William Henry Waylett and Sarah Williams
Notes of the late R.
Fred Roberts, Abergele
William Henry Waylett was born on
13 February 1826 in Lambeth, London, the son of John and Eleanor Maria Wayleett. John Waylett was a
native of Manchester
and is described variously in Parish Registers and Census Returns as
“Gentleman” and as “Independent Minister”. On the death of her husband in 1834
Eleanor Maria came with her four children to reside with her parents, William
and Deborah Owens of Cefn Isa,
Llanddulas. William Owens was a native of Llandudno and when young had enlisted in the 2nd
Life Guards. He was promoted to the rank of non-commissioned officer and served
under the Duke of York at Volenciem in the Low
Countries and was with Wellington at Madrid. He served
throughout the Peninsular campaigns and was present at
the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The Census Returns of 1851 describe him as a
farmer of 32 acres employing two labourers and states
that he was a Chelsea
pensioner. He died aged 80 on 17 January 1859 and is buried in Llanddulas churchyard.
William Henry Waylett was baptized
a Mormon by Bernard Parry of Abergele and became a
member of the fledgling Church in that town. He emigrated
to Utah
together with twelve others from Abergele led by
Edward Parry. This contingent from Abergele, part of
a larger party of 314 Saints, sailed from Liverpool aboard the ship Jersey on 5 February 1853 bound for New Orleans. They arrived
at that port on 21 March after a voyage of almost seven weeks to find that
cholera was raging in the town. They thereupon transferred their baggage onto a
river steamer for the long journey up the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers
to Keokuk in Iowa.
There they outfitted to join the Joseph W. Young wagon train to cross the
plains. Leaving Keokuk on 3 June the party arrived safely at Salt Lake City after facing great
difficulties and much hardship on 10 October 1853.
William is listed as a single man on the passenger list of
the ship but was apparently married on board during the voyage. His bride was
Sarah, the 17-year-old daughter of Rice Williams, a nailer
of Peel Street,
Abergele, and his wife Leah, who were also to
emigrate at a later date. The newly wedded pair settled into obscurity in Salt Lake City later moving to live in Malad, Idaho,
where there was a thriving Welsh community. However, in 1863 William Henry Waylett returned to Wales on Church business and was
then called as President of the Welsh mission 1864-65. He died at Malad, Idaho, aged 53 on 17 October 1879.
His younger sister, Ann Deborah, born in 1834 and baptized
in Betws yn Rhos
Parish Church
married Bernard, son of Thomas and Anne Parry of Parc,
St. George in St. George Parish Church on 17 September 1852. It was this
Bernard who had baptized William Henry into the Mormon faith. The young couple
settled in Chapel Street,
Abergele, where Bernard continued to work as a
stonemason. They tragically buried an infant son, aged 5 months, William Owen,
on 3 December 1853. They emigrated to Utah aboard the ship Golconda
on 4 February 1854. Bernard contracted cholera and died on the plains in May of
that year leaving a young widow of 19 years of age to continue her journey to Salt Lake City where she
was received and cared for by her brother William and his wife. Bernard was
buried on the plains, and his story is particularly tragic as he was one of
only two of fifty Mormon emigrants from Abergele who
died during the “Gathering to Zion” – the Mormon
emigration to Utah
in the nineteenth century.
William Henry Waylett resided at
'Cefn Isaf', Dolwen, Abergele,
Denbighshire, in 1834 until he sailed on the ship 'Jersey' on the 5th
February 1853 bound for New Orleans. He came as a child with his mother and three
siblings to reside at Cefn Isaf
the home of his
Grandparents. (Mother's parents were of Welsh origins
William & Deborah Owens).
He states on the 1851 Census that his occupation was a
Collier. The possiblility
is that he worked as a Miner in
either the Limestone quarry at Tan y Goppa or in the
Lead mines also in Tan
y Goppa, near Tan'rallt
Bach.
He would have known Sarah Williams his future wife as she
worked and lived in 'Yr Allt', Tan y Goppa, Abergele, and would probably have met with her as he walked
to work and also at Church meetings which were held at The Meeting House in Chapel
Street, Abergele (now
The Bull Hotel).
Sarah Williams was the daughter of Rice and Leah Williams
who lived in 6 Peel Street, Abergele, Denbighshire. The House consisted of a Kitchen, Living
Room, One Bedroom and no garden.
Father Rice Williams aged 50 in the 1851 census - Nailer
by occupation.
Mother -
Leah Williams aged 48 born
at Llandrillo.
Son - Thomas Williams aged 22 years - Nailer
and Journeyman.
Son - Peter Williams aged 16 years - Apprentice Nailer
Daughter - Elizabeth
aged 13 - a House Servant
Son - Edward aged 9 - Scholar
Grandson - William Davies aged 2 years born in Abergele
In the 1851 Census Sarah Williams was located in Nant Ddu, St George,
Abergele, as a Houseservant
aged 15 years. She was born in St
George, Abergele.
She was later traced to 'Yr Allt', Tan y Goppa, Abergele also as a Houseservant.
Rice & Leah Williams and the Grandson William Davies
Williams also emigrated
on the 21st May 1864 on the ship 'General McLellan' and arrived Utah in the William S
Warren Company on the 4th October 1864.
