Jenkins, Evan and Ann Davies - Biography
Evan Jenkins and Ann Davies – Biography
This history was compiled by a granddaughter,
Margaret Steed Hess
from the history of
their son John Jenkins.
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Evan Jenkins was born 22 June
1817, at Cowbridge, Glamorganshire, South Wales. Ann Davies was born 8 February
1823, at Crossinen, Glamorganshire, South Wales. The LDS (Mormon) Elders brought
the Gospel message to their home in about the year 1845 or 1847. Evan believed
and accepted of it at once. Often Evan would take his first child John in his arms, he was only about a year and a half
old, and go out on the street of his hometown and preach the Gospel to others.
He knew while he had the child in his arms they would not throw rotten eggs at
him. It as such a new doctrine to the world that the people thought he was
crazy.
On 2 March 1850 Evan and Ann and their family, which consisted of three
children, John, Ann, and Moroni, left their native land for
the gospel's sake. They left Liverpool,
England on the
good ship Hartley. It took two months to make the trip, arriving in New Orleans May 2, 1850.
They sailed up the Mississippi, and Missouri
rivers, landing just below Winter Quarters. From there they journeyed four
miles east to Council Bluffs,
and five miles farther east to Mosquito Creek, where they lived for eleven
years.
When they arrived there all their earthly belongings consisted of two feather
beds and a few dishes. One feather bed was soon traded for a cow, the first cow
they ever owned. Having no means with which to proceed to Utah,
Apostle Ezra T. Benson, advised them to stay in Iowa until such time as
they could get equipment to make the journey.
During the time they were in Iowa,
Ann Davies Jenkins gave birth to seven more children, including two pairs of
twins. May 15, 1852 the first pair of twins were born:
William Thomas and Sarah Ellen. Sarah Ellen died May 30, 1852. On Feb.22, 1855
Henry Evan was born. On Oct 12, 1856 Juliet Amelia was born. On May 16, 1858
the second pair of twins was born: Margaret Coquella
and Mary Estella. And on May 2, 1861 David Hyrum was born.
When the first pair of twins was born the family was driven from their home by
a flood, and had to live in a dirt-roof house that leaked so badly that an
umbrella had to be placed over the bed to shelter the mother who lay confined
with the babies. They had a lot of sickness while living here. Cholera broke
out among them, killing so many friends. They had to endure many hardships.
As soon as possible, Evan took out his naturalization papers. He then
homesteaded a quarter section of land on which they lived for eleven years.
While they lived there, their neighbors were Mormon apostates and Josephites who were very bitter against the church, with
the exception of one family named Fisher. These people succeeded in influencing
Mrs. Fisher and Ann Jenkins to the extent that they refused to move onto Utah. When means was
provided by which they could have moved to Utah, Ann refused to sign the deeds so Evan
could sell his land. About 1860 Brother Fisher took some wheat for grist to the
mill one day. Leaving it there, he stated that he would call back for it. But
when he left his home to go back for the flour, he continued on to Utah instead, leaving
his family behind him. When Ann learned of the Fisher episode, she changed her
mind in regard to signing the deed and Evan sold his land for five hundred
dollars.
He equipped an outfit and they started for Utah in the first part of June 1861 with the
Homer Duncan Company. This company was an independent outfit -- that is it
consisted of people who fitted up their own outfit. Evan had two wagons, two
yoke of oxen, eight cows, and two or three horses. Evan drove one wagon and his
son John drove the other. The family was in the wagon Evan drove. They each
drove one yoke of oxen and two cows, and the cows were worked as well as the
oxen. When they were ready to start in the mornings, the cows were milked and
the milk would be put in the churn and by noon when they would stop, it would
be churned to butter. They would travel all day but would get camped before
dark. Then they would drive their wagons in a large circle, placing each wagon
into the back of the wagon in front of it, making an excellent corral for
turning the cattle and livestock loose in. Then they knew the stock was safe.
One time while camped, Indians rode by yelling and howling and stampeded their
cattle. It took them some time to quiet them down. The Indians did not give
them too much trouble, other than they often came and begged for flour and
sugar. Charles W. Penrose was in this company of Saints. Soon after they made
camp each night, their fire would be laid. Women and children would gather
buffalo chips to keep the fires burning. After feeding the families, the Saints
would gather around one large bonfire to sing songs or to plan the next days journey, or to dance quadrilles, while some folks were
on guard, so the Indians would not molest them unaware.
Daughter, Ann, and a girl friend rode horseback all
the way across the plains. Son, John, was a good hunter; he would kill antelope
and wild game for the family to eat and what they could not use, they gave to
other families. Among other members of the company were President Charles W.
Penrose, Francis W. Armstrong, and Samuel Russell. President Penrose often took
part in the programs held around the campfire.
Many good and bad times were had while making the trip across the plains. One
day whiletraveling, twins Mary and Margaret, who were
three years old, were sitting on a high seat in front of the wagon singing
"Good Bye Nellie Gray," when the front wheels of the wagon went down
into a chuckhole, throwing Mary out under the wagon wheel. It ran over her head
cutting a bad gash down the center of her forehead and down the side of her
nose to her mouth. It would possibly have killed her if it had not happened in
soft sandy soil. Charles W. Penrose sewed up the wound with plain sewing silk
thread. She still had that terrible scar when she died in her nineties. This
was one way of telling the twins apart.
This company was nearly four months crossing the plains. They had a great many
experiences with the Indians and in hunting wild game, building bridges and
floating all their families and cattle and belongings across the treacherous
rivers.
They arrived in the Salt
Lake Valley
Sept. 28, 1861. From there they moved north to North Cottonwood, later it was
called Farmington.
Evan Jenkins purchased forty acres of rough land for nine hundred dollars.
Following the year of their arrival, the Morrisite
trouble occurred. The Militia was called out and John W. Hess came out of the
old courthouse, stood on the steps and shouted to the crowd of men that he was
short three men to make his quota. John Jenkins,
eldest son of Evan, volunteered. It was at this battle to which a very
interesting incident was connected. The Mormon militia had three cannons, of
which the historical "Old Sow" was one, and
two smaller ones known as the "Iron and Brass Cannons." The Old Sow
had been owned by the Nauvoo Legion. At one time the enemy was trying to
capture it from the Saints. In order to hold it, the Saints buried it in the
ground at Nauvoo, Illinois. An old sow and her litter of young
ones happened along and, noticing the fresh turf, started rooting in the soil
and uncovered the cannon. From that time on the cannon has been known as the
"Old Sow." The Saints then hid the cannon in the river. It was
brought to Utah
in 1847 and had been used by the Saints in several of their celebrations. It
was at the Morrisite Battle where the cannon that is
now owned by the town of Farmington,
was used.
Evan was a successful farmer. He raised broom straw and made many brooms for Z.C.M.I. store in Salt
Lake City. His farm was located near the lake. Later
he purchased land near the hill, near the David L. Rice farm. The old house
still stands, a two room rock. The Rice family bought
it later and it is a beautiful old home now. It was a comfortable home and was
always neat and clean. Ann was a good housekeeper and a good cook.
Evan taught Sunday School class in South
Farmington for many years. He was presented with a lovely book for
having a perfect record in Sunday School. Ann never
did attend.
In later years, Evan's eye sight failed him. When he was almost blind he laid
tiny rocks in two ditches on his hands and knees, on each side of his road or
driveway leading from the main road east of their home, making a distance of
one half block. It was surely a masterpiece, good as a
cement job, for a blind man, and it made his entrance very neat and attractive.
Everything around his place was kept in an orderly condition; everything had a
place and was kept in it.
Evan was mauled by a vicious bull close to his house one time and was laid up
with injuries for quite awhile.
Ann Jenkins was a faithful wife and loving mother and a good accommodating
neighbor. She always had plenty of good things to eat, and everyone was welcome
to her home. She always had delicious biscuits on hand to give to grandchildren
and other kids. The children thought they were better than cake.
If either Ann or Evan became sick, their daughter Ann would make some of her
children go stay overnight or next day with them. The children thought it was
wonderful to talk to their grandparents and to kneel in prayer and listen to
Grandpa's wonderful inspiring prayers. For years at each Thanksgiving time or
Christmas, we would hire a buggy and horse from our livery stable and go bring
the dear old folks (Ann and Evan) up to my Mother and Father's home for the
day, then take them home in the evening. They were a wonderful couple and true
faithful pioneers. They had many trials and hardships, but like all other
pioneers came out victorious.
When Evan passed away June 8, 1901 at Farmington,
Utah, Ann went to live with her
daughter Ann Steed. She was very feeble at this time. She would sit in a
rocking chair but never rock. We would take her across the ditches and the
Bamberger railroad track to visit her daughter Margaret Lamb, but if she got
mad, she did not need any help, she would make it alone. Some time later, her
son John Jenkins took her to Newton,
Utah to live for awhile with his
wife Marie, which is where Ann died February 14, 1905.
Written on every page of their history is the great lesson that a settled faith
in a living God strengthens and sustains one as nothing else can do. We should
all re-dedicate our lives to the great work which they began and of which they
gave their strength, devotion and some of their lives.
None
Immigrants:
Jenkins, Evan
Davis/Davies, Ann
Jenkins, Henry E.
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