensure their safety, health, and comfort. Married kcouples occupied
the middle of the ship. Single males were berthed forward and single women aft.
Captain John Day of Salem, Massachusetts, was master and part-owner of the
vessel. He was described as a "short, fat, fussy old fellow in
spectacles".
The voyage was described as a "pleasure trip of a
little over six weeks duration", and the weather
was "charming". The emigrants were orderly, disciplined, and
cooperative. In their desire for scrupulous cleanliness, they even fumigated
and sprinkled their quarters with lime. During the warm days every person was
required to come on deck for fresh air and sunshine. Not even the sick were
excused. On shipboard there was only one death, that of an elderly woman who
was seriously ill at the start of the crossing. The "Jersey"
arrived at New Orleans on March 21, 1853 after a forty-four-day
crossing.
Elder Brown arranged transportation up the Mississippi
on the huge steamboat "John Simonds". The fare for adults was $2.25;
children between three and fourteen years, half fare, and children under three years,
free. Elder John Hyde and William Parry were in charge of the Saints during the
river trip. At St. Louis, Elder
Isaac Haight arranged with the Keokuk and St. Louis Packet Line to transfer the
Mormons to another boat at no drayage expense. Therefore, the Saints were not
delayed in St. Louis. "After a
prosperous voyage lasting a few days only, the company landed safely in
Keokuk." They spent nine weeks at Keokuk preparing to cross the plains.
They went to Council Bluffs, from
which place they started across the plains by ox team. The company they
traveled in was not mentioned, but after a hard trip and much suffering common
to those days, they reached Salt Lake City
on the 10th of October 1853.
They spent the winter with old Father Call of Bountiful,
and in the spring of 1854 they moved to Willared, Box
Elder County, Utah.
Richard entered into the activities of the community,
building one of the first substantial houses. It is located on the corner of
1st South and 2nd West and is the present home of Frank and July Ipsen (1996).
It is a beautiful rock home, the stone above the front door being inscribed
with the initials "RJD" and the year it was built, "1861".
On February 3, 1859, Richard
was set apart as one of the seven presidents of the 59th Quorum of Seventies,
which was organized the same day. September
3, 1859, he was called to act as counselor to Bishop Alfred Cordon
of the Willard Ward which positioin he held until April 6, 1865, when he was called to fill a mission to Wales.
Richard took another wife in polygamy on April 18, 1863, when he married Phebe
Davis. When he left for his mission to Wales,
Rebecca had eight children and Phebe had two. The two women and their families
lived happily together. Rebecca was very handy with her needle, nursing and as
midwife. This way Rebecca went out while Phebe cared for the house and
children. Rebecca was also gifted in handling their farm. She followed the
mid-wifing until 1882, never losing a mother in all her cases.
With all her home cares she always found time for social and
religious activities, taking an active part in music, dancing and singing in
the early settlement. She was a member of the Willard Choir, led by John P.
Wood, this being the first one. She was also a member of the first Relief
Society in Willard, attending to the gathering of wheat for the Society. It was
first stored in bins where it became full of weevil. The wheat was then cleaned
and isposed of and fresh wheat gathered and put in the new granary that was on
their lot. Later it was sent to large elevators and finally made into flour and
sent to relieve the suffering during the first World War.
Richard left on his mission to Wales
May 19, 1865. He arrived in
Omaha July 1st and went down the Missouri
on a steamer to St. Joseph, and
from there he took a train to New York City.
July 16th he sailed from New York
for Liverpool and arrived there July 28th and was set
apart to labor in South Wales. After an absence of
twelve years he met his brother and sisters, aunts and uncles and other relatives
who treated him kindly, but they had not interest in his religion. From August
1865 until February 1866 he labored in Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire and
from February 1866 to May 1868 he labored in the Carmarthen Conference,
covering Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Cardiganshire, his headquarters
being at Llanelli.
On the 29th of May
1868 he was released to return home, sailing from Liverpool
June 4, 1868 on the
"John Bright" with a company of 720 Saints of whom 176 were from Scandinavia
and the remainder from the British Isles. Captain John
Howart was master of the vessel. Before departure President Franklin D.
Richards called all the emigrants on deck and outlined their duties and
responsibilities. Charles W. Penrose, who later became an apostle, dedicated
the vessel. The voyage was uneventful and there was little seasickness. One
aged and ailing woman died during the passage, and one couple married. Captain
Howart was "very kind and obliging towards the Saints". The ship
arrived at New York on 13 July, a
passage of thirty-nine days.
Richard left New York
by rail, arriving in Laramie, Wyoming
July 23rd. Again Richard had the "privilege" of crossing the plains
for the third time. By now he was a "dyed-in-the-wool" pioneer. He
traveled in the first company of 1868 under Captain Chester Loveland. They left
Laramie July 25th with about 400
Saints and forty wagons, arriving in Salt Lake City
on August 20th.
Richard arrived at his home in Willard on August 22, 1868,
after an absence of three years and three months to the day, finding his family
of two wives and nine children in good health but destitute. That spring three
of the best cows had died from eating joint rushes and later on his team of
horses died, the only one he had. Thus handicapped, but with his usual energy,
he started in to provide for his family.
In November 1868 he went to Malad
Valley, entered 160 acres of land,
built a log house and then returned to Willard for the winter. In the spring of
1869 in company with Moses Dudley and John D. Jones, each taking part of their
families and their cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens, they started out to build
up new homes in the Malad Valley.
With him was his wife, Elizabeth Cozzens (Cousins), whom he had married on September 5, 1868, and sons William
M., Rochard E., and daughter, Margaret. His son, Richard, who was nine at the
time, had a clear memory of that April morning when they landed on a desolate
sagebrush flat to live in a log house with neither roof nor floor, and very
little to interest them but rattlesnakes, coyotes, and wolves.
Now for the reason this history is in this booklet. Richard
and Rebecca had seven children born in Willard. Margaret Ellen was born
December 10, 1854; Rebecca Jane on July 31, 1856; Ann Gwenthlyn on January 24,
1858; Richard Elias on October 6, 1859; Mary Elizabeth on September 15, 1861;
Thomas Henry on January 21, 1862; and David Jenkins on May9, 1865. Six children
grew to maturity and married; two died as young children.
There is no death date for Mary Elizabeth, but it is
believed she died before eight years of age. This would put her death in the
time frame of burials in the old Pioneer cemetery and before the new cemetery
was started. David Jenkins died at the age of six on March 23, 1871. He is buried in the new cemetery
(Ward 3, Block 2, Lot 2, Grave
5). There is a stone with no death date for Mary Elizabeth on Grave 7 of that
lot, so she might be a "trnasplant" from the old cemetery.
Richard took a fourth wife in polygamy on November 3, 1886, when he married Martha
Ellen Davis. Richard passed away October
5, 1892, at Malad, Oneida, Idaho,
and is buried in the new cemetery at Willard, Utah.
Rebecca Morgan DAvis passed away on April
5, 1896, at Willard and is also buried in the new cemetery. She did
a great deal of good. Her last two years were of much suffering, but she always
clung to the great work of the Lord.
Sources:
- History
of Richard Jenkins Davis by his son, Richard Elias Davis.
- History
of Rebecca Morgan Davis by her son Richard Elias Davis.
- Ships,
Saints, and Mariners by Conway
B. Sonne, p. 115.
- Pioneer
Companies which crossed the plains---Journal History of the Church.
- Family
group record of Richard Jenkins Davis and Rebecca Morgan.
- Compilations
by Merlene T. Braegger, Historian of DUP Willow Creek Camp, 1996.
