A Mission to Wales
In the spring of 1875 I was called on a mission to Wales,
my native land. I was
set apart and left Salt Lake
City, May 12, 1875.
17th-I landed in New York City
29th-I landed in Liverpool.
30th-I preached in Liverpool on Kings
Street, under the monument
of Richard the Third.
June 1st-I went to Troedyrhiw, Wales,
to visit my brothers and sisters. I stayed there one night, then
went to Pembrokeshire on business.
10th-I returned to Mother's and preached in my Brother
Daniel's club room to a fine audience of relatives and many old friends. After
visiting my relatives a few day [sic], I bade them
goodbye.
17 & 18th-We held meetings in Swansea.
I visited my cousin, the Rev. A. Jones, a Baptist Minister. We conversed two
days and half the nights on the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
19th-We went to Llanelly and preached there.
21st-Went to Pengad and held a meeting. We stayed with
Brother Fisher, who gave
each of us a shilling and sixpence.
22nd-We went to Carmarthin and stayed at the Temperance Hotel
that night.
23rd-We visited the Mayor of the city and tried to get the
market house to preach in as it was raining. He was sorry, but could not let us
have it without the consent of his lawyer. 24th & 25th-Sent out word by the
bell man to inform the people that Evans and Martell of Salt Lake City would
preach to them in the Town Hall at 7:30 P.M.
We had a full house, an attentive audience.
28th-It rained all day, so we could not preach out-of-doors.
We went that night on the 10 o'clock
train and arrived at 11:30 at the
home of William White at Neyland. They had retired to bed, but when they found
out who we were, they got up and gave us supper and a good bed.
29th-We stayed with Brother White and had the pleasure of
seeing the Regatta, a boat race.
30th-We we went to Milford where we sent the Crier out to
announce that Evans and Martell of Salt Lake City would hold a meeting in the
Market House at 7:30. The weather being fine and the audience too large for the
house, we held our meeting on the street. While I was speaking, a man accused president Brigham Young of being a murderer. I defied him,
or any other man, to bring the decision of any man or any court to prove that
he had broken any law of the land.
July 2nd-We preached on the green to a large audience at 7:30 p.m. We went back to Milford
that night in the rain and were disappointed in not getting a bed at Johnson's
and could not get a place to stay, so we walked the streets all night in the
rain and were very tired in the morning.
3rd- We stayed at Milford,
at the home of my father-in-law, Joseph Merriman. It rained all day, but Mr.
Merriman was very kind to us and invited us to come again as he had plenty to
eat and drink.
6th-We went to Pembrokeshire, but were disappointed in not
finding any Saints there, so we visited an old castle and went in the room in
which Henry the Seventh was born.
7th-We went to Tenby, the home of my wife, where we sent a
crier out to announce our meeting to be held on the Sands that evening. The
devil, or some of his imps, sent a sleight-of hand man there, and we could not
preach.
9th- We went to Nevlith. It rained all day, but we held a
meeting in an old independent chapel. The people would not listen, but asked
questions regarding the plurality of wives. I told them I would answer any
questions they desired to ask, one at a time, as we could not understand each
other in such confusion. I told them we were here to preach the gospel for
their own good and not to quarrel with them, but they whooped and yelled like
hell had broken loose and dragged us out by our coats. We got away and left
them fighting amongst themselves.
14th- I stayed at Salva, and it rained all day and night. I
could not get a place to preach in, so was obliged to spend that night in a
ship.
20th- Brother White gave me a shilling in silver, for which
I was very thankful as I was out of money. I stayed with him that night, as I
had traveled on foot through the mud the week before and was very tired.
22nd- I preached at Marloes in the open air to about three
hundred people. The Baptist choir came out and sang for me, the leader played
his clarinet and the people listened with the greatest of pleasure, although it
rained during the meeting. After the meeting,
the people came forward to shake
hands with me and gave me money, some two pence, some three pence, and one
person gave me a shilling. It seemed to me like the widow's mite. I thanked and
asked God to bless them. They invited me to come again. They were God's poor,
and my heart was so filled with love for them that I could not keep from
shedding tears. I felt as if the disciples of Jesus were there.
24th- I went five miles on foot to Neyland and stayed with
Brother White.
25th- We went to Stock Rock and St. Gaineswells. There were
thousands of birds on the stock--they were just as thick as they could stand.
It was a great sight.
29th- I walked twelve miles to Haverfordwest, but was too
tired to preach.
August 2nd- I went to Neyland and stayed with Brother White.
Sister White gave me one pound in silver. We went to Marloss in Brother White's
trap and preached to about three hundred people. The Baptist choir again sang
for us, and the people gave us pennies.
5th- I stayed in Marloss and held cottage meetings with the
people. I preached there to about three hundred people and spent the night with
Joshua Mathias, who gave me three and six pence all in copper. The people felt
good toward me.
9th- I started for Tenby on the last rain.
10Th- Went to Haverfordwest and from there to Tenby. Stayed
there until the 13th, holding cottage meetings.
18th- Went to dinner with John Jenkins, who belonged to the
church, but was cool in the faith. He said he would do better.
19Th- I went out tracting. I applied for the town hall and
got it for two shillings and six
pence. The crier charged one
shilling.
23rd- Went to Little Haven. Most of the people were very
attentive at the meeting held at 2:30 p.m.
About a half dozen young people kept disturbing the meeting, saying "See
old Brigham, well done."
29th- I went to Mother's and held a cottage meeting and
conversed with the
Saints upon the principles of the Gospel.
30th- I went to Troedyrhiw and stayed with my brother, Dan,
and my brother, Abram. Found them all well and held a meeting at Abbergarkey.
We had a full house and an excellent meeting.
Sept. 1st, 2nd, 3rd--I stayed with my brother, Abram.
4th- I went to Troedyrhiw and visited my sister, Amelia, and
some of the Saints in Merthyr.
6th- I left on the one
o'clock train for Pembrokeshire.
October 1st- I walked to Neyland, a distance of twelve
miles, and stayed with Brother White.
2nd- I stayed in the house, as I was very tired after
walking in the rain.
Dec. 4th- I went back to Wales
and held a meeting at the house of Brother Jones. The Baptist choir sang again
for me and we had a fine meeting.
11th & 12th- Visited and held cottage meetings. Called on Sister Richards and family who were very poor. I
gave her one shilling and two pence to buy bread for the children.
23rd- I went to Pembroke and visited Mrs. Jones, who had
been a member of the church for 25 years. She treated me very kind. I tried to
get a house to hold a meeting, but could not. I met a sister-in-law of Mrs.
Sennet and conversed with her for some time.
29th- We rode with Brother White to Newport
and applied for the town hall, but was
unable to get it, so went on foot
ten miles to Cardigan and put up at the Fat
Ox. The police told us if we
preached on the street that night, he would lock us
up. We went to the Mayor to try and
secure the town hall, but the price was two
pounds. We had no money so told him
we would take it some other time.
30th- We went to Litterton, six miles, and from there to
Little New Castle. We could get
no house, so stayed there December
1st and 2nd and held cottage meetings.
December 3rd- Went to Wales,
held a cottage meeting at the home of Thomas James
and had a good time.
4th- Went to Haverfordwest, applied for the town hall, but
didn't get it. We stayed at the Black Horse.
29th- We visited the Saints on the green all day and went to
the grave of Abel Evans, who died while on a mission to Wales.
30th- I held a cottage meeting at the home of my sister,
Charlotte, in Abercanaid, and had a full house.
January 1st, 1876--I
stayed at [A]Berdare and attended the funeral of the
child of Brother Smith, and dedicated the child's grave.
3rd- I went to see the tin works, examined the process of
making tin and from there I went to Treharb Art and stayed with my brother,
Abram. February 1st- I went to Little Heaven and held meetings at the home of
Thomas Jones.
2nd- I went to Aberstam and baptized Mary James and
confirmed her a member of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
March 16th- I had two hundred handbills printed as follows,
"Mr. Thomas D. Evans of Great Salt Lake
City, will deliver a lecture on the falling away and the
restoration of the Gospel, to be given at Haverfordwest on the 20th."
April 2- I went to Nevlith and visited Mr. Scory and my
wife's uncle, James Merriman.
Note: The last of the Journal giving his missionary labors
is missing. It seems to be different places of meeting and dates. Most of his
missionary labors were done on foot. After returning from this mission he
worked at farming and also kept a grocery store. He was well versed in the
scriptures and doctrines of the Church, and many young men came to him for an
explanation of the principles. Before starting on his mission to Europe
in 1875, he had been Superintendent of Sunday School. When he got to the depot
some of the boys took him on their shoulders and put him on the car. They all
sang, "Stay at home, Tommy, don't go." He was of a fun loving and
jovial disposition and had many friends among the young and old. He always
attended his meetings and church duties.
He regretted all his life the loss of many valuable books,
also the genealogy he had gathered during his first six years of missionary
work. He could not bring them with him on the handcart, so the books, bedding
and clothing were left to be sent later, but he never received them.
He died August 2,
1906, and was buried in the Spanish
Fork Cemetery.
Following is
Priscilla's story as she told it to her daughter, Emma.
I, Priscilla Merriman Evans, born May 4, 1835, at Mounton, New Marberth,
Pembrokeshire, Wales,
am the daughter of Joseph and Ann James Merriman. About 1839, father moved his
family from Mounton up to Tenby, about 10 miles distant. Our family consisted
of father, mother, Sarah, aged six, and myself, aged
four. Tenby was a beautiful place, as are all those Celtic
Islands, with remains of old
castles, vine and moss covered walls, gone to ruin since the time of the
conqueror. Nearby was Castle Hill, with its old castle, most beautiful in its
decay. It was moss and vine covered, and most beautiful in its architecture.
Near it, and in fair condition, was a building belonging to the Castle, which
was fitted up for a school. It was called the National School of Tenby. When we
were settled in our new home, we girls were sent to school, as children were
put in school very young. There was a path leading up Castle Hill to the
school, and another leading around the beautiful old moss covered Castle down
to the seashore, where the children played in the sand and gathered shells at
intermission. The children also loved to wander around in many rooms of the
Castle, but shunned the lower regions, or basement rooms, for they had heard
weird stories of dungeons and dark places, where in early times, people were
shut up and kept until they died.
Besides reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic, we were
taught sewing and sampler work was done in cross stitch, worked in bright
colors, on canvas made for that purpose. The designs were churches, houses,
trees, lawns, animals, flowers, etc. We were also taught the Bible. I was
greatly interested in school, but was taken out at 11 years of age, or in my
twelfth year, owing to the illness in our family. I was a natural student, and
greatly desired to continue my
studies, but mother's health was very poor, so I was taken out to help with the
work. My sister, Sarah, continued school, as she did not like housework and
wished to learn a trade. She went to a Mrs. Hentin and learned the millinery
trade. Mother's health continued poor, and she died at the birth of her eighth
child, Emma. I had many duties for a girl so young, caring for my sisters and
brothers. While Sarah was learning millinery, she would sometimes wake me in
the night to try on a hat, one she was practicing on. She learned the millinery
business then went up to London,
opened a shop of her own and was very successful. She married a gentleman by
the name of James Harris, who was devoted to her, and followed her to London.
She died at the birth of her fourth child.
Mother died on the
eighth of November 1851, when I was 16 years old. The responsibility
of the family rested on my young shoulders. I remember an incident which
happened when my sister and I were quite young. A Russian Gypsy came and wanted
to tell our fortunes. Among other things, the gypsy told my sister that she
would learn a profession, and that she would grow up to be a great lady,
dressed in her silks and satins, and live in a beautiful home in la large city.
She told me that, owing to my good heart, I would not have the opportunity to
become like my sister, and I would have to work and help others, and eventually
I would cross the Great Waters. I had forgotten all about the gypsy's fortune
telling until I had been in Utah
some years, when my sister sent me, among other things, a beautiful black silk
dress pattern and many beautiful things to wear, which were too nice for my
circumstances. She sent presents to me by missionaries who visited London,
and to whom she was very kind. I remembered then, the gypsy. My sister was a
grand lady in London, and I had
crossed the Great Waters, to America,
"The Land of the free, and the home of the brave," and was happy in
my growing family and rejoiced with my husband and family in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After the death of my mother we were very
lonely, and one evening I accompanied my father to the house of a friend. When
we reached there, we learned that they were holding a cottage meeting. Two
Mormon Elders were the speakers, and I was very much interested in the
principles they advocated. I could see that my father was very worried, and
would have taken me away, had he known how. When he became aware that I
believed in the gospel as taught by the Elders, I asked him if he had ever
heard of the
restored Gospel. He replied,
"Oh, yes, I have heard of Old Joe Smith, and his Golden Bible." When
my father argued against the principles taught by the Elders, I said, "If
the Bible is true, then Mormonism is true." My father was very much
opposed to my joining the Church, but I had found the truth and was baptized
into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tenby, February 26, 1852, by John Thorn
[Thain], President of the Tenby Branch. My sister, Sarah, took turns with me
going out every Sunday. She would go where she pleased on Sunday, while I would
walk seven miles to Stepaside and attend the Mormon meeting. My father was very
much displeased with me going out every Sunday. He forbade me to read the
Church literature, and threatened to burn all I brought home. At the time I had
a Book of Mormon borrowed form a friend, and when Father found out I had it, he
began looking for it. It was in plain sight, among other books, in
the book case. I saw him handling
it with other books, and I sent up a silent prayer that he might not notice it,
which he did not, although it was before him in plain sight. I do not think my
father was as bitter against the principles of the gospel as he seemed to be,
for many times when the Elders were persecuted, he defended them, and gave them
food and shelter. But he could not bear the idea of my joining them and leaving
home.
