Mary Rowland James Riddle Biography
Mary Rowland James Riddle
Mary was born the 14th July 1838 at Aberdare, Glamorganshire, South Wales. The 4th child of William Rowland and Mary Evans. Two brothers and a sister also named Mary had not lived over the age of two. A cousin Rachael Evans the daughter of her mother's brother David Evans and his wife Janet Jones had come to live with William and Mary two years before our Mary's birth because Rachael's mother had died. After Mary's birth five more children were born to this family. Three girls and two boys.
William Rowland was a Puddler by trade. Wales is known for its iron mining and a puddler was someone, who prepared wrought iron by heating it and constantly stirring it.
About this time a new religion was heard of in this land. It was Mormonism. This church already had a stronghold in England with Wilford Woodruff's first baptism in 1837, and now was beginning to stretch its branches into the small country of Wales. It was while Dan Jones was teaching the Welsh people the gospel in their own language, as he was a native Welshman who had come from America. William and Mary and Rachael were all baptized in 1848 by William Vaughan. During the eighteen month period from July 1847 to December 1848, President Jones and his growing missionary force were averaging 135 convert baptisms a month, and by the time he had finished his first mission in Jan 1849 the membership of the LDS Church in Wales was nearing the 4,000 mark.
Despite William and Mary Rowland's and Rachael Evans's conversion to Mormonism and their strong testimonies of the gospel, tragedy struck this family and Mary Evans Rowland died the 19th of Sept 1848 of consumption at the young age of 38. Their oldest girl our Mary was just ten years old and the youngest baby girl Elizabeth was just five months old. It was up to Rachael Evans at the tender age of 18 to help take over the responsibilities of raising these six young children. Their knowledge that their beloved mother was with God, and having the peace the gospel brings helped tremendously during these trying times and prepared them for what lay ahead.
Watching Rachael take care of his little family, William must have fallen in love with this dear niece, despite the difference of seventeen years in their age. After customary time of three weeks for announcing their banns (or intention to marry) they were married at the Parish Church of Merthyr Tydfil on the 18th of Dec 1848. Again tragedy struck this little family, for just 7 days after their marriage and on Christmas day the baby Elizabeth died.
William and Rachael found that staying in Wales was becoming harder and harder for them. The Mormons were being persecuted because of their beliefs. Many of the local ministers had threatened to do to them what had been done to Joseph Smith. Besides that they longed to be with the main body of the Saints in Utah. President Jones's stories of the State of Deseret continued to excite them and they prepared to leave with the Saints aboard the "Buena Vista" in February 1849. Also going with them were two of Mary Evans's brothers, Edward Evans and Evan Evans. Evan Evans was accompanies by his wife and their eight children. The "Buena Vista" set sail the 26th of February with President Jones in charge of this group of Welsh Saints. There were 249 enthusiastic, rejoicing Welshmen singing a special farewell song.
Some of the Saints were a little apprehensive of the trip. A message in a Baptist periodical had made the following prediction: "After receiving enough money to get a ship or ships to voyage to California, their Chief-President (Dan Jones) will sail to Cuba, or some place like it, and will sell them as slaves, every jack one of them. It would serve them right for having such little respect for the book of Christ and giving it up for the Book of Mormon." The Saints all had a good laugh when the ship sailed right past Cuba and landed in New Orleans on the 18th of April 1849.
The Saints then made arrangements to go to Council Bluffs to join the Saints that were on their way to Utah. Within three weeks 44 of this group of Saints fell victim to cholera and died. William's daughter Rachael, only 8 years old was one of these. After several weeks of recuperation one-third of the surviving Saints were able to continue their journey. William, Rachael and their Uncle Edward were among those who were fortunate enough to make their way on Steamboat up the Mississippi River.
Edward decided not to go with them as far as Council Bluffs and made his home near St. Joseph, Missouri in the town of Fillmore, Andrew County. On the 6th of November 1849 William Morgan performed the marriage of Edward to Alice Richards who had also traveled on the "Buena Vista". They remained in Fillmore until 1856 where they had their first three children. In 1865 this family with two more children finally reached Utah. They lived in Logan, Utah, for awhile and then moved to Malad, Idaho.
While William and Rachael and family were living in Council Bluffs they bought a home from a family member of Ezra Taft Benson. Here they are found in the 1850 census. William and Rachael's first child, a boy, was born 18 December 1849. Sometime after September of the following year William and Rachael and family made a trip to St. Louis. It is not known exactly why, but it may have been because many of the Saints were not able to find work in Council Bluffs to sustain their families and were going to look for work at St. Louis. Along the way they probably stopped at St. Joseph to visit Edward. The Rowlands continued their journey down the Missouri River to St. Louis and remained here for some time, because this is where their second child was born 15 October 1851. When Rachael and the baby were strong enough to travel on the 30th of March 1852, William, Rachael and 5 of their children (including our Mary) boarded the riverboat "Saluda" to make the trip back to Council Bluffs. In all there were about 176 people aboard, 90 of who were Saints.
The "Saluda" was a large and sturdy side-wheeler, 179 feet long with a beam of twenty-six feet, and two engines. Her owner named her for his hometown located on the Virginia's Rappahanrock River. The Missouri River is a very hard river to navigate, and during the early spring months it is shallow and very often filled with ice flows. This is the scene that met the travelers on their arrival in Lexington on 4 April 1852. Captain Frances T. Belt tried his best to guide the boat through the water, but it just wouldn't budge. Each day he would begin again and each day it was a losing battle. He was forced to tie the boat to the dock.
Captain Belt was a very stubborn and determined man, and he made a rash decision on the fateful morning of Good Friday, 9 April 1852. The passengers were tired and impatient to continue their journey; he was suffering from stress and fatigue and frustration. At about 8:00 a.m. Captain Belt went to the engine room to check the pressure gauge and asked how many more pounds of steam it could carry. He was told that the pressure was already as high as it was safe enough to go, but he ignored the remark and ordered the engineer to "Crowd on all the steam you've got, I'll take this boat around the bend or blow it to Hell!" The captain of another boat tied near the "Saluda" told them to wait until he could move out of the way. The action saved his life and the lives of all those aboard.
As the paddle wheel made its first revolution through the water a terrific rumble and explosion was heard. Stunned spectators on the banks watched in horror as they saw not only parts of the boat, but parts of bodies land in the water, and on the wharf and even on the shore. One unlucky man who was watching was hit by a flying timber and killed instantly.
The boilers had exploded just under the forward cabin, which had been filled with passengers just finishing breakfast. The ladies cabin, which was in the furthest part of the boat away from the boilers, was the only part of the ship that remained. But anguished cried came from the structure as women and children moaned for their injuries. Rescuers immediately began the task of removing the forty persons who survived. Rachael and our Mary and her sister Anne were among these.
To describe the scene of the tragedy was heartbreaking for one writer for the "Millennial Star": "We have not heart to attempt a description of the scene. Twenty-six mangled corpses collected together, and as many more with limbs broken [Rachael]), and torn off, and bodies badly scalded [Mary and her sister Anne]. Wives and mothers frantic at the loss of husbands and children, husbands and bereaved orphans engaged in searching among the dead and dying for wives and parents, are scenes which we can neither behold nor describe. "
Quite a number of Mormons were killed, including William Rowland, two of his children (Rachael and David) by his first wife and two born to him and Rachel in America (William and Sarah). The captain's body was found on shore about 100 yards from the scene of the explosion. Others who were rescued from the water soon died from inhalation of the scalding steam. Pieces of the boat itself were found strewn all over. The boat's 600-pound safe was found still intact in the middle of the road.
The entire community of Lexington rallied together to help the victims. People opened their hearts and homes to those who were injured. Business closed down, and every doctor in town was called upon to assist. Rachael and Mary were sheltered in the home of Mr. A. Huntsberry, while Anne was put in the home of Mr. John George. The "Millennial Star" erroneously reported in one place that Rachael had to have her legs amputated, but that was not so. She did break them however, and was permanently crippled. She was resigned to walk with two canes for the remainder of her life. Because of her injuries she never regained full use of her limbs.
It was some time before Rachael regained consciousness and was told of the death of her husband and the other four children (David and Thomas, twins, and her two babies William and Sarah). She asked about the other children (Mary and Anne) and was told that they had been scalded but that they would be fine. She then saw Mary in the room and was told Anne was being well taken care of and would be fine also. After recovering from their injuries, Rachel felt like the only home they had left was with the Saints in Council Bluffs.
Mary left for Utah early in 1852 with the family of Abel Evans. Rachel and Anne were in the company of Allen Weeks. (In a letter dated Pottowatamie 22 June 1852 written by William Morgan he states, "Rachael Rowlands, of Hirwaun, is improving well; she and Williams's two daughters are in the camp on their journey to the valley".
Rachael and Anne after arriving in the valley went with Silas Hillman and his group a little further south to the Spanish Fork River to the newly formed town of Palmyra. Here we do not know exactly what happened to Anne Rowland. She seems to just disappear! (It is thought that a family going to California adopted her??) Rachael married a William Robertson, a marrage that did not last. One child was born to this marriage, on 22 Jan 1854 in Cedar City, a boy called William Robertson. Rachael then married John G. Harris and had eight more children. Harris died in 1878 at Cedar City, Utah, and Rachael raised their children as a widow.Tthe youngest was eight years old. Rachael died in Cedar City on 27 July 1918.
Mary apparently remained in Salt Lake City. In 1855 she married Thomas Hugh James. He was born 17 Sept 1829 at Penlenjack, Cardigashire, South Wales to James James and Mary Jones. Thomas was converted to the LDS Church in his native Wales and baptized 6 Apr 1849. In Wales he did considerable missionary work before immigrating to Utah. He was a stone cutter by trade, and when he came to Salt Lake City he worked his trade on the Salt Lake Temple. Thomas and Mary were sealed on 28 May 1857 at the Endowment house.
Thomas and Mary were the parents of two little girls. Mary Elvira James, born 4 March 1856 in Salt Lake City, was sealed to her parents on 28 May 1857. She married William Fotheringham Jr. 16 May 1878 in the St. George Temple.
Thomas and Mary's second daughter was Elizabeth Margaret James, born 23 April 1858. She was born in the covenant and married Joseph Arthur Betenson 4 May 1875 in Beaver, Utah.
Thomas and Mary had been married about three years when Thomas died on 3 Mar 1858 in Salt Lake City. He is buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery (we have a picture of his head stone).
Four years later Mary married Isaac Riddle on 17 August 1871 in Salt Lake City. He proved to be a most affectionate father to Mary's two girls and provided them with the best education available.
Mary and Isaac Riddle were the parents of five more children, three girls and two boys. Their last child a boy died as an infant.
Isaac Riddle died in 1904, and Mary was a widow for 14 years. She died 5 August 1920 in Beaver, Utah, at the age of 82. She is buried at The Mt. View Cemetery in Beaver.
