JOURNAL OF J.G.JONES
Translated
by Marilyn Davies, Prestatyn, North
Wales in 1987
[The small Roman
numerals refer to the page numbers I have put on the journal. 'Evening' and
'night' are interchangeable, as are 'meeting' and 'service' in many cases.]
(1) I (John Jones) was born on the 27th of November, 1830 in Llanelly,
Breconshire, Wales; I am the son of Dafid (could be David or Dafydd)
and Ann Jones, my father was born in the parish of [Aberystwyth,
crossed out] Llangeither/Llanguther [? ] , in a farm
called Penlanfach in Cardiganshire, and my mother was
born in Pant y wain [waen?]
in the parish of [Aberdare, crossed out] Gelly y dre [?] in Glamorganshire.
My father's father and mother are called John and Mary Jones and my mother's
father and mother are called Thomas and Mary Lawrence/Laurence, I an one of
eight children, the eldest was John, who died before I was born, the next
myself, John, and the next Shadrach who is two years younger than me, and the
next Adelaide my sister, who is dead, and three other brothers who were named Eliazer, two of than are dead and one is alive at present,
and another who died as a baby. We have had a comfortable living because my
father works underground, and I
have a little schooling, and when I was about 7 years old, I went to work with
my father, and from that time until I was 19 years old we moved to different places, and
when I was [The page ends here, but I
found the continuation on page (xxiv),
which I have inserted here.]
(xxiv) living in Blaena in 1849, I was
baptized with the Saints in the Nantyglo branch under
the presidency of Elder Henry Jones. I was there for a period of two months as
a member. Then I was called as a deacon for six months. I was moved through the
counsel of President Thomes [Thomas] Gilies to the Cwmcelin
[Cwmcelyn] branch in the year 1850. In January I was called as a teacher. I was diligent in filling this office [literally ‘circle’]. In the
year 1851 in September I was ordained a
priest by Elder Thanes [Thomas] Rees and Watign [Watcyn/Watkin] Moargen [Morgan].
About the same month the 'corph' [presumably, 'yr Hen
Gorff' : literally, 'the old body' -- a familiar term for the Calvinistic Methodists or Presbyterians] ---- me and my brother Saidrek [Shadrach] to leave our house because of this
gospel. We lived in the house of Abenog [could be 'ab Enoc'] Williams for a period of four months and a week.
Then we moved from there to Sirhowy. I have had some account of what I paid toward
God's work from [‘io’ , with an
‘e’ above: could be the initials E.O.,
or 1.0.] Rees, which are as follows.
[These accounts are probably the ones
on page (xxv).]
(ii) On the 30 of May 1852 the
beginning of my labor in Sirhowy, beginning [something above the line I can't read] on
Sunday, I was in meetings all day. On
Monday I went to the council in Tredegar. At three o'clock the house of Mr.[?] Lli. Philips with Pari [Parry ?]
and Jones. I was writing. Wednesday night in the Saints'
meeting. Thursday evening reading
and writing. Sunday morning I went to visit Saints and collect for the
presidency. And I went to the meetings
all day. And preached at 5. Monday night in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday evening I went to the council [something like .'terete'
above the line: could possibly be an attempt to write Tredegar' ] . Wednesday I
went around the houses -----ing. Dewi Elfat [Elfed] Jones
Thursday evening was preaching in the peter Bestar(?) [above the line:
on/and Saints]. I went there. Friday and Saturday evening
teaching reading and writing. Sunday
the 13 I
went to visit Saints. And in the School [I take this to mean Sunday School]
I presided. I was selling books and
attending meetings all day. Monday night to the prayer
meeting. Tuesday
night in the writing school. Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Friday night in preaching
school. Saturday night I went to Tredegar. Sunday the 20
I went to visit Saints and sell books in the meetings all day.
In the evening to the prayer meeting. Night ---[long?].
(iii) Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening I was preaching pe. Bestar [of previous page: I
guess it is the name of a tavern] where a crowd were listening ---[,'Ast' could be an
abbreviation for 'yn astud',
attentively]. Friday evening in the council. Saturday evening at home writing. Sunday the 27 I went to Blaena to look for news of my tribe [or, uncle?], but I did
not get any. I went to the meetings there. Monday evening to
the prayer meeting. Tuesday evening to the council. Wednesday
evening to the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening to the
preaching meeting. Friday evening the 10 of June I went to the singing school. [Above the line; tre (town) or tri (three),
or I suppose it could be short for Tredegar.] Saturday night I went to
Tredegar. Sunday the 3 [or 30] of June 1852
I was in the conference in meetings all
day. The following Monday evening I went to the prayer meeting. Tuesday evening in the council in Tredegar. Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening
preaching at the edge of the main road near the inn. Friday evening in the council. Sunday the 11 I went to Merthyr to the conference. Monday evening
in Soery [?]. Tuesday night in the School. Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting. Thursday
evening in the preaching meeting. Friday and Saturday night I was at
home because I was behind with the work. Sunday the 18 I was selling books and
in the meetings all day. Monday evening in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday in the writing school.
(iv)
Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night
in the preaching meeting where we had [?]. On Friday evening in the
council. Saturday night in the house. Sunday
the 25 I was writing and reading. And in the meetings all
day. Monday night in the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in the writing school. Wednesday in the Saints' meeting. Thursday in the preaching meeting where Elder
Jones and W. Davis were preaching. Friday evening in the preaching school. [The following sentence is enclosed in a box:
Saturday afternoon I went to the funeral of John Lewis, Elder of the Gram Celin(celyn) branch.] Sunday [above
line: 1 of
August] I went to Cwmtheri [ Cwmde ri ? ] to find news of my tribe [or uncle] and in the Saints' meeting there. Monday night in the prayer meeting. Tuesday in writing school. Wednesday night in the
Saints' meeting. Thursday night in the preaching
meeting. Friday night in the council. Saturday
night I was learning for the presidency. Sunday [above the line: the 8] I was
selling books and in the meetings all day. Monday night in
the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in the council.
Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday in
the preaching meeting Friday in the [something
must be omitted] I was writing.
(v) 1852
Sunday the 15 of August I was in the
meetings all day. Monday night in the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in writing school. Wednesday
evening in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night in the
preaching meeting. Friday night at home.
Saturday night I went to Tredegar. Sunday the 22 I was
selling books in one house of the number 12. I was sent out for offering
a book and the word of God. [Above line:
house of Thomas Bridogwn W. ?] And in the
meetings all day. And in the house with no.21 more or less the same thing. Monday evening in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday evening
in the council. Wednesday
evening in the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening in the preaching meeting. Friday evening in the
preaching school. Saturday evening writing.
Sunday the 29 I went visiting the
Saints and selling books. And in the meetings all day. Monday reading and writing. Monday night in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday
night in the writing school. Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening at have as there was no
service. Friday evening in the council. Saturday night
the 4 of September I was collecting for the
presidency and visiting Saints.
(vi) 1852
Sunday the 5 of September I was selling
books. And in the meetings all day. Monday night I
went to the preaching meeting.Tuesday night in the
council. Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night in the
preaching meeting. Friday night in the preaching
school. Saturday night I was
reading and writing. Sunday the 12 I went
to the meetings all day. I went to a Saints' meeting in Tredegar. In the
evening I was taken ill. Elders H Jon(e)s and Th.
Williams ['11' above the line: possibly and abbreviation for 'Llywydd' --President] and I. Lewis from Tredegar were
ministering several times and I was restored to health. Monday
night in the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in the
writing school. Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday
night I went to visit Rachel Rosur [Rosser?] but I did not see her. I heard she was in Blaena.
Friday night in the council. Saturday I went to Tredegar. Sunday night the 19 I went
after Evaen [Evan]
Thanes [Thomas]. I spoke to him, he said (or
testified) he was coming to his place on Wednesday night but he did not come,
testimony of Thomes Williams. And in the meetings all day. Monday evening in the prayer meeting.
(vii) 1852
Tuesday night the 21 I went
to the council. Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting I was writing a Record. Thursday night in the writing school. Friday
night in the house reading. Saturday night I went to Tredegar to the
house of Gileis [Gilies?]
where I heard the harp. Sunday the 26 I went
to Blaena to wait for Rachel Rosere
[Rosser?] when she testified that she would never come to the Saints, testimony [or witness] Thanes Williams. I came back for the Saints' meeting. And at 5 preaching meeting. Monday night in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday night in the writing school. Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday
night reading. Friday night the first of October in
the council. Saturday night collecting for the presidency and visiting
Saints whom I found well in the faith. Sunday the 3 I went to Merthyr to the conference. Monday night
in the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in the council. Wednesday night in the
Saints' meeting writing a Record. Thursday night in
the writing school. Friday night in the preaching
school. Saturday night in the council. Sunday the 10 I was in the conference in the meetings all
day. Monday night in
the concert. [Crossed
out: Tuesday night in the writing school.] Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting.
(viii) Thursday
night in the writing school. Friday and Saturday night
fetching books from Tredegar. Sunday the 17 I was in the meetings all
day. Monday evening in the prayer meeting. Tuesday evening in the preaching meeting. Wednesday evening in the Saints'
meeting. Thursday evening in the writing school.
Friday and Saturday evening I was reading and writing. Sunday the 24 my wife [above
line] and I went to Blaena to the Saints' meeting. Monday evening in the prayer meeting. Tuesday evening in the council. Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting,
writing. Thursday
evening in the writing school. Friday evening in the
council. Saturday evening I went to fetch books. Sunday the 31 I was in
the meetings all day. Monday evening the first of November in
the prayer meeting. Tuesday night I went to Penmarec
[I take it 'Benmarec' has been mutated] to preach. Wednesday night in the
Saints' meeting. Thursday night in writing school. Friday night in the
preaching school. Saturday night I
was collecting for the presidency. Sunday
the 7 I
went to Blaena.
Monday night in the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in the council.
Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night writing.
(ix) 1852
Sunday the 14 I was in the meetings all
day. Monday night I did not go to the service, I heard there was none. Tuesday night at home because there was no service. Wednesday night in the Saints'
meeting. Thursday night in the writing school.
Friday night in the house [could be 'of
someone at work' or ' I was behind with the work' . Saturday
night I went to fetch books. Sunday the 21 I was
in the meetings all day. Monday night in the prayer meeting. Tuesday night in the
council. Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night in the writing school. Friday
night at home reading. Saturday night I went to fetch books. Sunday the
28 I went to the meetings all day. Monday evening in the
prayer meeting. Tuesday evening at home reading.
In December 1852.
Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night in the
writing school. Friday
night in the preaching school. Saturday
night I was collecting for the presidency. And fetching books. Sunday
the 5 I
was selling
books to the
world and in the meetings all day. Monday night in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday evening in the coucil.
Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening in the writing school. Friday
evening in the council. Saturday night in the house reading. [These last two sentences had originally been reversed, but an arrow
corrects this.]
(x) 1852
Sunday the 12 of December I was in the
meetings all day. Monday evening prayer meeting. Tuesday evening at home. Wednesday evening Saints'
meeting. Thursday evening in the writing school.
Friday evening in the preaching school. Saturday night
I went to fetch books. Sunday the 19 I was
in the meetings all day. Monday evening in the prayer
meeting. Tuesday evening [above the
line: 'holding books'] in the council. Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting. Thursday evening at home. Friday evening writing. Saturday morning I went to the council, in the afternoon
I went to Blaena to the conference. Sunday the 26 I went
to visit Saints. And in the meetings all day. Monday I
went to Waen to the council. Monday evening in the prayer meeting. Tuesday evening I went to the funeral of a
child of [John Jones? -- this is written above the line and may well refer
to the next
item. ] Mary Jones [and John Jones -- see above] covenanted
to be my wife for eternity. And to live in accordance with my
direction and to bear --- to me and to no one else. Mary Jones x. [I take this to be her 'mark'. ] Wednesday night in the Saints'
meeting. Thursday night in the writing school.
Friday night I went to Tredegar . Then
the end of the year.
(xi) Beginning of
the year 1853.
Saturday night the first of January I
went to Tredegar and collected for the presidency and the traveling elders.
Sunday the 2 I went to the Saints' meeting where I presided and the rest of the
day I was recording the accounts. Monday night I went to the prayer meeting.
Tuesday night I went to the council where I paid the accounts for the books. Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night I was
in the house reading and writing. Friday night I went to the council. Saturday
night I went to Tredegar. Sunday the 9 I was in the conference in the meetings all
day. Monday night I went to the concert. Tuesday night at home.
Wednesday night in the Saints' meeting. Thursday night in the writing school. Friday
night reading. Saturday night I went to Tredegar to fetch books. Sunday the 16 [under the line: I went to the Saints?]. Monday evening [above
the line: I was
writing] in
the prayer meeting in the house of Themes Williams. Tuesday
night at hone reading. Tuesday
night in the Saints' meeting I was writing a record. Thursday night writing and reading. Friday night I went to Blaena. Saturday night I was in Pente [Pentre] Bach.
(xii) 1853 John
Jones
23 of January. Sunday I went to School at 2. I went to the Saints meeting. In the evening I was reading and writing. Monday
evening I went to Tredegar where three elders [or
could be 'three old ----s] were baptized [actually
drowned]. [I cannot make head nor tail of
the next line: the only recognizable words are something which might be
'Workhouse' or 'workers' and 'Jones' at the end of the line.
] Tuesday evening in the house reading and writing. Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting and writing
a record. Thursday
evening in the house writing. And reading.
Friday night I went to the council. Saturday night I [above line: and my wife]
went to Blaena to get the bed back. Sunday the 29 [surely this
should be 30?] I went to the meetings all day. And I went to Tredegar to fetch books. Monday and Monday evening I was at have papering the box and
painting it [above the line: and my wife was too] and reading the Udgorn Seion [Welsh Mormon periodical]. John
and Mary Jones. Tuesday the first of February 1853 I was writing and reading.
Wednesday the 2 in the Saints' meeting. 3 Thursday
evening I was---[incomplete]. 4 Friday evening I was reading
and writing. 5 in the evening I went to fetch books and collected for the presidency
and the traveling elders. 6 Sunday I went to the meetings all day and read
and wrote. 7 Monday evening I went to Tredegar to buy clothes.
(xiii) 1853 February [in the margin: books 8/9]
8 Tuesday
evening I went to the council. [above the line: very good place?]
9 Wednesday
evening in the Saints' meeting.
10 Thursday
evening I was -----ing for a cart for H.Jones [under the
line: erthig, possibly the name of H. Jones's house.]
11 Friday
I spent in town because of a change in my temporal work.
12 Saturday night I was in the house
reading.
13 Sunday
I went to fetch books [something illegible
above line] and I was in the meetings all day. And I was busy reading and
writing.
14 Monday
evening I went to Tredegar to the house of President Gileis
to ask if there was any information about when my father was to emigrate. [above the line: but Gileis was not hare. ]
15 Tuesday
night in the council in Tredegar.
16 In
the Saints' meeting and I was writing a record there.
17 Thursday
evening I was in the house reading.
18 Friday
evening in the house.
19 Saturday
night I was in Tredegar marketing and fetching books and in Gilies'
house.
20 Sunday
I went to Merthyr Tydfil
to the house of W. S. Phillips for President Gileis
to find out when the emigrants were leaving.
I came to the Saints' meeting and I was preaching at 6 in the evening.
21 Monday
evening I went to Tredegar.
(xiv) .. to get a bill
changed. My wife and I spent this evening preparing our father to leave the
next day for Zion.
22 Tuesday
we accompanied him on his way as far as Merthyr but
we had to leave shortly without bidding farewell. We went to Phillips' house and from there to the restaurant to have
food and after that we went to look for the coach. We went home in it--[I can't
read this].
23 Wednesday
night at home in the Saints' meeting where Th. Gilies
and Nathe[a]n Thane[a]s were.
24 and
25 I was in the house reading and so
forth.
26 Saturday
night I went to fetch books.
27 Sunday
I visited some of the Saints who were in a good situation, determined to go on. And I went to two Saints' meetings.
28 I
went to Tredegar to Gilies' house. There I got a letter from Liverpool
from our father and there[?]. It was read respectfully because he had been there two weeks in I went to the council that evening.
(xv) March, 1853
1 Tuesday
night I was writing a letter in answer to my father and his letter to us.
2 Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting
3 Thursday
night I was at home today I came from the penyke [Penycae?] works because I did not want to fetch the
old----[very difficult to decipher -- looks like 'Dabges'
with an 'n' above the word]. I had to leave if I would not do it. That was what
Edward Edwardes the master said.
4 Friday
I was in the house reading and writing.
5 Saturday
I went to Sirhowy to work with Thomas Davis. Saturday
night I went to fetch the books.
6 Sunday
I was collecting for the presidency and the traveling elders at the same time
and I was in the meetings all day.
7 Monday night in the house writing and doing the book accounts and the ------[looks like 'y peni' or 'y feni' : could mean 'penny' or 'Y Fenni'
(Abergavenny) or even 'ysgrifennu'
(writing), although this last is always abbreviated to,'' ] collection.
8 Tuesday night I went to the council where I paid for the books. [There are
jottings in the margin which I take to be his notes about the book sales.]
9 Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting.
10 Thursday
morning I went to Thomoes Arys [Thomas Harris] to ask for work following the
advice of Pres. Tho.[mas]
Williams I got work in his level [I take
this to refer to a part of a coal mine] and I went to work there and was at
home that evening.
(xvi) March, 1853
11 Friday
evening I was in the house reading [this
word is partly lost in the photocopy] after fetching the letter from g.W.Davis. I read it joyfully to hear that our father is
well.
12 Saturday
afternoon I was writing a letter of reply to him about what he asked us. [Above line:] I posted it that night.
13 Sunday
I was in the meetings all day.
14 Monday
evening in the branch council.
15 Tuesday
evening in the house reading ---- [There is something illegible above the line.]
16 Wednesday
afternoon I went down to Tredegar to send four shillings to our father Henry
Jones. I received a letter at the same time when he indicated that he needed
money. I went to the Saints' meeting.
17 Thursday
evening I wrote a letter back.
18 Friday
evening I posted the letter.
19 Saturday
evening went to fetch books and read.
20 Sunday
I went to the meetings all day. And read the Udgorn [Udgorn Seion] and wrote
21 At
home. 22 Tuesday
in the council.
23 In
the Saints' meeting [above line: in Sirhowy] . 24 At
home reading and writing.
25 Friday
at have reading. I went to Tredegar to Gileis' house.
I got a letter from him from our Father.
(xvii) 26th of March, 1853
26 Saturday
night I went to Tredegar to fetch books.
27 Sunday
I went to the meetings all day.
28 Monday
at home because the wife was ill and I failed to go to the council. During the
first three months of the year 1853 many illnesses
and pains have cane to affect our father and the [my] wife. And God has been good to us. He has provided his strength
in abundance. We have paid for various things these three months [above line:
January, February, March] the following money. Myself, John Jones and Mary
Jones towards the presidency …2--4
Traveling elders …1--8
Towards the fast [?] …1--
To the emigration treasury… 4
Alms to help some to emigrate: a loaf
of bread and bacon and a half of cheese
29 Tuesday
night in the house reading.
30 Wednesday in the
Saints' meeting.
31 Thursday
evening reading and writing.
(xviii) An account of the month of
April starting on Friday. 1 Friday evening reading and
writing.
2 Saturday night I went to fetch books
3 Sunday
I was collecting towards the presidency and the traveling elders at the same
time [or, this could be a reference to
fasting.] And in the meetings all day.
4 Monday
evening I was in Tredegar settling book accounts.
5 Tuesday
night I went to the council where I paid 9/2
for books to ---Davis [could be B.g., but
the writing is unclear.]
6 Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting.
7 Thursday
night reading and writing.
8 Friday
night I went to the council.
9 Saturday
night I went to Tredegar to depend on paying for the quarter's books [above line:] and to fetch books. [Something illegible
under the line. ]
10 Sunday
I was in the conference all day.
11 Monday
afternoon I went to the tea party and in the evening to the concert. I was on
the door in the tea and the concert.
12 Tuesday
evening in the council.
13 Wednesday
evening in the Saints' meeting.
14 Thursday
evening at hone reading and writing.
15 Friday
night reading and writing.
16 Saturday
night I went to fetch books.
17 Sunday
I was preaching and in the meetings all day and testifying to some from the
world.
18 -- 23 I did
my duty and went to the services.
(xix) 1853
[The left margin is missing in the
photocopy, so some of this is guesswork.]
24 Sunday
I was preaching and in the meetings all day.
25 Monday
night at home reading and writing.
26 Tuesday
night I went to the council.
27 Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting.
28 Thursday
I was in the house because Mary, my wife, was ill about to give birth. She gave
birth to a daughter at half past eleven in the evening. The girl's name is Adelaide.
29 Friday night at home because of the circumstances.
30 Saturday night I went to fetch books from Tredegar.
Beginning of May
1853 [There follows something very
difficult to decipher: it might be something like 'The month is pleasant.']
1 Sunday
I went to the meetings all day.
2 Monday night I was at home dealing
with household matters.
3 Tuesday
I stayed in town ['at home' would make
more sense] because my wife was very ill [or
this could be 'ill in the afternoon': the beginning of the word is missing]. She was restored through ordinances by the
evening to a very large extent.
4 Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting and dealing with family matters. ['5 and 6’, I
think, appears above the second part of this: presumably refering
to the next two days.]
7 Saturday
night I went to fetch books and dealt with -------[?]
(xx) 1853 May
8 Sunday
I was collecting for the presidency and the traveling elders. And the fast. [This
occurs several times: I'm not sure if this is the correct translation or, as I
have put before, at the same time.'] And in the meetings all
day.
9 Monday
night I was doing the accounts and writing.
10 Tuesday
night at home, the wife was ill.
1 1 Wednesday
night in the Saints' meeting.
12 Thursday
night in town. 13 Friday night I went to Penmarch [?] to the
singing school.
14 Saturday
night I went to fetch books.
15 Sunday
I was collecting for the presidency and the traveling elders and in all the meetimgs but one.
16 --22 I fulfilled my
duty.
Sunday 22 I went to all the
meetings. Sunday 29 [there is a great deal of
crossing out here, and he seems to have got the following dates wrong] in the
morning I went to School. The president
counseled me to go to the Tredegar branch, which I did.
29 [should
be 30] I went to the prayer meeting at the
house of Thomas Davis. 30 [31] Tuesday night I went to the council in Tredegar.
(xxi) June in 1853
1 Beginning
Wednesday evening in the Saints' meeting, in the prayer meeting. [These two are written across each other.]
2 Thursday
evening at hone reading and writing.
3 Friday
night I went to the preaching meeting.
4 Saturday
I went to Tredegar to fetch books for the Sirhowy branch.
5 Sunday
in the morning I was collecting for the presidency and the traveling elders and
the fast/at the same time. And in the meetings all day.
At six I was preaching at Pen Mariak [this name
appears several times in different forms: it could be Penmarch ] .
6 Monday
night I was in town [at home] because of
lack of money to go to the concert in the Town hall.
7 Tuesday
night I went to the council in Tredegar.
8 Wednesday
night reading and writing.
9 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house.
10 Friday (night) I went to the preaching meeting at the
house of Thomas Davis.
11 Saturday
night I went to Tredegar to fetch books.
12 Sunday
I went to Bla[i]na, and Mary.
13 Monday
night in the prayer meeting at the house of Edward---- [very
squashed: looks like 'dish,' but must be part of the name.]
14 Tuesday
night in the council in Tredegar.
15 Wednesday
night reading. And so I did my duty throughout the month. On the 19 I
preached.
(xxii) July 1853
1 Friday
I was preaching outside near the house of Thomas Davis.
2 Saturday
night I went to Tredegar to fetch books for the Sirhowy
branch.
3 Sunday
I was collecting for the presidency and the traveling elders and the fast/at
the same time. And receiving payment for books and in the
meetings all day. And visiting the Saints.
4 Monday reading and writing and doing the accounts in the
evening. I went to fetch my pay but I did not get it all. And
consequently I failed to go to the prayer meeting.
5 Tuesday evening in the council in Tredegar I paid G. W. Davis for books. [above the line 114 J.J.: this could be the number of books, or
it could be an amount of money, e.g. 1/4 or 11/4.]
6 Wednesday
evening at home reading and writing.
7 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house.
8 Friday
night I went to Tredegar to preach, following the advice of the president.
9 Saturday
we, Mary and Adelaide
and I, went to Blinia [Blaina] to the wedding of Shadrach my brother and Mary
Williams. And there we had a comfortable welcome[?] and my mother gave Adelaide a little chair[?].
(xxiii) 1853 July
10 Sunday
in the conference in Tredegar. In the morning I paid G. W. Davis the remainder
for the books, the sum of ----[ 1s 7d ? ] .
11[probably a mistake] I went to the services
all day.
11 Monday
night in the prayer meeting in the house.
12 Tuesday
evening in the council.
13 Wednesday
evening at home reading and writing.
14 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house.
15 Friday
night in the preaching meeting at the house of Siongkin
Edwres [Siencyn/Jenkin Edwards].
17/18 [the
dates seem to have slipped again: this should be 16]
Saturday night
fetching books from Tredegar.
18[17] Sunday I was in the services all
day.
19 Monday
night in the prayer meeting in Tredegar at the house of Thomas Williams.
20 Tuesday
night in the council in Tredegar.
21 Wednesday
night at home reading.
22 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house.
23 Friday
night in the monthly preaching meeting [or
'meeting, preaching' ] .
24 Saturday
night fetching books from Tredegar.
25 Sunday
in the services all day, except for one.
26 Monday
night in the prayer meeting at Pen march [?]
in the house of Edw[a]rd Roba[e]rts.
27 Tuesday
night in the council in Tredegar.
28 Wednesday night Th. Davis and I
healed David Richards. He was cured.
(xxv) [This is two pages. ]
The top of the first page has accounts
-- sums paid for various things: 'Church Book' for years 1849, 1850, 1851 accounts for several entries; also
'emigration' for 1850 and 'alms for Gilies'
have a couple of entries each. The last
item is 'caerds,' with a large sun [L1-5-0] opposite it and six other, smaller
sums underneath. ' Caerds' could be a misspelled abbreviation
for 'Cardiganshire,' or .'cards' misspelled.
At the bottcm of the page are details of his wife,
possibly in
her own hand:
------ my wife
Mary, the daughter of Henry and Mergeret [Margaret]
Jones.
I, Mary Jones, was born on August 27, 1832 in Dowles [Dowlais]
near Merthyr Tidfyl[Tydfil], Glamorganshire,
South Wales.
The top of the second page has been
torn, and continues like this :
...we were living at this time in a
place called Mouns Hill near Saint
Louis in the State of Missouri, North America.
August 12 1856 to
the --- to show the agreement between
John Sims-- [end of name is lost, but could
be Sim(p)son] and me, John G. Jones when going into
the union [an agreement?] to buy Pwll [Pool] from William River. And the money I had to pay for
the work was 400 dollars. He made John G.
Jones pay a hundred dollars deposit for the work which Jo(h)n Sim---- had to pay fifty back to me, Jo. G. Jones.
(xxvi) This is also
two pages. The top left hand corner is torn away, showing the accounts from the
previous page. Then is written in a large
hand [looks like thick pencil or crayon,
not ink]:
Blaenau Jones
Gwente [presumably the county, Gwent, although it
would have been Monmouthshire then.
]
I, John G. Jones was born in Llanelly.
Further down he has two attempts at
writing:
Thomas William Jones was blessed on the
8th [?] of July by Bishop W. W. Hallet and
W. O. Spery and me.
W.W.Halet [this name could be Fallet
or Follet, but I think it is Hallet]
was speaking.
On the second page is the following:
Record of the birth
of our, John and Mary Jones's, children.
Adeiledi [sic] Jones was born April the 28, 1853,
on Thursday night at 1 1:30. We
were living in Sirhowy in the parish of Blenia [Blaenau is added in the same hand as on the previous page]
in Monmouthshire, South Wales, Great Britain. John, our son, was born on the 6 of
August, 1855 at ten minutes past 4 in the
afternoon. We were living about three miles from the town of St.
Louis, Mo., North
America. Our son Joh(o)n died on the 30 of
September at the age of one year and one month and twenty-four days in the year 1856. Between eleven and
twelve o'clock at night.
(xxvii) He (John Jones) was buried on the first of October 1850 in the Count farm cemetry,
St. Louis, state of Missouri, North America.
Maryann Jones was born on August 30 1857[?]
in the afternoon about half past two near Colchester, within a mile of the
town, in the state of Illinois, North America. She was blessed on the Sabbath, the 27 of
October 1857 by Peter Cain and me, J.G.Jones in the Colchister[sic] branch in the St. Loius
conference.
David Henry Jones was born on Saturday
at six o'clock in the afternoon on September the 8th in the city of Provo, Utha[sic]
county, Utah Territory,
Western America. [This is very faint.]
(xxviii)
David Henry was blessed by Bishop ----- [very difficult to make out -- it looks like Floret, but it may be the same
name as before (Halet/Folet)]
in the fourth ward when he was five weeks old.
Daniel Jones was born October the 8th, 1862 on
Wednesday night at ten o'clock in the afternoon [presumably
this means p.m.] in the city of Provo, Utah Co., Utah Ter.
Daniel was blessed the 7 of December 1862 on Sunday by Timieis [?] Carter and Bishop Ffoset [Fosset? -- this seems to be
the same name as above. ]
Eleazar Jones
was born on Tuesday at 11 o'clock in the morning on the 24 of January in the year 1865 in Provo City, Utah Co., Utah Ter. Eleazar Jones was
blessed on the 5th of April /65 by----[blotted,
but could be W.O. as before] Spery and me and 0l[?]
workman.
(xxix)
Daniel Jones died on Wednesday morning
at three o' clock, May 17 /65 in the city
of Provo, Utah Co., Utah Ter. He was buried on
the 18th[?] in the cemetry
at Provo, N.
Am.
Martha Jamemha
[Jemimah] Jones
was born on Saturday the sixth of April in the year one thousand eight hundred
and sixty seven 1867 at twenty minutes to eight o' clock in the morning.
Martha Jemmima [this is his second attempt at the
name, the first being ' jmenah' ] was blessed on the seventh by me and Bishop Johnson and
others, three in number.
April 1st 1870
Our son Shadrach was born on Friday the
first of April at half past six in the evening in the city of Provo. He was blessed by Bishop W. Folet [It's that man
again!] and me at home on Saturday the 28/70 in
the morning. Provo City.
(xxx) 18---[very difficult
to make out -- it looks like 1859] ---------a
voice[?] I entrusted to someone called William Geis/Rees[?] from my hand today dated May the ---(no date given) 1859.
[Then there are strange hieroglyphics: 7743, or something similar. Could refer to his
brother's age (see following).]
The age of my brother Eleazar Jones (son of David
& Ann Jones) [above line: the name of my father and mother] who was born
July the 27 in the year 1848 [?] in Blaina in the
parish of Blaina [he
spells this variously as Blaena/Blaenau also], Monmouthshire, South Wales.
Elizabeth Jones was born the 3/72 [April
above the line] on Saturday morning at half past seven in the city of Provo,
Utah Co., Utah Territory.
Elizabeth
was blessed on the 4th of July [1872 above line]--------[This
is very difficult to read, but there is reference to H. Rogers, I think.]
April (1874)
Thomas William Jones was born on Friday
at twenty to eight. [As far as I can see
there is no date given.]
(xxxi) Provo City
Adelaide Jones was baptized January 23 1861 by W.Foset. She was sustained
by the hands of W.Foset and I. Bunel
I. Bcenai [I'm
not sure if this is two people, or two attempts at spelling the same name.]
Provo City 1865
Maryann Jones was baptized September 27 by John
W. Turner. She was supported in tears [this
could be a spoonerism for 'by the hands of'] by Eliz. Gill[e]spie, W. Lewis. W.L. giving the
name [?].
David Henry Jones was baptized in Provo City
June 13/1869 by me, John G. Jones. He was supported by Henry Rogers and Harve[y] Cluff.
Eleazer Jones
was baptized November 29/73 by me, his father, John G. Jones. He was supported
by Bishop W. Folett and Henry Rogers.
(xxii) [Above the line: Cymry,
which means 'the Welsh,' but no doubt he meant to write 'Cymru' : Wales. ]
Ordinances I, John G. Jones, received.
I was ordained to the post of deacon in the Nantyglo
branch in the Monmouth conference, under the hands of Elder Henry Jones in July 1849.
Wales
I was ordained a teacher in the Cwm Celyn branch [Cyd--mwe-- ?]under the hands of Elder Wm. Williams in January 1850.
Wales
I was ordained to the office of priest
in the Cwm-celyn branch under the hands of Elder
Thomas Rees, September 3, 1851, Monmouthshire.
America
I was ordained an Elder in the Gravios branch in the St. Louis
conference, state of Mo.,
under the hands of Elder Richard Evan(i)s, on the 20 of
April, 1856.
(xxxiii)
And I was received into the Quorum of
the Elders through their support/ appreciation on the 27 of April, 1856.
December the 5/6[?] 1859 I was ordained one of the seventy in the
20[th] quorum under the hands of Elder David Certys/r[could be Carter?]
together with the first president of the quorum, namely Houns.
(xxxiv)
['mety'
crossed out -- probably he started to
write the month as September (Medi), but his Welsh is fading a little, so he writes Oct.
in English. ]
Oct 2th [sic -- could be 2nd or 12thl 1859
City of the Great Salt Lake Valley
I take up the pen to write ['about my' crossed out] my story [above the
line; and my family's] before coming to this place. I left the land of my birth
in the year 1854 on April the 8. We sailed from Liverpool river [the Mersey]
to the Irish Channel and to the ocean the next day [above the line: second,
i.e. probably = the next day but one]. When we started to
sail successfully. And after voyaging seven weeks and two days the pilot
came to the ship and guided the ship to the River Mississippi where we were
tied up to the steam ship which pulled us up to Orleans in the morning about
eight of clock on the 29th of May 1854 and we were two more days in the ship.
Then we left for a steam ship to sail to St Louis,
Mo.
, and in a journey of 6 days and 6 nights we arrived within three miles of Saint Louis.
(xxxv)
Here we were taken from the boat to
another old boat which was moored at the side of the river to receive the sick,
although none of us was sick, but because the government asked the Saints to do
so because of their hardness toward the Saints and because God was pouring his
judgments on the inhabitants [to town-- or, more likely, a spoonerism for 'to
the South'] and some of the first emigration of Saints died in their midst,
Satan placed in their hearts that it was the Mormons who had brought the plague
into their midst. Because of this it was put into effect that the Saints'
emigration could not go into the town, except the odd one through the doctors'
permission, and those who intended to stay in the place. We stayed here till
the 13 of
June 1854, when
our father, or
my partner' s father, came to fetch us, it was to meet us that he came here. The name of the place was Bloody Island
[?] or others called it tight current' [this
could be a rather ruder name, as 'tin' means 'backside'; 'tyn' is the correct spellimg
for 'tight'.] We had…
(xxxvi)
…to go all through
this day. And since we were not able to go to the Valley this year, we
settled outside the town, about three miles, a palce
called Gravios. We
stayed in this place about three years, but my father-in-law stayed only a year
here with us. He left and made his journey
to the Great Salt Lake
Valley where he remained
until his death in the year 1857 in April, about the last part of the month. My
family and I moved to the state of Illinois,
MC county, to a place called Colchester
in 1857. There was no branch of the Saints here when we came to the place. This
caused me to be deprived of meetings. I and three other brothers wrote to ...
(xxxvii) [Above line (John
Allan)]
…the Bishop of our
branch about the nature of the place. He visited the president of the
conference. They wrote to me to establish a branch in this place, which I did
in July. I stayed here presiding until my family and I started our journey to
the Great Salt Lake
Valley. Benjamin Lloyd and his wife and mother were
with us as fellow-travelers from this place. We were much troubled by our
enemies when we were beginning our journey. We began our journey on Friday morning,
May the 13 /1859. And the enemy hindered us two days through deceit and
hypocrisy and men requiring [us] to pay money which was not owing. This was a
plan by the enemy to hinder us but it did not succeed, only for two days. It
cost us a bit of money but God was on our side and we
were freed.
(xxxviii) [15 above
the line]
And we took up our journey again and
made our way through the state of Iowa and after traveling for about three
weeks and four days we reached Ffloranes [Florence?] Neb. Territory,
where all the Saints who were going across the plains were gathered to be arranged
into companies according to the instructions of the
presidency.
Here we were assigned to the company of Edwart[d] Stevinos [Stevens?] or [above line: in other words] to be under his
leadership. And on the 26 of June 1859 we began our journey across the plains and on
the 3 of July we camped on the side of----[I cannot make out this last word: it looks something like'Deurela,'. It
seems incomplete (the page is only half
full).
(xxxix)
Daniel was born October the 8/62, on Wednesday night at ten o' clock in the
evening in Provo City, U. Co., U. Terr.
(xl
)
Benjamin was born Wednesday March the
eighth 8/76 [?] at twenty minutes to three in the afternoon in Provo City, U. Co., U. Terr.
He was blessed by me, his father, when he was eight days old.
(xli)
The birth of our,
John and Mary Jones's, children. Adelaide
Jones was born in Sirhowy, parish of Blaina, South Wales, April
28/53, on Thursday evening at half past eleven at night in Monmouthshire.
John was born August the 6, 1855 at
ten minutes past four in the afternoon in Saint
Louis, Mo., U.S.
Maryann was born August 30/57 at
half past two in the afternoon in Colchister[sic] McDonn[?] co., Illinois, U.S.
David Henry was born September the
eighth 8/60 at six o'clock in the afternoon in Provo City, U. Co., U Terr.
(xlii) [This page is written in English, in a
different hand, evidently that of one of J.G.Jones's
children. I will transcribe it for the sake of convenience.] Lewis Jones was
born August 29th 1892 at 10:40 a.m. in Salt Lake City at the residence of Mr. Walter
J. & Emily Lewis. He is the son of Lizzie Jones. Lewis Jones was blessed Oct. 26th 1892 by Brother Andrew Watson, first counselor of
Bishop John E. Booth. His name was given to him by my father John G. Jones,
where he was blessed at home at 8:30 p.m.
in Prove City 4th Ward.
(xliii) 1853 July [Evidently, the pages have been shuffled.]
29 Thursday
evening in the Saints' meeting in the house.
30 Friday
evening in the preaching meeting in the house of Singcin[Siencyn]
Edwrdes [Edwards].
31 Saturday
night fetching books. During this month I changed my work from the Tredegar
Works to the Sirhowy Works [the pit is the same?].
Beginning of August 1853
1 Sunday
in the book class [or it could be
'distributing books']. At two we went to
the Saints' meeting in the Tredegar branch, at six in the preaching meeting in B[P]en Mark [March?].
2 Monday [crossed out and 'Tuesday' and .'mistake' written
above] evening in the prayer meeting and then in Pen Mark.
3 Tuesday [crossed out and 'Monday' and ,'mistake' written above] evening in the
council in Tredegar.
4 Wednesday
in the house diligently reading and writing.
5 Thursday
evening in the Saints' meeting where we had a change of president, John James [possibly Jones] instead of Thomas Williams gilies. There was also a service by our ---- [above the line --illegible].
6 Friday
night in the preaching meeting in Pen Marck.
(xliv) August 1853
Saturday night I went to Tredegar to
fetch books for the Sirhowy branch.
7 Sunday
collecting for the presidency and the secretary at the same time [or, 'and for the fast'] and receiving book
money and in the meetings all day.
8 Monday
in the prayer meeting in the house of Thanas Davis. I
sent a letter out to America
to our father Henry Jones.
9 Tuesday
evening in the council in Tredegar.
10 Wednesday
evening in the house reading and writing.
11 Thursday
in the Saints' meeting in the house.
12 Friday
evening in the preaching meeting in Ben [probably
Pen March, or whatever that name is].
13 Saturday
fetching books for the Sirhowy branch.
14 Sunday
in School in the morning. And in the circle at two----ing [could it be racing??].
15 Monday
evening in the prayer meeting in the house.
16 Tuesday
evening in the council in Tredegar.
17 Wednesday
evening Jenkin [cf.
earlier Siencyn] Edw[a]rds and I went to Viktoria [Victoria]
to ask a drunkard [this is a guess, the
word is very unclear and could equally well be 'forgiveness'
] to come back to the church. He was baptized by me that night in the Sirhowy branch.
18 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house. Friday night in
the house reading. [Date unclear: it looks like 12, but could be 19, neither
of which follows] Saturday night fetched books for the Sirhowy
branch.
(xlv) September 1853
19 Monday
night in the prayer meeting in the house.
20 Tuesday
night reading and writing.
21 Wednesday
night reading the Udgorn [Udgorn Seion,
the Mormon publication].
22 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house.
23 Friday
I went to the funeral[?] of [If this is a name I cannot make it out: it looks like,' Gasg gwdle' followed by 'one of
the [or from] Panter/Ranter.]
24 Saturday
night fetching the books from Tredegar for the Si rh owy branch.
25 Sunday
in the meetings all day, preaching in the morning in the petair
Bester. [This has cane up before. I have two, widely differing,
interpretations: (i) the Peter Bester, the name of a
tavern, or, (ii) the Welsh words.'pedair Rhest(e)r',
meaning four lists. Could this refer to wards perhaps?]
26 Monday
night in the prayer meeting in the house of Thomas Williams.
27 Tuesday
night in the council in Tredegar.
28 Wednesday
night reading the Udgorn.
29 Thursday
night we went to Tredegar. A call came to go there to the Saints' meeting to
hear our president Daniel Spenser and Captain Dan Jones and Th. Gillis [Giles].
30 Friday
night reading the Udgorn.
(xlvi) October 1853
1 Saturday
night I went to Tredegar.
2 Sunday
in the meetings all day. And collecting
for the presidency and the secretary and receiving money for books. In the
evening John Lewis Tredegar [above line]
brought a letter to our house which was from our father Henry Jones in America.
3 Monday
night in the prayer meeting in Pen -- [abbreviated
with an ‘h’ or an ‘M’ after the 'Ben'. this could be Pen March again] in the
house of Edward Roberts.
4 Tuesday
in the council in Tredegar.
5 Wednesday
evening in the house reading.
6 Thursday
even. in the Saints' meeting in the house.
7 Friday
evening [crossed out: in the prayer
meeting] writing a letter of reply.
8 Fetching
books.
9 Sunday
I went to the conference -------[ I can't make this
out: it looks like Brirelil] where I paid G.W.Davis for books the sun of 7/1 halfpenny.
10 Monday
evening in the concert and the tea party.
11 Tuesday
evening deciding[? --the
word means 'depending'] on a letter to send in reply to that of our father.
12 I
went to Tredegar to post the letter.
13 Thursday
evening in the Saints' meeting in the house.
14 Friday
in the house reading.
(xlvii) 1853 [this
shows through from another page]
October 1853
15 Saturday
night fetching books.
16 Sunday
preaching by the Petar Bestar,
in the meetings all day and visiting Saints.
17 Monday
night in the prayer meeting [above the
line: in Ben--possibly Penmarch. ]
18 Tuesday
night at home reading.
19 Wednesday
night same thing.
20 Thursday
night in the Saints' meeting in the house.
21 Friday
night in the house.
22 Saturday night
fetching books.
23 Sunday
visiting the Saints and in the services all day.
24 Monday
evening in the prayer meeting in Penmarch[?] in the house of Th. Davis.
25 Tuesday
night I went to Tredegar to ask the president about Wednesday night's preaching
meeting. It was allowed to take place.
26 -- 31 I went
to all the services. Sunday night 30 I
went to Penmarch to preach.
(xlviii) November 1853 the
first.
I spent this month in serving God, I
visited all the Saints who were under my care, all
were well apart from two brethren.
(xlix) 1853
December. So too this month. So I am able to praise God for his
goodness toward me and my family who [this could refer to God or to his family]
was with me when I was in trouble, and walking in the midst of the arrows of
Hell which thirsted to overcame me on my journey, but through the strength of
my Father who is in Heaven, I overcame. When
standing in need of wisdom I turned to my Father and asked him for it, he gave
it to me. When I was in darkness he gave me light. And when I was troubled, he
comforted me. When I sought health, I received it. I grew courageous for the faith and I kept it. Thus have I spent this year in the kingdom of God.
When I asked, I received. To God be the glory and the power. Amen.
(1) [This last page is written across rather than
down and seems to have been used as a sort of autograph book, with various people
writing verses or comments. The first few lines are a mixture of Welsh and
English and do not make much sense, but I'll do my best.]
Be steadfast in your mind hold fast wat[sic]
is good. A cat and a cockerel/rooster and a pig in a house of
straw and leek soup. Dog cheese in a pig's leg for an enemy than catch
the cat and a Rart [sic ] on a market if they get a
chance they soon make a man Naket [sic].
Thy [Timothy?] Jones John Richard Pen y bardd [literally Head
of the bard] from the garden he came to chase away darkness through the true
light of grace.
Cabbage and potatoes and red carrots
Pig's ------s [or this could be a mistake for 'horse radish']
and a red[?]
burning coal [or butterfly].
John Richards, Pen y Bardd from the garden he came out with his bright, cheerful
appearance and his heart full of grace.
Henry G. Jones with a ready muse
He sings at food [?] if you wish
He raises your praise [?] he gives them
praise
There never was more fairness
[All the translator’s doubts,
questions, and comments are in brackets.]
