Biography of John Q. Davies
Compiled by F. Michael Moore, 1 Aug 2007
My research
found John Q. Davies has a middle name "Quincey.”
However, most resources labeled him as John "Q." He is related to
this writer through my grandfather Frederick John Moore's mother Anna Maria
Davies who was the second child and daughter of John Q. Davies and Ellen Rees
(a.k.a. Mary Ellen Rees) born in Dale, Pembroke, South Wales.
John Quincey
Davies was born 10 Oct 1833 at Haverford, West Pembroke, South Wales. He was the son of Richard Davies
(1807) and Hannah Charles (1809 who were also born at Haverford. His father was
a millwright. John was a carpenter on the English ships where he sailed around
the provinces of the English Crown. At the time of his marriage he was 21 years
old and lived on Quay Street,
Haverford West.
The Apostle
Heber C. Kimall and others arrived in England
in 1837 and missionaries were called to open a mission in Wales in 1840
which converted 56 people to organize a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. One of the missionaries, Dan Jones, captain of a Mississippi
River steamboat, joined the church in America
in 1843 when Joseph Smith prophesied that Jones would serve a mission in Wales. He
served his first mission in 1845 and rebutted the reverend W. R. Davies who
published several diatribes against the Mormons. This helped bring 4000
converts to the church by 1849. During that period of time many saints began
migrating to Utah from different parts of Europe.
John Q.
Davies married Ellen Rees 10 Mar 1855 just before he turned 21 and joined the
Mormon church in Wales, baptism date unknown. He and Mary Ellen Rees had ten
children, all born in Wales.
More specific information about their births, marriages, death and temple
ordinance work is detailed in a family group record in my possession. This
family migrated to Provo, Utah 28 Aug 1880 when John was age
forty-seven. He worked as a cabinet maker in Provo. He had blue eyes and brown hair. He
enjoyed travel and died of old age in Provo
22 Dec 1913. He and his wife Ellen are buried side-by-side in block 1, lot 29
of the Provo, Utah Cemetery.
