ELIZABETH TREHARN WAS JOHN JONES’ WIFE AND MOTHER OF HIS CHILDREN

The previous post on this subject made a tentative case for this post's title's claim. I now have conclusive proof that, taken with other evidence, supports the assertion that Elizabeth Treharn, and not Elizabeth Thomas, was John Jones’ wife and the mother of his children.

I found in the LDS temple ordinance data for Elizabeth Treharn that she had temple work performed on her behalf in the Logan Utah LDS temple in 1887. Checking the microfilmed temple records, I learned that a proxy baptism was performed on her behalf by her daughter, Mary Jones Evans.

Mary Jones joined the Mormon Church in Wales and immigrated to the United States in 1850. She met onboard the ship a Mormon Elder, Abel Evans, a Welsh convert who had joined the Church in 1844. They married and traveled by river boat from the port of New Orleans to St. Louis, then on to the Mormon staging post at Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri from today’s Omaha, Nebraska, where their first child was born, died, and was buried.

After arriving in Utah in 1852, they settled in Lehi, 30 miles from Salt Lake City. Mary bore eight children, six of whom lived to adulthood. In 1866, Abel died while serving the Church as a missionary in his native land. She was left in charge of the farm with her children and with the companionship of her two sister wife’s and their children. In 1878 she married Isaac Chilton, twice a widower.

Mary’s voice is not usually found in the records of her life and family. I have not seen any written record that she may have produced with her own hand. Her native language was Welsh and she probably spent most of her life in the company of Welsh speakers. Her husbands, both Abel and Isaac, spoke Welch, as did Abel’s two other wives. She may have been illiterate, as were her father and mother.

Yet her voice is heard clearly as taken down by the temple recorder when she went to the temple to do the work for her deceased relatives and friends. On November 8, 1887, she then spoke the names of eleven deceased women, each from Carmarthenshire, Wales, as she performed the sacred act of baptism for them. They were her mother, grandmother, a sister-in-law, two sisters, two aunts, a niece, and three friends. She knew her mother’s birth year and the death date of one other women. She knew her mother’s name, Elizabeth Treharn, likely pronouncing it with a Welsh accent, dropping the “h” and so recorded as Trearn. She gave her own name as Mary Jones Evans, although by then was married to Isaac Chilton.

The first temple completed in Utah was in far away St. George, 300 miles from Lehi, virtually inaccessible to a 59-year old woman at that time. The Logan Temple was dedicated in 1884 and was by 1887 the temple nearest to Mary Evans' home in Lehi, Utah (110 miles). A rail line was completed to Logan by 1879. She travelled with her husband’s married daughter, 29-year old Martha Chilton, who also performed work for her ancestors in the Logan Temple. The two likely made the trip on the Utah Central to Ogden and from there on to Logan in one day. They may have performed temple work the day they arrived, or perhaps stayed overnight and went the temple the next day. They returned to the temple on November 9, when Mary was proxy for her mother’s temple endowment.

Based on this and other evidence, I have now removed Elizabeth Thomas as the wife of this John Jones and the parents of each of the children.

WAS ELIZABETH TREHARN JOHN JONES' WIFE?

"Elizabeth Treharn [is] a better fit for wife of John Jones than Elizabeth Thomas." This claim was made by our cousin Marilyn Evans Taylor, in a discussion on the John Jones Family Tree details page (M828-ZRC). There she gives her reasons:

The name Elizabeth "Thomas" comes from a 1815 Llangynog marriage record between John Jones and Elizabeth Thomas that now doesn't work very well. The 1815 Llangynog Elizabeth Thomas/John Jones marriage is illogical because: Our John Jones and Elizabeth are both too old to be married with "consent of parents" which is, by law, under 21 (they would have been in their 30s.); John Jones could sign his name on the marriage record, although, he is illiterate on at least four other signed records; and John and Elizabeth already had at least two children (David, b. 1811 and Margaret, b. 1813.) The 1815 marriage better fits the birth years, literacy and circumstances of the other John/Elizabeth Jones family listed on Llangynog's 1841 and 1851 censuses.

I accept Marilyn's arguments. Finding several women named "Elizabeth" married to men named John Jones in Carmarthenshire between 1808 and 1815, we are left with the task of determining who is the correct one. But while most of the marriage records include no occupation for the groom (including the record with Elizabeth Thomas). the marriage record for Elizabeth Treharn and John Jones, dated 10 November 1808, gives John's occupation as a mason. He is also listed as a mason in the christening records for most of their children.

John Jones & Elizabeth Treharn Marriage record, 1808

While this may not be conclusive, taken in conjunction with the other evidence, it seems pretty convincing. That's why I've added Elizabeth Trehern to the Family Tree as John Jones' wife, and the mother of their children. I will leave Elizabeth Thomas as an extra wife and mother for a few months. Unless I uncover evidence that Elizabeth Trehern is not the wife or that proves that Elizabeth Thomas is the wife, I intend to delete the relationship. 

My Ancestry tree (HistoryMax Family Tree) has Elizabeth Trehern as John's wife; Elizabeth Thomas is not listed as an alternative choice.

LIFE OF ANNE JONES FRANCIS WILLIAMS JAMES

Ann Jones

I told you about Anne (Ann) Jones (b. 1815), the sister of Mary Jones (b. 1827, married Abel Evans). Even though I’m not a direct descendant of Anne’s, since for a time she lived in the same place as Mary, 4,700 miles from where they started, I followed Anne’s line some, too. I researched sideways, or collaterally.

Starting with records I had (Anne’s christening record, a will left by a husband indicating that at one point she was a Francis, and an 1841 Llangynog census of Courtmalle, the leasehold named in the will), I began to piece together Anne’s life, little by little, as I analyzed records, especially their details. Patterns emerged. A few people kept reappearing. And places—farms, houses, even fields—in Wales, they had names, and when those names reappeared, I followed them as if they were special aunts. I began to recognize the family members who witnessed weddings. I saw children name babies after their fathers and brothers. I watched relatives stay close; when one moved, another appeared nearby on a census. I discovered unmarried brothers working on farms, and later caring for aged aunts. Before I knew it, I was differentiating my Joneses from those dozens others in the parish. I learned to FOLLOW THE PATTERNS MORE THAN THE NAMES.

Here is a brief outlines of Anne Jones’ life from start to finish. Follow her through three husbands, from Carmarthenshire, Wales, to Lehi, Utah, to Montana. What a delightful woman! Her picture above was posted on FamilySearch Family Tree. FamilySearch.org.

Starting at the beginning: Here’s her christening record from Llangynog, Carmarthenshire (also written as Llangunnock or a variation). It’s the same parish where most, but I believe, not all of Anne’s brothers and sisters were baptized. At a time when thousands of Welshmen, including cousins, were attending Nonconformist chapels, Anne's and Mary’s parents stayed true to the Church of Wales. Llangynog is about seven miles southwest of the city of Carmarthen, meaning that Carmarthen has an Anglican cathedral.

Anne Jones Christening

Llangynog, Carmarthenshire, parish baptisms http://Findmypast.com 1815 p. 6 No. 46. Anne, daughter of John Jones, mason, and Elizabeth, residence Gorsgoch, was baptized 6 Dec 1815. David Prothero. Also in: Wales, Diocese of St. David, Bishop's Transcripts (1693-1881) FHL 105175, Item 3 (1693-1881). [“Gorsgoch”: Ron Dennis: “red juniper”; web: “red marsh”] Findmypast.com

Anne Francis 13 Mar 1836-1845

Anne, at age 20, married a widower more than twice her age. He was a leaseholder of two properties, including the 124-acre farm, Courtmalle, where Anne would raise two young children, three stepchildren and bury two others. For a time, she employed her sister and brother there, I believe. Here are images of the 1836 marriage record for Anne Jones and John Francis at Llangynog parish church, and for a corresponding marriage bond.

Keep in mind that marrying by license cost more than marrying by Banns, as most people did. Therefore, licenses were more prestigious and were often favored by those of a higher social class, as well as by those who felt they needed to marry quietly or in a hurry. Banns required that the names of the bride and groom be read aloud for three consecutive weeks before their marriage in each of their parishes.

John Francis Marriage to Anne Jones

Llangynog, Carmarthenshire, Marriages, http://findmypast.com, 1836 marriages p. 44 No. 13. Llangynnog. John Francis, of this parish, widower, married Anne Jones, of this parish, spinster, on 13 Mar 1836. License. Signed John Francis and Anne Jones (her mark). Thomas Evans, minister. Witnesses: David Jones, Jonah Roger, Margaret (?) Jenkins. Findmypast.com

In order to obtain a license, usually from the diocese, the groom needed to put up money, or a bond, and a witness needed to swear to such things as the bride and groom were both over 21 and neither was already married. Very often the bond contains no new genealogical information.

John Francis Marriage Bond

"Wales, Court and Miscellaneous Records, 1542-1911," images, FamilySearch Marriage bonds > St Davids 1835 Jan-1837 Jun vol 45; citing National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. Bond, dated 12 Mar 1836. John Francis, widower, Llangunnog, Carmarthenshire, and Ann Jones, Gorsgoch, Langunnog, Carmarthenshire, spinster. Both over 21. FamilySearch.org

By law, if either the bride or groom was under 21, they needed consent from parents. In actuality, Anne was a few months shy of being a legal adult. She would turn 21 the following November.

John and Anne Francis had two children, Sarah, born in 1836 or 1837, and David, born in August, 1840, three months before his father passed away. When John Francis wrote his will in July, 1840, he referred to his “unborn child.” But John was still alive when his son was born; he signed the certificate for David’s birth on 9 Aug 1840.

Image pending! I’ve mislaid (or misfiled) my copy of David’s birth certificate and have sent for another. Here's the transcription of David’s birth certificate that I made when I held it in my hands:

GRO births, July-September 1840 quarter, Carmarthen district, volume 26, p. 495. David Francis, boy, born 9 Aug 1840, at Courtmalle in the parish of Llangunnock. Father: John Francis, farmer. Mother: Ann Francis, formerly Jones. Informant: John Francis, father, Courtmalle, in the parish of Llangunnock. Date birth recorded: 27 Aug 1840.

Sarah's November, 1836 or 1837, birth date came from death and other records. I could find no baptism record for either child in the surviving records for Llangynog parish or in nearby Nonconformist chapels. Even if the children were baptized, record keeping was sometimes haphazard, and records may never be found.

Following documentation that is there, this burial record from Llangynog parish shows that John Francis died in November, 1840.

John Francis Burial

Llangynnog, Carmarthen, South Wales, Diocese of St. David, Bishop's Transcripts (1693-1881) FHL 105175, Item 3 (1693-1881), 1840 Burial records: John Francis, Courtmalle, buried 21 Nov 1840. An online image, probably from the parish register, also can be accessed. Findmypast.com

Luckily for Anne and for us, John Francis left a will. Seeing John Jones, Pantyddwygraig, on a will abstract was the first alert that Anne Francis was really Anne Jones. Even though the relationship wasn’t stated, it was suggested and quickly verified through marriage and burial records.

John Francis’ will said that John Jones, Pontyddwygraig, mason, was one of two trustees. He wanted his wife Anne, daughter Sarah and then unborn son (David) to be provided for by his leases until the children were 20. He named his two leasehold properties: Courtmalle, in Llangynog, and Treked, in the adjacent parish of Llangain. The will was probated 11 Dec 1840, less than a month after his death.

NLW  will connect to all four pages of John's will.

From the will we learn that John Francis leased land that another man owned, the owner’s “freehold.” Few Welshmen owned property. However, land was leased for long periods, up to 999 years; leases were passed down in families and can be followed. Checking Courtmalle on the 1841 Tithe Map, which the parish used to see how much “tithe” residents owed to help fund the parish community, John Francis’ lease for Courtmalle was for 124 acres, a very large farm. Plus, he had another leasehold in Llangain. He ranked high in the parish pecking order.

Here is the image of widow Anne Francis’ family at Courtmalle on the 1841 Llangynog census, taken census night, 6 Jun 1841 throughout Great Britain. This census does not define family relationships, and the ages of adults over 18 are most often rounded down to the nearest five years.

1841 Llangygog Census for Courtmalle

Class: HO107; Piece: 1382; Book: 20; Civil Parish: Llangunnock; County: Carmarthenshire; Enumeration District: 10; Folio: 8; Page: 7; Line: 10; GSU roll: 464309. Courtmalle. Anne Francis, 25, farmer, born in county. Sarah Francis, 3, born in county. David Francis, 10 months, born in county. Margaret Jones, 25, female servant, born in county [Ann’s older sister]. Thomas Jones, 20, ag. lab., born in county [Ann’s brother]. Ancestry.com

I believe that Anne's brother Thomas, rounded age 20, is the Thomas Jones working as an agricultural laborer. To my knowledge he will never marry and will appear in the homes of family members on at least two other censuses. Anne’s older sister Margaret, rounded age 25, is also with the family, identified as a general servant. When Margaret marries in 1844, that record will indicate she is a servant working at Courtmalle.Thomas Williams will be one of the witnesses at her wedding, and then he will marry Anne Jones Francis the following year. (The marriage certificate also identifies Margaret's father as John Jones, mason. See the certificate image attached to Margaret Jones' and John Davies' marriage in Family Search Family Tree. FamilySearch.org )

Anne Williams: 20 Mar 1845-1854

Thomas Williams and Anne Jones Parish Register Marriage Record

Llangynnog, Carmarthenshire, Marriages http://findmypast.com, 1845 marriages p. 24 No. 47. Thomas Williams, widower, farmer, and Ann Francis, widow, farmer, both full age [over 21], married 20 Mar 1845 in the parish church of Llangynnog, Carmarthen. Groom's residence: Foesddu; Groom’s father: Edmund Williams, farmer. Bride's residence: Courtmallan; Bride’s father: John Jones, mason. Banns. Signed: Thos. Williams and Ann Francis (her mark). Witnesses: John Williams [Thomas' brother] and Thomas Tucker. [Interestingly, on the same page is the marriage record of Anne Jones' brother John to Martha Cunnick.] Findmypast.com

On the 1851 Llangynog Census, Thomas Williams’ and Anne Jones Francis’ combined family is living at Courtmalle.The 1851 census was taken 30 Mar 1851 throughout Great Britain. It's the first census to identify family relationships and to help nail down birth places and years. Notice that Sarah and David Francis are identified as Thomas' stepchildren who are employed on the farm. Mary Ann, Sophia and Elizabeth are listed as daughters.

1851 Llangynog Census of Courtmalle

1851 Wales Census (ancestry.com), Llangunnock, Carmarthenshire Class: HO107; Piece: 2472; Folio 593; Page 9; GSU 104227. Courtmalle. Thomas Williams, head, married, 50, farmer of 124 acres. Born Carmarthen Llangunnock. Ann Williams, wife, married, 35, born Carmarthen Llangunnock. Mary Ann Williams, daughter, unmarried, 19, born Llangunnock. Sophia Williams, 17, daughter, born Llangunnock. Elizabeth Williams, daughter, 12, born Llangunnock. Sarah Frances, stepdaughter, 14, employed in house, born Llangunnock. David Frances, stepson, 11, employed in house, born Llangunnock. Ann Morris, servant, 26, housemaid, born St. Clears. Thomas Phillips, servant, 23, farm labourer, born New Church. Joseph James, servant, 16, farm labourer, born Llangunnock. Ancestry.com

If you were to look for Thomas Williams’ family on the 1841 Llangynog Census, you’d find them at Ffoesddu. He was shown living at one of his father's leaseholds, with his first wife Anne and three daughters Mary (Anne), Sophia and Elizabeth. You can see the image, connected to Thomas Williams on FamilySearch Family Tree. Here’s the transcription for the Ffoesddu household. Remember that Anne Jones Francis is at Courtmalle on the 1841 census, widowed with her two children Sarah and David. These are different families.

1841 Wales Census, Llangunnock, Carmarthenshire Class HO107 Piece: 1382 Book: 2010; Folio 7 p. 6 GSU 464309. Line 5. Farm: Ffoesddu. Thomas Williams, 35, farmer, born in county. Anne Williams, 35, born in county. Mary, 10, born in county. Sophia, 7, born in county. Elizabeth, 3, born in county. Anne Davis, 40, female servant, born in county. David Howells, 15, agricultural labourer, born in county.  Ancestry.com

Thomas Williams' daughter Mary [Anne’s] 1831 christening record is from the neighboring chapelry of Llanllwch, St. Peter Carmarthen parish. (See the record attached to Mary Anne on her FamilySearch Family Tree page.) It shows that Thomas Williams’ first wife also was named Anne Jones. Things have gotten complicated for Williams descendants sorting all this out. FamilySearch.org

Anne and Thomas Williams had two children together who, sadly, died young. Here are images for the records of Edmund, presumably named after his grandfather Edmund Williams, and John, presumably named after his maternal grandfather John Jones. Edmund was born in 1845. The Informant, father Thomas Williams, says his residence is still Ffoessdu.

Edmund Williams Birth Certificate

GRO Birth index Jun 1845 quarter, Carmarthen district, vol. 26, p.543 #220. Edmund Williams, boy, born 1 May 1845, Ffoesddu, Llangunnock. Father: Thomas Williams, farmer. Mother: Anne Williams, formerly Francis. Informant: Thomas Williams, father, Foesddu, Llangunnock.

Below is Edmund’s death certificate.

Edmund Williams Death Certificate

GRO Death Index Mar 1850 quarter, Carmarthen, vol. 26, p. 441. Edmund Williams, 5, son of Thomas Williams, farmer, died 31 Dec 1849, Courtmalle, Llanunnock. Cause of death: dropsy 3 mos. Informant: John Jones, present at death, Gorsegoch, Llangunnock. Recorded 4 Jan 1850.

Even though poor Edmund was really only 4 years old when he died, from his father’s name and residence, we know we have the right person. Notice that the informant is John Jones, Pantyddwygraig, who always signs with his characteristic mark. (He could not write his name.)

Next are death and burial images for second son John, who died even younger.

John Williams Death Certificate

GRO Death Index Mar 1849 quarter, Carmarthen district, vol. 26, p.422 #121. John Williams, male, 2, son of Thomas Williams, farmer, died 2 Feb 1849 Courtmalle, Langunnock. Cause of death not certified. Informant: John Jones, Gorse Goach, Llangunnock, present at death. (His mark) Recorded 7 Feb 1849.

John Williams Burial Record

Parish Register: Llangynnog, Carmarthenshire, Burials, FindmyPast.com 1849 Burials, p. 21 No. 164. John Williams, Courtmallen, 21 months, was buried 2 Feb 1849. Benj. Evans, curate. Findmypast.com. Above image: Bishop’s Transcript: Llangynnog, Carmarthen, South Wales, Diocese of St. David, Bishop's Transcripts (1693-1881) FHL 105175, Item 3 (1693-1881) 1849 burials p. 21 No. 164.

When Anne Williams sailed to America in 1854 with an LDS group aboard The Golconda, it was with Sarah and David Francis, her children from her first marriage to John Francis, as well as with her two stepdaughters, Eliza (Elizabeth) and Mary Anne Williams. (I am not sure what happened to Sophia, another of Thomas' daughters from his first marriage.) Every member of Anne's family is able to pay his or her own passage. Sadly, Thomas must have died, because he disappears from the story. I have found no burial record in Llangynog. Perhaps he is buried with his first wife, because I’ve not found her burial record either.

Here is a record of the family’s registration for the voyage. Sarah Francis, 16, and Mary Williams, 22, appear on the bottom of the first page. Ann Williams, 36, Eliza (Elizabeth) Williams, 14, and David Francis, 12, appear on the second. (The age of 39-year-old Anne is hedged a bit.)

1854 Ship Registration, The Golconda

Golconda Vessel Type Ship Departure 4 Feb 1854 from Liverpool Arrival18 Mar 1854 at New Orleans Source British Mission Emigration Register, Book #1040, pp. 1-19 (FHL 025,690); Customs #115 (FHL 200,177) Ship’s Registration, pp. 12, 13. Mormon Migration database. Click on the first page of the image from this indexed transcription of Elizabeth Williams.

The LDS church in Wales had headquarters in Merthyr Tydfil, and many Mormon emigrants from all over South Wales “originated” from there, coming with the organized group of Saints. As the record indicates, they sailed from Liverpool, England, on 4 Feb 1854 and arrived in New Orleans 18 Mar 1854. Check out details and accounts from voyage diaries on the Mormon Migration website.

The family is listed together upon their arrived in New Orleans, at the top of this record:

Ann Jones Family's New Orleans Arrival

National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-1902; National Archives Film M259 Roll #39. New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945 Ancestry.com database on line, Provo, Utah. Golconda arrival 18 Mar 1854, New Orleans., Anne Williams, 36, female. Eliza Williams, 14, female. Sarah Francis, 16, female. David Francis, 12, male. Mary Ann Williams, 22, female. Ancestry.com.

Evans descendants recall that Samuel Evans, the father-in-law of Ann's sister Mary, was also on the 1854 voyage of The Golconda, along with his second wife Catherine Havart, who died along the way. She probably died after finishing her Mississippi River trip, because she is buried in St. Louis, Missouri. Journals from the journey speak of several cholera deaths in St. Louis. Here is a record of her death:

Catherine Havart Powell Evans St. Louis Burial Record

Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008. Original data: Missouri Death Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm. Catherine Evans. Death date: 10 Apr 1854. Birth date about 1795. Pauper. St. Louis County. Catherine Evans is fifth down. Ancestry.com. 

From more information obtained from the death index below we see that this may not be the exact date of death or burial because records were recorded weekly.

St. Louis City Death Records, 1850-1908 Record (Index) St. Louis Genealogical Society, copied by Provo, UT, USA: MyFamily.com (Ancestry.com), Vol. C, p.140, County Library RDSL 2, Missouri Archive C 10360, SLGS Rolls 301. Catherine Evans. Death date: 10 Apr 1854, City Cemetery. [Deaths were recorded once a week. The date given in the index is the day on which all the deaths for the week were recorded.]

What happened to Samuel Evans and to Anne Jones' family in the next few months is unknown. They had crossed the Atlantic and probably had gone up the Mississippi River with the other Golconda Saints. According to journals of several in that party, a majority quickly traveled to Utah Territory; their handcart company arrived in Salt Lake City on 6 Oct 1854.

Although I have found no record of the Williams/Francis family (or of Samuel Evans) with any overland group, this timing is logical. However, family lore says that Anne's family did not travel by handcart. According to the Life Story of Anne's son David Francis on FamilySearch Family Tree, Anne had enough money to buy and outfit two wagons and teams. Plus, she hired a driver to help take her family west. They reached Salt Lake by the end of October.

Sadly, the next record for the family documents the death of Anne's daughter, Sarah Francis, in Salt Lake City on 27 Oct 1854. Here is Sarah's Salt Lake County death record:

Sarah Francis Death Record

"Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1849-1949," Management and Archives, Salt Lake City. 1854 Record of Deaths (27 Oct 1854), p. 11 No. 431: France (sic), Sarah, daughter of Ann, born Nov 1836. [Note: A version of this record was indexed with mother “Ann France (sic)”] FamilySearch.org

Notice Sarah's last name was “France,” instead of Francis and no last name was given for mother Ann on the actual record. Another error was made for Sarah’s probable burial, as found in a Salt Lake internment database. The transcription, obtained online, gave this information:

Sarah France (sic), born 27 Oct. 1854 (sic), Carmarthen, Wales; died 27 Oct. 1854, Salt Lake City, Utah. Plot 432 A-11-10. Buried 27 Oct 1854 Salt Lake City Cemetery. Ancestry.com Also Cemeteries.utah.gov/burials

Inaccurate information in the first death record is explainable, considering the circumstances: Anne was a brand new immigrant, who most likely could not speak English, and who was bereaved. As for the inconsistencies in the burial record, the same birth and burial dates were recorded in the Utah State Archives' index of individuals interred in Salt Lake cemeteries. If this is 18-year-old Sarah Francis, she has become a newborn infant. A visit to the archives to see the original record could clear things up.

I have not run across any records for Anne’s stepdaughter Mary Anne Williams, since her arrival in New Orleans. I have unsuccessfully searched marriages and deaths and hope that she didn’t die along the way, too.

And we’ll probably never know how and when Anne Jones met her sister Mary’s father-in-law, Samuel Evans. But even if they had never met before they all boarded The Golconda in early 1854, they would become acquainted by the end of the year. Records indicate that Anne Jones and her family became neighbors of Abel and Mary Jones Evans’ family, including Samuel, in Lehi, and they attended the same LDS ward, at least for a while.

Anne James: 1854-16 Jan 1900

Anne appears in Lehi, Utah, for the first time in November, 1854, and she has another new name: Anne James.

I couldn’t figure out how her new husband, Daniel James, came into the picture until David Francis' biography solved the mystery. It turns out, the story said, that Anne married the driver she had hired to take her family to Utah. (David Francis' story is posted with a picture of David as an older man. When you read it, check out his great beard and overalls.) FamilySearch.org.

Ann and Daniel James and Samuel Evans all arrived in Lehi, Utah, sometime before 14 Nov 1854, because that is the date in which Anne James, Daniel James and Samuel Evans all had patriarchal blessings there from patriarch John Murdock, according to early church records. Here’s a transcription of the record for Anne’s blessing from the Early Church Information File:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900, Card 71, Ann James: Ann James, born 9 Nov 1816, Llangynog, Carmarthen, South Wales. Father: John Jones, mother: Elizabeth. Blessing 14 Nov., 1854, Lehi, Utah, by Patriarch John Murdock. Vol. 13, p. 13 #6. [Note: Ann will use the birth year of 1816, instead of 1815, in all Lehi ward records.] FamilySearch.org

Anne and her family stayed in Lehi for at least four years. The 1856 Utah Territorial Census showed all of them living near Abel and Mary (Jones) Evans, where Samuel Evans also lived. Learning this made me happy; my ancestor Mary Jones had always seemed so far removed from the family she had loved in Carmarthenshire.

Indeed, Anne’s family appears several times on Lehi ward records. Some of the entries are for rebaptisms, which were common among church members at this time. Because many early Welsh LDS church records have not survived, the information appearing with rebaptisms can give insight into dates for first baptisms in Wales. Here’s a transcribed rebaptism record for Anne from her Lehi ward:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lehi, Utah, Ward Record of Members 1851-1903 LDS Church Historian's Office, 1969, p. 36, line 12. Rebaptism. Ann James, daughter of John and Elizabeth Jones, born Nov. 9 1816, Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Baptized first time July 1848 by Evan Jones.

Notice that Ann said that she was first baptized into the LDS church in July, 1848, which is almost a year earlier than her sister, Mary, who said she was baptized in June, 1849, on her rebaptism record.

Here is the rebaptism record for Ann’s son David Francis from the Lehi ward. He said that he was baptized the first time in 1849 (in Wales) by Thomas Williams. I believe this very well may have been his stepfather, the only father he would have known growing up in Llangynog.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lehi, Utah, Ward Record of Members 1851-1903 LDS Church Historian's Office, 1969, Rebaptisms, p. 36, line 13. David Francis, son of John and Ann, born Aug. 8, 1940, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, baptized first time in 1849 by Thomas Williams. [David’s] Priesthood office: Teacher, ordained 1856.

One of the next important family events recorded in Lehi was a wedding. Anne’s stepdaughter Elizabeth Williams married Henry H. McConnell in January, 1858. Abel Evans performed the civil ceremony. The couple was sealed in the Endowment House the following month, 12 Feb 1858. Here’s a transcription of the Lehi marriage record, taken from ward records:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lehi, Utah, Ward Record of Members 1851-1903 LDS Church Historian's Office, 1969, Marriages, Book A, p.100, entry #3. Henry McConnell and Elizabeth Williams, married Jan. 23, 1858. Ceremony performed by Abel Evans.

The McConnells moved to Cedar City, Utah, and raised a large family, with many descendants. Elizabeth Williams McConnell died there in 1918.

Meanwhile, Daniel James and Ann bore two children together in Utah: Charlotte, born in 1856, and Elizabeth Ann, born 12 Mar 1858. Here's a transcription of the record of Elizabeth Ann’s blessing from Lehi ward records:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lehi, Utah, Ward Record of Members 1851-1903 LDS Church Historian's Office, 1969, p.3, line 7 blessings of children. Elizabeth Ann Jones James, daughter of Daniel and Ann, born March 12, 1858, in Lehi, Utah, Deseret, Blessed May 8, 1859 by John Brown. [Note: Most records of baby blessings in this ward at this time inserted the mother’s maiden surname just before the father’s surname.]

Here are the girls with their parents in 1860 in Weber County, Utah. David Francis is listed, but is identified as David F. James.

1860 Weber County Census of Daniel James and Anne Jones Family

1860 U.S. Federal Census, Ancestry.com Weber, Utah Territory, Roll M653_1313, p.467, image 477 #1033. Daniel James, 55, male, farmer, value of real estate $300, value of personal estate $340, born Wales. Ann James, 45, female, born Wales. David F. James [Francis], 20, born Wales. Charlotte James, 4, female, born U.T. [Utah Territory]. Elizabeth, 2, female, born U.T. Date: 11 Jul 1860. Ancestry.com

Daniel and Anne James’ two daughters married two brothers, Nelson Peter and Ephraim Staffanson, in Deer Lodge County, Montana.

Charlotte died at age 26, with three young children, and was buried in April, 1882, in Philipsburg, Granite County, Montana. The Findagrave website has an emotional account of her internment, originally published in the local paper. Findagrave.com

Elizabeth Ann, the mother of six children, lived most of her life in Deer Lodge County, Montana, and died, age 87, on 12 Jul 1945 at Sidney, Richland, Montana. 

David Francis married Sarah Jones, an English woman. They lived most of their lives in North Ogden, Utah, where he worked as a freighter and achieved community prominence. He died 8 Feb 1933 in Idaho, but he and his wife are buried in North Ogden Cemetery, Weber, Utah.

On the 1880 census, he and his young family lived with his mother and her husband Daniel James in Deer Lodge County. According to David’s Life Sketch on FamilySearch Family Tree, Daniel James moved his family from Weber County, Utah, with followers of the Morrisite church; however, David and his mother Anne remained faithful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1880 Deer Lodge County, Montana, Census for Daniel James and Anne Jones, and David Francis Families

U.S. Bureau of the Census, Ancestry.com Deer Lodge Valley, Deer Lodge, Montana Roll T9_742 FHL1254742, p.157 enumeration distict 11. #86,, Household 61: Daniel James, head, 73, farmer, born Wales, parents born Wales. Ann James, wife, 63, housekeeper, born Wales, parents born Wales. Household 62: David Francis, stepson, 39, farmer, born Wales, parents born Wales. Sarah Francis, wife, 24, housekeeper, born England, parents born England. David Francis, son, 1 born Utah, father born Wales, mother born England. Thomas Carlysle, 30, laborer, born Ireland, parents born Ireland. Amelia Carlysle, 13, adopted, Indian female, born Montana, parents born Montana. Ancestry.com.

According to a death date posted on FamilySearch, presumably from family records, Anne (Jones Francis Williams) James died 16 Jan 1900, in Anaconda, Deer Lodge, Montana. She was 84 years old. FamilySearch.org.