JONAH EVANS
Biography and family record of Jonah Evans, written by
himself at Samaria, Idaho
on the third day of October 1885.
Some taken from records and some from memory, with the
hope that some of my children, who are now having some education in the common
branches of education, which I never had, not the privilege of even a day of
school of any kind, will take the trouble to take the most important items and
write in a well bound book.
I was born 26
February 1838, in a small farm house close by a small village
called Thanwell
near Carmarthen Town,
Carmarthenshire, Wales.
My father's name was John Evans and mother's maiden name, Esther Williams. Her
father's name was Isaac Williams and her mother's name was Margaret Williams.
Father and mother had twelve children, eight of whom married and raised
children, all but one whose name was Isaac.
My father, John Evans was born 1 November 1793, in Carmarthen,
Wales. Died 11 July 1871. My
mother, Esther Williams Evans was born 15
April 1797 in New Church Parish, Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Died 24 July 1867.
Children of my father and mother were: David, Margaret,
Isaac, Sarah, Mary, Anna, Rachel, John, Samuel, Jonah and Elizabeth. There is
one of the children's names I cannot find on record.
My father was a laboring man and earned his living mostly
by working on a farm and that at a very small wage. I remember hearing mother
say that at any one time they had six children at home at once and father
earning six pence a day, which is twelve and one-half cents. Mother and the
children had to live on this, father getting his board where he worked. Hence the case of our not having any school. So you of my
children who have better privileges can or ought to overlook my poor writing
and spelling.
When I was about five years old my father met with an
accident by falling off a hay stack and putting his right shoulder out of
place, which notwithstanding the efforts of himself and no doctor was never
replaced and he lived about twenty-eight years with his arm out of joint. After
this father moved his family to Carmarthen
Town for the purpose of picking up
some little jobs that he might be able to do for a living, not able now to do
any hard work.
When I was eight years old I was engaged to work at soap
making for two shillings a week (48 cents) and continued at this work for two
years for the same wages, and that was without board. After that I had a better
offer and that was to work on a farm for my board and one suit of clothes for
one year. The next year on the same farm I received my board and one pound
($5.00). At this place I was very poorly treated. I had to run errands, rain or
shine, and having very few clothes to change, had to take off my shirt at night
and put it under my pillow to dry a little, then put
it on in the morning almost as wet. By such treatment I contracted rheumatism,
which at times gave me very severe pain for many years. The last attack I had
was in the year 1874 at Brigham City, Utah.
With that exception my health has been very good.
During my two years service at the farm I was sometimes
beaten severely. On one occasion I was looking after the sheep at lambing time
and was given a sound beating because I could not tell at once how many lambs
there were. I knew how many lambs and how many each sheep had, but could not
count them up at once when I was so scared of the master who looked like a big
monster.
At another time, I well remember, although it happened
thirty six years ago. I was then eleven years old. I was working in the stackyard and saw a hare running, followed closely by some
dogs. The temptation was too great for me. I had to run to see the fun, and
when I returned the boy-beater was there armed with a big stick and I was given
a sound thrashing, and for a few days was unable to use my arm. At the end of
that year I refused to stay with him any longer, and after that had no more
beatings, but had to work very hard. Our working hours in the summer being from
four in the morning until nine o'clock
at night, with from an hour and a half to two hours rest at noon.
At one time when I was working at a farm called Forest., I had some copper money in my pocket. I put a
half-penny, which is the size of fifty cents in silver in my mouth. It accidently went down my throat, and for a while I could get
it neither up nor down so nearly strangled. After a few days I was taken very
sick and by many was pronounced a dead boy. A doctor told mother the chances
for my recovery were very slim, but after a few weeks sickness I re- covered.
About this time my brother Isaac was working in the mines
and I decided to change my work and join him. The distance to the mine was
about thirty miles. I traveled part way on foot and part by rail. At that time
I was sixteen years of age and weighed 120 pounds.
Work in the coal mines seemed very hard at first, but I
got used to it and liked it, though in the winter I worked many a week without
seeing daylight. I will state here that during my nine years of labor in the
mine underground, by the kind providence of a merciful God I was miraculously
preserved from any very serious accident, although working much of the time in
very dangerous places.
On one occasion I had a narrow escape from immediate
death. At this time I was driving a horse and coming out of the works. The
horse had, I think, seven trams or trucks loaded with about a ton and half each
of iron ore. I had to go before the horse with a candle in my hand to light his
way as well as my own. Just as we went down a little grade my light was blown
out by a current of air and the horse had to run to keep out of the way of the
trams. Not having any room to turn aside, I had to run too, but could not run
fast enough, so was knocked down by the horse and thought sure my time had come.
Here is where kind providence interfered. The horse stepped over me and
continued on his way in the dark. When the first tram struck me I was lying
across the track with my head close to the wall or tunnel and instead of
running over me the tram somehow struck my leg and pushed me to the side, but
the place was so narrow that my head and legs were badly bruised. One leg was
crushed. The heel of my shoe on that foot was pulled off. My head soon healed., but I lost four weeks work on account of my leg.
I lived in Bryn Cwmavon and
worked in coal and iron ore for six years, from 1854 to 1860, when with my
family I moved to Aberdare, Glamorganshire. I was
married to Frances Bowen on December
3, 1859, when living in the Bryn, in the Morgam Parish
Church. Our first child, Thomas
Bowen Evans, was born at Peniddwailad near Cwmavon, Glamorganshire February 15, 1860. Our second child was a daughter, still
born in Aberdare in August 1862. I stayed with my
family in Aberdare three years and worked most of the
time in Powell's Coal Pit, Cwmdare.
On the first day of June 1863 which was on Monday, my
wife, myself, and son Thomas left Aberdare in the
Carry Jenny for Salt Lake Valley, Utah.
We traveled with a company of Saints by railroad to the city of London.
From there we set sail for New York on board the ship Amazon on June 4,
1863.
There were over eight hundred Saints on board. We arrived
in Salt Lake City, October 3, 1863.
The family moved to Brigham City
and from there to North Farm which was
about two and one-half miles
north of Brigham City. Father
worked there for about sixteen years.
This project consisted of a large farm and many
factories, founded on a cooperative basis. It was named "Brigham City
Mercantile and Manufacturing Association."
Frances Bowen Evans, wife of Jonah Evans, died 27 December 1876 when the baby
Francis was one day old. Jonah Bowen Evans was killed while working on the C.
P. Railway about nine miles west of Tarice,
Utah. He was twenty-three years old. Jonah
Evans married Catherine Deer Clarkson 9 June 1877 in Brigham
City. They were married by Lorenzo Snow. She was his
second wife. Their first child Frances Evans was born 16 March 1878 on North Farm near Brigham
City and died 20
August 1880 in Samaria,
Oneida County, Idaho.
Esther Evans, born 25 March 1880
on North Farm near Brigham City,
died 5 August 1880 in Samaria,
Idaho. Milton Deer Evans, born 31 December 1885, died 26 April 1888. Fannie, Irene and
Ethel reached maturity.
Father was set apart as bishop of the Samaria Ward, 31 October 1880, and served for
seventeen years until he passed away 22
January 1897.
Only a few years after the family moved to Samaria,
Idaho their home, a two-story frame house
burned down.
Jonah Evans was married to Jane Morse 7 December 1882 in the Endowment
House in Salt Lake City. She was
his third wife. Children of Jonah Evans and his wife Jane Morse Evans were:
Rose, Edna, Effie, Victor M., Melvin M., Hazel and Jonah M.
Father and Mother moved to Pleasantview
in the year 1891. We lived in one large log room with a dirt roof. There were
four children then. This room was crowded, but was always neat and clean. Later
two more rooms were added.
In the year 1895 Father met with an accident in trying to
get a horse in the barn. Overexertion caused a heart condition which impaired
his health and after that he was unable to do any hard work. He died 22 January 1897 as the result of the
accident.
