History of Thomas John

by Thomas L. Worley

A great grandson

Thomas John (1920-1890), my great grandfather, was born at Woodroach Parish, Pembrokeshire, South Wales on January 29, 1920. He was the son of William John and Letitia Philips.

He had  very little schooling as a child, but became a good reader. He studied the scriptures, and very few people could beat him at quoting them. Toward the latter part of the year 1948, he heard of prosperous times in America and decided to try his fortune. He procured his passage as assistant cook on a ship.

After arriving in America, he met with many misfortunes. He became ill and when times were very dull, he became discouraged and returned to his native land the following spring. When he landed at Liverpool, Thomas met a party of men and women going to Zion. He had not heard of such a place in America, and on the contrary, thought it was the most wicked place he had seen. These people told him the heavens had again opened and angels had again conversed with man. They also told him of the Prophet Joseph Smith and records written on gold plates. As he meditated, he thought surely these people had been deluded. As he tried to pass it off his mind, the words repeated by these people would sound in his mind. They were, "The heavens have again been opened and angels have conversed with men." Shortly after his return, his aunt Mary Phillips informed him that she had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that the Lord had again restored His gospel with all its gifts and blessings to the earth. She had been a servant in a certain family and she invited them to come to a cottage meeting. They all went. Toward the end of the meeting an old lady arose and began speaking in Welsh, but soon began speaking pure Greek, and delivered a very intelligent talk. After she sat down, an old gentleman stood and interpreted it word for word. Neither had any education. At the close of the meeting, all were invited to come again.

Thomas was religiously inclined, and knowing that his Aunt Mary was a good and sensible woman, he decided to weigh the facts for himself. Before Aunt Mary joined the Church, she compared Mormon tracts with the Bible, hoping to find mistakes, but found none. Her daughter, who was a Roman Catholic nun, regarded her mother as a heretic, and unfit to associate with anyone. Aunt Mary was thoroughly converted to the truthfulness of the gospel. Thomas was well informed in the Bible, but now a new light was put on it. He made it his daily study and spent many sleepless nights in study. Thomas knew that his friends would look on him with scorn if he joined the Church, but decided to forsake all and follow the Savior. He felt he should suffer persecution as well and the Savior, if he wanted to inherit eternal life. Thomas was baptized and confirmed in 1851.

My grandfather, Henry John, was at that time about three months old. It seemed as if the world had closed every avenue of support to Great-grandfather. Even his friends looked on him with scorn and contempt. At times, it seemed that the very heavens had closed against him. The weight and apprehension became so heavy, that it seemed he would despair, till one day when he was working in a room by himself, he stopped, and sitting on a bench, offered up a silent prayer. "Oh Father, if I have done wrong and offended Thee, forgive me and let me know and I will retrieve my ways." Immediately he felt a light resting upon his head, and he felt as is it was oil flowing down over him and all doubt was expelled from him. This heavenly feeling continued to flow over him until it reached his waist. Then he felt a joy unspeakable and cried, "Father, it is enough. I am satisfied." He never doubted again.

People passing his house would hurl stones at his door. At school, Thomas' sons were severely beaten by the schoolmaster and the older boys. At last they had to be kept at home. These conditions lasted about five years, when he thought it wise to move to another part of the country. He moved to Harisford.

People around his new home brought so much work to do that he had to keep one of his boys home, then another,  until he had so much to do that he had to send some [of the work] to another shoemaker.

In 1861, Thomas found that he had enough money to pay for the passage of his family, which now consisted of 11, to New York. They sailed April 16, 1861. The ship, "The New York Manchester," Carried 380 saints. They arrived at New York just after the Battle of Bull's Run.

Thomas set to work making military equipment. His two elder sons, Charles and William, helped him. The younger children were sent to school. James soon quit and began hauling coal. Levi also quit [school] and worked at the largest bakery in New York City. They soon had enough money to take them to Florence, winter quarters of the Saints. From there, they expected to be taken by church teams to Utah.

While traveling on a train in Missouri, some of the Mormons heard the engineer say "I will send these Mormons to Hell before night." Soon after this, a car was seen on fire. The engineer uncoupled it and took it to a station. When he came back fro the rest of the train, he crashed into it. Some passengers were hurt, but none seriously. When they arrived in Florence, they were destitute, for their clothing and baggage and bedding had gone up in flames with the car. At Florence, small canvas tents were provided for the saints, twelve persons to a tent. Fourteen were in great-grandfather's. They camped at Florence for six weeks while waiting for Church teams to come and take them to Zion. Because of [the] heavy winter, they were delayed.

Finally, on October 17, they arrived in Zion in Henry Miller's wagon train. After they had left Elkhorn River, they were out of civilization. They were on the great western prairie. Here nature in all its beauty and splendor were uncontaminated by man. Wild animals were seen in abundance.

The captain of this train was very cruel. After Thomas had lost all his baggage in the fire, he saved enough of his flour to trade for robes to keep them warm. The captain wouldn't allow him to do this, and made him go without any more flour.

At one time an old man was crossing a dangerous and cold river on the back of a wagon. The captain pulled him off and [sub]merged him in a mud spring. President Young was informed of this and the captain had to pay the man 300 dollars. The captain offered to go back for more immigrants, but President Young informed him that he was released.

On October 17, they arrived at Immigration Square in Salt Lake City. From there, the trains scattered to their homes.

On October 22, 1962, they arrived at Cache Valley and camped at Wellsville. Here, Thomas met President Young and went to church. There was no room for the children in the small building, so they remained outside. While the children were waiting, a man, John Maughan, asked them to dinner. Mrs. Maughan was very kind and motherly. Ann and James Got to work for the Maughan's. Mr. Maughan and James made some of the best molasses in Utah.

The Family moved into a house and the next day the men and boys got a job digging potatoes. Soon they began helping with threshing. There was no money in Wellsville, so trade was carried on by barter.

It was a custom to rebaptize immigrants, so on a cold day the whole family went and was baptized.

Thomas and William worked at shoemaking, and Henry made pegs for them.

School was held about three months in each year. Henry and Levi attended that year. Paper was very hard to get, and books could not be bought.

The city of Wellsville was laid out in 1964. Two stores and a better church house were built. In 1867, the John family moved over the mountains to Portage, Utah in Malad Valley. They were among the first settlers in Portage. They settled north of the present town, and that part was called John's town. It was here that Thomas John died on January 25, 1890. Grandfather Henry John gives a more complete story of the Family of Thomas John.

Thomas married Margaret Thomas 24 July, 1840.