History of Jane Bryant Draper by Zilnorah Draper Barnett

History of Jane Bryant Draper Pioneer of 1899

Written by Zilnorah Draper Barnett

Jane Bryant Draper was the oldest child of Phillip and Sarah Witcher Bryant. She was born 2 May 1831, at Mushall, Wiltshire, England.  Little is known of her early life until she was baptized into the L. D. S. Church 23 May 1852, except that she was an exceptionally good reader and well-educated for those days. She then belonged to the Wilsford Branch of West Lavington, of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, at Wiltshire, England. In 1858, at the age of 21 years, she married William Draper, a widower, with four children named Elizabeth, Annie Josiah, and Joseph. He was also of the West Lavington Branch. Fire years after they were married, her husband's oldest daughter Elizabeth died 14 October 1863, age 23 years.

They lived at Easterton, Wiltshire, England, where three children were born to them. Philip Hyrum, who died 6 Mar. 1862, just 4 days before George Henry was born on 10 Mar. 1862. A daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was born 16 Mar. 1864.

Even though they had much sorrow and trials, their desires to come to Utah to be with the Saints materialized.
They left England on the sailing vessel "Belle of Wood" 29 Apr. 1865, with their children, Josiah, Joseph, George Henry, and a baby Elizabeth who was only 13 months old. The daughter, Annie had joined the church and came to. Utah in 1862. They were 31 days upon the ocean before they landed in New York on 1 June 1865. Seven weeks after their safe arrival, sorrow struck again and their baby daughter died 22 July 1865 .

They stayed in New York one year, then left for Utah 25 June 1866. They first journeyed to Quebec by boat via the Hudson River; then on the train to St. Joseph, Missouri, and then to Nebraska City by means of a boat. They they journeyed across the plains by ox team with Henry Chipman's Company and arrived in Salt Lake City on 15 Sept. 1856.

Their journey had been hard, but they made the trip in good time, not withstanding the loss of about 100 head of their cattle, which were driven off by the Indians at LaBonte.

After arriving in Salt Lake City, they went to Heber City to live, where another daughter was born 11 April 1867. She was named Martha Jane. She died the same year of her birth on Sept. 22, 1867.

The family moved to Herriman, Utah about Feb. 1868. They were received as members of that Branch 11 Feb. 1868.
In Herriman Utah, another daughter Mary Louise was born 24 Feb. 1871. They also had a son William born 29 Sept. 1873. On 7 Nov. 1877 they were saddened by the death of the little six year old daughter Mary Louise.

They were farmers, and were very honest hard working people. Farming in those days was really hard work for they had no machinery so they had to do everything by hand. They cut the grain with a scythe or cradle and tied it in bundles by hand.

Grandmother Jane and the children all had to help in the fields. In the spring of 1889 their health was failing so they moved to South Jordan together with my father George H. and his family. In 1890 my father George H. was hired as foreman of a large farm in Kaysville, Davis County, Utah, belonging to Knight and Company of Salt Lake City. So he and his family moved there to live. Then in 1891 William and Jane moved to Kaysville to live with them so that my mother, Eliza, could care for Grandmother Jane who had become an invalid through paralysis of the lower limbs.

She was a very patient sufferer and never made a complaint. She loved my mother, her daughter-in-law as if she were her own daughter. For six long years she was cared for in the home of my parents and carried everywhere she went, because they had no wheelchairs in those days.

Jane Bryant died in Kaysville, Davis, Utah on July 30, 1898, just one month after her husband, William Draper, who died on 29 June 1898. She was buried in the South Jordan Cemetery beside her husband, across the street from where they once lived.