THOMAS
EVANS JEREMY
Jeremy, Thomas Evans, a
patriarch in the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, was born in the parish
of Llanegwad, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, July 11, 1815.
He
was raised on a farm and received a very fine education, and was educated for a
minister. From the first time he heard Mormonism he believed in the principles
of the Gospel. He was baptized by Elder Dan Jones, he being one of the first
who embraced the fullness of the Gospel in Wales. On the evening of the
day he was baptized he was ordained to the office of Priest and soon afterwards
when the Llanybyther Branch was organized he was
appointed to preside over the same.
By
his continued efforts, being assisted by other Elders four new branches were
raised up in the immediate neighborhood of where he lived. At that time Elder
Jeremy lived on a large farm he had rented from a large landowner, the same as
others in the neighborhood.
This
landowner, who was an enemy to the Mormons became very
angry when he knew Thomas E. Jeremy had united himself with them, and
furthermore was the doctrines of his creed among his other renters.
On
one occasion when Elder Jeremy brought him the half yearly rent, this man commenced
to abuse him and finally broke out in a passion, saying "These damned
night-dippers (meaning the Mormons) will lead you down to hell." Brother
Jeremy, in his usual calm and conservative manner told him in reply that
although he knew his duty to serve God according to his own conscience, and he
felt it was his duty to obey God more than man. This exasperated the landlord who
commenced to curse and swear, but was immediately seized by a strange and
mighty power, which hurled him back in his chair and made him speechless, while
he foamed profusely from the mouth, and his limbs were twisted nearly out of
shape. He finally lost his reason and never recovered from the attack.
On
one occasion Elder Jeremy, on his way to attend a conference meeting at Myrther, Tydfil, South Wales was
crossing a high mountain on a cold stormy day, together with a companion who in
consequence of the ground being slippery, stumbled and dislocated his ankle. The young man whose name was John Rice and had only been a member
of the church a short time, sat down by the roadside and wept. Elder
Jeremy explained the ordinance of the laying on of hands to Brother Rice and
promised him if he had the faith he could be healed. He then placed his hands
on the young mans head and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ that
everything in his body which had been dislocated should be restored. He was
immediately obeyed and the young man was instantly healed, leaped to his feet,
shouting for joy, after which the two continued on their journey praising the
Lord for the miraculous manifestations of His power. The young mans ankle was
as strong and well as before the accident, and Elder Jeremy testifies that when
he was administering to the young man he plainly heard the bones
in the dislocated ankle click together as if being set by some unseen power.
On another occasion when Elder Jeremy was
shooting at a flock of crows the barrel of his gun burst and one piece of it
struck him with such force in the forehead that he lost consciousness and it
thought by those who saw him that he could not possibly live. Among the
visitors on the occasion was a Baptist minister, who on seeing him declared
that if he could become well, he would be willing to acknowledge that here must be some extraordinary
power connected with him and his people. Through the faith and prayer of the
Elders, Brother Jeremy recovered so quickly that he was out preaching to the
people that following Sunday, three days after the accident had taken place,
one week later he baptized three persons. The Baptist preacher, however,
refused to believe, and when Elder Jeremy exhibited several pieces of bone
which had been extracted from the ghastly wound, this disbeliever of miracles
wickedly insinuated that Elder Jeremy bore the scar of this accident in his
forehead until his death, but experienced no inconvenience therefrom
after the time he was first healed.
These instances are, but a few of the many
related by Elder Jeremy, who on account of his unswerving faith and implicit
confidence in the promises of God was the instrument in His hands in healing
the sick, casting out devils, and speaking in tongues, etc. The latter gift of
the interpretation of tongues he enjoyed to a great extent on several
occasions.
In 1849 Elder Jeremy emigrated to Utah,
with his wife, and seven children and three other persons (one girl and two
young men) that he paid for crossing the Atlantic
in the ship Buena Vista, which sailed
from Liverpool,
England
February 25, 1849.
In crossing the plains, the company, in which
he traveled, was snowed in, on the Sweetwater, and before relief could be sent
out from the valley, the emigrants suffered much cold and hunger. In one night
70 of their cattle died from cold and hunger. He buried three children along
the banks of the Missouri River.
Elder Jeremy located with the Welch Saints West of the River Jordan, near Salt
Lake City, where he resided the
remainder of his days, In 1849-52 he presided over the
Welsh meetings which were held weekly in the city during that time.
These meetings were often visited by some of
the Apostles and were generally very spirited and interesting.
In 1852 Elder Jeremy was called on a mission
to his native country. He left home September 16, of that year and after a
severe journey across the plains and a stormy passage over the ocean he arrived
in Liverpool,
England
December 24, 1852.
He was appointed to preside over three conferences (Swansea,
Llanelly, and Cam-erathern)
and subsequently acted as counselor to Dan Jones in the presidency of the Welsh
mission.
After a successful mission he returned home
with a company of saints, which sailed from Liverpool,
in the ship Chimborazo,
April 17, 1855.
On the voyage he acted as counselor to Edward Stevenson, the president of the
company.
During the following years Elder Jeremy and
his family suffered considerably from scarcity of food, the grasshoppers destroyed
the crops in the valleys of Utah.
As long as he had breadstuff he divided
liberally with his neighbors, and when all was gone he stood his chance with
the rest of the people in subsisting on roots and other things
which could sustain life for a time. At the time of the general reformation in
1856 he took a very active part in preaching to the Welsh Saints, and exhorting
them to renewed diligence. Later in 1857-58 he participated in the expedition
to Echo
Canyon
making two trips out in the mountains.
One of these he served as captain of ten and
on the other as captain of the company; he suffered considerably from cold and
over-exertion and frequently had to make his bed on three feet of snow.
In 1861, he was called on a mission to Europe.
He arrived in Liverpool
December 12, of that year and was appointed to preside over the Welsh mission.
While acting in that position for about three years and a half, several thousand
people joined the Church in Wales.
George G. Bywater
was his first counselor and David M. Davis his second.
He finally returned home in charge of a large
company of Saints, which sailed from Liverpool
on the ship, General
McClellan, May 21, 1864. In October following
he was in the Salt Lake Stake of Zion,
a position which he occupied until May 1877, when he was released with honor
because of his advanced years. Soon afterwards he filled another mission to England,
arriving in Liverpool,
December 1, 1875.
He traveled among the branches of Wales,
and also attended to some private business, then returned home in March, 1876.
Elder Jeremy was one of the faithful and true Elders who showed the same noble
characteristics in times of prosperity as well as in times of adversity. He has
been ever true to his God, his brethren and friends, his virtues and noble
example will be held in honorable remembrance by future generations.
He died April 17, 1891 in Salt
Lake City, Utah.
-----L.D.S. Biographical Encyclopedia, by
Jenson Vol. 2.
Thomas E.
Jeremy, son of Thomas Jeremy and Sarah Evans of Carmarthenshire, South
Wales. Born July 11, 1815, in South
Wales.
Came to Utah,
October 28, 1849,
George A Smith Co.
Married Sarah Evans, March
16, 1838 in South Wales.
She was born April
17, 1815. There children are:
John
married Sarah Riley
Thomas
E. Jr. married Elizabeth W. Pettit
Hannah
and Ester married D. L. Davis
Margaret,
Sarah, and Mary died crossing the plains
Ann
married Serge Stenhouse
Eliza
married Harvey Hardy
Martha
married Samuel Davis Wallace
Francis
died at family home in Salt Lake City
High Priest, missionary to Wales, Farmer, Gardener. Died
April 17, 1891 at Salt Lake City.
-----Pioneers
and Prominent Men of Utah, by Frank Esshom.
[Furnished for the website by Stephan Rich McDonald,
Genealogist, Logan UT.]
