the history of the early members of the church of jesus

133
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1989 The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus Christ The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Preston, Lancashire, England of Latter-Day Saints in Preston, Lancashire, England Paul Floyd Smart Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Smart, Paul Floyd, "The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Preston, Lancashire, England" (1989). Theses and Dissertations. 5114. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5114 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected].

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Page 1: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University

BYU ScholarsArchive BYU ScholarsArchive

Theses and Dissertations

1989

The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus Christ The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-Day Saints in Preston, Lancashire, England of Latter-Day Saints in Preston, Lancashire, England

Paul Floyd Smart Brigham Young University - Provo

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd

Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons

BYU ScholarsArchive Citation BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Smart, Paul Floyd, "The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Preston, Lancashire, England" (1989). Theses and Dissertations. 5114. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5114

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected].

Page 2: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY MEMBERS OF

THE CHURCH OPOF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAYLATTER SAINTSDAY

IN PRESTON lancashire ENGLAND

A thesis

presented to the

department of history

brigham young university

in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree

master of arts

paul F smart 1989

by

paul floyd smart

december 1989

Page 3: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

becdecded

daviddavidh H pratt committeecom chairmanmittaitt

this thesis by paul floyd smart is accepted in its present form

by the department of history of brigham young university as satisfying

the thesis requirement for the degree of master of arts

jvq ct

ronarfd W walker committee member

6ec fas9f9date

ii

d

b46cdavid C montgomeryttaduate rdinatorruinator

Page 4: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

60go

90go

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES iv

chapter

1I PRESTON BRANCH 183718511837 1851 1

11II BRITISH LDS RECORDS 183718511837 1851

pre1851

a a a a a m a a a a a a m a a a

a 0 a a 0 a a a a a a a a 0 a a a a

a a 0 a a 4 0 a a a a a 0 9 a a a a 122.122s122

PRE 1851

28

39

76

84

88

89

92

93

122

liiIII111illlil socialeconomicsocialaconomicSOCIAL MOBILITYECONOMIC AND background

.2828

.3939

IV RELIGIOUS background .6060

V conclusions .7676

APPENDIX 1 EARLY BRITISH missionarieschurchmissionarievchurchMISSIONARIES LEADERSCHURCH .8484

APPENDIX 2 BRANCH RECORDS SURVEY .8888

APPENDIX 3 WELSH BRANCH RECORD .8989

APPENDIX 4 1852 BRANCH RECORD .9090

APPENDIX 5 PRESTON LEADERS 183718521837 1852 .9292

APPENDIX 6 EARLY PRESTON AREA CONVERTS 1837 c1852 .9393

bibliography

Page 5: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

iglg

LIST OF TABLES

table

1 conference populations 184018481840 1848 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4 0 6 8 6 6 0 6 6 0

41

50

55

68

.1919

2 LDS WORK FORCE occupations .4141

3 WAGE SCALECOST OF LIVING .5050

4 PLACES OF BIRTH OF THE EARLY LDS IN PRESTON .5555

5 RELIGIOUS persuasions OF THE EARLY PRESTON LDS .6868

iv

Page 6: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

CHAPTER I11

PRESTON BRANCH 183718511837

mormonism

1851

officially known as the church of jesus christ of

latterdaylatter saintsday hereafter the LDS church was founded in the

upstate new york during the first third of the nineteenth century

joseph smith its founder was troubled over so many religions that

seemed to be vying for support he felt that he was divinely directed

to restore the church as it had existed at the time of jesus christ

the church was officially organized on april 6 1830

with the founding of the restored church also came the charge

to share the word that the church of jesus christ was again on the

earth complete with authority principles doctrines saving

ordinances and every other thing necessary for the salvation of the

human family the word spread rapidly in the eastern united states

and soon intonto eastern canada some came inquiring about the new found

church but others were formally charged by leaders of the church to

spread the word such a calling was extended to heber C kimball

and others in june 1837 however this invitation was to take the

word overseas to england

england was a land steeped in tradition and rich heritage

however during the first half of the nineteenth century she was in a

fam i I1 y rap i d I1 y i n un i ted

i i nquaqu i r i ng f

formal ly

Page 7: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

2

state of reform the population of the country had doubled since the

beginning of the century most of the people were on the move to the

large cities where the effect of the industrial revolution was

purportedlypurported ayiy providing work opportunities the elite standing of the

welltodowell aristocracyto wasdo being challenged by the factory owners and

other business entrepreneurs the comfortable easygoingeasy villagegoing

life style enjoyed by most of england during past centuries was now in

a state of incertitude although the franchise had been somewhat

extended in 1832 chartist movements and others were afoot to

establish a truly democratic society 1

such were the conditions of the country and the city of preston

lancashire where the restored gospel was first preached why

preston was chosen over various other cities can be attributed to the

ties that one of the missionaries had with family members much the

same reason that the locations where most of the missionaries firstserved was based on their ancestral homes

preston was close to liverpool where the missionaries firstlanded after their voyage across the atlantic the livelihoodoflivelihood of the

preston people came largely from cotton and linen manufacturing iron

and brass foundries some sea trade and shipping from the ribble

river brewing and soap making although preston was 217 miles

northwest of london it was not far from other industrial population

centers in the north leeds yorkshire fifty miles liverpool

lancashire thirty miles manchester lancashire twentyseven

miles with improved access to travel on the river and the completion

of several railway connections the import of needed resources and

twenty seven

Page 8: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

3

export of products were greatly expedited by 1841 the population of

preston just over 50000 had increased over three times since the

turn of the century

although not overly religious the people of preston supported

the church of england baptists society of friends wesleyanswesleyannWesle

primitive

yans

methodists unitarians independents roman catholics and

by the end of 1837 a mormon congregation seven missionaries of the

LDSL churchDS arrived in liverpool on july 19 1837 2 after a voyage

of eighteen days after resting for three days they were on theirway to preston having left liverpool on saturday july 21

one of these missionaries was joseph fielding his brother

james fielding was residing in preston as an itinerant minister

while the other six missionaries found private lodgings in preston

joseph spent a few days with his brother the day after their

arrival the missionaries were invited to attend services with james

fielding in his chapel at vauxhall road that sunday afternoon heber

C kimball delivered the first LDS sermon in england at the

vauxhall chapel followed by orson hyde in the evening john goodson

spoke and joseph fielding bore his testimony james fielding again

offered his chapel for wednesday evening where orson hyde and willard

richards spoke to a group that seemed eager to receive the religious

message they bore allail except the leader of the group james fielding

who began to be antagonistic toward the americans he never offered

his chapel again for their use

boreall

Page 9: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

vakwokmok

4

on sunday morning july 30 after having spent a little over a

week in preston the first baptisms took place nine people many if

not all being part of james fieldings congregation the following

day joseph fielding baptized eight more three additional converts

were baptized by heber C kimball on thursday jennetta richards

later to be the wife of one of the future apostles and an early

missionary willard richards was baptized on august 4 the next

monday kimball again baptized one and orson hyde baptized six 3

most of these conversions were accomplished with only half of the

missionary force on tuesday august 1 two of the missionaries were

sent to bedfordshireBedford andshire two others were off to cumberland the

preston missionaries who remained were heber C kimball orson hyde

and joseph fielding

the preston branch or congregation was organized at the home of

sister ann dawson at 21 pole street on august 6 1837 by mid august

joseph fielding listed the branch population as near 40 and meeting

in the open air 4 in early september fielding reported ninety

members with meetings being held in a large and convenient building

known as the cockpit 5 and that nearly all his brother james

congregation had joined the mormonscormonsMor 6mons at a church conference held at

preston on october 8 heber C kimball indicated that there were five

branches of the church in preston consisting of about 150 members

and that the first priesthood ordinations had been administered to

eight individualsindividual 7 at the next conference held at christmas

kimball stated there were 300 in attendance likely including members

from surrounding branches and that they blessed 100 children

afeevvk i n f i rst baptbaat i smssas p I1 acenace in ne peopdeop I1 e i f

4011

S

Page 10: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

5

ordained seventeen to the priesthood and performed fourteen

confirmations 8

the year 1838 saw the first excommunications in the preston

branch and the first change in the leadership of the church in

britain in april hyde and kimball returned to america leaving joseph

fielding as the presiding high priest with willard richards and

william clayton to assist him 9

joseph fielding felt the weight of leadership and the

discouragement that oft times accompanies the role his tenure began

with a reassessment of where the church stood he was concerned with

financial matters and the lack of steadfastness in the church he

stated no doubt we shall have a sifting there are many in the

church who will not stand but purity is better than numbers 10 yet

his discouragement in the work seemed shortlivedshort aslived in a few days he

mentioned more baptisms and confirmations and added many have been

expecting to see the work decline when our brethren left us but it is

not so nor will it be 1 meetings continued to be held at the

cockpit during 1838

confusion and other difficulties plagued the church on

september 21 fielding ai bouncednouncedainouncedannounced that the church in preston was in

disarray it appeared that there might even be a division in the

church elder thomas webster was forming a party from some of the

officers of the church plans were formulated to bring fielding and

richards before a council and level a number of charges against them

in an evening meeting webster charged joseph fielding with

partiality concerning his fieldings wife 12 elder fielding

1

Page 11: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1

wouaou I1 d

6

thought this was an attempt to get at him through his wife another

accusation was leveled at willard richards charging that he had

prophesied that he wouldhould not get married until jesus christ should

come and now his forthcoming marriage to jennetta richards had been

announced to take place on september 24 still another complaint was

that when administering to the sick the use of medicine had been

forbidden another member was accused of prophesying that someone

would recover who had died it was charged that the brethren would

visit the more respectable but pass the poor by

another meeting was convened the next day a private meeting at

which only eight were present nothing ever came of the accusations

but the contention that existed among these eight proved sufficient to

lead them out of mormon ism webster and several others were cut

off interestingly enough kimbalkimball and hyde had written a prophesy

regarding websters falling away in april 1838 13 the written

prophesy seemed to calm what could have been a very serious

situation but the charges were partially revived in october 1838

when elder richards was cited in the death of alice dawson hodgson

the wife of miles hodgson she had been sick for some time and when

the doctors could not help she turned to the church she died

september 2 and charges were filed against richards he was accused

of aiding in her death because he influenced her away from the

doctors care he appeared in court october 3 and was acquitted the

same day 4

As the year came to a close it seemed bleak for joseph fielding

the church is in a state of depression almost throughout he wrote

marr i ed unt i I1 chr i st shou I1 d

daya

mormonism

14

prprophesophesprophesy i ed

Page 12: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

7

things look very dark he had hoped to leave the lies about

mormon ism in america but they were so prevalent that the newspapers

in england were now carrying them he still felt a strong opposition

to his missionary work in his words the powers of darkness rage on

every side few will stand the tryals that will come upon them

Q 0.0 the world are persecuting us on every hand and many of the

church watch over us for evil even their faithful friend and one of

the first nine to be baptized sister ann dawson seemed to turn on

them she had lodged them periodically since their arrival in england

and now she was contemplating moving to a smaller house as fielding

imagined to be rid of them they in fact moved in december 15

according to joseph fielding 1839 began with the worst storm

witnessed in england in over a hundred years he seemed to think that

this made some temporarily repentant but conditions soon seemed

similar to the previous year troubles were everywhere fielding was

often in the surrounding countryside while willard richards somewhat

sickly and often needing to care for a less than healthy wife spent

most of his time in preston some of the preston saints found fault

with elder richards and fielding often found himself in a peacemaking

role fieldings problems were compounded by his wifes hesitancy to

have her husband traveling so often

it is not clear who was actually in charge in preston the

preston saints were certainly meeting independent of both richards and

fielding by early 1839 at the end of april neither had attended

preston meetings for the past six sundays 16 moreover fielding

thought the preston members were in a position to do more for the

mormonism

Page 13: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

powerpoher 21

8

missionaries than they were doing such as helping with clothing and

expenses he compared the poverty of the saints in manchester with

that in preston by stating that those in preston could get twenty

suits better than they those in manchester could get one 17

sometime in early june 1839 elder fielding learned of

reinforcements coming from america on june 9 he was informed by

heber C kimball that elder orson hyde would return to england 18 he

seemed pleased when the brethren come from america he recorded on

june 19 it will be to release me I1 will then turn humble servant

again 19

in july joseph fielding described the condition of the preston

church

the church in preston is in a peaceable state at present but I1

greatly fear a lukewarm spirit the elders are diligent in goingout to preach and also in the streets in preston ourcongregation here does not increase there are not many thatdesire to learn sound doctrine but few will take up their crossand follow jesus christ and the seed that does take root is notall on good ground 20

this situation seemed to remain somewhat unchanged and yet the preston

presidency had hope fielding credited the branchs tepid spirit to

the pending arrival of apostolic power21 from america and the evil

in the world working harder because of it 22 by late september the

preston church was meeting in the open air again previously the

LDS congregation had left the cockpit and rented a large room or

hall the methodists had interfered with their meeting in the hall

and they were no longer permitted to use it thus the reason for

their being outdoors 232 1

Page 14: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

9

the first of the hopedforhoped arrivalsfor landed in december 1839

this party of missionaries from america consisted of hiram clarkdarkoarkalexander wright and samuel muimul liner who arrived with promises of

more help in route wright and muimul liner were soon dispatched to

scotland while elder clark remained in the area two apostles

wilford woodruff and john taylor along with theodore turley arrived

in january the prospects of the added help from these six brought

new life and enthusiasm to president fielding and elder richards who

had now been serving about two and a half years

A special sunday street service was held in honor of the new

arrivals the speakers stood in the doorway of deacon likely arthur

burrows house and spoke to those gathered this situation became a

regular occurrence throughout the year with occasional meetings held

at the cockpit to alleviate the cold damp outdoor meetings during the

winter months

some of the first saints to emigrate to america left in 1840

while it is difficult to determine when the first actually sailed a

small group definitely left in march fielding records we went to

the dock with some saints on their way to america to their friends

there 24 the ship was the susanna gumming bound for new york

there were at least eight of the early mormons on board others

seemed anxious to go to america but the elders counseled them to

stay president fielding felt that they should not all desert just

when more of the church leaders were expected from america

on april 8 1840 brigham young heber C kimball orson pratt

george A smith and reuben hedlockbedlock arrived in preston joseph

mulliner

mulliner

cu

Page 15: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

10

fielding had met them three days earlier in liverpool parley P

pratt also came with them but stayed in liverpool to work with john

taylor

four days later a special week of gospelcenteredgospel eventscentered took

place it began with sunday services at the cockpit where the

sacrament was administered contributions to help the work move ahead

were received and several of the apostles spoke all of the other

american missionaries serving in britain at this time arrived through

the early part of the week for a list of all american missionaries

that served in great britain during the churchs first decade see

appendixappend I11.1 on tuesday allail seven of the apostles met in a special

council meeting and ordained willard richards as a member of the

quorum of the twelve and resolved to send for twenty of the quorum of

seventy to assist in england with the work 25

on wednesday a general conference of the church was held in

preston three sessions morning afternoon and evening were

required asked to report on the preston branch joseph fielding

stated that there were about 300 members 7 elders 8 priests 6

teachers and 2 deacons the next closest in number of members was

manchester with about 240 members and then the church at

herefordshireHerefordshire and the potteries with 101 each most others were

considerably less than one hundred in numbers 26 at this same

conference the following decisions were made to 1 have hiram clark

replace willard richards as a counselor to joseph fielding 2 print a

hymn book 3 start a monthly publication 4 ordain a patriarch to

give patriarchal blessings and 5 convene another conference in

july 27

i x a I1 I1 apost I1 es i n spec i a I1

eveningwere

Page 16: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1astlast sunday meeting held in that facility was on april 26 1840

with fielding and kimball being the last to speak the last meeting

was on wednesday april 29 and befitting the occasion george D watt

the first to be baptized in england came from bury to address the

congregation along with fielding andand0anda kimball

11

on thursday parley P pratt was chosen to be editor of a monthly

publication the melleniamMelle sicniam star 28 he john taylor and

brigham young were to select hymns for the new hymn book the way for

emigration to america was opened it was also determined that a

copyright should be secured for the book of mormon and doctrine and

covenants 29 friday found preston deserted by the brethren it was

a holiday good friday and they had all gone to penworthamworthamPen to spend

the day with the members there before leaving for all parts of the

country on the following day this same day peter mellingmoiling having

been approved the day before was ordained as patriarch

the final day of this special week in preston was sunday parley

P pratt began by speaking at the cockpit the day ended with reuben

hedlockbedlock and parley P pratt speaking in the evening service also at

the evening service the deacons collected funds from those who could

help the work this practice was part of each evening service 30

joseph fielding felt strongly about what had happened in preston he

said I1 think preston is honored by sending out the servants of god

to all parts

2 8

2 9

a3lal31ll11 he then remained in and around preston to

oversee affairs in that area

by the first part of may joseph fielding had subscribed

fortyfiveforty tofive the mi millennialilennialglennialIlenllenlien starnial mostly from the preston area he

had also terminated his dealings with those who oversaw the cockpit

the meet i ng he I1 d i n fac i I1 i ty apr i 1

Page 17: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

12

church services the first sunday in mayhaynay wereherewergwere held in the open airat a place called the orchard 32 these outdoor sunday meetings

went on throughout the next couple of months unless the weather was

inclement at least one meeting near the end of the month was held in

the new house at the railroad station joseph fielding recorded the

first special meeting held to give patriarchal blessings as being held

in penworthamworthamPen on monday may 25 at the home of patriarch peter

melling

emigration was on the minds of many fielding noted a sizable

group left for liverpool34Liverpool on may 30 he made particular mention of

thomas moss and his wife from preston

preston had been the headquarters of the church for three years

since the first missionaries had arrived in 1837 its leading

position was presaged when parley P pratt was sent to manchester to

publish the mi millennialiiennialbiennial star the demise of preston was further

evidenced when the general conference of the church in july was held

in manchester at carpenters hall

at this conference the various branches of the church were

organized into districts or as they were more commonly referred to in

the early period conferences presided over by elders the

presidency of the church in the british isles consisting of fielding

clayton and clarkdarkoark was released 35 preston was still the largest

branch of the church in england reporting a membership of 354 followed

by manchester with 280 peter melling the patriarch was appointed

to preside over the conference consisting of preston longton

penworthamworthamPen north meolsmeals and southport branches of the church joseph

3

33

presidedover

34Liverpoo 134131

Page 18: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

13

fielding who had for some time looked after the saints in preston was

appointed to labor in bedford where he had resided as a youth 36 at

the general conference held in october 1840 the membership of the

preston conference or district was 665 and that of the manchester

branch was 364 peter mellingmoiling still presided over the conference and

was assisted by elder H withnall

early in 1841 a number of saints sailed for america many of

them from preston 37 those still in preston must have had some

leadership from john ho I1 salsai I1 fielding indicates that it was common

to have ho I1 sal I1 lay hands on the sick in one case on hannah fielding

who was about to have a baby 3 8

apostle orson hyde brought renewed life and enthusiasm to the

preston saints he returned to england in march 1841 and joseph

fielding accompanied him from liverpool to preston his return must

have been particularly heartwarming because many of the saints had

said he would never return though hyde himself claimed otherwise

others had heard that he was having serious difficulties in keeping

the commandments and had left the church at least some of the

meetings he attended were still held out of doors

A meeting of the preston conference of the church was held on

january 3 1841 twelve branches of the conference were represented

with a membership of 728 the preston branch one of the twelve had

445 members another meeting of the same conference was held on march

21 1841 at which time there were ten branches consisting of 628

members at the general conference held at manchester on april 6 the

preston conference reported a membership of 675 at each of these

3 6

holsall

holsall31

3 twe I1 ve conferencearence

212

Page 19: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

gatherings peter me I1 ling presided or represented the preston

conference at least one other conference was held at preston in

october of which there are no details 39 by years end william

struthers may have been presiding in preston 40 struthers wrote to

parley P pratt in november and stated that the saints were doing

well he also described the miraculous healing of fanny lee who had

been near to death 41

this year also saw the british saints lose their two

longstandinglong missionariesstanding willard richards sailed in april having

served for just under four years the man who was perhaps the

patriarch of the preston branch elder joseph fielding departed

with his family in october 1841 he had been associated with the

first branch of the church in england for over four years these were

not the only brethren to leave of the nine apostles who were at the

general conference in april only parley P pratt remained after may

1841

very little is known about preston in 1842 there was a general

conference of the church held in may 1842 at manchester preston

conference was represented by william struthers who declared there

were 665 members residing in eleven branches

the following year a general conference was held in june this

time elder william snailsnall hamhaa represented the preston conference which

consisted of 655 members in fifteen congregations in september this

same william snailhamSnail washam chosen president of the clitheroe conference

consisting of several branches just to the north of preston at the

september conference the preston branch was reported to have 417

14

melling

snailham

Page 20: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

15

members whereas the total membership of the preston conference was

586 members in eleven branches

another general conference was held in 1844 at manchester

snailsnall hamhaa still represented clitheroe john banks reported the preston

conference as having 594 members in eleven branches at this

conference john banks was ordained a high priest to preside over the

preston conference he indicated considerable emigration had taken

place and although much opposition had been experienced the preston

conference was having success 42

in 1845 the preston conference was represented by an american

missionary elder leonard W hardy there were now ten branches and

505 members hardy said he had not been around preston for very long

but that the prospects for success seemed good 43 hardy presided in

preston during most of 1845 at the preston conference held at the

cockpit in august 1845 hardy represented eleven branches with a

membership of 542 since elder hardy was to shortly leave for home

it was suggested and approved that elder john mellingmoiling be presiding

elder of the preston branch and that elder john ho I1 saisal I1 be presiding

elder over the preston conference for the time being at years end

december 1845 a special general conference was held in manchester

preston statistics were given as 523 members

in the fall of 1846 a general conference was held in

manchester some of the quorum of the twelve had arrived from america

and those associated with the joint stock company a questionable

financial venture for the purpose of building up industries in nauvoo

and assisting the emigration scheme were dealt with in addition

snailham

4

holsall

Page 21: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

eae4

16

elder henry B jacobs was appointed to preside over both the preston

and clitheroe conferences he was to be assisted by another

missionary elder oliver B huntington 44 at a council meeting held

in preston in december john ho I1 sal I1 was released as president of the

preston branch and john foley replaced him 45 another officer in

the branch and possibly the conference was john swindlehurst who was

the local agent for the millennial starjohn swindlehurst was a faithful agent for the mi millennialilennialglennialIlenllenlien starnial

he made payments nearly every month to the liverpool office each

issue cost 2vsd2ya and swindlehurst and his successors generally made

monthly payments of about 4 since the mi ilennialmillennialglennialIlenllen starnial was issued

twice a month nearly two hundred of each issue were being distributed

in the preston area if taken at face value and considering the

conference population rather than just the branch there were 37

percent of the members subscribing to this publication however in

examining those who were in the church most were not alone many had

a spouse children or other family members that resided in their

homes that were also members therefore an adjusted percentage of

about 70 percent would more likely represent families that were

subscribing to the star 4641 with so large a number receiving the

magazine there was more unity among the members a willingness to

conform to the wishes of the presiding authorities and the volume of

subscribers suggests that many of the members were literate and well

informed about the dealings of the church however the success of

placing the mi millennialilennialglennialllenIlenlien starnial in the homes of the saints may have been

short ii ved

i n 1 n sa I1 re I1 eased pres i dent

lived

aya

Page 22: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

17

A big push to get the millennial star into more of the saintssaints1

hands occurred in 1850 john parkinson had been the star agent for

over two years and was charged with the task church leaders feltthat there were too many growing up in ignorance of the history of

the church and that subscribing to the star would help to alleviate

this A recent printing of this publication was near 5000 issues but

the new goal was to get 20000 issues out if the new quota could be

reached the retail price would be one penny per issue to help usher

in this new emphasis the conferences had been organized with not only

a general agent for the conference but with subagentssub foragents the

branches within the conferences 47

all the conferences had been asked to quadruple their mi millennialilennialglennialIlenllen

star

nial

subscriptions preston however was not overly supportive of

the new request nor other assignments that were requested by may 1

there was no response regarding the new goal 48 the conference was

also apathetic to the call for a statistical report for the first half

of 1850 as well figures for june 1 1850 were the same as those for

december 1849 as was the conference president G D watt 49

however it would appear that even preston was finally successful in

its increased subscriptions since it was reported in the fall of 1850

that the number of issues being printed was 23000 50

during the first half of 1847 jacobs and huntington continued to

preside in preston and clitheroe they evidently resided or at least

had their mailing address at preston 51 at the preston conference

heldheid at the cockpitcockpcocka in march 526 members were in the eight branches

of the conference it appears that jacobs presided over the

dur i ng f i rst ha I1 f hunt i ngtonagton cont i nuedaued

he I1 d i t i n i n e i ghtaht

Page 23: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

butheouthe

18

conference and elder john foley over the preston branch foley was

the one who represented the branch which consisted of 370 members

the following sunday a conference was convened of the clitheroe

conference wherein jacobs again presided but this conference

consisting of nine branches could not reach a membership of even that

of the preston branch 52 in july 1847 both oliver B huntington and

henry B jacobs left to return to america evidently jacobs was quite

ill 53 elder george D watt was appointed in their stead to preside

over the preston conference 54

membership in the preston branch dipped to 365371365 in371 184718481847

probably

1848

due to emigration watt still presided over the conference

which consisted of eight branches at the general conference of the

church held in august 1848 george D watt reported an all time low

for the membership of the conference the preston conference had

increased from 300 in 1840 to a high of 675 in 1841 and then had

steadily decreased to just above 500 by 1848 for a comparison chart

and more exact figures see table 1

early in 1849 watt started for scotland to proselyte in the

western part of the country 55 he probably still presided over the

preston conference because an implied conference was held at preston

april 22 and watt was listed as the president the conference

consisted of 525 members residing in eight branches john foley wassecretary of the conference 56 later in the year watt had made plansto return to america the preston conference was not able to help himand his family financially to emigrate and he was given leave of theconference so he could not only preach but use one of histalents that of cutting likenesses with the scissors to helpobtain the means with which to emigrate 57 his income must not havebeen overly lucrative he was still there at years end and thereforereported the conference statistics late in december 58

branches

talentsthat5

Page 24: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

wiganwianwien

leeisaida

iiull11tillwiull

iieskinifeskingieskin

northwindnorthwinhnorthwieh

sherieldsheoieldshetheld

longtonlondon

altringliamaltrinyhammacclestieldmacelestield and ceoverpeoverPemiddlevichMiddlemiddie

oveeoveroyerivich

heretordshireherefordshire 0.0

vhitmoreolvhitmoreodd embersmembers11

voiVOL 1I

Penworthpenworthun

boltonboiton

alstonaiston

isleisie of manuan

25138513

3844356

ivol 1

p1650et61840

665

36263636

volvoi I1ip301

325335

1531

238

5071298

570171iti

707tot5262

324160igo

206532

31140

1

2712796

86

7797

vol5ip 166

1

18451815

505

vol tivol71vot

302303

1721

1069logg

12772752

324186

493303357282882247

410470

156268

tynetyno ilc&tso corlilecorlsleoldhamwaleswiles

volvoi

969gig jit iiaii8 fitjit 912913 1516

00ee

GlagiasTolynorvNorsvich

brancbranebesand

birminuirmin hanx o0

irelre land ilusboroughhuaboroughIlUsHUahusliusborough

1voievoi

iiaii4 jiI1

lzilazil 15 38 iiii1iii 4184 418 7 202 1

iiaii2

at2t 1

TABLE 1

conference populations 18401848164q18481840

ABSTRACTLBSTIUCT

1848

OT GZNZP confebence9confzuznczs AS BECORDEDUZCORDED M THICTHB STABSTAR

COXMILDCOXPXLXD BY T 0 buowsr30w1

GENERAL

conferences

preston 00to00 to

souchporfci ac&c&a

ratcliffewhittleribchesterRibchester

blackburnkeighley andaad thornleywaddintonwaddington

potteries stonbrdshirestaffordshke

liverpool

glasgownorwich

c

west bromwichbirmingham

bristol and bath sthath con

nottingham

pointon lincolnshire

p 2015

1810

30073512054173

6010182524is1529so50278420

52404030

830

612

101loi160igo40283040

21

1671

vol I167

july 61840

35477541942Is18

6111162227173058359125

5280eso8541

438200012

16853436783640

106log

1

1

1

1

6116

295

364140768271

2481007loot

39100loo403652

193

39361321456

it116

18918

318

443161120130

5741550

26190igo46

003203368

112416224

110iioilo3590

1376686

170ito

5814

vol3ip 28my 151842

665

564

30971

400

54540

7514

voivolyolyoi 4p 33june 4

1843

655653

300

1481

250

377960

558

242302303721731

50955

266154

240544.544

93116ilg

55

128leb14

7975

volvoi 4194.194

apri11avri1844

6

594

299

1583

219319

370172173

596

184330833

204

498

678

66833

328150

316181596207270

31017

140112

1 274

8614

7

PIdeedec 141845

523623

314

1844

906206gog

329933

797

237418

1181

10190igo104101

10951110894

vol 7p185mv3l1846

519

324

1847

223323

656

750

258443

1234

84245

341198199

687337368308233

472

158234

188

volop 252aul3aula1848

529629589

357

2102

342591521

813

30310511438212

1306

102958224

2747649518571386

1050200167364

163522

33

17902

N manchester andend other conferences absorbed manymeny of thiathethis smaller branches andend herefordaciroahiro includes gloucester meshilmorshillmmshilmarMormav garwaybarway4shill froomeshillfroomethillFroome ac&c&ashillthill sometimes a conference vyas notrepresented at allailali and others only partially so tilothetho above is as it appears in the STARS though notexactly a correct representation of the members about ten thousand appear to havehayeheye emigrated

source millennial star 10253

19

T

I

dauberdaubersdauben lane & ecclestonecclestorhunters hill

1

s

burnley

0

clitheroechatburn o0

grindletonmanchesterstockportdukinfield o0

bury and eitoneltonelboneibon

A iston

bramptonbedfordedinburgh

11

pendleburyeccles

london o0

N westekwestlk onou

bradford and yorkcheltenham

worcestershire

leicestershirederbyshirewolverton o0

little moormooe

warwickshiresouthampton

total

00.0ap I1 iisio

jvoiIVOL

A pri 6ip194 p11p185

51y 31

vo IUp252au 13

q

ii iq

274

102

6

000.0 0.0

201

4

009

1325 4 1751 7975 1 1 1

branebesand

1-00

un

Altri nyham

nwcstl

Grind leton

Herefordshire

le e

NVwhitefieldhitefield

ShetheidHeld

Warwick shire

ivol jvonjvo1p i65 p201 ap1p

Mnchesteychesterchestar

omeo

downham

ireland

544

194voi

hany

apri 61

ilg iai3

loo

vola vola

1840118401184011840.1 1811isitis

675

it

6.6 1

11.

Page 25: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

20

george D watt may not have had his heart in administering the

preston conference As was mentioned earlier he had planned to

return home in the fall of 1849 his not returning home may be part

of the reason for the less than diligent effort mentioned earlier

regarding the delinquent reports from preston by september 1850 he

had been requested by the first presidency to return home he was

apparently not much closer to having the means to get there the

leaders of the british mission issued a formal statement in his

behalf let the saints in the bradford and preston conferences send

him and his family to the mountains and they shall in no wise lose

their reward 59

in october 1850 the first general conference of the church in

britain in over two years was held in manchester watt was still at

preston but was formally released to emigrate to america he was

replaced by another american elder joseph W johnson other changes

also occurred at this conference but perhaps the one having the most

impact on the preston area was the combining of the clitheroe

conference with that of preston 60

in 1850 preston continued to fare about as it had in the past

at years end it reported 450 members in six branches foley was

still secretary and watt had been recently replaced by joseph W

johnson although clitheroe conference had just been united to

preston conference it was still listed separately and as having 348

members in ten branches 61 by the end of 1850 it was also felt that

debts for the millennial star and other publications should be

published with the emphasis on subscriptions it is not surprising

Page 26: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

21

that some debt would exist preston was listed at over 20 in

arrears while clitheroe was just over 21 62

george D watt wrote a farewell poem to the saints and his native

england on january 25 1851 63 johnson formally took over now

within the first six months of his administration the preston

conference now consisting also of clitheroe conference reported

sixteen branches and 787 members john foley was secretary of both

areas as well 64 one of the growing problems that faced johnson was

the continued growth of the debt of the conference it rose from 36

at the end of the first quarter of the year to nearly 84 by the end

of the year by the end of the year there were only thirteen branches

in the conference and 708 members 65

while very little is known about the operations of the preston

branch during the 1840s it is known that henry walters was in the

branch presidency in the late 1840s or early 1850s and that john

thorn ley was one of the more faithful of the members since he

replaced walters the only known account of the branch other than

what has been previously mentioned is that recorded in joseph W

youngs journal young was appointed to preside over the conference

in february 1852 after the departure of joseph johnson one of his

first duties was that of removing walters and appointing thorn ley he

also found fault with the debt of the conference book agent he

replaced john parkinson who had filled this position since 1847 with

elder john holsall 66

during the first decade of mormon ism in britain preston a

growing industrial town became the center of mormon ism at least for

e20

e84

thornley

thornley

mormonism

mormonism

921

936

Page 27: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

22

the first half of the decade from the first nine baptisms to a

membership of nearly 400 preston remained a stronghold for

mormon ismisa while smaller branches were disappearing because of

emigration and apostasy preston survived as a unit of the church of

jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday despite all the apathy quarreling

lack of unity and those factors affecting the smaller branches

mormonism

Page 28: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 i n

ENDNOTES TO CHAPTER I11

1 ronald W waikerwalker cradling mormon ismisa the rise of the gospegospel inearly victorian england BYU studies 27 winter 1977 ppap 25625

2

6

diary of joseph fielding historical department of the church ofjesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday salt lake city utah hereafterreferred to as HDC typescript p 6

3 journal of heber C kimball HDC p 12 fielding p 6

4 fielding p 9

5 the cockpit was built near the turn of the century thisamphitheatrical building was used for cock fights for over threedecades then it became the home of the various social politicaland religious movements until it was no longer fit for habitationthomas walmsley reminiscences of the preston cockpit and the oldteetota11ersteetotallersTeetotal prestonlers lancashire guardian printing works 1892

6 fielding p 10 states this number as an about figurerepresenting preston and vicinity as of september 11 heber C

kimballs journal september 12 1837 gives members baptized inpreston as fifty five he also states that fifty more were baptizedin the next week and a half there is likely no real conflict intheir two figures7 kimball entry dated october 8 1838 it should be noted thatjoseph fieldings journal p 12 gives seven as being ordained iegeorge D watt thomas walmsley thomas richardson peter me I1 lingjohn ho I1 sal I1 and thomas webster as teachers arthur burrow as adeacon in orson ferguson whitney life of heber C kimball saltlake city utah deseret press 1945 p 171 a letter from kimball towillard richards dated october 12 1837 states there were 160 membersin preston with churches in walwai kerfoldfoldoidfoid barshebarche lees ribchesterRibpenworthamPen

chesterandwortham thorn ley it is probable that four of these churches

plus preston made up the five branches mentioned as having beenorgan i zed

8 kimball ppap 40240 fieldings2 journal states eleven ordinationsto the office of priest ie henry clegg peter mellingmoiling thomaswebster thomas walmsley john ha I1 salsai I1 thomas richardson georgewatts william clayton william greenhalghGreen josephhaigh gill and davidwilden likely wilding seven teachers ie robert smart jameswhitehead miles hodgson john parker amos fielding john garner andjames lea and sixteen confirmations

23

rona I1 d wa I1 ker crad I1 i ng i sm R i se

mellingholsall

walkerfoldthornley

organized

halsall

Walker

Page 29: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

isls

loly1013

9 manuscript history of the preston branch of the church of jesuschrist of latterdaylatter saintsday HDC september 2 1838

to10 fielding p 20

1 1 ibid12 joseph fielding had married hannah greenwood one of the earlypreston converts on june 11 1838 in his journal he stated thecourtship began in november of 1837 and that he had the approval ofboth heber C kimball and orson hyde

1 3 fielding ppap 27827

I1

8

4 fielding p 28 journal of willard richards HDCHOC september 2september 5 and october 3 1838

1 5 both joseph fielding and willard richards journals confirm themove from 21 pole street with the dawsons to 8 kirkham street northwhere they resided with the walmsleysWalm itsleys is interesting to notethat differences must have been somewhat resolved because afterseveral moves the 1841 census of preston shows joseph fielding hiswife and two children and ann dawson with three of her children atkirkham street north london england public record office 1841census preston lancashire HO 10722 see also fielding p 3036 101loi 109

16 fielding p 36

17 ibid p 38

18 ibid p 36

ibid p 38

ibid p 39

1 9

2 0

21 apostolic power was a term that referred to a reverence and asupreme religious power that was possessed only by the highest leadersof the church ie the apostles22 ibid p 43

23 ibid24 ibid p 63 this sailing took place march 18 1840 conway B

sonne saints on the seas salt lake city utah university of utahpress 1983 makes no mention of this voyage at aliallail the earliestsailing mentioned in this work is that of the britannia which leftfrom liverpool on june 6 1840 there is a new york port passengermanifest dated may 18 1840 recording the arrival of the susannahcummings sic

24

13

14

19

20

2 1

ment i on th i s a I1 I1 ear I1 i est

1.515

Page 30: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 conferencearence

az1z 8

25 fielding ppap 70170 scott1 G kenney ed wilford woodruffsjournal 9 vols midvale utah signature books 1983 143526 kenney wilford woodruffs journal 143627 millennial star 120 kenney wilford woodruffs journal14358143528 kenney wilford woodruffs journal 143891438 this publicationwas actually titled the latterdaylatter saintsday millennial star the firstissued was dated may 1840 its purpose was to keep the members ofthe hurchchurch informed the prospectus of this publication is containedin volume 156152

6

9

3 0

3 1

ibid 143891438fielding ppap 70170

ibid

1

p 72

32 fielding often mentions meeting in the orchard his journaljuly 19 1840 recorded preached in a room which the church hastaken this was his last sunday in preston before leaving forbedfordshireBedford

3

shire3 fielding p 75

34 liverpool was the largest major port near preston it was aboutthirty miles away although preston is on the river ribble thisriver was not navigable especially for any ship large enough to crossthe atlantic ocean

35 ibid p 81

36 millennial star 16671166 minutes71 of the generageneral conference ofthe church held in carpenters hall manchester july 6 1840

37 fielding ppap 101loi 103 entry dated feb 8 indicates about 70left preston for liverpool to go to america all were poor havingabout e4004004.009400 each with them which was as low as the elders couldencourage them to go with

38 fielding p 103 whether john holsall did this as one whohealed others or as the leader of the preston branch is not knownhowever when george D watt arrived at his home fielding saw noreason to call for holsall39 millennial star 2105 one small paragraph mentions theconference and states that the saints were doing well and that somenew branches had been gathered but not many added to the oldsocieties

25

2 5

C

29

30

31

33

M i I1 I1 enn i a I1 1 667166 M i nutes

3 71019

8

9

9

400

Page 31: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

12401124048 ibid

40 peter mellingmoiling was certainly no longer available to preside hesailed for america november 8 1841 and had charge of the LDSembersmembers on board the chaos

41 millennial star 21256212542 kenney wilford woodruffs journal 2530 entry dated march 231845 records john banks appointment to preside over the edinburghconference elder leonard W hardy took his place at prestonaccording to the millennial star 610843 mi millennialilennialglennialIlenllenlien starnial 516685166 hardy had arrived in england injanuary 1845 and departed for america in october of the same year

44 millennial star 8118121811845

121

diary of OB huntington HDC ppap 102 104 huntingtonindicates that holsall had feelings against jacobs

46 even this figure is likely high since the agents for thenillennialhillennialmillennialNillenHillen starnial were also responsible for selling other publications47 ibid

12141

49 ibid 12207so50 ibidI1 12324b

51

i

ibid

d

98052 ibid 9156 the entire clitheroe conference reported aembershipmembershipembereaber ofship 334

53 ibid 9215 the health of elder jacobs is considerablyimpaired

925655 millennial star 119451194 records a letter written by G D wattfrom port william wigtownshire scotland to orson pratt datedfebruary 24 1849

56 ibid 11287 extracts from conference minutes

57 ibid 11105 article is dated april 1 1849

58 ibid q 1215 statistics were reported as of december 23 1849the secretary column for the report was left blank number of membershad decreased by twentyfivetwenty tofive 500

26

2 324

11

54 ibid

1 b i d stat i st i cs

6

8

1

5

Page 32: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

12321512321 3447344

61

7

ibid

59 ibid 1226760 ibid

131562 ibid 131663 ibid 139664 ibid 1320765 ibid 141566 journal of joseph watson young HDCHOC

I1

27

3

5

Page 33: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 s f i rst congregationcongregatcongregatecon begangregat ini 1837on in preston

lancashire it was not long until there were more branches heber C

kimball stated that there were five branches in the preston area by

the time the first conference was held in the fall of 1837 2 of the

28

CHAPTER 2

BRITISH LDS RECORDS 183718511837

in

1851

order to identify the people that were members or converts to

the LDS church the records need examining A preliminary overview

indicates that there are very few records for the early period under

study records for this early period are also not what they purport

to be many are incomplete and only reflect a partial picture of what

actually took place

branch records are those records created by leaders of the LDS

church giving vital details of those who joined the church in a

specified area these records are similar to those kept by protestant

and catholic churches often referred to as their parish registers

there are also conference records which are generally duplicates

of the branch records except the conference books contain records of

several branches in a specified area the value of such records ought

to be apparent however a closer look at record keeping practices of

the early LDS in britain will reveal the real value of such records

the LDS churchchurchs firstL D S i n i n

Page 34: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

29

branches known to exist by the end of 1837 the only one of these

units for which there are extant records is preston proper and even

in this case there are no records that start as early as 1837 it is

interesting to note that of the first nine converts to join the LDS

church in preston no record remains of any of their baptisms in the

preston branch records

branches were created where converts resided this is evidenced

by branch names such as daubers lane hunters hill etc moreover

names seemed to change with little reason as evidenced by churchtown

and north mealsmeols which were apparently the same branch churchtown is

a village and part of the parish of north meolsmeals As these branches

came and went records were lost none currently survive for the

above mentioned branches

there are two early record books for preston that could be

considered branch records one of them is called the preston

conference record and the other is the preston branch record both

records were arranged by elder joseph W young in november 1852 3

the initial recording of members appears to be a retrospective look at

those who were still around in 1852 rather than a complete record

beginning in 1837 and continuing down to 1852 the branch record has

265 entries mostly in alphabetical order the conference record has

365 entries the first 263 entries being the same as the first 263 in

the conference record the conference record has some remarks such as

cut off which are not in the branch record

some interesting observations can be drawn by examining these

preston records on october 8 1837 there were about 150 membersmembers4 of

ex i st on I1 y

iscalled

4

Page 35: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

30

the LDS church in preston and there were nearly 300 attending a

meeting held in preston at christmas 5 when comparing these figures

and others for later years it is obvious that the records are

incomplete 6

worse in many cases the records are nonexistent A list of

lancashire places that had pre1852pre branches1852 was prepared this listwhen compared with the name of branches mentioned in the millennialmillennmillann i a I1

star reveals only fortyeightforty brancheight records out of nearly eighty

units for an additional twentyfivetwenty branchesfive there are no records

that begin prior to 1850

the first issue of the millennial star published in may 1840

quoted from the doctrine and covenants sections two and three two

of the emphasized verses were

26 it shall be the duty of the several churches composing thechurch of christ to send one or more of their teachers to attendthe several conferences held by the elders of the church with alist of the names of the several members uniting themselves withthe church since the last conference or send by the hand of somepriest so that a regular list of all the names of the whole churchmay be kept in a book by one of the elders whoever the otherelders shall appoint from time to time and also if any have beenexpelled from the church so that their names may be blotted out ofthe general church record of names

27 all members removing from the church where they reside ifgoing to a church where they are not known may take a lettercertifying that they are regular members and in good standingwhich certificate may be signed by any elder or priest if themember receiving the letter is personally acquainted with the elderor priest or it may be signed by the teachers or deacons of thechurch 7

this is the first mention of record keeping in the british mission

but again the records seem to have been sadly neglected

Page 36: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

31

the absence of early branch records may be a reflection on those

who presided in the early days of the LDSL churchDS in great britainheber C kimball willard richards and joseph fielding all kept

journals of their english missions no journals are known to have

existed for the remainder of the first seven missionaries isaac

russell john goodson john snider or orson hyde regarding the

first nine baptisms heber C kimballs journal gives their names as

george D watt miller thomas walmsley ann elizabeth

walmsley miles hodgen george wate henry billsbury mary ann brown

ann dawsonedawson willard richards diary fails to mention these firstnine converts joseph fieldings diary says that george watts was the

first of nine to be baptized no mention of the other eight is given

another kind of record a record of good will or standing on the

part of the convert was in use as early as march 1838 8 this was

perhaps an early forerunner of the letter referred to in the doctrine

and covenants verses mentioned above

in october 1840 the saints were encouraged to keep journals 9

an injunction repeated nine years later they were admonished to

record every important incident connected with the work of god in

order that a general history of the church might benefit the

generations of our children after us 10

records of patriarchal blessings were kept as early as 1840

peter mellingmoiling was the first ordained patriarch in england he gave

his first blessing on august 3 1840 from that time until he

emigrated in november 1841 he gave over 600 blessings most being

given to those in or around preston these blessings besides giving

missionariesisaac

1110

Page 37: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

32

some spiritual direction to those who received them called for the

name of the individual receiving the blessing the birth date and

place sometimes the name of the parents or spouse and the date and

place of the blessing since the branch records are so deficient

these records serve as an invaluable source for identifying early

converts those who received patriarch blessings were already

baptized and yet no record of their baptisms is found in the branch

records

in late december 1843 a temple contribution from the ladies of

the LDS church was sanctioned it was further sanctioned in

england during 1844 the leaders of the church continued to encourage

the sisters to give to the fund and ordered a record kept giving the

name of the donor and the amount of contribution 1 1 there are

apparently no records of the contribution nor those who contributed

another source for identifying the early LDS was the tithing

records this was simply a list of names and amounts of the

contribution which were to be recorded in the temple book and later

in the book of the law of the lord which was apparently kept in

nauvoo 2

about this same time a request came for the british churches to

furnish a list of the names ages offices & c of each individual

member in order that the true condition of the churches may be

known this list was to be sent to nauvoo to facilitate such a

record forms were sent to each branch of the LDS church with an

issue of the millennial star dated august 184413 no such records

are known to exist

L DS

1844

Page 38: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 y conferencearence I1 Is

33

neither the list of members or the tithing record must have been

long in use in july 1847 another effort was instigated an edict

went out stating that a book was to be purchased to record the names

of those who tithed and to keep the minutes of the kidderminster

worcestershire area 4

in that same year the birmingham conference was to keep a record

of all the members in the conference expressing their name in fullfulage 9 where baptized by whom baptized their office whether received

by letter into the branch and that each president hand over the

record to the clerk at birmingham each quarterlyquarter conference 1115 the

london branch followed suitsult in 1848 here they were to keep separate

records in the branches a general record for the conference and

apparently a separate record of births and blessings the various

books for recording these events were actually provided to the

leaders 16 even in ireland the move was underway 17

the first mention of formal record keeping by the welsh was

recorded in the mi millennialilennialglennialIlenllen starnial in 1850 there was a printed form or

record issued to each of the branches A copy of a page from a book

showing the details given along with the english translation is found

as appendix 3 also at this time certificates of membership were

printed to be used by the individual as proof of LDS membership

no copies of these are known to be in existence but they were to

include

a all the particulars of baptism and confirmation the firstpart to be filled and signed by the baptizer and presented by themember before being confirmed and the other part to be filled bythe clerk of the branch and signed by the president after whichit is returned to the member 18

14

1

c I1 erk B i rm i nghamengham

f0 I1 I1 owed su i t i n

Page 39: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1longeronger willhlllw

the

i

presidents

I1

and

I1

secretaries of conferences continue to evince such

a spirit of carelessness and inattention to the instructions which are

so specially laid before them20them

there

20

were other attempts at recording information about these

early mormonscormonsMor inmons 1850 every conference was to make a list of every

ingenious mechanmechanic or artizanartiman

I1 i st

34

the general letter of S W richards president of the church of

jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday in the british isles provided

continued emphasis to support the drive for record keeping in 1852

he stated that the leaders of conferences and branches were in

eminently responsible positions and cautioned them in their duties

amongst other items he encouraged them in their record keeping

it is the duty of every president of a conference to see that thereis not only a conference record faithfully kept but to see thateach branch has a record of every important event connected withthat branch whether of deaths births marriages additions orremovals of members or whatever circumstance can effect theinterests of the branch giving all proper information with eachitem which when reported and embodied in the conference recordwill constitute a concise history of the conference 19

if the above edict did not help in overcoming the apparent apathy

in record keeping the chastisement given shortly thereafter would

again president richardschardschadds printed the following how much

this list was to alsoaiso include the

names and ages of the family of these artisans 21

finally there are the records of the members of each branch

those that are extant are readily available on microfilm over thirty

early lancashire branch records were surveyed and compared to the

guide book of laureen jaussi and gloria chaston geneaiog i caical soc i ety

aga i n pres i dent R i pr i ntedanted f0 I1 I1 ow i ng

i ngen i ous i c art iizanzan th i s 11 st a I1 so i nc I1 ude

genealogical societsochet

Page 40: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 i stsats

I1 i st

35

callcailcali numbers 2 vols provo utah genealogy tree 1982 that listsmicrofilm numbers and periods of coverage for the various branch

records each record was examined to determine the actual time period

covered and to determine the extent to which the records were

complete especially prior to 1852 most of the record books for the

branches in the manchester area had an introductory statement attached

inside the front cover which stated this order of record was

introduced into the manchester conference of the church of jesus

christ of latterdaylatter saintsday june 1852 by jonathan midgley under

the pastoral charge of C H wheelock and when S W richards was the

president of the british isles A sample page from a book showing

the details asked of each convert is found as appendix 4 of this

thesis although liverpool and clitheroe conferences did not

apparently have separate forms for their respective branches preston

also had a separate record book which carried the introduction this

record of the preston conference was arranged by elder joseph W young

in november 1852 john foley secretary for a list of allail preston

leaders see appendix 5

having surveyed all pre1852pre branch1852 records for lancashire it

was found that only four of the records actually begin before 1852

thus there are really no records for the 1830s and 1840s when the

earliest converts joined the LDS church instead those extant

records are for converts who were still in england at the time of the

creation of the record although many of these records contain names

of people baptized during the 1830s and 1840s the records do not

reflect the true population of mormon ismisa at this early period

ca I1 I1 vo I1 s genea I1 ogyagy

i n fo I1 ey a I1 I1

rea I1 I1 y for

mormonism

Page 41: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

36

there is evidence to show that records were kept of these early

members oliver B huntington a missionary during 1846471846 referred47

to his superior when stating in preston he henry jacobs had seen to

the book or record of the church and found it in a very bad state

he got a newer one of another refined style and a close and strictaccount ordered to be kept of both living and dead for it was of

much consequence 22

not to be overlooked in this category of records are the

historical records for the various church units after identifying

the various units of interest extant records were listed in appendix

2

still with allaltail that has been said records for the early LDS

church members for the first couple of decades in the british isles

do exist it is true that they leave something to be desired

especially when it comes to representing the total membership of the

LDS in britain nevertheless something of importance can be

gleaned from those records that do survive

Page 42: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1

waikerWalker foldoldfoid barshebarche lees ribchesterRib penworthamworthamPenchester andthorn ley it is likely that four of the previously mentioned fiveplus preston made up the five branches mentioned as having beenorgan i zed

3 original records of the preston conference and branch on film atthe family history library in salt lake city FHL microfilm

ENDNOTES TO CHAPTER 2

T the term conference is similar to the term circuit used byvarious denominations to refer to units within a certain geographicarea the LDS terminology is now stake or district see alsorichardchard 0 cowan church growth in england 184119141841 111914 ini truthn hlllprevail the rise of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsdayin the british isles 183719871837 ed1987 V ben bloxham et al solihullwest midlands the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday 1987p 204

2 journal of heber C kimball historical department of the churchof jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday salt lake city utah hereafterreferred to as HDC entry dated 8 oct 1838 in whitneyswhitneytWhit lifeneys ofheber C kimball p 171 a letter from kimball to willard richardsdated october 12 1837 states there are 160 members in preston withchurches in waiwal kerf

087028 A catalog identifier for the conference record is lib no604 and that for the branch record is lib no 1667 thesenumbers are found preceding each section of the record on themicrofilm4 kimball journal p 27 in joseph fieldings diary p 12 hestates there are about 140 members in preston

5 kimball journal p 40240

6

2

the preston branch record records a totatotal of thirtyfourthirty baptismsfourfor the year 1837 this figure was the most recorded for any one yearthrough 1851

7 millennial star 113 these verses are now doctrine andcovenants 2081420818

4

diary of joseph fielding HDC typewritten p 18 march 131838 certificate of ann parker dated april 2 1838 HDC MSD 6804

37

R i i n eng I1 and w i I1 I1

HDQ

walkerfoldthornley

organized

th i rtyarty four baptbaat i sms

cert i f i cate apr i 1

Soli hull

Page 43: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

5285283 47 specific instructions regarding the filling outof these forms was included on page 47 at the same time anotification of a charge for the forms was included

1425891425820 ibid1430421 ibid 12268 actually a request was placed in the millennmillennialmillann i a I1

star a year earlier requesting those with such skills to emigrateimmediately this request stated that the first presidency wanted toestablish an iron foundry in the united states and needed help seethe mi ilennialmillennialglennialIlenllenlien starnial 11248911248 dated august 15 1849 there was anobvious lack of support on this earlier request

22 journal of oliver B huntington HDC typewritten p120thursday march 11 1847

9 millennial star 1159601159 60 it has been enjoined on theelderseiders and officers in the church of christ in these last days tokeep a record of their proceedings or write a history of theirtravels and laboursbourslabourela so that all the passing events of moment may begathered in from time to time

10 ibid 111521 1 ibid 51512 ibid 6431 3 ibid

one penny perpage

14 ibidleids 9264is15 ibid 917516 ibid 101491 7 ibid 1018018 ibid 12271

19 ibid

38

E I1 ders of f i cers i n chr ist i n

13

lbids

17

ibid 14304

9

9

Page 44: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

CHAPTER 3

socialeconomicSOCIAL MOBILITYECONOMIC AND background

attempts have been made to describe those who first joined the

LDSlodslads church in the british isles some of these have been discussed

in previous chapters but what about those who first joined the

church in preston what was their family life like aside from

religious persuasions and rites would their lives be similar to that

of nonmormonsnon inmormons preston

obviously in order to look into the lives of the early LDS we

must first know who they are A base list of members of the church

was compiled from the preston LDS branch records patriarchal

blessing records the family history departments family group

records diaries journals and reminiscences at the historical

departments archives and entries from various magazines such as the

millennial star

with a base list of the LDS to work with additional details

about the converts lives such details as names approximate ages

occupations indication of birthplaces and household groupings were

included on the census were discovered by consulting the 1841

english census this was not a small task because of the population

of preston lancashire just over 50000 in 1841 and nearly 69000 by

1851 it was difficult to match information from the base list with

39

Page 45: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

40

details that were given in the census nevertheless over 400 entriesof those known to have had ties with the preston branch were examined

with 30 percent 123 families of these original LDS members

identified in the census A helpful tool in the search was the

special index to the 1841 census of preston compiled by stafstaff and

volunteers of the family history library

the majority of those identified in the census were involved in

the cotton textile industry this should come as no surprise nearly

30 percent of the lancashire work force was involved with cloth work

there were spinners who spun the cotton into thread weavers who

wove it into cloth carderscalderscar whoders combed the cotton in preparation for

the spinning reelerselersfeelersre who wound the yarn warharperspers who wound the spun

cotton onto a large frame piecerspieperspie whocers pieced together the ends of

the thread as they broke in the spinning and mechanics who kept the

equipment working in the LDS group being investigated there were

also three who were overlookersover orlookers foremen for the complete list of

occupations see table 22.

in order to understand the economic situation of these early

members the lifestyleslifetife ofstyles the cotton operatives needs examining

first lets consider the children

most children worked with the family whether in the industrial

mills or at home some worked as laborers in agricultural pursuits

others worked as trainees learning the professions of their parents

in each of these pursuits there was a familial relationship extant in

their work however the movement to employ family members in the

cotton mills was the beginning of an era that witnessed the upheaval

spec i a I1 i comp i I1 ed f

Page 46: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1

I1I1I1

waw1

TABLE 2

DS WORK FORCE occupations

cotton industrycotton weavercotton spinnercotton windercotton reelerreefercotton cardercotton pieceroverlookerspindle makercotton dresserpower loom weaverbobbin putter incotton factorycotton sizercotton tendercotton warper

agr i cultural laborerblacksmithindependentjoinershoe maker cloggerdoggershop keeperwasherwoman laundressundresslabook keepercabinet makercarpentercharwomandent i stengine tenderfemale servantflax spinnergardnergr i nderadermachine makermechanicpolpoi ice sergeantprovision dealerrope makerschool mastersea captainspademanstay makerstone mason journeymantailortwiner mechanicwarehouseman

totalotal 711 1214 1519 20MF M F MPP MF

3512654333 31221 311

1

1

I1111

lit111103

33

2

2

I11

2

1

dentist

2

1

2

source

I11

statistical

1

I11

analysis

1

1

of

I111

list

1 1

of

1 1

those

1

1

who

1

1

first

I11

1

joined

I11grinder

30

the

1

1

LDS

I11

1

church

1police

1

compared

1

30

with

I111

families

1

1

that

1

1

were

1

1

identified

62

1

in

94

1

the

15

1

1841

15

13101300

preston

1

411

census

1

211201

anderson

1

111

p

1

111101iiiililoi

23

581413580413

111101liiloi

figures

2012

104111

in

28

101111iiiililoi1

parenthesis

28

represent

1814218042

approximate

20

weekly

3

wages

2

in

20

shillings

1

18

20 1

1022 2

222

41

LDS

7M

age11 12

F

groupings14 15

M

19M F

T1

iagricultural 1

1

1

L D S w i th fam i I1 i es i dent i f i ed i n

Page 47: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

teacherteachery 2

children were subject to all kinds of environmental influences in

the mills thompson observes that the spinning mills where only

children worked and power loom sheds where wives or adolescents

worked were the least desirable jobs women and children considered

this work only when there was no other recourse according to

42

of the more closely related family work ties the cotton mills

brought a revolution in the familyrelatedfamily jobsrelated by introducing a

system of independent tasks some more suited to one member of the

family and some more suited to another thus came about the beginning

of the break up of familyrelatedfamily occupationsrelated

accounts of the condition of children in the factories vary from

them being treated well to the opposite extreme that death actually

was precipitated one minister is declared

if there was one place in england that needed legislativeinterference it was this place for they work 15 and 16 hours aday frequently and sometimes all night oh it is a murderoussystem and the millownersmill areowners the pest and disgrace of societylaws human and divine are insufficient to restrain them they takeno notice of hobhouses bill and they say let government makewhat laws they think fit they can drive a coach and six throughthem in that valley 1

E P thompsons the making of the english working class further

relates an incident of death as told by this same unidentified

ministermm

he

isterlster

related the story of a boy whom he had recently interred who hadbeen found standing asleep with his arms full of wool and had beenbeaten awake this day he had worked seventeen hours he wascarried home by his father was unable to eat his supper awoke at4 am the next morning and asked his brothers if they could seethe lights of the mill as he was afraid of being late and thendied his younger brother aged nine had died previously thefather was sober and industrious a sunday school teacher2

taskssome

extremethat

4 1

Page 48: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 aces

I1

sexuasegua I1

jjrjj3

43

thompson these places were resisted until poverty broke down all

defenses these places were heldheid to be immoral places of sexual

license foul language cruelty violent accidents and alien

manners 3

however there were still more difficulties to deal with

children were often supervised in their work by insensitive young

adults 4 moreover the children often found circumstances strained

at home especially if their mothers were also factory workers and

when money was a real issue at home as was often the case they were

frequently placed in factories where pay was better but where the

treatment they received was more than offset by any increased income 5

to make matters worse it seemed that once in the system people

were often destined to stay one young boy recounted his employment

history as

being placed when seven years of age upon a stoolstooatoo to spreadcotton upon a breaker preparatory to spinning an elder brotherturning the wheel to put the machine in motion next came thewinding of bobbins and when ten or eleven spinning or if thelegs were long enough to reach the treadlestreadlesa a turn in the loom 6

the older adolescents were not much better off an account is

given of a young woman who worked in a cotton mill in 1841 her day

started at 430 am when a night watchman knocked on the window of

her home waking her mother the mother then

rouses the unwilling girl to another day of toil at length youhear her on the floor the clock is striking five then for thefirst time the girl becomes conscious of the necessity for hasteand having slipped on her clothes and if she thinks there istime washed herself she takes a drink of cold coffee which hasbeen left standing in the fireplace a mouthful of bread if shecan eat it and having packed up her breakfast in herhandkerchief hastens to the factory the bell rings as she leaves

defensesanses p I1 aces he I1 d i amora I1 I1

homeas casethey

be i ng p I1 aced

orif

g i ven i n m i I1 I1 i n

orlf

Page 49: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

the threshold of her home five minutes more and she is in thefactory stripped likely the removal of an outer garment andready for work the clock strikes ha halfpastifpastif fivepast the enginestarts and her days work commences

at halfpasthalf sevenpast the engine slacks its pace seldomstopping for a short time till the hands have cleaned themachinery and swallowed a little food it then goes on again andcontinues at full speed till twelve oclock when it stops fordinner previously to leaving the factory and in her dinner hourshe has her machine to clean the distance of the factory is aboutfive minutes walk from her home I1 noticed every day that shecame in at halfpasthalf twelvepast or within a minute or two and onceshe was over the half hour the first thing she did was to washherself then get her dinner which she was seldom able to eatand pack up her drinking for the afternoon this done it was timeto be on her way to work again where she remains without oneminutess relaxation till seven oclock she then comes home andthrows herself into a chair exhausted this is repeated six daysin the week save that on saturdays she may get back a littleearlier say an hour or two this young woman looks verypale and delicate and has every appearance of an approachingdecline I1 was asked to guess her age I1 said perhaps fifteen

her mother told me she was going nineteen she is afair specimen of a great proportion of factory girls

in shortwe may suppose a graduated introduction to work with some relationto the childs capacities and age interspersed with runningmessages blackberryingblackberry ing fuelgatheringfuel orgathering play above all thework was within the family economy and under parental care it istrue that parental attitudes to children were exceptionally severein the 18th century but no case has been made out for a generalsadism or lack of love 8

the harsh conditions of employment of the young ones at last

brought legislation to protect them and to generate more employment

44

a

7

thompson may have best summed up the employment of youth in the

industrial towns such as preston he stated

in all homes girls were occupied about the baking brewingcleaning and chores in agriculture children oftenillclothedill111lil would work in all weathers in the fields or about thefarm but when compared with the factory system there areimportant qualifications there was some variety of employmentand monotony is peculiarly cruel to the child in normal

circumstances work would be intermittent it would follow a cycleof tasks and even regular jobs like winding bobbins would not berequired all day unless in special circumstances

childrenoftenclothed

half

blackberrying

Page 50: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

45

for the adults the factory act of 1833 limited the number of hours

that children aged nine to twelve could work each day to nine with a

maximum of fortyeightforty aeight week children under nine had been

prohibited from working since 1819 9 presumably by limiting the

number of hours that the children could work the lives of the youth

would be preserved and family structures improved the byproductby toproduct

these laws was a need for more people to work in the factories thus

creating more employment

the women of preston were not much better off than the youth

under the old system the working mother was involved in domestic or

agricultural employment which would leave at least some time for

caring for the home and family according to this view if there was

a need to stop to change a diaper or nurse an infant there was no

problem she could do so

the factory revolutionized these conditions now the women

employed in the mills worked from early morning until late evening

pregnant mothers often worked until very near the time of their giving

birth after children were born many mothers returned to the

factories before their health actually allowed for fear of losing

their jobs upon returning to work women took their newbornsnew withborns

them so they could nurse them during their meal breaks consequently

the needs of the family and home went largely unmet 10 these

conditions prompted another employment act passed in 1844 which

dictated that women could work no more than twelve hours a day in the

factories

homewent O0

Page 51: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

46

JFC harrison professor of history and author of many works on

social reform labor and victorian studies may have recapped the

situation of the women best he found there were at least four

adverse effects experienced by working class womanhomanhonan 1 separation from

the family for long periods of time members often being together only

for eating sleeping and the occasional times that the factories were

closed 2 reduced efficiency as a wife and mother who often was

forced to neglect housework sewing cooking child care and other

related activities 3 no time for the single women to develop needed

domestic skills and considerable influence toward immoral behaviors

such as sexual promiscuity and 4 the declining authority of the

father who sometimes relinquished his accustomed role as family

head 1 1

the adult males struggled in more ways than just domestically

many had a difficult task in adjusting to factory life they had been

used to their home hand loom weaving to change to the power looms or

otherwise become part of the factory system was an adjustment that

anymanyeany didnt relish 12 further men were often displaced women and

children could be hired cheaper the women running the power looms and

the children doing the remedial tasks 13

how did all of this affect the general economy during the

1830s the factory owners took their place as the most powerful

figures in preston their status along with the absence of any real

competition from other occupational profiles for the role of preston

elite brought class tension and workerw grievancesrkeraker there were

spinners strikes in 1810 1821 and one of the worst in lancashire

woman1

adu I1 t ma I1 es st rugg I1 ed i n j ust domestcomest i ca I1 I1 y

handloom

cheaperthe

Page 52: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

47

history in 183671836 this7 last one persisted nearly three months

halted every mill in preston and put 7840 people out of work 14 in

1842 there were more riots and plug drawing because of the demand

for better wages 15 according to paul T phi I1 lips a social

historian preston had two distinct honors in industrial england 1

a clear lead in the number of man hours of work lost compared with

other cotton towns and 2 notoriety for strikes 16

those who first joined the LDS church in preston were a part

of these social conditions an analysis of the early LDS converts

indicates that they were abiding the labor and shop laws there were

only three children in LDS families on the 1841 census between

seven and eleven recorded as working ie a dress maker cotton

weaver and cotton mill piecer typical occupations for children the

youngest of these three was ten years of age if it was common for

fathers working in the cloth industry to put their younger children to

work it would seem that in a sampling of 123 LDS families there

would be more children involved especially if the poverty stricken

were to survive

actually the employment of children was not all that common in

preston in a non LDS survey based on the 1851 census of preston

just over 9 percent of preston boys aged seven through eleven were

employed 17 in the survey of the LDS families there were

seventyfourseventy childrenfour in this age bracket with 7 percent of these

LDS children working slightly fewer boys than girls worked of

thirtytwothirty boystwo only two were employed thus both LDS and

non LDS percentages wereworehorehere similar apparently LDS families put

phillips

Page 53: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

48

their children to work at roughly the same level as the general

population neither figure being unusually high for england in the

1830s

the preceding conclusions may be biased due to the hesitancy of

those providing census information some may not have wished to admit

to illegal use of children in employment another bias factor would

be the incomplete list of LDS church members in the preston area

had every person who joined the LDS church been identified

conclusions may have been skewed in another direction

the home life of these chi Idren as well as the general

populationpopulationwaswas wanting because of the absence of the mother the

early LDS of preston had working mothers and therefore likely

suffered some deprivation of the 123 LDS families identified for

this study some thirtyonethirty familiesone 25 percent had working

mothers twentyonetwenty ofone these families had children at home the

other ten were either older families or appear to be childless

couples such as newly weds of the twentyonetwenty familiesone with domestic

children twenty or 95 percent had mothers involved in the weaving

industry predictably the lifestyle of these families was

considerably different from those families with nonworkingnon mothersworking

many children in these working mother homes lacked care and

upbringing even if the mother might occasionally be present 18 the

25 percent of LDS families with working mothers in 1841 compares

similarly withhith the preston of 1851 where about 23 percent of the

families with children had working wives 19

populationneither

twentyor

L D S fam i I1 i es w i th work i ng i n

s i m i I1 ar I1 y w i th

children LDS

Page 54: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

49

one additional factor seems significant michael anderson

author of family structure in nineteenth century lancashire found

that only 15 percent of the working married women of preston who were

weavers had children at home in the LDS sample there were far

more weaving mothers with children at home some 91 percent

in comparing the LDS group with the larger population of

preston there must be some concern over the comparative population

groups andersons conclusions were based on the 1851 census while

the LDS statistics derive from the 1841 census another difference

is that anderson sampled all of preston almost 70000 people the

LDS statistics relate to less than 1000 people and only those

found in the LDS sources discussed in chapter two that could also

be found in the 1841 census further details of the LDS were

obtained by tracing select LDS families in commercial directories

and occasionally the 1851 census while there may be concern for

the variance in the sources and number of people being compared

enough similarity exists to consider comparisons justified

when work was available even for those involved in the cotton

industry were the people able to do more than just economically

survive how well did the early LDS do and what about those who

were possibly a step higher on the social scale than the lowly cotton

operatoderat i ves

As previously mentioned a large percentage of the lancashire

work force was made up of those involved in cotton manufacturing

somesowsoaesom LDS families like other prestoniansPreston hadians total family

involvement ie all members of the family worked at providing a

living for the family others just had one or two members working

conc I1 us i ons A i I1 e

L D S stat i st i cs der i ve f romroa d i f ferencearence

operatives

Page 55: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

so50

some 72 percent of all the LDS families had ties with the

cotton industry but only 46 percent of the family heads were

involved this is higher than the figure of 30 percent of family

heads for the rest of the county this indicates that those who firstjoined the LDS church in preston were heavily involved in cotton

manufacturing much more than the norm for the county

anderson points out that those who were employed in the textile

factories were often not as disadvantaged as others wage scales for

a typical family group are listed in table 3 these figures show that

when employed LDS families could make as much as twenty shillings

a week in turn the cost of living food rent heat light

clothing etc for a typical family was a similar amount 20

in placing the early LDS in this economic setting it was

noted that sixtysixsixty familiessix or 54 percent of those identified had

tabletable3 3

WAGE SCALECOST OF LIVING

childrenChi 3sasIdren to 6sas

young men & women 5sas to 13sunder 18

women 9sas to 16s

men 15s to 20s

source anderson p 23anderson states that those men who were mule spinners warperscarperswar

dresserspers

sizers overlookersover andlookers engineers would often earnsubstantially over 20 s per week 11 he alsoaiso reiterates that those

men employed as factory labourerslabour anders powerloompower weaversloom whichwould be about half of all those employed in the cotton industrywould seldom make over 15s per week

a I1 so re i teratesaerates11substant11substant i a I1 I1 y

Page 56: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

51

one or more additional workers beside the family head once again

this data was derived from the 1841 census this figure is even more

meaningful when compared with those who likely had no others working

in the family unit because there was no need such as the overseers

shopkeepers 9 provision dealers joiners etc those in the LDS

group who were not making ends meet were the minority when there was

work available the LDS were certainly making ends meet and in

some cases may have had a little extra

obviously some LDS families were worse off in this group

were the families with common laborers at the head there were

seventeen such families 14 percent in addition there were four

families 3 percent that had no occupation listed for the head of the

family if these figures are representative of those who first joined

the LDS church one fifth or more of the members were below the

poverty level this would seem to be supported by the study conducted

by malcolm thorp of the early herefordshireHereford cormonsmormonsMorshire 21mons it is also

supported in a study of the LDS people in the leeds yorkshire

area where more than 14 percent were poverty stricken 22 however

things may have been slightly better for the LDS in london where

as few as 10 percent could be described as impoverished 23 the early

american leaders of the LDS church visiting preston thought the

people of this area were not very well off 2414

A few preston LDS families were in a higher bracket than the

regular working class but they made up only a small minority of those

who were in the church 7 percent these included shopkeepers a

th 1 s der i ved f rom th i s f i gure i s

jn

church7

Page 57: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

52

school master a dentist and a police sergeant table 2 shows the

breakdown for the LDS work force

arthur burrows came from this upper group he was listed as a

shopkeeper on both the 1841 and 1851 preston lancashire census in

an 1851 commercial directory he is listed as a gentleman 25 he

was perhaps the highest ranking member of the church on the social

scale however he may not have been actively involved in the LDS

church since there is very little mention of him in any of the mormon

records for instance there is no record of his baptism though he

and his wife received patriarchal blessings in 1840 nothing more is

mentioned of burrows except he was ordained a deacon and witnessed the

prediction of thomas websters apostasy from the church burrows

himself may have been one of those who later fell away

the story of websters apostasy is interesting before leaving

england to return to america orson hyde and heber C kimball wrote a

letter dated april 13 1838 declaring webster would not remain in

the church the letter was sealed before the two left england and

then taken by willard richards and joseph fielding to preston there

it was shown to william clayton and arthur burrows both clayton and

burrows signed the envelope and dated their signature five months

later webster an apparently influential weaver tried to form his own

church he was evidently quite popular among church members and there

was some concern that he might take a large following with him at

the meeting held to remove webster from the church the letter was

produced and clayton and burrows acknowledged that it had not been

breakdownfor

2 5

Page 58: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

53

tampered with since they had signed the envelope this seemed to

thwart any mass apostasy from the church 26

alexander neibaur another member of the branch was a german

immigrant of jewish descent he left england for america before the

1841 census was taken however he too would have been included in

the upper middle class as he was a dentist 27

john foley not only played an important part in the community as

a school master at a day and evening school located in preston but as

a leader of the church he served in various church capacities from

1845 until about 1850 such as branch president and conference

secretary see appendix 5 preston leaders 183718521837

the

1852

mormons were represented in law enforcement as well george

D watt and his step father joseph brown were both policemen in

fact according to the 1841 census brown was a police sargeant 28

this same 1841 census also listed LDS cabinet makers provision

dealers and a sea captain these too would be included in the middle

class

the mormons appear to have more working class followers than some

other nonconformist sects A survey of an independent congregation in

preston revealed that 12 percent of the working fathers were

shopkeepers 47 percent were tradesmen and 6 percent were weavers

another survey was made of a primitive methodist group in preston it

consisted of looking at all the baptisms for a given period and noting

the fathers occupations among the methodists there were two

shopkeepers thirtyfivethirty tradesmenfive twentyfourtwenty weaversfour and eighteen

spinners 29 while this latter survey is closer to that of the LDS

i nc I1 udededed i n

11

nou I1 d

Page 59: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

initsdinits

54

in preston it still reflects an overall higher social level than that

noted in the preston LDS congregation in contrast it had three

shopkeepers fourteen tradesmen twentythreetwenty weaversthree fifteen

spinners and twenty laborers

the geographical mobility of the early lancashire mormons is

another social and economic indicator preston like other english

towns was growing rapidly its population had doubled between 1831

and 1851 with a large influx of immigrants coming into the city

there were the usual problems occasioned by high population density

within a confined area the main part of the town of preston wrote

anderson was only about one and a half miles from east to west and

one mile from north to south any reasonably fit adult could thus

walk to anywhere in the town in under half an hour 30 within

this compact area there were housing shortages sewage problems

unpaved streets etc all leading to less than desirable living

conditions but there was often work such as it was in the

factories and thus the migration to the city

andersons study of preston determined that 70 percent of those

in preston in the 1851 census were from outside the town in fact in

almost all large towns those born in that town were the minority

rather than the majority 31 this compares favorably with those who

joined the LDS church in its early preston beginnings there were

77 percent of the members of the church who were born outside of

preston but only 26 percent born outside of lancashire several

church members came from other counties the neighboring counties of

yorkshire westmorland and cumberland had larger representations than

D

3

Page 60: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

55

others some had come from as far away as hampshire berkshire and

gloucestershireGloucester Ashire few were from southeastern england those who had

come from outside england were from germany scotland and ireland

table 4 gives a complete breakdown as to where these people originated

preston was certainly a cosmopolitan city those who came were

likely looking for ties to something or someone the majority were

without close family ties having left their places of origin probably

TABLE 4

PLACES OF BIRTH OF THE EARLY LDS IN PRESTON

countycountryCountylancashire

Country

preston lancashwancash i reyorkshyoresh i rewestmorelandcumberland

whitehavenWhite cumbhavenpenrith cumb

kentfamily

isle of mandurhamL i nco1nsh i renorfolkberkshirechesh i regloucestershireGloucesterhampshhambsh

shirei re

middlesexworcestershireworcestershWorces itersh re

scotlandirelandgermany

unidentified

born350108

231612

637

43221

1

1

1

1

1

321

42

comments

31

5025

6 are in same

source statistical analysis of list of those who first joined theLDS church

lancashireyorkshire

lincolnshire

cheshire

hampshire

L D S

Page 61: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

56

for work while working conditions and living conditions were not

ideal they were better than those from where these people

originated when there was work the people of preston fared as well

or better than other places in england often several members of

families could find work and help alleviate or offset the loss of

wages by the head of the family

thus those people joining the LDS church were much like any

other prestonianestonianPr about the only significant difference is that they

were more heavily involved in the cotton industry than others residing

in the same community most of them were just making ends meet but

there were also among them the more affluent as well as the very poor

1

Page 62: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

ENDNOTES TO CHAPTER 3

1 EP thompson the making of the english working class newyork pantheon books 1964 p 347

ibid3 ibid 307

4 neil J smelser social change in the industrial revolution anapplication of theory to the british cotton industry chicago theun i vers i ty of ch i cago press 1959 p 201

5 ibid 192

6 thompson p 333

7 JFC harrison the common people of great britain A historyhistorbistorfrom the norman conquest to the present bloomington indianaindiana university press 1985 ppap 2201220 quoting1 from william doddthe factory system illustrated london 1842 reprdepr 1968 ppap108110108

8

110

thompson ppap 3334333

9

4

john richardson the local historians encyclopedia 2dad ed newbarnet hertfordshireHertford historicalshire publications 1986 p 232michael anderson family structure in nineteenth century lancashirecambridge cambridge university press 1971 p 75 see also

malcolm R thorp the setting for the restoration in britainpolitical social and economic conditions in truth will prevail therise of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday in the britishisles 183719871837 ed1987 V ben bloxham et al solihull west midlandsthe church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday 1987 ppap 51251

10

2

thompson p 328 anderson 71

1 1 see harrison ppap 299304299

12

304

william farrer & J brownbill eds the victoria history of thecounty of lancaster london archibald constable 1908 2388

1 3 smelser p 200

57

makin

z

university chicago

13

Soli hull

Page 63: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

14 paul T phi I1 lips the sectarian spirit sectarianism societyand politics in victorian cotton towns toronto canada universityof toronto press 1982 p 69 anthony hewitson history of prestonin the county of lancaster preston the chronicle office 1883 p175

1 5 hewitson p 176 the plug drawing was an attempt to close downthe boilers by removing the plugs at the bottom of the boilers so asto shut down the operations16 phi I1 lips p 69

1 7 anderson ppap 74674

18

6

see anderson p 74 for further discussion on this point19 ibid p 71

20 ibid ppap 23 201 anderson quotes B S rowntree and givesseveral other references for cost of living figures on page 201another source comparing wages with living expenses is pamela hornthe rural world 178018501780 social1850 change in the english countrysidelondon hutchinson 1980 ppap 26670266

21

70

malcolm R thorp the religious background of mormon converts inbritain 1837 52 11 journal of mormon history 4 1977 516651 see66also phi I1 lip A M taylor expectations westward edinburgh &

london oliver & boyd 1965

22 susan L fales the nonconformists of leeds in the earlyvictorian era A study in social composition MA thesis brighamyoung university 1984 ppap 303430

23

34

lynne watkins jorgensen the first london mormonscormonsMor 184018451840mons 1845MA thesis brigham young university 1988 ppap 51 5

24 thorp ppap 52452 this4 section gives several quotes from earlyleaders of the LDS church as they witnessed the poverty situationin england during the churchs first decade in that country

25 oakeys commercial directory of preston preston henry oakey1851 see also the history topography and directory of the

borough of preston and seven miles round with the town and parish ofchorley beverley yorkshire WB johnson 1851

26 millennial star 2 8

27 parish registers st johns preston lancashire family historylibrary

58

1 phillips

IS

phillips17

i n eng I1 i sh count rys i de

2 1

phillip

2 3

2 5

18511 topogra

beverley

Page 64: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 i v i nan9 i n

boltonboiton

2 8 an idea of the wages of those employed in the constabulary can beobtained by consulting anthony hewitson history of preston in thecounty of lancaster preston the chronicle office 1883 p 335although these figures are for 1882 the police force was certainlynot at poverty level

29 phi I1 lips ppap 48948

30

9

anderson p 33

3 1 ibid p 34 anderson also indicates this is true for otherlarge cotton towns such as stockport manchester and bo I1 tonhowever in the case of these last three places the figure of thoseadults born outside the town is 50 percent rather than the 70 percentin preston see also fales ppap 1123112 she3 points out that whileleeds had previously experienced a very high migrationinmigrationin in the pastthat this had changed by 1851 only 25 percent of those living inleeds stated that they were born outside leeds

59

zaz8

off ice

phillips

31

th i s on I1 y

Page 65: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

CHAPTER 4

RELIGIOUS background OF THE EARLY LDS

the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday LDS faced

many obstacles in its early existence in preston lancashire was not

a particularly religious county based on statistics from the 1851

religious census lancashire rated as one of the poorest counties

for church attendance 27 percent in all of britain only the

counties of cumberland 25 percent and london 21 percent were

worse while some people would attend occasionally many of the

working class were reported as not even having a traditional

faith 2 on the other end of the attendance scale was bedfordshireBedford

with

shire

57 percent average attendance for the country at large was 35

percent 3

W S F pickerings study of the religious census discussed the

implications of religious attendance he concluded that the position

of the established church the church of england was strongest in

places where church attendance was highest too the nonconformists

used throughout this study to express all religious affiliations

other than church of england experienced their highest attendance

where the church of england was the strongest however the

nonconformists generallygenera achievedllyflyily overall better attendance at their

meetings than the church of england picker ing deduced that these

60

pickering

Page 66: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

idasi4as

61

nonconformists as a rule were more committed to attending their

meetings than were the members of the church of england in contrast

to these figures of protestant attendance the catholics attended in

high proportions lancashire one of the lowest counties in church

attendance ranked first in the country in catholic attendance

perhaps this is to be expected since most of the roman catholic

population of england resided in lancashire 4

paul phi nipships in his study of preston lancashire determined

that the towns elites influenced nonconformity at least in an

indirect way he found that few of the upper social and economic

strata joined the religious dissent and consequently church

attendance was low without the elite he theorized that pure

religious motivation was not enough to attract others to

nonconformity at least in any great quantities in his words there

was no extra religious incentives for drawing people 515 he

indicated that this lack meant that there never was a great

nonconformist movement in preston 6 figures comparing nonconformity

in preston between 1829 and 1851 show a growth in new sects but this

growth can be credited to an inward migration of others rather than

large increases of the resident population in nonconformity 7

not only was religious attendance at a low ebb but the whole

meaning of religion for many people was in question it was reported

by several observers that when the lancashire people went to church

they gained little spiritual solace because their ministers were so

often out of touch with everyday life their preaching was totally

phillips

Page 67: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

62

irrelevant or beyond their comprehension 8 small wonder that

established religion whether the state church or such traditional

nonconformists as presbyterian methodist independent had littleinfluence in the lives of the majority of the working class 9

some must have questioned their involvement with religion because

of the conflict of differing ideologies one author wrote that a

stiff quarrel is about the surest and quickest thing we are acquainted

with for multiplying places of worship for dissenters at any

rate 10 the prevailing doctrinal and personality conflicts

contributed greatly to an environment of religious instabilityinstabilitinstability with

such sects as the methodists reaping consequent results many working

class people affiliated with the wesleyanswesleyannWesle 11yans

it was in this religious atmosphere that mormonmorron ismisa grew malcolm

thorp determined that the greatest success in converting people to the

LDS faith came in industrial cities where christianity was in

retreat and conformity was weakest he also suggested that the

largest number of mormon emigrants came from cities that were lowest

in religious attendance in 1851 A further finding was that mormon

converts were seekers who went from one religion to another looking

for what they considered the right religion 12 thorp concludes that

mostimostimort of the converts came from major religious denominations such as

the church of england various methodists groups baptists

congregationalists and presbyteriansPresbyte rians he also pointed out that the

LDS had some success in what he called the splinter groups 13

118

110

mormonism

2

instabilit ithY waw1

Page 68: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

63

in preston these latter groups were an important source of LDSconverts many of the first preston LDS converts came from the

reverend james fieldings church and from a splinter group that was

called the aitkenitesAitken afterites their founder robert aitken 14 the

aitkenite religion consisted of methodist teachings mixed with

sacramental beliefs of the anglican church As was mentioned

earlier the reverend fielding was the brother of joseph fielding one

of the first LDS missionaries to arrive in britain james had

methodist leanings but on matters of institutional religion was an

entity unto himself various authors refer to his church as the

fieldingitesFielding ites in the first few months of the LDS churchs

existence in england joseph fielding stated that there were ninety

people in the LDS church having principally come from his

brothers congregation 5

A look at the religious life of george darlingDarlin wattgt the first to

join the LDS church in the british isles is somewhat typical of

many of the early converts he was christened at manchester cathedral

church of england lancashire england on june 21 1812 he lost

his father at an early age and when his mother remarried he found

things difficult at home at fourteen he was put out as an apprentice

to learn the cobbler trade this opened the way for his firstexperience with religion outside the church of england while

apprenticed he became acquainted with the primitive methodists but

he found himself uncomfortable with the primitivists feeling that he

just didnt fit in either socially or religiously while still a

young man he switched once more and began attending the wesleyan

method i st sunday school

1 4

1

methodist

Page 69: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

64

sometime after finishing his apprenticeship he migrated to

preston possibly to join his mother and stepfatherstep whofather had moved

there in the late 1820s george married mary gregson in 1835 at the

age of twenty three although he was married in the church of

england he probably did this more for a legal necessity rather than

loyalty to or support for his professed religion 16

from the preceding information watt appears to be a common

working class person however he must have had leadership skills and

abilities joseph fielding described him as being one of my

brothers james fielding leading men 17

it would be helpful to have similar personal histories or

journals of all who first joined the LDS church in the preston

area unfortunately watts full record is unusual normally we have

only brief glimpses of previous affiliation we know for instance

something of the thirtytwothirty yeartwo old david wilding when converted

and baptized in 1837 wilding who had been christened and married in

the church of england was a member of the united brethren 18

it is very difficult to determine the previous church affiliationof most LDS converts many were christened and married in the

church of england but as we have seen in the case of watt these

practices are inaccurate religious indicators many regarded such

practices as customary performance devoid of true religious

allegiance if a christening had already been performed in the church

of england it would not be repeated in the new church therefore if

they did join another church before accepting mormon ism they often

left no trace of their activity moreover membership lists for many

mormonism

Page 70: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

65

churches are unavailable and consequently they cannot be traced for

instance there is no extant listing of the fielding or aitken

congregations and with so few personal histories available of early

mormon converts little can be done to determine allegiances

however in preparing this study a concerted effort was made to

determine at least nominal religious origins by finding the

christening records of the early preston converts As previously

mentioned there are weaknesses in using these sources but they are all

that can be used it is also apparent that while some did not believe

in a second christening others did obviously once a family had

made the break with one church later children in the family may have

only had one christening and that in their new religion

the principal source used in this study to locate christenings

and marriages was found in the family history library in salt lake

city utah the library recently unveiled a new computerized version

of its international genealogical index19 hereafter referred to as

the IGI this index consists of input from members of the LDS

church who submitted names of their family relatives from a

systematic extraction program where volunteers would completely

extract all names from parish registers and from special extraction

projects such as early LDS church records the index has

limitations because of the limited number of anglican church records

from the lancashire area the index was less useful for that county

however the parish of preston was included having been microfilmed a

number of years ago and therefore available in salt lake for

extraction

index

Page 71: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

66

the inclusion of nonconformist records in the IGI must also be

clarified in the mid 1850s an effort was made by the britishgovernment to gather nonconformist registers particularly those with

a starting date previous to 1837 most of these surviving registers

were sent to london and placed in the public record office 20 nearly

all nonconformist registers from the public record office collection

are on microfilm in the family history library in salt lake citymost all of these have been extracted and are included in the IGI

therefore the IGI is an excellent tool for identifying nonconformists

however it should be obvious that not all records were

preserved let alone sent to the public record office an example of

a register in existence but not included as part of the public record

office collection is the congregation register of john richards

minister of a local independent church richards was the father of

jennetta richards who joined the LDS church and later married

elder willard richards her christening is recorded in this

register 21

A serious limitation of the IGI was its original arrangement

first generated on microfiche and alphabetically arranged by surname

within a county the record then gave name and subsequently year of

the recorded ordinance either birth or christening date and marriage

date when undertaking research in heavily populated areas or in

regions with common surnames in the IGI in its first configuration it

was often difficult to identify names being sought and even more

difficult to group them into families

2 0

Page 72: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1etterletter NIN fromf therom base list this survey identified

seventyfourseventy familiesfour or 60 percent of those who first joined the

LDS church in preston between 1837 and 1852 many people on the

base list could not be identified because of the paucity of detail

some converts on the base list had no place of birth others had no

date of birth and therefore the attempt to identify them on the IGI

was impossible there being no possible entries or too many entries to

make the match therefore these people would not be identified in

this search

table 5 gives denominational details on families that were

found fiftyeightfifty mayeight have been strictly church of england having

no record of dissenting church activity thus it is probable that 80

percent of the surveyed families were anglican however this figure

must be qualified because every family but two had at least one or

more family members christened in the church of england and as

previously mentioned anglican christenings were often pro forma

the methodists represented the next highest number of those

christened there were thirteen families 18 percent that had at

least one or more family members christened in one of the many

methodist sects the highest number in any one sect 69 percent came

from the preston wesleyan methodist circuit this circuit represented

I1 i st th i s

67

fortunately the IGI is now available for searching as a

computerized index 22 with this new capabilitycapabilitcapability christening and

marriage entries were sought for known LDS preston converts A

comprehensive survey was not undertaken instead a more than adequate

sampling was secured by tracing all surnames beginning with the letterA through the

y

i dent i f i ed

Page 73: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

rar0may HW huntingdonuntingdonhuntingdonunt methodistingdon

independent

families5911

21

1

percent79.779714.91492.7271.4141.414

families with only one religious affiliation 61 82families with multiple religious affiliations 13 18

source international genealogical index and list of early prestonLDS

68

congregations situated in at least four locations freckleton in the

parish of kirkham longton in the parish of penworthamworthamPen ley land and

preston the longton congregation was famous among the early LDSlodsconverts of preston 23 the mormons were so successful here that

hewitson mentioned it some thirty years later

whilst this movement was going on in the town preston themissionaries were pushing mormon ismisa in some of the surroundingcountry places at longton nearly everybody went into rapturesover the new doctrinedoctrine1doctrines mormon ism fairly took the place by st6rmstormstarmit caught up and entranced old and young married and single piousand godless it even spread like a sacred rinderpest an acuteinfectious disease amongst the wesleyanswesleyannWesle whoyans at that time werevery strong in longton captivating leaders members and some ofthe scholars in fine style and the chapel of this body was soemptied by the mormon crusade that it was found expedient toreduce it internally and set apart some of it for school purposesto this day the village has not entirely recovered the shock whichmormon ismisa gave it 30 years ago during the heat of the conflictmany longtoniansLongton wentians to the region of mormondom in america

TABLE 52555

RELIGIOUS persuasions OF THE EARLY PRESTON LDSbased on records of christenings

total families surveyed

74 60

religious denominationchurch of england anglicanmethodistpresbyterianlady

one family was christened in the church of england however it isknown that the father was jewish

leyland

mormonism

mormonism

mormonism

Z 4

s e e .124124 s e e s e s

21 4.4

1

124

797149

271414

.100100

total families identified

Page 74: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1independentnde 1.4141pendent see4 table 5 for detail

christenings only give a partial view of previous religious

affiliation from additional historical and biographical sources itis also known that some of these converts had jewish catholic and

baptist backgrounds although the LDS drew heavily from the

anglicans and methodists nearly every sect was represented

the catholics have the distinction of being represented among the

first nine to join the LDS church in britain thomas walmsley a

blacksmith and his wife ann hodgkinson were not too steady in their

early religious allegiances their first two children were

christened as was thomas and his only known sibling in the church of

england their next child was christened in the roman catholic church

as was his wifehife and her family about 1835 the familyfarlly must have moved

to preston the anglican parish registers record the christening of

their next child in 1835 there is no record of christening of the

next two children so it is presumed that after embracing the teaching

of the LDS church they were not christened in any catholic or

protestant church there is a probable burial record for thomas

father in the anglican burial registers stating that he john

walmsley was roman catholic

unlike their earlier passive or traditional faith LDS

converts found in their new religion an active and even demanding

faith joining the LDS church meant the giving of time talents

and self some found it a challenge to be so religiously involved

69

other denominations identified from the IGI searches were

presbyterianpresbyter 2.727 andi an 2 r tab I1 e for deta i I1

h i s w i fe f am i I1 y fam i I1 y

27 14

Page 75: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 I1

ofhisochis

70

thomas ward held several responsible positions in the early LDS

church including editor of the millennial star secretary to the

british and american commercial joint stock company and president of

the mission from october 1842 to november 1843 when reuben hedlockbedlock

arrived to take the presidency of the mission in november 1843 ward

was willing to accept a lesser position of importance as one of his

counselors he was a school master and had been a baptist preacher

one associate stated that he

always liked this man he was of a benevolent a kindamiable gentlemanly disposition well educated and very talentedas a poet and portrait painter the early volumes of themi millennialilennialglennialIlenllen starnial a small paper published by our society in englandthen and also to this day attest the poetical power of his pen

0

three years later in

1847 mitchelson was still after him cantwell stated that my

employer still threatened to discharge me if I1 didnt leave the

church 11 mitchelsonsMMitch wifehifei elsons threatenedtche cantwellsCanI1 finallytwellsson inI1 1848s

after

w

seven

i

years

f

in

e

mitchelsonsMitch employelsons cantwecantwell was dischargedschargedschargel

8 he was universally liked wherever he went and was fullycompetent to the task of rebutting the newspaper squibsoccasionally let off against us by the would be destroyers ofmormon i sm so called

throughout wards involvement in the LDS church he received

considerable opposition from his wife 26

just before becoming a mormon james cantwell a factory worker

and his employer george mitchelson had switched from methodism to

the united brethren although both received opposition from their

wives each joined the LDS church at the death of joseph smith in

1844 mitchelson left mormonism and returned to methodism cantwell

stated that his supervisor tried to induce me to follow him but I1

didnt heed him althoaitho still in his employ

mormonism

churchhe

cantwe I1 I1 I1 s F i na I1 I1 y i n

af ter i n M i tche I1 son I1 s emp I1 oy d i scharged

Page 76: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1eastleast 22 percent of

the families identified had religious affiliations with more than one

religion before joining the LDS church some embraced mormonism

and then lost interest for many reasons these seekers continued to

seek obviously rejecting the LDS church as the final solution for

their quest another study should be done by examining those families

known to have left mormonism or those who returned from america after

emigrating with the various groups who left england starting in the

1840s

there is evidence to show that peer pressure or social acceptance

may have been a significant influence in some joining the LDS

church the examples previously mentioned of the fieldingitesFielding ites

71

in all of this he was alone without the emotional support of his

wife nevertheless she must have been influenced in a positive way

she later joined mormon ism in february 1849 27

others may have found it more natural or easier to convert to the

LDSL churchDS their families were involved and they were more

religiously inclinedinciincl

several

ined

of the moon family reported they were taught early to

pray As we have seen jennetta richards father was an independent

congregational minister and robert williams grandfather was a

minister of the church of england several LDS converts were

methodist teachers

it is difficult to determine how devout these early converts

were sources searched seldom give details of religious experiences

and associations some undoubtedly were genuine religious seekers who

found the answer to their quest in mormon ism at

the

2 7mormonism

f the i r i n i sm

the i r shou I1 d exam i n i ng f am i I1 i es

Page 77: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

72

aitkenitesAitken ites and the wesleyan methodist congregation at longton

where nearly the whole group joined the mormonscormonsMor wouldmons support thisAs phi nipships pointed out and as in the case of arthur burrows class

structure in religion may also have had some effect on those who

joined

thus thorps model of the early mormon convert seems to apply to

many of the early preston converts they were from an industrial

city although most had roots outside preston traditional

christianity in preston was in retreat conformity was weak and

church attendance was very low the majority of the LDS were from

the more prominent religions although the splinter groups especially

the methodists were also well represented furthermore there is

evidence to show that the simplified doctrinal teachings of the LDS

church were more appealing to the people especially the working

class not only were they appealing but people understood what they

heard 28

phillips

ev i dence s i mp I1 i f i ed doctdoat r i na I1 teach i ngs L D S

peopleespecially

Page 78: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

ppap 3978397

5

8

arthur burrows may have been the only LDS member that could beconsidered elite in preston he was a shopkeeper gentleman andconsidered reputable enough to witness a prophesy made by the leadersof the LDS church also as was previously mentioned heapparently did not remain in the LDS church for very long

6 paul T phi I1 lips the sectarian spirit sectarianism societyand politics in victorian cotton towns toronto canada universityof toronto press 1982 p 46

7 ibid both phi nipships work and the study completed for thisthesis support this concept

8 anderson p 108

9 ibid

73

sociboci x

fatlesbatles

ENDNOTES TO CHAPTER 4

1 much has been said about the reliability of this special censusone source often quoted is K S ing I1 is patterns of religiousworship in 1851 11 journal of ecclesiastical history XI 1960 ppap748674 statistical86 information derived from this census can be foundin P and G ford population irish university press series ofbritish parliamentary papers 15 vols shannon ireland irishuniversity press 1970 vol 10 1851 census great britain report andtables on religious worship england and wales

2 anderson p 108

3 WSF pickering the 1851 religious censuscensusa uselessexperiment british journal of sociology XVIII no 4 1967 p397 see also michael anderson family structure in nineteenthcentury lancashire cambridge cambridge university press 1971 p1078107 see8 also susan L fa les the nonconformists of leeds in theearly victorian era A study in social composition MA thesisbrigham young university 1984 ppap 9109 where10 she gives attendancefigures for leeds yorkshire 47.4474 and relates them to andersonspreston study 25.52554 ibid

inglishis 0960

phillips

phillips

A

474255

Page 79: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

nerineel

1 0 anthony hewitson our churches and chapels their parsonspriests and congregations being a critical and historical account ofeveryeveri place of worship in preston preston chronicle office 1869po 192 also quoted by phi I1 lips11 phi I1 lips p 50

12 malcolm R thorp the religious background of mormon converts inbritain 1837521837 1152 journal of mormon history 4 1977 p 53

13 malcolm R thorp the setting for the restoration in britainpolitical social and economic conditions in truth will prevail therise of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday in the britishisles 183719871837 ed1987 V ben bloxham et al solihullSoli westhull midlandsthe church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday 1987 p 59

14 ibid15 fielding p 10 fielding also pointed out that the LDSmembers came from almost every society and many from the worldfr I1 mc AWAVW 0 S AWA arrlW macitf fvfm 4 h uwmf I1 rl n

1 6 until 1837 lord hardwicke marriage act of 1754 made itunlawful to marry in any church other than the church of englandanglican except for quakers and jews

17 fielding p 6

18 geneva M wilding david wilding and alice atkinson p 2

19 the title international genealogical index is a registeredtrademark this index is recognized internationally as an excellentresearch tool the 1988 edition of the index contains some 164million entries for many countries throughout the world

20 for a good brief discussion on the various religious sects seeD J steel sources for nonconformist genealogy and family historylondon phillimore & co ltd 1973 ppap 507517507 volume517 2 of the

series national index of parish registers21 this register is found in the lancashire record office referencenumber cucgcuc9cuca 2 and is titled register belonging to hesketh lanechapel near chipping lancashire and walwai kerfoldfoldoid chaigleyaigleychargleyCh in the samecounty

22 searches can be done by country region and county events suchas marriage or birthchristeningbirth canchristening be sought or requests for theidentity of the children of a particular couple can be initiatedfurther this information can be down loaded onto diskette or can beplaced in a holding file and later printed

74

10

p phillips

phillips

hist

16 lordhardwickes

walkerfold

day

Walker

Page 80: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

ppap 182018 2462420

28

6

anderson was quoted earlier as saying so much of what was taughtwas not relevant let alone understandable see anderson p 108thorp quotes heber C kimball and others in saying that the peoplewanted simple teachings and readily receive what they meaning theLDSlods missionaries had to give them see thorp the setting ppap677067 70

23 the records of the preston circuit are available on microfilm atthe family history library in salt lake city utah an interestingstudy could be made using these records to determine just howextensive the conversion process really was in longton

24 hewitson ppap 1123112 the3 register of those baptisedbaptizedbapti atsed thelongton church can be found at the public record office in londonengland and on microfilm at the family history library in salt lakecity utah the congregational register is described as 11 theoriginal register book of baptisms which has been kept for thewesleyan chapel situate at freckleton in the parish of kirkham atlongton in the parish of penworthamPen atwortham ley I1 and in the parish ofley I1 and and at preston

75

a

leylandleyland 11

25 emphasis for this table is on one religion only however it isevident that some people were of a particular religion while otherssuch as their children were christened in another others hadchildren that were christened in several different denominations

26 journal of james sherlock cantwell HDC typescript p 22

27 ibid

Page 81: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1atelate 1840s preston was a strongholdstrongho for mormonism while smallersnailer

branches were disappearing preston the oldest and longest standingandingunit of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday survived

despite periodic apathy quarreling lack of unity emigration and

apostasy

many factors in the LDS church affected the congregations

growth and prosperity one was leadership which while ever present

was occasionally not all that it should be there were examples and

76

outlidutli ne

CHAPTER 5

conclusions

the preceding chapters outline the setting for and establishment

of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday in the british

isles the intent was to identify and analyze the early converts who

first embraced mormon ismisa in england in and around preston

lancashire

during the first decade of mormon ism in britain preston a fast

growing industrial town became the early center of LDS activity

this was largely because of the family ties of the first mormon

missionaries joseph fielding one of the first seven missionaries

had a preacherbrotherpreacher inbrother preston the congregation of james fielding

furnished the first converts to mormon ismisa beginning with its firstnine baptisms and growing to a membership of nearly 500 during the

mormonism

mormonism

mormonism

st

strongho I1 d for mormon i sm wh i I1 e smasaa I1 I1 er

Page 82: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

77

accusationscusationscausations of embezzlement some leaders had domestic difficultieswithin their own families that caused consternation within the rank

and file others either lacked the ability to lead or let their newly

acquired authority go to their heads

other factors that affected the growth of mormon ismisa in preston

included a struggling economy the saints active religion and

anglican worldliness the early mormon convert embraced a personal

vital and practical religion avoiding many of the emotional extremes

in other religions indeed mormonism was a religion of the

people informal and unpretentious in style yet responsive to laboring

needs and issues 1

although it is necessary to understand the conditions surrounding

the advent of mormonism to the british isles much of the everyday

story of the LDS church in britain is found in studying the lives

of the people such a study however is difficult even the

identification of the men and women who joined mormonism proved a

difficult task

first many of the records that would normally give details of

these early converts are not extant A partial list of the preston

members from 1837 to approximately 1851 compiled from all known

sources totals over 400 members it is difficult to know how many

LDS members there should have been journals of the early

missionaries do not give detailed membership data early LDS

membership records or branch records if compiled have not survived

the branch records that are available which were generally created in

the 1850s provide only a retrospective view of the earlier period

accusat ionslons

mormonism

i nc I1 udededed st rugg I1 i ng sa i ntsants I1 act i veilvell re I1 i g i on

peopleinformal111

Page 83: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

78

even when individuals are named the details given are often so paltry

that further identification is hopeless names such as thomas

catteral alice hall william jackson john wilsonwitson and james smith

are too common even when combined with other civil sources such as

the census to be anything but a name the only source for george

wate 2 one of the first nine to be baptized in preston and not to be

confused with george D watt is a journal of one of the early

missionaries there are no details other than his name and baptismal

date

in addition emigration and apostasy took their toll making a

complete listing difficult if not impossible emigrants left the area

as early as the spring 18403 and continued throughout the rest of the

century it is unknown how many LDS preston emigrants there were

but several are recorded in the nauvoo illinois LDS temple

records 1845 to 1846 A number of preston LDS can also be found

in the nauvoo social history index which includes names from many

sources including some early united states passenger lists

there were also those who left mormon ism or perhaps mormon ism

left them people like george mitchelson thomas ward arthur

burrows and thomas webster are typical of this group mitchelson and

webster were excommunicated from the LDS church whereas burrows

and ward had difficulties with mormonism and fell inactive for

reasons that cannot be determined

who were the early preston mormonscormonsMor atmons least some social

economic and religious character traits can be identified during

the first decade of mormonism in preston lancashire the typical

mormonism mormonism

Page 84: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

79

mormon convert was much like any other person living in the area

prestoniansPreston wereians experiencing life in one of the fastest growing

cities in the british isles this meant that living conditions were

not always desirable there were housing shortages problems with

sanitary conditions and even a lack of sufficient provisions for a

minimal standard of living

most early LDS were employed in the cotton textile industry

this study revealed that more than twice as many LDS families were

working as cotton operatives than the average preston family among

other things mill life brought about a change in the traditional

family life style like other british families LDS families were

no longer working together in familyrelatedfamily workrelated instead a more

regimented manner of work existed where most of the family worked

apart in specific and specialized jobs

like their counterparts elsewhere LDS children worked long

hours but were eventually blessed by legislation that restricted the

number of hours spent in the factories the work they did was often

difficult and they were sometimes treated unkindly by those who

supervised their work their time for education was limited and any

homemaking skills that previous generations learned through their

upbringing were nearly nonexistent most grew up without their

mothers at home since they too were at work however the number of

working LDS children was well below the preston average

since 70 percent of the LDS homes had working mothers most

working in the textile mills another family revolution took place

mothers were not there to teach and comfort family members

Page 85: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

80

additional significance on the role of the mother in the LDS home

is evident when considering that 91 percent of the preston LDShomes with children in them had mothers who worked in the weaving

industry the previous figure is more meaningful when compared with

the percentage of all preston families with married women weavers who

had children at home IS15 percent many of the domestic skills that

mothers formerly provided were reduced or done away with there was

simply no time to do their motherly duties because of the long hours

they were required to work at the factory women workers were desired

because they worked for less money than the men thus the high

percentage of women workers was largely due to an underlying demand

it is likely that the LDS women in preston were looking for an

out perhaps in mormon ism

employment of both women and children in the factories affected

the fathers although evidence is lacking to show that this had an

effect on the LDS homes there are examples of non LDS in

preston showing that fathers were often displaced as the head of

their families because of their having no work the women and

children monopolized the available work positions further those men

who had formerly operated the hand looms were losing their business

the women could do far more on the power looms used in the factories

fiftyfivefifty percentfive of the families in preston where at least one

person was LDS had a male head who was involved in the cotton

industry

when there was work available the LDS families were able to

maintain only a minimum living standard wages seemed sufficient to

home15

mormonism

Page 86: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

81

take care of just essential living needs while the working mothers

and children increased the family income mormon church missionaries

often noted the poverty of the LDS households clearly the living

standards in america were on a higher level than what the

missionaries found about them

the early LDS converts were used to being on the move most

of those who belonged to the preston LDS branch were not born in

the area A considerable number did not even have lancashire

nativity perhaps this is why so many answered the invitation to

gather or emigrate to america when the callcail was extended in the

1840s A future study might determine if those who had previously

moved had more of a tendency to emigrate than those who converted near

the place of their birth

the previous religious leanings of the early LDS in preston

are difficult to trace since so few journal and personal historical

accounts exist however an indication of religious affiliation can

be gleaned by examining christening records these records show that

most of the early LDS had some association with the church of

england many converts to mormon ism although less than what some

would anticipate based on other conversion studies had methodist

leanings A few LDS had experienced two or more denominational

affiliations finally many of the preston LDS came from pro forma

religious families they were religious to the extent that they

participated in the essential church rites

from these many sources came the LDS convert their chief

common element appears to be their seeking this was evidenced in

em i grate amer i ca ca I1 I1 i n

journaland

mormonism

journaland

Page 87: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

82

joseph fieldings journal wherein he stated that nearly all of the

first converts to mormon ismisa at this time about 90 had come from his

brothers congregation 4

this thesis supports the economic and social origins established

in the pioneering studies by PAM taylor and malcolm thorp there

were few of the elite among the mormonscormonsMor paulmons phi olpships argued that if

there were no elite that the pure religious incentives were not enough

to attract any great quantities to any nonconformist group preston

mormon ism seems to provide an exception to this rule with very few

of the elite present in mormon ismisa the mormon following nevertheless

grew rapidly

As the preston people joined the LDS church they found a new

dimension to religion whereas most victorians were used to an

acquiescent nondemandingnon religiondemanding mormon ismisa provided an active

exuberant system of religious belief it required taking an assertive

part in spreading the wordhordkord a word that to many was simple

straightforward and understandable

earlier hypotheses proposed by historians taylor thorp and

allenalienailen seem to be justified this is becoming more obvious as the

larger picture is defined by studies on the local level as in the case

of jan harris manchester susan fales leeds lynne jorgensen

london and this study for preston however there is still a

dimension lacking before there will be enough data to compare and

contrast the early LDS in all of england although limited in

numbers the rural element such as that found in the midlands and

other parts of britain shoudshould be researched every british convert to

mormon ism was not one of the urban poor

1

28

mormonism

phillips

mormonism

mormonism

mormonism

worda

mormonism

Page 88: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 i n

ENDNOTES TO CHAPTER 5

1 ronald W kalkerwalkerkaiker cradling mormon ismisa the rise of the gospelgospe inearly victorian england BYU studies 27 winter 1977 ppap 27827

2

8

journal of heber C kimball historical department of the churchof jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday salt lake city utah hereafterreferred to as HDC book 94c p 63

3 diary of joseph fielding HDC typescript p 63

4 fielding p 10

83

rona I1 d wa I1 ker crad I1 i ng i sm R i se

Page 89: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

84

APPENDIX I11

EARLY BRITISH missionarieschurchmissionarievchurchMISSIONARIES LEADERSCHURCH

1837 ARRIVED

heber C kimballorson hydewillard richardsjohn goodsonisaac russellrusselijoseph fieldingjohn snider

20 jul 183720 jul 183720 jul 183720 jul 183720 jul 183720 jul 183720 jul 1837

DEPARTED

20 apr 183820 apr 183821 apr 1841

oct 183720 apr 183821 sep 1841

oct 1837

1838

none

1839

hiram clarkalexander wrightsamuel muimul liner

1840

3 dec 18393 dec 18393 dec 1839

7 feb 184217 sep 184217 sep 1842

wilford woodruffjohn taylortheodore turleybrigham youngheber C kimballparley P prattorson prattgeorge A smithreuben hedlockbedlocktheodore curt isbenjamin winchesterlorenzo snowjames blakesleyjames burnhamlevi richards

1841

orson hydegeorge J adams

111111666666

jan 1840jan 1840jan 1840apr 1840apr 1840apr 1840apr 1840apr 1840apr 1840aug 1840aug 1840oct 1840NOV 1840NOV 1840NOV 1840

ARRIVED

3 mar 18413 mar 1841

1121

21 apr 184121 apr 1841

7 aug 184021 apr 184121 apr 184129 oct 184221 apr 184121 apr 1841

25 sep 184225 sep 184217 jan 18424 mar 1841

17 sep 1842

DEPARTED

2 sep 184231 dec 1841

mulliner

curtis

Page 90: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

919011909490

85

1842

john snyderhiram clarkdarkmarklorenzo D barnesamos fielding

26 mar 1842I11 sep 1842

18421842

sep 18425 mar 1844

DIED dec 18421843

1843

reuben hedlockbedlockjames sloanjohn cairnswi lilaa G jarminebarminewilliam houston

30 sep 184330 sep 184330 sep 184330 sep 184330 sep 1843 7

1844

amos fieldingjoseph albert strat tonelisha H daviselijah F sheetsJ B meynelljames parsons

1845

26 may 184424 aug 184424 aug 184424 aug 184424 aug 184424 aug 1844

17 jan 184522 jan 184619 jan 184716 jan 1846

hiram oarkdarkclarkwilford woodruffdan jonesleonard W hardymiltonmllton holmeshenry cuerdengeorge slater

4 jan18454 jan18454 jan18454 jan18454 jan18455 jan18455 jan1845

16 jan184622 jan184625 feb1846

oct184516 oct184518 oct1846

1846

1846

david candlandgeorge D wattjoseph ca i nsimeon carterlucius N scovilhenry B jacobsoliver B huntingtonorson hydejohn taylorparley P prattsamuel W richardsfranklin D richardsmoses mart incyrus H wheelock

apr 18469 jun 18469 jun 1846

aug 1846aug 1846sep 1846sep 1846

3 oct 18463 oct 1846

14 oct 184614 oct 184614 oct 184614 oct 184614 oct 1846

20 apr2 feb

19 jan7 sep6 jul6 jul6 jul

23 feb19 jan19 jan20 feb20 feb

9 mar20 feb

18471847184718481847184718471847184718471848184818481848

171

william

stratton

jan 1845 jan 1846jan 1845 jan 1846jan 1845 feb 1846jan 1845 oct 1845jan 1845 oct 1845jan 1845 oct 1846jan 1845

cain

martin

Page 91: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

lewleh i s robb i nslenislewis robbins

1847

orson spencerandrew cahooncharles phelpsM NM sirrineL 0 littlefieldL D butler

ARRIVED

23 jan 184723 jan 1847

184625 sep 1847

86

DEPARTED

29 jan 184920 feb 1848

6 jul 184725 sep 1847

1848

jeter clintonjohn spiersthomas clarkmilo andrusorson pratteli B kelseywilliam mossharrison burgessjoseph clementsalfred cordon

william L cutler

1848

james H flaniganjames W cumin ingslevilev richards

1849

6 jul 18486 jul 18486 jul 18486 jul 1848

26 jul 184817 aug 184817 aug 184821 sep 184821 sep 184821 sep 184821 sep 1848

4 oct 1848

4 oct 18484 oct 1848

dec 1848

10 jan10 jan

10 jan2 mar

10 jan

10 feb

18501850

18501851

18501851

1852

29 jan 18518 jan 1851

30 apr 1853

cyrus H wheelocklorin babbittmoses clawsonjames W burgesshyrum H blackwellBlac

1850

kwelIkwell

18491849184918491849

feb 1853feb 1851jan 1853

eli B kelseygeorge P dykesfranklin D richardspeter 0 hansenjoseph torontojohn S higbeejoseph W johnsonjacob gatesalonzo lebaronjob smithjoseph W young

19 jan 185019 jan 185029 mar 1850

8 apr 18508 apr 18508 apr 18508 apr 18508 apr 18508 apr 18508 apr 18508 apr 1850

18 dec 185123 jul 1852

8 may 18527 jan 1855

185210 jan 185210 feb 185223 jan 1853

22 feb 185215 feb 1853

ARR I1 VED

cummings

Page 92: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

1850 cont

erastus snowlorenzo snowjohn E forsgrenhaden W churchjohn tayl orjohn pack srcurt is E boltongeorge B wallaceorson prattrobert campbelicampbellappleton M harmonclaudius V spencerwilliam burtonjohn 0 angusisaac C haightjesse W crosbyjames worksjames D rosssimeon carter

ARRIVED

16 apr 185018 apr 185019 apr 185019 apr 185027 may 185027 may 185027 may 1850

9 jun 1850juljut 1850

2 sep 185014 sep 185014 sep 185014 sep 185014 sep 185014 sep 185014 sep 1850

87

DEPARTED

8 may 185212 jun 185216 jan 185310 feb 1852

4 mar 185210 jan 18526 apr 1853

20 mar 18522 feb 1851

12 mar 185423 jan 185323 jan 185317 mar 1851

5 mar 185410 feb 1852

18524 apr 1854

1851waw7

1851

samuel W richardswillard snowabram 0 smoot 0 0 0

vincent shurtliffmoses clawsonclanson

29 dec 185129 dec 185129 dec 185129 dec 1851

8 jul 1854DIED aug 1853

28 jan 185212 feb 185

source manuscript history of the british mission

taylor

curtis

do

0 0 0 8 0 0 g 0

Page 93: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

boltonboiton

88

APPENDIX 2

BRANCH RECORDS SURVEY pre1851

EARLIEST EARLIEST ENTRY APPRX DATE historicalNAME ENTRY FOR BRANCH LOCALITY RCDRCO CREATED RCD AVAILABLE

accringtonaccrin4ton 1838 1841 1852 yesashton 1837 1842 1850s yesblackburn 1837 1841 1852 yesbo I1 ton 1838 1838 1852 nobrightmetbrightmenBright foldmet 1840 1841 1852 noburnley 1840 1840 1850s nobury 1839 1840 1852 nochatburn 1838 1838 1838 yesclitheroe 1837 1838 1847 noha ishawbishaw moor 1842 1853 1852 noheywood 1840 8471847 1852 nokersley moor 1842 1842 1850s noleigh 1840 1841 1852 noley I1 and moss 1838 1838 1852 noliverpool 1840 1840 c185oc1850 yeslongton 1837 1840 1852 nomanchester 1838 1838 c1846 yesmiddleton 1838 1842 c1850 yesmosley common 1847 1848 1848 yesnewton 1842 1842 c1850 nooldham 1840 1840 1852 yespreston 1837 1837 1852 yesradcliffe 1840 1840 1852 yesrawtenstallrawtenstan 1854 1854 1854 yesrochdalerockdaleRoc 1850hdale 1850 1852 noroyton 1840 1841 1852 no

st helens 1839 1841 c1850 notottingtontittingtonTott 1841ington 1841 1852 yesuphollandUp 1848holland 1848 1852 yes

source LDS branch records on microfilm at the family historylibrary salt lake city utah input from the staff of the historicaldepartment of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday

halshaw1

leyland

PRE 1851

Page 94: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

daycllapdapaay

tafepeeke

I1

I1 I1 I1

3

zazmaz

mismie

igiigl

yay1

89

APPENDIX 3

WELSH BRANCH RECORD

ctohf AAA cy 2 O0 y

J f 7a7 ZL A y yis rs FS & sarszr 17z

yaa i

J

silsfc77syS

sr yri i i

S lisfci ttf a i

L1

1 i 171

a f 4 a 4 4.4i 1 i1 7 y3s f i v t 1 t i f i

fe ki- j

nc2rti rf f i n 11 lt o ICdy L

0

C 5 1

dcte tifwf

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Page 95: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

tsynyeanpeanyeapea

voroorverIA

ggs122ils

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ablael

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90

APPENDIX 4

1852 BRANCH RECORD

1

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Page 96: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

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I1 1

taaltwal

ULmls Salls4tzit&ff l

banuchbnuch countycoun wlngdofn

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114

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Page 97: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

17471717

APPENDIX 5

PRESTON LEADERS 183718521837

SERVED

1852

SERVEDLEADER FROM TO

heber C kimball july 1837 apr 1838

joseph fielding apr 1838 oct 1841

william struthers oct 1841

william snailhamSnail juneham 1843 sep 1843

john banks 1844

leonard W hardy apr 1845 aug 1845hardy evidently presided over both the conference and the branchsince upon his departure both positions needed filling see MS

6108 also see MS 639 where this practice was happening inlondon

john melling preston branch aug 1845john holsall preston conference aug 1845

henry B jacobs fall 1846 july 1847oliver B huntington jacobs asstabst fall 1846 july 1847john swindlehurst star agent fall 1846 may 1847

oliver B huntington mentions that parkinson was appointed sinceswindlehurst had moved out of the country 1 june 1847

john fawley or foley preston br mar 1847george D watt preston conference july 1847 oct 1850john parkinson star agent 28 may 1847 feb 1852

john fawley or foley prest conf sec apr 1849

joseph W johnson preston conference oct 1850 feb 1852

henry walters preston branch feb 1852john thorn ley preston branch feb 1852joseph W young preston conference feb 1852john holsall star agent feb 1852

92

0

thornley

Page 98: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

aliceaiice

afflaffa icklck

afflaffa icklck

APPENDIX 6

EARLY PRESTON AREA CONVERTS 1837 c1852

codes in the source column are brprestonBR LDSPreston branch recordspbpatriarchal blessing LBLDS biographical encyclopediahsmiilennial star nvtearlyTEarlyNV nauvoo templetempie register cr1841 prestoncensus fgrfamily group collection at family history library saltlake city

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALNAME DATE SOURCESSOURCE

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

afflick

al ice

christopher

ellen

grace jr

isabel la

jane

mary ann

peter

william

william preston

1852 sep 20

1850 oct 24

1847 dec 20

1847 dec 11

1851 feb 12

1847 dec 08

1847 dec 08

1847 dec 20

1847 nov 20

1847 dec 20

BR

FGR

FGR

BR

CRFGR

BR

CRFGR

BR

CRFGR

BR

CRFGR

FGR

BR

CRFGR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

CRFGR

93

MSM i I1 I1 enn i a I1 nvtear I1 y temp I1 e reg i ster cr1cricra 841

S

af f I1 i ck

isabella

Page 99: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

clarkdarkoark grace

ainsworth david

alienallenailen cathrina

allenalienailen elizabeth

atkinson ann

atkinson edward

atkinson elizabeth

atkinson jane

bamber henry

bamber james

bamber john

bamber nancy

bamber william

barker margaret

barlow margaret

barton edward

barton margaret

beck betty

beck george

9

1841 may 06

1840 sep 16

1845 jul 12

1848 mar 25

sr 1847 dec 08

1847 mar 04

1841 jul 17

baptismpatriarchal BLESSINGNAME DATE SOURCES

afflick

1848 feb 09

1840 sep 15

1847 oct 24

1840 sep 15

1840 jul 30

1841 may 04

1841 may 04

1840 oct 01

1842 mar 06

1841 aug

BR

CRFGR

BR

PBCR

BR

CR

BR

CR

PBpe

BR

PB

PBCR

PBCR

PBPE

PBpeCR

PB

PBCR

BR

BR

CR

BRCR

BR

BR

FGR

94

afflick

bar I1 ow

BAPTISM PATRIARCHAL

Page 100: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

oddieoddle

williamwliilam

baptismpatriarchal BLESSINGNAME DATE SOURCES

beck isabella

beck john parker

beck odd ie john

beck thomas

beck carlisle elizabeth

bees ley george

beesley wi11 iamjam

bees ley taylor elizabeth

bennettbonnett ellen

bennett robert

billsborough henry

billsboroughbi1isborough margaret

blackhurst elizabeth

black ley thomas

bond mariah

bond mary

bond sarah

1840 jul

1841 nov

1841 nov

1840 sep 30

1840 aug 20

1840

1851 jul 19

1840

1840 sep 09

1840 sep 10

1837 jul 301840 jul 03

1840 jul 31

1840 oct 01

1841 may 06

1840 sep 04

1839 feb 201840 sep 04

1841 apr 28

BR

FGR

BRFGR

BR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

CRFGR

BR

CR

FGR

PBCR

PBPECR

PBFGR

PBPsFGR

PB

PB

PBPE

BR

PB

BRER

95

beesley

beesley

blackhurstahurst

blackley

nn

BAPTISM PATRIARCHAL

Page 101: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

96

NAME

bond william

bowman agness

brad ley jane

brimley william

brindle mary

brown george

brown joseph

brown mary

brown mary ann

burrow arthur

burrow elizabeth

carter ellen

carter john

casson mary

casson william

caton betsy

caton john

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

18381840 sep 04

1840 nov 19

1840 sep 02

1840 aug 27

1840 sep 02

1837 jul 301840 aug 27

1840 oct 02

1840 oct 01

1838 feb 09

1840 aug 28

1841 apr 27

1837 dec 25

SOURCES

BR

PB

BR

BR

CR

PBCR

BR

PB

PBCR

FGR

PBNVT

PBFGR

PBPsMS

CR

PBCR

BR

MS

CRFGR

MS

FGR

PB

PB

BR

CR

BR

CR

P B

bradley

PB

Page 102: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

NAME

catteral thomas

chapman daniel

clark elizabeth

clark james

clayton easter

clay ton elizabeth

clegg ellen

clegg james

clegg johnathan

clithroe james

cootonbooton thomas

cordwell mary

cowell elizabeth

cowell george

cowell mary

bapt1smpatr1archalbaptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSBLESSINGPATRIARCHAL ingDATE

1848 apr 03

1837 oct 31

1839 sep 04

1839 sep 041840 sep 17

1840 aug 06

1838 feb 15

1838 mar 251840 aug 04

1847 oct 17

1837 sep 261840 aug 01

1841 oct 14

1838 feb 251840 oct 30

1841 aug 22

1840 aug 27

1837 dec 131840 aug 27

1837 nov is15

SOURCES

BR

BR

FGR

PBFGR

PBFGR

BR

BR

PBCRFGR

BR

CRFGR

BR

PBPsCRFGR

PBCR

BR

PBCR

PBPS

PBCR

BR

PBCR

BR

CRFGR

97

clayton

Page 103: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

baptismpatriarchal BLESSINGNAME DATE SOURCES

cranshaw elizabeth

cranshaw elizabeth or betty

cranshaw james

cranshaw james

creer ann

creer betsy or elizabeth

creer cathrina

creer edward

creer ellen or nellneil ie

creer febeacebea phoebe ann

creer jane

creer margret

1847 mar 12

1838 jun 191840 aug 05

1838 jun 191840 aug 05

1851 jul 20

1838 jan 211840 jul 21

1840 jul 21

1838 feb 181840 jul 21

1838 jan 211840 jul 21

1840 jul 21

1840 jul 21

1840 jul 21

1840 jul 21

BR

CR

FGR

BR

PBCR

FGR

BR

PBPECR

FGR

BR

FGR

PBCR

FGR

PBCR

FGR

PBpilCRFGR

PBCRFGR

PBPECRFGR

PBCR

FGR

PBCRFGR

PBCR

FGR

98

nellie

BAPTISM PATRIARCHAL

Page 104: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

99

creer

croft

croft

croft

cross

cross

curedonceredon

dawson

dawson

dawson

dawson

dawson

dawson

dearden

dickson

NAME

nancy

john

john

robert

ellen

thomas

henry

ann

el 1ingorfingor

jane

margaret

mary

samuel bailey

ann

james

BAPTISMPAdi

1840

1837

1844

1844

1848

1847

1841

18371840

1841

1840

1840

1840

1840

1840

1838

rpiaiTE

jul

dec

aug

aug

may

jun

may

juljun

may

nov

nov

nov

nov

sep

feb

XCHAL BLESS

21

28

18

18

03

17

03

3018

04

17

17

17

17

02

ING

SOURCES

PBCRFGR

BR

FGR

BR

BR

FGR

BRCR

BR

CR

PB

PBpsCR

FGR

PB

PBFGR

PBCRFGR

PBCR

FGR

PBCRFGR

PBply

CR

BR

CRFGR

baptismpatriarchal BLESSINGDATE

E I1 I1 i ngor

BAPTISM PATRIARCHAL

Page 105: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

101

NAME

fazakerley agnes

fazakerley john

fielding amos

fielding hannah

fielding mary

finch elizabeth or betty

F i nch john

fisher eliza kezia

fisher james

fisher jane

fisher john

flint sarah

foley or fawley cornelius

foley or fawley john

foley or fawley joseph

foley or fawley mary

foulks dorithy

gardner ellen

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 jul 16

1840 jul 16

1840 jun 19

1840 jun 19

1840 oct 30

1840 oct 30

1839 apr 131840 aug 04

1839 dec 241840 aug 04

1844

18401840 NOV 19

1840 jun 09

1849 aug 03

1841 mar 191841 may 31

1842 may 24

1841 may

1840 sep 01

1838 feb

SOURCESSOURCE

PB

PB

PBFGR

FGR

PB

PBCR

PBCR

BR

PBCR

PBCR

FGR

PBCR

FGR

PB

BR

CR

BR

PBMS

CR

BR

BR

PB

BR

CRFGR

ONoj

finch

Page 106: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

102

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALNAME DATE SOURCESSOURCE

gardner john 1849 apr 08

gardner or garner elizabeth 1850 jul 16

garner or gardner james 1846 jan 24

garner or gardner jane 1849 dec 03

garner or gardner john 1839 apr 14

garner or gardner margaret 1839 mar

garner or gardner martha 1839 sep 28

garner or gardner sarah 1845 sep 02

cihigihi brand robert 1840 oct 23

1852 mar 15

1850 may 30

1840 oct 23

1840 aug 24

1840 oct 01

gornaiegornalefornale or gomalbomal elizabeth

green elizabeth

green thomas

greenhalghGreen wi11williamwliilamhaigh iamjam

G reenwoodgreenwoodenwoodgreenwoodre george

greenwood george 1840 nov 25

greenwood helen 1838 mar 11

BR

CR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

PBPECR

FGR

BR

CR

BR

CR

PB138

CR

PBPECR

PBCRFGR

BR

CR

BR

CR

iI1 S

gillibrand

onon

Page 107: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

103

NAME

grimshaw edward

gr i mshaweshaw eliell sabeth

grimshaw henry

grimshaw james

grimshaw john

grimshaw mary

grimshaw robert

hacking hariot

hacking james

hack i ng jane

hacking john sampson

hall alice

hall elizabeth

hall margaret elizabeth

hall mary

hall william

hardman richard

harnett see sumner el

harrel mary

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 aug 01

1850 apr 10

1841

1839 nov 20

1838 mar 04

1840 oct 23

1840 oct 23

18431841 may 04

1841 may 04

1843

1843 sep

1846 jun

1839 feb

1841 jan

1840 jun 09

izabethelizabetheilzabeth 1841 apr 27

1847 mar 11

SOURCES

BR

CR

BR

BR

BR

BR

PBpeCR

PBCR

PBCRFGR

PBCR

FGR

FGR

FGR

BRSR

BR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

BR

FGR

PB

PB

BR

CR

grimshaw elisabeth

hacking

Page 108: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

aliceallceaiice

aliceallceaiice

elleneilenelien

elleneilen

104

NAME

harrison david

harrison john

harrison mary

harrison robert

has I1 am W i 11 i am

heap jane

heap thomas

heaton james

heaton margaret

heaton mary

hesketh james

hodgin or hodgson miles

hodgin or hodgson nancy

hodgson A I1 ice

hodkinson A I1 ice

hodkinson el I1 en

hodkinson williamwllliam

hodson ann

hodson elleil en

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 jul 07

1837 sep 051840 sep 04

1840 aug 07

1840 aug 05

1840 aug 16

1840 jul 24

1840 jul 24

1840 aug 28

1840 sep 10

1840 sep 10

1840 sep 15

1837 jul 301840 aug 07

1840 aug 07

1841 apr 20

1840 sep 17

1841 apr 20

1840 nov 26

1851 mar 23

SOURCES

PB

BRSRPBMS

PB

PB

BR

CR

PB

PB

PB

PBCR

PBCR

PBCR

PBFGR

PBFGR

MS

FGR

PB

PB

PB

BR

CRFGR

BR

FGR

haslam william

Page 109: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

105

NAME

hodson james

hodson jane

hoffman mary

ho I1 sal I1 edward

holsall elizabeth

holsall john

ho I1 sal I1 margaret

hooton jane

hooton thomas

houghton aron

howarth susannah

hull ann

hunter catherine

hunter george

hunter james

hunter john james

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1838 jan 08

1853 oct 14

1838 mar 28

1837 sep 131840 aug 28

1837 sep 131840 jul 16

1840 sep 03

1841 oct 11

1841 oct 11

1840 nov 19

1851

1840 jul 24

1840 feb 17

1852 aug 13

1839 dec 14

1852 aug 13

SOURCES

BR

FGR

BR

BR

BR

CR

BR

PBCR

BR

PBPSMS

CR

PBCR

PBCR

PBCR

PBCR

BR

PB

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

holsall

holsall

nn

Page 110: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

kenionkenlon

106

NAME

hunt i ngtonagton jennett

huntington john

hunt i ngtonagton robert

jackson charles

jackson elizabeth

jackson joseph

jackson mary

jackson wi11 iamjam

johnson thomas

ken ionlon elizabeth

kilner john

king mary

knowles ann

knowles elizabeth

knowles john

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 aug 05

1840 aug 05

1837 jun 171840 aug 05

1838 feb1840 aug 04

1838 may 04

1838 may 03

1838 jan 021840 aug 04

184 may 04

1840 dec 11

1841 may 06

1850 may

1844 apr 08

1840 jul

1837 aug 141840 jul 16

SOURCES

PBCRFGR

PBPSCRFGR

PBMS

CR

FGR

PBCRFGR

BR

BR

PBCRFGR

BR

CR

PB

PB

PBCR

BR

BR

CRFGR

BR

FGR

BR

PBPSCR

huntington

huntington

william

t nun

Page 111: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

107

NAME

knowles mary

knowles merinda

knowles sarah

knowles william

langton sarah

langton seth

law elizabeth

leach john

leach mary

lee betty

lee george

lishman sarah

lishman sarah

long jane

lowe james

lowe jane

malley benjamin

malley mary

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1843

1848 may 16

1837 oct 141840 aug 24

1846 feb 13

1845 may

1840 jul 23

1840 jul 24

1840 jul 24

1841 may 25

1841 may 25

1840 sep

1840 nov

1850 aug 15

1841 may 06

1848 oct 10

1837 sep1840 nov 19

1840 nov 19

SOURCES

BR

BR

BR

PBpe

BR

CRFGR

BR

BRFGR

PB

PB

PBpe

PBMS

CR

PBMS

CR

BR

BR

BR

PB

BR

BRERPBPsCRFGR

PBCR

FGR

Page 112: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

elizaellzaeilza

108

NAME

marrs mary

marshall elizabeth

memc lean charles

mellingmelting ellen

me 11 i ng jane

me lilill ng john

me I1 ling peter

me iiiill ng racheirachelrachea

menzies elizabeth

menzies robert

morgan elizabeth

morgan john

morgan mary

munro mary

murray jane

myers eliell za

neibaur alexander

neibaur ellen

newsham alice

newsham ann

newsham ann

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSPATRIARCHAL INGDATE

1840 aug 24

1852 aug 13

1837 mar 10

1840 sep 02

1837 oct 14

1840 aug

1840 jun 09

18391840 jun 09

1840 jun 09

1844 sep

1841 jul 05

1841 apr 22

1842 mar

SOURCES

PB

BR

BR

BR

PB

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

PBFGR

PBFGR

PBFGR

BR

PB

BR

PBFGR

PBPSFGR

BR

PBCR

BR

CR

FGR

BLESSING

melling

melling

melling

melling

a

1838 apr 091840 jul 24

1842 sep 251840 jul 24

Page 113: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

ellenelieneilen

oddieoddle

109

NAME

newsham elizabeth

newsham jane

newsham john

newsham larance or

newsham mary

newsham mary

nightingale el I1 en

nuttall alice

nuttall ann

odd ie jane

01lertonollerton01 alicelerton

ollerton alice

lertonollerton01 ann jane or jane ann 1851 jun 04

ollerton dinah

ollerton elizabeth

ollerton ellen

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1841 oct 07

1841 jul 31

lawrence 1841 apr 22

1841 apr 22

1841 apr 27

1840 aug 21

1840 oct 20

1841 sep 08

1838 feb 08

1844 jun 02

1841 feb 20

1842 aug 14

1844 jun 02

SOURCESSOURCE

BRCR

PBPsCRFGR

PBCR

PBPsCRFGR

PBpsCR

FGR

PB1313

CR

PBPsMS

BR

BR

BR

CR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

S

Page 114: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

110

NAME

ollertonoileroller estherton

ollerton jane

ollerton john

ollerton john dandy

ollerton seth

parker agness

parker john

parker nancy

parker sarah

parkinson ellen

parkinson john

park i nson joseph

parkinson mary

parkinson richard

parkinson samuel

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 nov 02

1839 sep 30

1837 nov 06

1840 nov 02

1839 nov 20

1840 aug 21

1840 aug 21

1837 oct 151840 sep 03

1841 sep 18

1837 oct 24

1837 sep 021840 aug 24

1850 mar 14

1839 jun 07

1841 apr 27

1850 mar 14

SOURCES

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BRERFGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

PBPs

PBCR

BRER

PBPsCR

PBCR

BR

CRFGR

BRERPBPEMS

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

BRERFGR

PBpe

BR

CRFGR

parkinson

Page 115: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

111iliiii

NAME

partington ann

peacock mary ann

pearson A I1 ice

pearson john

pearson mariah

pearson mary

pearson thomas

pilkinton evan

preston susannah

preston thomas

price joseph ramshead

proctor isabella

proctor james

proctor john

proctor K elizabeth

proctor lettuce

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1837 oct1840 jul 23

1842 jun 10

1840 sep 01

1840 sep 01

1840 jul 17

1837 jul

1840 jul 17

1840 oct 23

1838 jan 01

1837 dec 14

1840 aug 21

1841 oct 07

18371840 jul 31

1840 sep 10

1851 aug 01

1840 NOV 041840 aug 06

SOURCES

PBCRFGR

BR

PBCR

PBCR

PB

BR

CR

PB

PBCR

BR

CR

BR

CR

PB

PBPS

PBPSNVT

FGR

PB

BR

PBNVT

FGR

proctor william 1848 sep 13 BR

aliceallce

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112

NAME

pucill margaret

pucill samuel

readhead john

readhead margaret

relph elizabeth

relph margaret

relph martha

reynolds mary

reynolds richard

richardson jane

richardson mary

richardson thomas

riley emma

roads or rhodes jane

rodgerson john

rodgisonhodgisonRod marygison

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1837 aug 011840 jul 16

1837 sep 081840 jul 16

1840 nov 26

1838 aug1840 nov 26

1849 jun 01

1847 dec 17

1837 aug 23

1847 may 25

1847 may 25

1840 sep 15

1840 jul 23

1840 jun 09

1853 sep 23

1847 mar 011840 nov 26

1840 nov 26

1840 sep 02

SOURCES

PBCRFGR

PBCRFGR

PB

BR

PBCR

BR

BR

CR

BR

CR

BR

BR

PBCR

PBNVT

CRFGR

PBMS

NVT

CRFGR

BR

PBCR

PBCR

PB

fnunan

Page 117: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

salisburysailsbury

sanders williamwliilam

saunders or sanders jane

saunders or sanders mary

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1849 sep 19

1842 jun 20

1838 jul 13

1846 jul 14

1851 may 25

1837 aug 101840 jul 23

1849 sep 19

1840 jul 17

1840 nov 26

1841 may 31

1840 jul 31

1846 jan 11

1841 may 03

1841 may 03

SOURCES

BR

CR

FGR

BR

CR

BR

BR

CR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

PBCR

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

PBCR

PBPSCR

PBCR

PBPSCR

MS

CRFGR

BR

BR

PBCR

BR

PBPsCR

113

NAME

rogerson bridget

rogerson edward

rogerson ellen

rogerson james

rogerson james

rogerson mary

rogerson williamwliilam

rogisongisonbogisonRo jane

ross douglas

rosternpostern henry

rostron john

salisall sbuabu ry thomas

Page 118: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

114

NAME

shack leton izabethelizabethellzabethEI

shackleton richard

sharplesShar nancypiesples ann

sheckelton or shack leton

simpson ann

simpson john

singleton ann

smalleysmailey jane

smalleysmailey jane

smalley samuel

smith alfred

smith isabella

smith james

smith jane

smith john

smith john jrsmith margaret

smith mary

smith mary

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSPATRIARCHAL INGDATE

1840 aug 06

1840 aug 06

1840 sep 15

ellen 1841 oct 11

1840 nov 17

1840 nov 17

1840 aug 27

1840 aug 24

1838 mar 01

1840 aug 24

1846

1838 mar 13

1846 jun 23

1845 aug 09

1847 may 06

1840 jul 30

1849 jun 23

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PB

PB

PBCR

PBCR

PBCR

PBPECR

PBCR

FGR

PBCR

BR

CR

PBCR

BR

BR

CR

BR

BR

BR

CR

BR

BR

CR

PB

BR

BLESSING

shackleton

shackleton

Page 119: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

snalamscalam

115

NAME

smith robert

smith robert

smith sarah

smith william

snalamscalam edward

snalamscalam elizabeth

snaisnal am fanny

snalsnai am john

snalamscalam martha

snalamscalam williamwliilam

speakman william

speight george

speight margaret

speight mary

standing alice

standing james

standing robert

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1851 jul 15

1837 jul 311840 jul 30

1839 aug 051840 sep 01

1840 sep 06

1840 sep 17

1840 sep 17

1840 jul 24

1840 jul 24

1840 jun 171840 oct 23

1851 may 20

1851 oct 20

1851 jul 30

18381840 aug 07

18381840 aug 07

1837 sep 261840 nov 19

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BR

CR

BR

PBCR

BR

PBCR

BR

CR

BR

BR

PBpli

PBplisnalamscalam

PBCR

PBMS

CR

PBPSMS

CRFGR

BR

BR

BR

PBFGR

PBPEFGR

BR

PB

Page 120: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

116

NAME

struthers agness

struthers william

sumner elizabeth

sumner ellen

sumner james

sumner jane

sumner margery

sumner william

swindlehurst hannah

swindlehurst john

swindlehurst margaret

taylor john

tazakor james

thompson mary ann

thompson william

thorn ley john

thorn ley martha

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 aug 06

1840 aug 06

1844 jan 011841 apr 27

1851 oct 20

1838 feb 13

1837 nov 11

1837 nov 05

1838 feb

1841 sep 29

1838 feb 181840 jun 11

1840 jun 11

1838 mar 141840 aug 21

1841 may 25

1840 jul

1851 oct 14

1838 feb 021840 sep 16

1837 oct 231840 sep 02

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PBMS

CR

BRERPB

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

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PBCRFGR

BRERPB

PBps

BR

BR

BR

PBPsMS

CR

FGR

BRSRPBFGR

J nan

lrlnrun

thornley

thornley

liln

Page 121: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

I1 ey

117

NAME

thorn ley mary

thornley william

threlfall mary

topping james

topp i ng john

topp i ng john

topping margaret

topping mary

topping william

turner elizabeth

wadman B henry

wadman elizabeth

wadman james

wadman john

wadman naomi

waits john

waits mary

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSPATRIARCHAL INGDATE

1841 apr 27

1840 sep 16

1837

1841 jan 20

1840 oct 30

1851 jan 19

1853 may 07

1852 may 20

1846 jan 11

1840 sep 01

1840 sep 01

SOURCES

PBCR

PBCR

BR

CR

BR

CR

BR

BRMS

CR

BR

PBCR

BR

PBpeCR

BR

PBCR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

BR

BR811bliFGR

PB

PB

BLESSING

topping d

1841 feb 03

1837 nov 171840 sep 10

1837 nov 171840 sep 10

topping

Page 122: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

118

NAME

walmsley ann

walmsley ann elizabeth

walmsley john

walmsley thomas

walters henry booth

walters sarah

ward ann ellen

ward betty

ward elizabeth

ward elizabeth

ward joseph smith

ward mary

ward thomas

ware aliceallceaiice

ware elizabethizabethellzabetheilzabeth

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1840 sep 16

1837 jul 301840 jun 18

1838 mar 25

1837 jul 301840 jun 18

1845 aug 25

1847 jun 17

1848 mar 25

1838 feb 06

1842 feb 16

1841 nov 24

1851 oct 26

1837 jul1840 aug 21

1837 oct 231840 sep 04

1849 dec 30

1841 sep

SOURCES

PB

PBFGR

FGR

PBFGR

BR

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

CR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

CR

FGR

BR

PB

BR

PBPsCRFGR

BR

PBFGR

al ice

el

Page 123: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

119

NAME

ware george

ware naomi

ware ruth

ware samuel george

ware sarah

watts george darling

watts mary

webb charles

webster thomas

welsh charles

whitehead james

whiteside ann

whiteside james

whiteside sarah

whittle edward

whittle john

whittle thomas

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1838 dec 24

1838 dec 21

1851 mar 23

1841 jul 37

1841 sep 23

1837 jul 301840 oct 23

1840 aug 27

1840 aug 28

1840 jul 30

1840 jun 11

1839 nov 10

1851 oct 21

1842 apr 04

1851 aug

1843 jun 08

1851 aug 08

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BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

BR

FGR

PBPEFGR

PBPSNVT

FGR

PBNVT

PB

MS

CR

PBCR

PBPENVT

CR

BR

CR

BR

BR

CR

BR

BR

BRER

Page 124: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

120

NAME

wilding david

wilding margaret

wilding atkinson alice

wilkinson el I1 ing or ellen

wilkinson francis

wilks agnes

wilson jane

wilson john

wilson john

wilson martha

winder betsy

winder mary

winstanley thomas

woodburn william

woodcock elizabeth

woodcock henry

woodcock james

woods margaret

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE

1837

1840 nov 26

1840 jun 11

1841 apr 22

1841 apr 22

1840 jul 23

1848 jun 24

1837 dec 211840 sep 15

1837 dec 21

1840 sep 15

1840 oct 30

1840 oct 01

1851 sep 15

1841 may 25

1840 jul 30

1841 may 25

1840 jul 30

1840 sep 04

SOURCES

FGR

PB

PBFGR

PBCR

PBCR

PBCR

BR

BR

BR

PBCR

BR

PBCR

PBCR

PBCR

BR

CR

PBCR

PB

PBPECR

PB

PB

elling

Page 125: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

121

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALDATE SOURCESNAME

worsley ellen 1840 juljut 17 PBCR

worsley james 1840 jul 17 PBMS

ORCR

wright mary 1840 sep 16 PBCR

wright mary ann 1840 aug 28 PBCR

yates ann 1840 nov 26 PBCR

yates john 1841 mar 15 PB

young mary ann BR

Page 126: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

aliceallceaiice

100

baptismpatriarchalBAPTISM BLESSINGPATRIARCHALNAME DATE SOURCES

dickson thomas

dickson william

dixon cathrina

D i xon 5W i11i am

dobson A I1 ice

dobson ann

dobson john

dobson mary

dobson mary ann

dobson richard willard

dobson thomas

dobson W i11i am

eastwood francis

eastwood isabellaa

eccles john

eccleston margaret

eccleston william

elm cathrina

1840 jul

1840 jul

1837 oct1840 sep

1841 nov

1839 sep

1840 oct

1847 jun

1851 mar

1848 mar

1840 sep

1848 jul

1850 jul

1851 sep

1851

1838

1840 aug

BR

CR

BR

CR

31 PBCR

31 PBCR

14 BR

05 PBpeCR

15 BR

CR

04 BR

CR

18 PBCR

25 BRCR

25 BR

CR

12 BR

CR

03 PBCR

BR

13 BR

30 BR

BR

BR

28 PB

dixon william

william

Page 127: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

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church of england preston st john parish registers prestonlancashire lancashire county record office family historylibrary microfilm numbers 094006094014094006

church

094014

of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday preston LDSL branchDSrecords HDC family history library microfilm number0870280872028

church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday preston LDSconference records HDC family history library microfilmnumber 087028

fielding joseph diary 183218591832 HDC1859 typewritten

great britain 1841 census preston london public record officehereafter referred to as PRO family history library

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great britain 1851 census preston PRO family history librarymicrofilm number 087290 087292

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Page 128: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

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ARTICLES

ggeorgeGGe mitchelsonsMitchorgel reasonselsons for renouncing sectarianism andembracing the fulnessfalness of the gospelgospe 11 miM ilennialglennialIlenlleni starnialI1 3I1 mayenn1842

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111411a

and14I1

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anderson michael family structure in nineteenth centurylancashwancash i re cambridge cambridge university press 1971

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pilkington W the makers of wesleyan methodism in preston and therelation of methodism to the temperance and teetotal movementslondon charles H kelly 1890

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esshom frank el I1 wood pioneers and prominent men of utah salt lakecity utah pioneers book publishing co 1913

evans richard L A century of mormon ism in great britainbritalbaital salt lakecity utah deseret book company 1937

farrer william and brownbill J eds the victoria history of thecounty of lancaster 8 vols london A constable 1906 1914

fishwick henry the history of the parish of preston in amoundernessundernessAmo

in the county of lancaster rochdalerockdaleRoc lancashirehdale J clegg 1900

glass D V and taylor phi I1 lip A M population and emigrationdublin ireland irish academic press ltd 1976

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hodgie alistair C history of preston preston lancashirecarnegie press c1984

hopkins eric A social history of the english working classes181519451815 london1945 edward arnold 1979

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jenson andrew latterdaylatter saintday biographical encyclopedia 4 volssalt lake city utah andrew jenson history co 1901361901reprint

36ed salt lake city utah western epics 1971

levilev i leone wagesvages and earnings of the working classes london johnmurray 1885

name index to the library of congress collection of mormon diarieswestern test society series v 1 no 2 logan utah utah stateuniversity press 1971

noall claire intimate disciple A portrait of willard richardsapostle to joseph smith cousin of brigham young salt lakecity utah university of utah press 1957

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richardson john the local historians encyclopedia 2dad ednedo newbarnet hertfordshireHertford historicalshire publications 1986

roberts brigham H the life of john taylor third president of thechurch of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday salt lake cityutah G Q cannon & sons co 1892

stringham ida watt and flack dora dutson englands first mormonconvert the biography of george darling watt np nd

taylor phi I1 lip A M expectations westward edinburgh & londonoliver & boyd 1965

thompson david M ed nonconformity in the nineteenth centurylondon & boston rout I1 edge & kegan paul 1972

thompson EP the making of the english working class new yorkpantheon books 1964

whitney orson ferguson life of heber C kimball an apostleapostlejapostlesApost theleilejielfather and founder of the british mission 2dad ed salt lakecity utah deseret press 1945

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family group sheets salt lake city utah family history library

wilding geneva M david wilding and alice atkinson HDC

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alienallenailen james B and thorp malcolm R the mission of the twelve toengland 1840411840 mormon41 apostles and the working classes BYU

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K S patterns of religious worship in 1851 journal ofecclesiastical history XI 1960 ppap 748674

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walker ronald W cradling mormon ismisa the rise of the gospel inearly victorian england BYU studies 27 winter 1977 253625

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fales susan L the nonconformists of leeds in the early victorianera A study in social composition MA thesis brigham younguniversity 1984

harris jan mormonscormonsMor inmons victorian england MA thesis brighamyoung university 1986

jorgensen lynne watkins the first london mormonscormonsMor 184018451840mons 1845 MAthesis brigham young university 1988

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Page 133: The History of the Early Members of The Church of Jesus

ommitcommit

ronardaordoud rd

THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY MEMBERS OF

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAYLATTER SAINTSDAY

IN PRESTON lancashire ENGLAND

paul floyd smart

department of history

M A degree december 1989

ABSTRACT

this thesis outlines the setting for and establishment of thechurch of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday in the british isles theintent is to identify and analyze who the early converts were thatfirst embraced mormon ismisa in england in and around prestonlancashire the study describes the extant records the social andeconomic family lifestyle and religiosity of the mormon converts from1837 upon the churchs arrival in britain to approximately 1851

COMM I1 TTEE APPROVAL LAF M jdavid H prattprdtt committee chairman

ttronalaronalh W waiker commit tee memberdoimiroimi

lcutcdavid C montgomery zkluate coordinatorCpordinator

mormonism

COMMITTEE

wa iker

e

goduate

kaf