Daughter of Thomas Jones and Elizabeth Jones
Married David Thomas Lewis, 10 April 1831, Clydal, Pembroke, Wales
Children - Mary Lewis, Thomas Lewis, John L. Lewis, Eliza Ann Lewis, John Lewis, Eliza Lewis, Caanan Lewis, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Lewis Lewis
Married Dan Jones, 8 November 1849, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Biography - Elizabeth Jones Lewis Jones was born April 2, 1812 in Claddy, a village located in Pembrokeshire on the border of Carmarthen, South Wales. She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Jones who were members of the Baptist Church which organization she joined at the age of fifteen years.
In 1833 Elizabeth married David Thomas Lewis in Caermarthenshire, Wales. To this union were born six children—four sons and two daughters: Thomas, John, Eliza, Canaan, Sarah, and Lewis. About thirteen years after their marriage (1846) the Lewis family was living in Kidwelly where they kept an inn known as the “White Lion.” At this time Mormon missionaries were preaching in the area. The missionaries stopped for refreshments and shared their message. Elizabeth became convinced of the truth of Mormonism and was baptized into the Church in 1847. She said: “After this my home became a resort for the Elders and I was the special subject of persecution by my neighbors.” Her husband David would have nothing to do with the Church.
At this time the church was also undergoing persecution in Illinois. Upon the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the presiding apostle, became the leader of the church. Under his directions plans were made to move the church westward. Word was sent to missionaries in Europe to encourage new converts to come help build this new area. Elizabeth was one of those who responded to the call to Zion. Dan Jones, a prominent missionary in Wales, organized one of the first parties of church members to immigrate to America.
The Journey Begins
Welsh converts to the Church in South Wales were instructed to gather at Swansea on February 13, 1849 to prepare to leave for Liverpool. The following morning (February 14) the departure of the steamer Troubador was witnessed by hundreds of spectators according to an article in The Cambrian, a local newspaper. The steamer arrived at Liverpool the following day (February 15) at 3:30 PM. They remained there for the next five nights. In the meantime a 141 foot sailing ship, the year-old Buena Vista, was being prepared for the voyage to New Orleans. On Monday, February 26th, the Buena Vista was dragged out to sea by two large steamers to begin the 50 day crossing to America. On board were Elizabeth and her six children according to the passenger manifest.
On April 7, after thirty nine days at sea land was sighted as the ship approached the Bahamas leading to much jubilation among the passengers. As they approached New Orleans, spirits soared. On the morning of April 16 a steamer towed the Buena Vista to the New Orleans docks. The emigrants disembarked the next day after a trying 50 days at sea. They still had far to travel, however, to reach the Great Salt Lake valley.
New Orleans to Council Bluffs
Dan Jones, who had earlier captained the Maid of Iowa on the Mississippi River, was able to hire a steamer to carry the immigrants the 1,100 miles to St. Louis. At this time cholera was rampant in New Orleans and along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In St. Louis, the immigrants went on buying spree to purchase items they would need for the trek westward—clothes, firearms, stoves, and iron to make wagons. Between April 28 and May 21, forty-four of the original 249 Buena Vista passengers became victims of the epidemic. Very few families were left intact as cholera spread among the passengers. Elizabeth and her family were spared from the disease. After 15 days on the Missouri River, they arrived at Council Bluffs (about May 17).
Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City
Council Bluffs was taking on a cosmopolitan atmosphere with the convergence of English, Norwegian and Welsh Mormon immigrants. Approximately 200 Welsh were living in and around Council Bluffs. Timing was critical for those who intended to complete the journey before the cold weather and snow arrived. Eight weeks were required to make preparations for the trek to the Salt Lake valley. Not all would go this season lacking the resources to do so. Elizabeth provided assistance to 32 persons to make the trip which was to be reimbursed.
By July 13, a large segment of the Welsh were on the trail to the Elk Horn River where they joined the George A. Smith Company. Of the 370 persons in the Smith Company, 84, just over one-fifth, were Welsh. Elizabeth and her six children were included in this number. They were poised to begin the 1,000 mile trek to their final destination. The company arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley on October 26, 1849 after 108 days on the trail. One out of four of the original 326 Welsh converts who had departed Liverpool eight months earlier were among this band of pioneers.
The Salt Lake Valley
Brigham Young and the first group of pioneers reached the desolate Great Salt Lake Valley two years earlier (July 24, 1847). The Welsh pioneers were visited their first night in the valley by President Brigham Young who gave them a warm welcome. Dan Jones was the only one in the group who had met the Prophet. Most of the Welsh did not speak English and needed to have his words translated.
Marriage of Dan Jones and Elizabeth
Dan Jones and Elizabeth were married within two weeks after arriving in the valley with Brigham Young’s approval. Official records show that their “sealing” took place on November 8, 1849 in the Endowment House on Temple Square. This was a plural marriage for Dan Jones was already married to Jane Melling.
Elizabeth was still married to David Lewis at the time she was sealed to Dan Jones. Little is known about her relationship to her husband David at this time. David had not joined the church and did not accompany his family on their journey. It is possible that Elizabeth did not anticipate that he would ever come to America. But David did come the following year. By the time David arrived Elizabeth had entered into a plural marriage with Dan Jones. As far as is known Elizabeth had no further involvement with David. It is not known whether they were legally divorced. David Thomas Lewis died 15 August 1883 and is buried in the South Jordan Cemetery. Elizabeth went on to have two children by Dan Jones; Ruth (born 1850) and Brigham (born 1852).
Manti Utah
In the fall of 1850 a small group of Welsh immigrants including Dan Jones and his family moved south to settle in Manti. The 1850 Census for San Pete County showed that the Dan Jones household in Manti consisted of 16 individuals including Dan Jones, his first wife Jane and daughter Claudia, Elizabeth and her 6 children from her first marriage and new baby Ruth, and 5 other individuals. Dan Jones was elected mayor of Manti (1851). The following year (1852) Brigham Young asked Jones to return to Wales. During this second mission which lasted until 1856, he baptized approximately 2,000 persons most of whom eventually immigrated to the Utah Territory.
Elizabeth’s marriage to Dan Jones faltered while he was on this second mission. On August 4, 1856 Elizabeth wrote to Brigham Young requesting a bill of divorcement. Elizabeth obtained a “bill of divorcement” from her marriage to Dan Jones on 20 June 1857 issued by Brigham Young. A year later (July 23, 1858) Elizabeth was sealed to John Henry Tuttle. Her correspondence with Brigham Young indicates that this was not a successful union. This marriage ended after a short time. The year after returning from Wales Dan Jones married a third wife, Mary Matilda LaTrielle by whom he had two children. In 1861, his first wife Jane died.
Dan Jones’ health deteriorated due to his work in lead mines in Wales. He died January 3, 1862 of tuberculosis at the age of 51. Four months before his death (14 September 1861) Dan and Elizabeth were remarried. Upon Dan’s death Elizabeth became the administrator of his estate which was valued at $4,430. Elizabeth and her children moved to Provo after the death of Dan Jones. Mary Matilda LaTrielle, his third wife, remarried.
Brigham Young’s Farm House
Seven years later Elizabeth was sealed to the Prophet, Brigham Young, in the Endowment House (July 8, 1869). She took up residence with her younger children in Brigham Young’s farm house which was located near the present day intersection of 23rd South and 7th East in Salt Lake City. Her son Canaan who was twenty years old helped his mother until his marriage in 1872.
Death
Brigham Young died August 29, 1877. Elizabeth lived on another 18 years passing away in Salt Lake City on May 6, 1895 at the age of 83 years. She is buried in the City Cemetery in Salt Lake City.
Elizabeth endured many challenges in her life. The restored church was very important to her. In a letter to J. Davis in Wales (Manti, 1851) she wrote:
“With respect to the religion, the truthfulness of which I testified so much about when there, I testify more firmly today than ever that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ in its strength. I get additional testimony of this continually, and such that I could not get there, which has set its truthfulness beyond doubt in my mind a long time ago. And if my friends there could hear my testimony now, it would be stronger than any; and my exhortation would be more intense by far for them to get baptized by the servants of God for the remission of their sins and to be saved in the kingdom of God. O, you, my dear relatives, believe this my testimony.”
Married David Thomas Lewis, 10 April 1831, Clydal, Pembroke, Wales
Children - Mary Lewis, Thomas Lewis, John L. Lewis, Eliza Ann Lewis, John Lewis, Eliza Lewis, Caanan Lewis, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Lewis Lewis
Married Dan Jones, 8 November 1849, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Biography - Elizabeth Jones Lewis Jones was born April 2, 1812 in Claddy, a village located in Pembrokeshire on the border of Carmarthen, South Wales. She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Jones who were members of the Baptist Church which organization she joined at the age of fifteen years.
In 1833 Elizabeth married David Thomas Lewis in Caermarthenshire, Wales. To this union were born six children—four sons and two daughters: Thomas, John, Eliza, Canaan, Sarah, and Lewis. About thirteen years after their marriage (1846) the Lewis family was living in Kidwelly where they kept an inn known as the “White Lion.” At this time Mormon missionaries were preaching in the area. The missionaries stopped for refreshments and shared their message. Elizabeth became convinced of the truth of Mormonism and was baptized into the Church in 1847. She said: “After this my home became a resort for the Elders and I was the special subject of persecution by my neighbors.” Her husband David would have nothing to do with the Church.
At this time the church was also undergoing persecution in Illinois. Upon the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the presiding apostle, became the leader of the church. Under his directions plans were made to move the church westward. Word was sent to missionaries in Europe to encourage new converts to come help build this new area. Elizabeth was one of those who responded to the call to Zion. Dan Jones, a prominent missionary in Wales, organized one of the first parties of church members to immigrate to America.
The Journey Begins
Welsh converts to the Church in South Wales were instructed to gather at Swansea on February 13, 1849 to prepare to leave for Liverpool. The following morning (February 14) the departure of the steamer Troubador was witnessed by hundreds of spectators according to an article in The Cambrian, a local newspaper. The steamer arrived at Liverpool the following day (February 15) at 3:30 PM. They remained there for the next five nights. In the meantime a 141 foot sailing ship, the year-old Buena Vista, was being prepared for the voyage to New Orleans. On Monday, February 26th, the Buena Vista was dragged out to sea by two large steamers to begin the 50 day crossing to America. On board were Elizabeth and her six children according to the passenger manifest.
On April 7, after thirty nine days at sea land was sighted as the ship approached the Bahamas leading to much jubilation among the passengers. As they approached New Orleans, spirits soared. On the morning of April 16 a steamer towed the Buena Vista to the New Orleans docks. The emigrants disembarked the next day after a trying 50 days at sea. They still had far to travel, however, to reach the Great Salt Lake valley.
New Orleans to Council Bluffs
Dan Jones, who had earlier captained the Maid of Iowa on the Mississippi River, was able to hire a steamer to carry the immigrants the 1,100 miles to St. Louis. At this time cholera was rampant in New Orleans and along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In St. Louis, the immigrants went on buying spree to purchase items they would need for the trek westward—clothes, firearms, stoves, and iron to make wagons. Between April 28 and May 21, forty-four of the original 249 Buena Vista passengers became victims of the epidemic. Very few families were left intact as cholera spread among the passengers. Elizabeth and her family were spared from the disease. After 15 days on the Missouri River, they arrived at Council Bluffs (about May 17).
Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City
Council Bluffs was taking on a cosmopolitan atmosphere with the convergence of English, Norwegian and Welsh Mormon immigrants. Approximately 200 Welsh were living in and around Council Bluffs. Timing was critical for those who intended to complete the journey before the cold weather and snow arrived. Eight weeks were required to make preparations for the trek to the Salt Lake valley. Not all would go this season lacking the resources to do so. Elizabeth provided assistance to 32 persons to make the trip which was to be reimbursed.
By July 13, a large segment of the Welsh were on the trail to the Elk Horn River where they joined the George A. Smith Company. Of the 370 persons in the Smith Company, 84, just over one-fifth, were Welsh. Elizabeth and her six children were included in this number. They were poised to begin the 1,000 mile trek to their final destination. The company arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley on October 26, 1849 after 108 days on the trail. One out of four of the original 326 Welsh converts who had departed Liverpool eight months earlier were among this band of pioneers.
The Salt Lake Valley
Brigham Young and the first group of pioneers reached the desolate Great Salt Lake Valley two years earlier (July 24, 1847). The Welsh pioneers were visited their first night in the valley by President Brigham Young who gave them a warm welcome. Dan Jones was the only one in the group who had met the Prophet. Most of the Welsh did not speak English and needed to have his words translated.
Marriage of Dan Jones and Elizabeth
Dan Jones and Elizabeth were married within two weeks after arriving in the valley with Brigham Young’s approval. Official records show that their “sealing” took place on November 8, 1849 in the Endowment House on Temple Square. This was a plural marriage for Dan Jones was already married to Jane Melling.
Elizabeth was still married to David Lewis at the time she was sealed to Dan Jones. Little is known about her relationship to her husband David at this time. David had not joined the church and did not accompany his family on their journey. It is possible that Elizabeth did not anticipate that he would ever come to America. But David did come the following year. By the time David arrived Elizabeth had entered into a plural marriage with Dan Jones. As far as is known Elizabeth had no further involvement with David. It is not known whether they were legally divorced. David Thomas Lewis died 15 August 1883 and is buried in the South Jordan Cemetery. Elizabeth went on to have two children by Dan Jones; Ruth (born 1850) and Brigham (born 1852).
Manti Utah
In the fall of 1850 a small group of Welsh immigrants including Dan Jones and his family moved south to settle in Manti. The 1850 Census for San Pete County showed that the Dan Jones household in Manti consisted of 16 individuals including Dan Jones, his first wife Jane and daughter Claudia, Elizabeth and her 6 children from her first marriage and new baby Ruth, and 5 other individuals. Dan Jones was elected mayor of Manti (1851). The following year (1852) Brigham Young asked Jones to return to Wales. During this second mission which lasted until 1856, he baptized approximately 2,000 persons most of whom eventually immigrated to the Utah Territory.
Elizabeth’s marriage to Dan Jones faltered while he was on this second mission. On August 4, 1856 Elizabeth wrote to Brigham Young requesting a bill of divorcement. Elizabeth obtained a “bill of divorcement” from her marriage to Dan Jones on 20 June 1857 issued by Brigham Young. A year later (July 23, 1858) Elizabeth was sealed to John Henry Tuttle. Her correspondence with Brigham Young indicates that this was not a successful union. This marriage ended after a short time. The year after returning from Wales Dan Jones married a third wife, Mary Matilda LaTrielle by whom he had two children. In 1861, his first wife Jane died.
Dan Jones’ health deteriorated due to his work in lead mines in Wales. He died January 3, 1862 of tuberculosis at the age of 51. Four months before his death (14 September 1861) Dan and Elizabeth were remarried. Upon Dan’s death Elizabeth became the administrator of his estate which was valued at $4,430. Elizabeth and her children moved to Provo after the death of Dan Jones. Mary Matilda LaTrielle, his third wife, remarried.
Brigham Young’s Farm House
Seven years later Elizabeth was sealed to the Prophet, Brigham Young, in the Endowment House (July 8, 1869). She took up residence with her younger children in Brigham Young’s farm house which was located near the present day intersection of 23rd South and 7th East in Salt Lake City. Her son Canaan who was twenty years old helped his mother until his marriage in 1872.
Death
Brigham Young died August 29, 1877. Elizabeth lived on another 18 years passing away in Salt Lake City on May 6, 1895 at the age of 83 years. She is buried in the City Cemetery in Salt Lake City.
Elizabeth endured many challenges in her life. The restored church was very important to her. In a letter to J. Davis in Wales (Manti, 1851) she wrote:
“With respect to the religion, the truthfulness of which I testified so much about when there, I testify more firmly today than ever that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ in its strength. I get additional testimony of this continually, and such that I could not get there, which has set its truthfulness beyond doubt in my mind a long time ago. And if my friends there could hear my testimony now, it would be stronger than any; and my exhortation would be more intense by far for them to get baptized by the servants of God for the remission of their sins and to be saved in the kingdom of God. O, you, my dear relatives, believe this my testimony.”
Daughter of Thomas Jones and Elizabeth Jones
Married David Thomas Lewis, 10 April 1831, Clydal, Pembroke, Wales
Children - Mary Lewis, Thomas Lewis, John L. Lewis, Eliza Ann Lewis, John Lewis, Eliza Lewis, Caanan Lewis, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Lewis Lewis
Married Dan Jones, 8 November 1849, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Biography - Elizabeth Jones Lewis Jones was born April 2, 1812 in Claddy, a village located in Pembrokeshire on the border of Carmarthen, South Wales. She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Jones who were members of the Baptist Church which organization she joined at the age of fifteen years.
In 1833 Elizabeth married David Thomas Lewis in Caermarthenshire, Wales. To this union were born six children—four sons and two daughters: Thomas, John, Eliza, Canaan, Sarah, and Lewis. About thirteen years after their marriage (1846) the Lewis family was living in Kidwelly where they kept an inn known as the “White Lion.” At this time Mormon missionaries were preaching in the area. The missionaries stopped for refreshments and shared their message. Elizabeth became convinced of the truth of Mormonism and was baptized into the Church in 1847. She said: “After this my home became a resort for the Elders and I was the special subject of persecution by my neighbors.” Her husband David would have nothing to do with the Church.
At this time the church was also undergoing persecution in Illinois. Upon the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the presiding apostle, became the leader of the church. Under his directions plans were made to move the church westward. Word was sent to missionaries in Europe to encourage new converts to come help build this new area. Elizabeth was one of those who responded to the call to Zion. Dan Jones, a prominent missionary in Wales, organized one of the first parties of church members to immigrate to America.
The Journey Begins
Welsh converts to the Church in South Wales were instructed to gather at Swansea on February 13, 1849 to prepare to leave for Liverpool. The following morning (February 14) the departure of the steamer Troubador was witnessed by hundreds of spectators according to an article in The Cambrian, a local newspaper. The steamer arrived at Liverpool the following day (February 15) at 3:30 PM. They remained there for the next five nights. In the meantime a 141 foot sailing ship, the year-old Buena Vista, was being prepared for the voyage to New Orleans. On Monday, February 26th, the Buena Vista was dragged out to sea by two large steamers to begin the 50 day crossing to America. On board were Elizabeth and her six children according to the passenger manifest.
On April 7, after thirty nine days at sea land was sighted as the ship approached the Bahamas leading to much jubilation among the passengers. As they approached New Orleans, spirits soared. On the morning of April 16 a steamer towed the Buena Vista to the New Orleans docks. The emigrants disembarked the next day after a trying 50 days at sea. They still had far to travel, however, to reach the Great Salt Lake valley.
New Orleans to Council Bluffs
Dan Jones, who had earlier captained the Maid of Iowa on the Mississippi River, was able to hire a steamer to carry the immigrants the 1,100 miles to St. Louis. At this time cholera was rampant in New Orleans and along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In St. Louis, the immigrants went on buying spree to purchase items they would need for the trek westward—clothes, firearms, stoves, and iron to make wagons. Between April 28 and May 21, forty-four of the original 249 Buena Vista passengers became victims of the epidemic. Very few families were left intact as cholera spread among the passengers. Elizabeth and her family were spared from the disease. After 15 days on the Missouri River, they arrived at Council Bluffs (about May 17).
Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City
Council Bluffs was taking on a cosmopolitan atmosphere with the convergence of English, Norwegian and Welsh Mormon immigrants. Approximately 200 Welsh were living in and around Council Bluffs. Timing was critical for those who intended to complete the journey before the cold weather and snow arrived. Eight weeks were required to make preparations for the trek to the Salt Lake valley. Not all would go this season lacking the resources to do so. Elizabeth provided assistance to 32 persons to make the trip which was to be reimbursed.
By July 13, a large segment of the Welsh were on the trail to the Elk Horn River where they joined the George A. Smith Company. Of the 370 persons in the Smith Company, 84, just over one-fifth, were Welsh. Elizabeth and her six children were included in this number. They were poised to begin the 1,000 mile trek to their final destination. The company arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley on October 26, 1849 after 108 days on the trail. One out of four of the original 326 Welsh converts who had departed Liverpool eight months earlier were among this band of pioneers.
The Salt Lake Valley
Brigham Young and the first group of pioneers reached the desolate Great Salt Lake Valley two years earlier (July 24, 1847). The Welsh pioneers were visited their first night in the valley by President Brigham Young who gave them a warm welcome. Dan Jones was the only one in the group who had met the Prophet. Most of the Welsh did not speak English and needed to have his words translated.
Marriage of Dan Jones and Elizabeth
Dan Jones and Elizabeth were married within two weeks after arriving in the valley with Brigham Young’s approval. Official records show that their “sealing” took place on November 8, 1849 in the Endowment House on Temple Square. This was a plural marriage for Dan Jones was already married to Jane Melling.
Elizabeth was still married to David Lewis at the time she was sealed to Dan Jones. Little is known about her relationship to her husband David at this time. David had not joined the church and did not accompany his family on their journey. It is possible that Elizabeth did not anticipate that he would ever come to America. But David did come the following year. By the time David arrived Elizabeth had entered into a plural marriage with Dan Jones. As far as is known Elizabeth had no further involvement with David. It is not known whether they were legally divorced. David Thomas Lewis died 15 August 1883 and is buried in the South Jordan Cemetery. Elizabeth went on to have two children by Dan Jones; Ruth (born 1850) and Brigham (born 1852).
Manti Utah
In the fall of 1850 a small group of Welsh immigrants including Dan Jones and his family moved south to settle in Manti. The 1850 Census for San Pete County showed that the Dan Jones household in Manti consisted of 16 individuals including Dan Jones, his first wife Jane and daughter Claudia, Elizabeth and her 6 children from her first marriage and new baby Ruth, and 5 other individuals. Dan Jones was elected mayor of Manti (1851). The following year (1852) Brigham Young asked Jones to return to Wales. During this second mission which lasted until 1856, he baptized approximately 2,000 persons most of whom eventually immigrated to the Utah Territory.
Elizabeth’s marriage to Dan Jones faltered while he was on this second mission. On August 4, 1856 Elizabeth wrote to Brigham Young requesting a bill of divorcement. Elizabeth obtained a “bill of divorcement” from her marriage to Dan Jones on 20 June 1857 issued by Brigham Young. A year later (July 23, 1858) Elizabeth was sealed to John Henry Tuttle. Her correspondence with Brigham Young indicates that this was not a successful union. This marriage ended after a short time. The year after returning from Wales Dan Jones married a third wife, Mary Matilda LaTrielle by whom he had two children. In 1861, his first wife Jane died.
Dan Jones’ health deteriorated due to his work in lead mines in Wales. He died January 3, 1862 of tuberculosis at the age of 51. Four months before his death (14 September 1861) Dan and Elizabeth were remarried. Upon Dan’s death Elizabeth became the administrator of his estate which was valued at $4,430. Elizabeth and her children moved to Provo after the death of Dan Jones. Mary Matilda LaTrielle, his third wife, remarried.
Brigham Young’s Farm House
Seven years later Elizabeth was sealed to the Prophet, Brigham Young, in the Endowment House (July 8, 1869). She took up residence with her younger children in Brigham Young’s farm house which was located near the present day intersection of 23rd South and 7th East in Salt Lake City. Her son Canaan who was twenty years old helped his mother until his marriage in 1872.
Death
Brigham Young died August 29, 1877. Elizabeth lived on another 18 years passing away in Salt Lake City on May 6, 1895 at the age of 83 years. She is buried in the City Cemetery in Salt Lake City.
Elizabeth endured many challenges in her life. The restored church was very important to her. In a letter to J. Davis in Wales (Manti, 1851) she wrote:
“With respect to the religion, the truthfulness of which I testified so much about when there, I testify more firmly today than ever that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ in its strength. I get additional testimony of this continually, and such that I could not get there, which has set its truthfulness beyond doubt in my mind a long time ago. And if my friends there could hear my testimony now, it would be stronger than any; and my exhortation would be more intense by far for them to get baptized by the servants of God for the remission of their sins and to be saved in the kingdom of God. O, you, my dear relatives, believe this my testimony.”
Married David Thomas Lewis, 10 April 1831, Clydal, Pembroke, Wales
Children - Mary Lewis, Thomas Lewis, John L. Lewis, Eliza Ann Lewis, John Lewis, Eliza Lewis, Caanan Lewis, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Lewis Lewis
Married Dan Jones, 8 November 1849, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Biography - Elizabeth Jones Lewis Jones was born April 2, 1812 in Claddy, a village located in Pembrokeshire on the border of Carmarthen, South Wales. She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Jones who were members of the Baptist Church which organization she joined at the age of fifteen years.
In 1833 Elizabeth married David Thomas Lewis in Caermarthenshire, Wales. To this union were born six children—four sons and two daughters: Thomas, John, Eliza, Canaan, Sarah, and Lewis. About thirteen years after their marriage (1846) the Lewis family was living in Kidwelly where they kept an inn known as the “White Lion.” At this time Mormon missionaries were preaching in the area. The missionaries stopped for refreshments and shared their message. Elizabeth became convinced of the truth of Mormonism and was baptized into the Church in 1847. She said: “After this my home became a resort for the Elders and I was the special subject of persecution by my neighbors.” Her husband David would have nothing to do with the Church.
At this time the church was also undergoing persecution in Illinois. Upon the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the presiding apostle, became the leader of the church. Under his directions plans were made to move the church westward. Word was sent to missionaries in Europe to encourage new converts to come help build this new area. Elizabeth was one of those who responded to the call to Zion. Dan Jones, a prominent missionary in Wales, organized one of the first parties of church members to immigrate to America.
The Journey Begins
Welsh converts to the Church in South Wales were instructed to gather at Swansea on February 13, 1849 to prepare to leave for Liverpool. The following morning (February 14) the departure of the steamer Troubador was witnessed by hundreds of spectators according to an article in The Cambrian, a local newspaper. The steamer arrived at Liverpool the following day (February 15) at 3:30 PM. They remained there for the next five nights. In the meantime a 141 foot sailing ship, the year-old Buena Vista, was being prepared for the voyage to New Orleans. On Monday, February 26th, the Buena Vista was dragged out to sea by two large steamers to begin the 50 day crossing to America. On board were Elizabeth and her six children according to the passenger manifest.
On April 7, after thirty nine days at sea land was sighted as the ship approached the Bahamas leading to much jubilation among the passengers. As they approached New Orleans, spirits soared. On the morning of April 16 a steamer towed the Buena Vista to the New Orleans docks. The emigrants disembarked the next day after a trying 50 days at sea. They still had far to travel, however, to reach the Great Salt Lake valley.
New Orleans to Council Bluffs
Dan Jones, who had earlier captained the Maid of Iowa on the Mississippi River, was able to hire a steamer to carry the immigrants the 1,100 miles to St. Louis. At this time cholera was rampant in New Orleans and along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In St. Louis, the immigrants went on buying spree to purchase items they would need for the trek westward—clothes, firearms, stoves, and iron to make wagons. Between April 28 and May 21, forty-four of the original 249 Buena Vista passengers became victims of the epidemic. Very few families were left intact as cholera spread among the passengers. Elizabeth and her family were spared from the disease. After 15 days on the Missouri River, they arrived at Council Bluffs (about May 17).
Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City
Council Bluffs was taking on a cosmopolitan atmosphere with the convergence of English, Norwegian and Welsh Mormon immigrants. Approximately 200 Welsh were living in and around Council Bluffs. Timing was critical for those who intended to complete the journey before the cold weather and snow arrived. Eight weeks were required to make preparations for the trek to the Salt Lake valley. Not all would go this season lacking the resources to do so. Elizabeth provided assistance to 32 persons to make the trip which was to be reimbursed.
By July 13, a large segment of the Welsh were on the trail to the Elk Horn River where they joined the George A. Smith Company. Of the 370 persons in the Smith Company, 84, just over one-fifth, were Welsh. Elizabeth and her six children were included in this number. They were poised to begin the 1,000 mile trek to their final destination. The company arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley on October 26, 1849 after 108 days on the trail. One out of four of the original 326 Welsh converts who had departed Liverpool eight months earlier were among this band of pioneers.
The Salt Lake Valley
Brigham Young and the first group of pioneers reached the desolate Great Salt Lake Valley two years earlier (July 24, 1847). The Welsh pioneers were visited their first night in the valley by President Brigham Young who gave them a warm welcome. Dan Jones was the only one in the group who had met the Prophet. Most of the Welsh did not speak English and needed to have his words translated.
Marriage of Dan Jones and Elizabeth
Dan Jones and Elizabeth were married within two weeks after arriving in the valley with Brigham Young’s approval. Official records show that their “sealing” took place on November 8, 1849 in the Endowment House on Temple Square. This was a plural marriage for Dan Jones was already married to Jane Melling.
Elizabeth was still married to David Lewis at the time she was sealed to Dan Jones. Little is known about her relationship to her husband David at this time. David had not joined the church and did not accompany his family on their journey. It is possible that Elizabeth did not anticipate that he would ever come to America. But David did come the following year. By the time David arrived Elizabeth had entered into a plural marriage with Dan Jones. As far as is known Elizabeth had no further involvement with David. It is not known whether they were legally divorced. David Thomas Lewis died 15 August 1883 and is buried in the South Jordan Cemetery. Elizabeth went on to have two children by Dan Jones; Ruth (born 1850) and Brigham (born 1852).
Manti Utah
In the fall of 1850 a small group of Welsh immigrants including Dan Jones and his family moved south to settle in Manti. The 1850 Census for San Pete County showed that the Dan Jones household in Manti consisted of 16 individuals including Dan Jones, his first wife Jane and daughter Claudia, Elizabeth and her 6 children from her first marriage and new baby Ruth, and 5 other individuals. Dan Jones was elected mayor of Manti (1851). The following year (1852) Brigham Young asked Jones to return to Wales. During this second mission which lasted until 1856, he baptized approximately 2,000 persons most of whom eventually immigrated to the Utah Territory.
Elizabeth’s marriage to Dan Jones faltered while he was on this second mission. On August 4, 1856 Elizabeth wrote to Brigham Young requesting a bill of divorcement. Elizabeth obtained a “bill of divorcement” from her marriage to Dan Jones on 20 June 1857 issued by Brigham Young. A year later (July 23, 1858) Elizabeth was sealed to John Henry Tuttle. Her correspondence with Brigham Young indicates that this was not a successful union. This marriage ended after a short time. The year after returning from Wales Dan Jones married a third wife, Mary Matilda LaTrielle by whom he had two children. In 1861, his first wife Jane died.
Dan Jones’ health deteriorated due to his work in lead mines in Wales. He died January 3, 1862 of tuberculosis at the age of 51. Four months before his death (14 September 1861) Dan and Elizabeth were remarried. Upon Dan’s death Elizabeth became the administrator of his estate which was valued at $4,430. Elizabeth and her children moved to Provo after the death of Dan Jones. Mary Matilda LaTrielle, his third wife, remarried.
Brigham Young’s Farm House
Seven years later Elizabeth was sealed to the Prophet, Brigham Young, in the Endowment House (July 8, 1869). She took up residence with her younger children in Brigham Young’s farm house which was located near the present day intersection of 23rd South and 7th East in Salt Lake City. Her son Canaan who was twenty years old helped his mother until his marriage in 1872.
Death
Brigham Young died August 29, 1877. Elizabeth lived on another 18 years passing away in Salt Lake City on May 6, 1895 at the age of 83 years. She is buried in the City Cemetery in Salt Lake City.
Elizabeth endured many challenges in her life. The restored church was very important to her. In a letter to J. Davis in Wales (Manti, 1851) she wrote:
“With respect to the religion, the truthfulness of which I testified so much about when there, I testify more firmly today than ever that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ in its strength. I get additional testimony of this continually, and such that I could not get there, which has set its truthfulness beyond doubt in my mind a long time ago. And if my friends there could hear my testimony now, it would be stronger than any; and my exhortation would be more intense by far for them to get baptized by the servants of God for the remission of their sins and to be saved in the kingdom of God. O, you, my dear relatives, believe this my testimony.”
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
