HISTORY OF ANN
LAURENCE
By Mary Diantha Jones Brown Jolley,
Great-granddaughter
Ann Laurence was born 2 August 1807 at Pant-y-wain, Glamorganshire, South Wales. She was the daughter of Mary
Thomas Morgan and Thomas H. Laurence. I do not know but very little of her; all
her education was in South Wales where she
grew to womanhood and married David Jones (my father's grandfather). They were
all converts to the L.D.S. in 1847 in South Wales. They were the parents of three sons. John G. Jones (my grandfather), Shadrach and Eleazer.
John G. married Mary John on 9 February 1852 in South
Wales. Shadrach married Mary Williams, but he did not come to Utah until later. Eleazer married Caroline Chittenden 18 August 1879 in Provo, Utah,
and they were the parents of twelve children. Ann and husband crossed the ocean
[see 'Additional Information' below] 1850 and stopped in St. Louis. Her husband was a coal miner, and
he got work in the coal mines of St. Louis;
but he worked only three weeks and was killed. Ann stayed with Shadrach and Eleazer until her other son John G. and wife Mary and baby Adelaide came with parents to America in 1853. There John G. and
all worked to help the family and they came on to Salt Lake
with the Saints and suffered many hardships. They came on to Provo in September 1850. Shadrach's wife had
come, and they were called and were sent to Willard, Utah.
They never had children of their own but raised several orphans. Shadrach was
called back to Wales
on a mission; his wife never saw him again. He died and was buried there. Mary
lived to a ripe old age and was buried in Willard.
John G. and Mary John Jones made their home in Provo and were parents of
twelve children. Ann Laurence made her home with them and died 23 December 1872
and is buried in Provo, Utah.
Eleazer and family were called to St. John's Arizona.
They were the parents of twelve children. Some of the family
still live there. Eleazer died 20 May 1914;
his wife died there also. John G. died 14 March 1914, and his wife died
September 1886. Both are buried at Provo,
Utah.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION FOR THE ABOVE HISTORY
OF ANN LAURENCE JONES
By 'J' Petty Jones, a
Great-grandson
Ann Laurence was born 3 August 1806 and christened 9
September 1806 in the parish of Gelligaer at Pant-y-wain (or Pant-y-waun), Glamorgan County, South Wales.
She always claimed I am told her birthday was 2 August 1807 which is on all her
LDS Church records. She married David Jones
of Cardigan (parish, Aberteifi St. Mary's of Cardigan).
He was born on a farm called Penlanfach at Penlan in the year 1801. He was christened there the 12
November 1801. They were married 25 September 1827 in the parish of Gelligaer, Glamorganshire. They were the parents of nine
children [John G. Jones Diary 1852 in possession of 'J' Petty Jones in family
records]. Their names: John Jones who died 12 days old in 1829; John [G] Jones,
Shadrach, Adelaide
who died, three brothers named Eleazer or Eleazar; two of these died. Also a
daughter Ann and a male child whose first name was not registered and who died
as an infant. "I myself had a little schooling," said John G. Jones. The
father came to America some
time after his last son was born 27 July 1848 and worked in the coal mines 4
miles from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and was killed in a coal mine
accident in 1850. According to the last letter received by the family, still in
England,
he had almost enough money saved to send for the family. He was buried at Wilkes-Barre, and the
money was never recovered by the family.
John [G] Jones was born 27 November 1830 in Llanelly, Breconshire, South Wales. He was baptized 9 June 1849. He
married Mary John or Jones in the Libanus Chapel in Brynmawr, district of Crickhowell,
County of Brecon, South Wales.
John G., his wife Mary and eleven-month-old daughter Adelaide
emigrated to America. They sailed 8 April 1854
on the ship Marshfield through the Port New Orleans, Lousiana. Shadrach was baptized 19 January 1850. He married
Mary Williams 9 July 1853 in the parish church
of Llanelly
at Brynmawr, County
of Brecon,
district of Crickhowell, South
Wales. They sailed for America
17 November 1856 on the ship Columbia
through the Port New York, arriving 1 January 1857. Because of Johnston's
Army coming to Utah he and his wife stayed in
the east and came to Utah,
crossing the plains in the Edward Stephenson Company with his brother John G. Jones
and family. They arrived 16 September 1859 in Salt Lake City.
The mother; Ann Laurence Jones [widow] was baptized 4
September 1864 Tredegar Branch, Monmouth, England.
With her son Eleazer and the assistance of the Church
Emigration fund [British Mission film 225696, p. 93, part #3 at a cost of
$185.44 American money, sailed on the ship Minnesota
25 August 1869 Port of New York. They came with a group of Saints to Utah. She lived in Provo. She died 23
December 1872. Eleazer settled in St. Johns, Arizona.
