A HISTORY OF
WILLIAM JOHN LEWIS AND JANE DAVIS
William John Lewis was born in Pentre Estil, near Swansea, Wales, September 10, 1832.
He was the son of John and Martha Lewis.
William had seven brothers and one sister. They are as follows: John, Enoch, David,
Thomas, William, Elias and Daniel were twins, and Martha. Daniel and Martha died in infancy.
They were all coal miners and iron workers by trade. William's mother died about 1840
when he was seven years old. He lived with his father and brother Elias for about a year. During
that time he had smallpox and scarlet fever, as did Elias. They were very ill and had no one to
care for them as their father had to work each day to earn money for the necessities. After their
recovery they all went to John's home. He was the eldest of the brothers and was married and had children about the age of William. This may have accounted for many unpleasant things in
the home. John's wife was very unkind to them and fed them very poor food.
At the age of ten years, William left to shift for himself and worked in the foundry. When
he was seventeen years of age he had a very remarkable dream. He saw two men who preached
the gospel restored to the earth in the latter days. He was so impressed with it that when he
arrived at work the next morning he related his dream to his friend Thomas R. Jones and
explained the wonderful principles of the gospel. Thomas was also impressed with what William
had told him. As they were walking home from work, they cut across a waste piece of ground.
As they started through they saw two men approaching and William exclaimed those were the
ones he saw in his dream.
When the men drew near they spoke to William and Thomas and said they were Elders of
the Church of Latter-day Saints and were holding a meeting tomorrow night and would like to
have them attend. The next night they saw a crowd of people and in the crowd was a man
standing on a chair preaching. As they listened they felt it was a meeting different from what
they had heard before. After further investigation they applied for baptism.
He was baptized in July 1849 in Cwmbach, Aberdare, Wales, by Elder Evan Roberts, and
confirmed by Elder John Price--within ten days after he received a testimony that the Church he
had embraced was true. In February 1851 he was called to fill a mission to Cardiganshire in
North Wales and was to start one month from that date. After laboring in that district for 3 1/2
years, he was transferred to Caernarvon, to preside over that district. He was there for six
months, when he was called to preside over Anglesey Conference. In February 1856 he was
released after five years in the mission field to emigrate to Zion.
During his mission in North Wales he met and loved a dark-eyed Welsh maiden by the name of
Jane Davis. They were married on April 9,1856, in Llanrwst, Denbighshire, North Wales.
Shortly after they were married, William and Jane, both being members of the Church, decided they wanted to go to Zion.
William's oldest brother John was a strong Methodist. Being a deacon he did
considerable preaching, taking the place of a minister when he was absent. He was very much
opposed to the religion his brothers embraced. He lived and died in Wales.
The other five brothers joined the Church. Thomas was killed in a coal mine. Enoch,
David, and Elias, with their wives and small children, joined William and his wife on their
voyage, besides Jane's parents, William and Elizabeth Williams Davis, and Jane's two sisters-
Ellen, who later became the wife of George Beckstead, Sr., and Elizabeth, who later became the
wife of James Sadler They set sail on the ship Samuel Curling, April 19, 1856. There were 707
saints under the direction of Dan Jones. They arrived in Boston on May 23. They traveled from
there on the train to Iowa City. That was the terminus of the railroad.
It was necessary for the companies to stay at that place to make ready for the long journey
across the plains, as the handcarts these people were going to use had to be built there.
Jane's father, William Davis, was a carpenter and wheelwright by trade and he was put to
work making handcarts. He made the one used by William and Jane. It was made very strong
and capable of carrying a heavy load.
As soon as the carts were completed they were to begin their journey. William Davis,
Jane's father, had proved to be such an efficient worker that he was asked to stay and help make
more carts for the remaining companies. His wife remained with him, but their daughter Ellen went with William and Jane.
It was only a short time later, while in engaged in this work, that he was stricken with
camp fever and died at the age of 41.
They left Iowa City June 23, 1856, in Captain Edward Bunker's handcart company. Most
of the emigrants in that company were from Wales. As the company was formed in military
order, William was appointed Captain of Fifty. It was very important that they were well
organized for their own protection and convenience.
As the Lewis cart was built unusually strong, a large tent and poles and other equipment
that was under the supervision of William was loaded on as well as their own personal
belongings, making a very heavy load. The handcarts were small. They consisted of two wheels
with a framework extended in front with a cross-bar which was grasped by the one who pulled.
The clothing and food was strapped onto the frame, which left no protection against rain and
storms. Only seventeen pounds of luggage were allowed to each person.
Jane and Ellen came to William's rescue. He placed himself between the shafts and the
women, one on each side, pulled together over hill and dale, streams and mountains, through
mud and sand, until they reached the valley over 1,300 miles.
During the trip almost everyone walked, and that included wading across the rivers and
streams. Sometimes the water was very cold and dangerous for women. William realized this
and, as he was a big, powerful man, he volunteered to carry the women across. He took his wife and Ellen first and in all made twenty-one trips across. They made a fire and each time he came
across the women would heat and rub his limbs so he would be able to go again.
As the journey became long and tiresome and the people became weary, their food supply
became less each day. Before starting all the people put their money together to buy enough
provisions to last until they reached their destination. This was given to certain individuals--
perhaps those in charge of the food. This company was called "Starvation Company." As the
food supply became shorter, they were put on half rations. Strong men became discouraged and
would lie down to die.
At one time they were without meat and on half rations when the company arrived at their
camping place. They found a large buffalo in a bend in the river and, as the opening to the bend
was narrow, they pulled their handcarts and wagons across it, closing the buffalo in. Then 30 or
40 men went in and formed a line along the river about 50 feet apart. This reached from the
handcarts to the buffalo. The man nearest to him shot, then the beast charged the man, then ran
past the next in line. The men shot until finally he became very weak. Then about twenty men
ran up and put their guns against the buffalo and pushed him over. He had bullets in him from
his head to his feet.
The emigrants were very happy to have meat again, especially as their supply of food was
nearly gone. They stayed over two days to dry and jerk the meat as they neared Salt Lake. The
rations were cut again and each person was allowed only three tablespoons of flour. William was
of large stature and couldn't exist on that amount. Jane and Ellen, seeing him failing and his
strength nearly gone, made three small cakes each out of the flour. Each woman gave one of hers
to him, although he never knew it. And then, through this, he became stronger and continued the
journey. Too much credit cannot be given to these two women for the sacrifice they made in
order to save the life of this good man. The women seemed to be able to endure more fatigue
than the men on less food.
They arrived in Salt Lake City on Thursday, October 2, 1856. They were the third
handcart company to arrive in the valley. They were a tired and hungry group. President Young
was there to meet them and was very much affected at their plight. He asked the people to share their food with these hungry emigrants. They brought food--the best they had, even some
of the women took hot biscuits from their ovens. William said after eating all he could, he felt
groggy, almost as a drunkard would feel.
The Lewises moved to Provo. Having no relatives or place to go, they built a house of
willows on the banks of the Provo River. When the weather began to get cold, a widower by the
name of Elijah Allen took them into his two-room adobe house that stood on the corner of
Seventh West and Main Street. This man was a real father to them. He helped them to get
started in life. On his advice they bought a lot on the corner of Second West and First North.
They lived in the Allen house seven or eight months and before William, their first child, was
born, they moved to Main and Fourth Street.
William Davis, the first child, was born September 7, 1858, in Provo. Jane was very
worried before his birth because she could provide no clothes for the baby. William came in one
day and said, "Don't worry. Brother Heber C. Kimball has told the people there will be plenty of clothes and other things which will be bought here as cheaply as in New York."
The people could hardly believe such things being possible. It proved to be true. It was
the time of the gold rush to California and the people were going through with wagons loaded
with everything. They wanted to go faster so they almost gave things away, or traded them for food to lighten their load.
At the April Conference in 1875 William received a call to go on another mission to his
native land, Wales. He left his wife with the new house and two boys and four girls. He left in
May 1875 and returned in July 1876, after being absent one year and three months. He was
released on account of poor health. In 1877 he was chosen to act as second counselor to Bishop
Myron Tanner of the Provo Third Ward. He served in that position for fourteen years. In 1891
he was again called into the bishopric and acted as first counselor to Bishop Richard R. Gibby.
After Bishop Gibby's death in 1894, he was ordained bishop of the Provo Third Ward and served
until his death.
He and Alexander Gilespie took a contract to dig the first canal on Provo bench. At that
time there wasn't a drop of water on the whole area--nothing but sagebrush grew, and not a blade
of grass could be seen. While working there one day, he turned to his son Will and said, "Will,
the time will come when the water is turned onto this land and it will blossom as a rose. Fruit
trees in abundance. Beautiful homes will adorn the farms, and this will become a flourishing community."
William John Lewis was one of the sturdy pioneers who helped make our city and
outlying district what it is today. He was a devout member of the Church to which he belonged.
He was a very spiritual man and had the gift and power of healing the sick.
He was a good man, a good citizen, and a kind neighbor, always giving aid and assistance
when needed. He had a wonderful disposition, never finding fault or criticizing anyone. His
death occurred July19, 1900, and he was buried in the Provo City Cemetery. His wife, Jane
preceded him in death.
