William S. Jones by Lucy Brown Archer

William S. Jones

Born: June 7, 1805 at Brimpsfield, Gloucester, England

Died: July 7, 1889 at Henefer, Summit, Utah

Compiled by Lucy Brown Archer

William Jones was born 7 Jun 1805 at Brimpsfield, Gloucester, England, the son of William Jones (1776-1867) and Elizabeth Goodwin Jones (1773-1841) of Gloucester, England. William was born in Brimpsfield, Gloucester, England. His family migrated from Liverpool to New York via the sailing vessel “John Bright”

He is a pioneer from New York, Chicago and Omaha via Union Pacific Railroad to Laramie City, Wyoming and Salt Lake City, Utah

The following history was written by Erma Stephens Richins, Earl Stephens, Donna Stephens Glissmeyer and filed with the Daughter of Utah Pioneers


On 26 Oct 1 828 William Jones married Mary Shill, a daughter of Robert Chappel Shill (1789-1865) and Prudence Golding Shill. Mary was born 12 Dec 1812 at Syde, Gloucester, England. To this couple was born eight children:

Mary Shill Jones, William's wife died 10 Aug 1848 and was buried 14 Aug 1848 at Brimpsfield, Gloucester, England. She died of scarlet fever. This left a family of small children without a mother. Susannah was about fifteen at this time and took over the responsibility for the family.

As the family grew up they heard the message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. Robert was the first to be baptized 18 Nov 1 849 at Caudle Green by George Shill. Later the other members of the family joined the church and had a desire to come to Utah.

Mary Jones (1842-1905) left England in 1865 and came to Henefer, Utah to marry Thomas Henry Stephens. Robert Jones, his three small children, Robert Allen, Jane, and William along with Prudence Jones (1847-1917), Roberts sister, came to Utah in 1866. Robert's wife Harriet Tipper Jones (1824-1865) had died and Prudence came to take care of the children.

The family wanted to be together, so William, with two daughters Elizabeth and Rhoda and Rhoda’s son John, made preparations to join them in Henefer, Utah. They sailed from Liverpool, England 4 June 1868 on the sailing vessel "John Bright" with a company of 722 Saints, of whom 176 were from Scandinavia and the remainder from the British Isles. These saints were described “in fine spirits being full of joy at being on their way to Zion” Captain John Howart was the master of the vessel. Before departure President Franklin D Richards called all the immigrants on deck and outlined their duties and responsibilities. He emphasized cleanliness, order, unity, harmony and good feelings, obedience to counsel and “kindness and assistance to the aged, sick and infirm”.

At this meeting Elder James McGaw was appointed president of the company, with Elders Christopher O. Falkmann and Frederick C. Anderson as councelors. Charles W Penrose, who would later become an apostle and member of the First Presidency, dedicated the vessel. It had been planned that this company would cross the Atlantic by steamer, but because of the high cost demand for steamers, the voyage was made by sailing vessel. The voyage was uneventful, and there was little seasickness. One aged and ailing woman died during the passage and one couple was married. Captain Howart was “very kind and obliging toward the saints”. The ship arrived at New York July 13,1868, a passage of thirty-nine days.

On July 14, 1868 the company was conveyed by railroad westward. The pioneers traveled via Chicago and Omaha and on the Union Pacific Railroad and arrived in Laramie City, Wyoming July 23, 1868. At this time, Laramie City was the western terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad and also, temporarily the outfitting place for the journey across the mountains with teams. Here the pioneers met the Church teams and were on their way by July 27, 1868 with Captain John Riggs Murdock and a Company of 600 people. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah 18 Aug 1868. William, Mary, John and Elizabeth settled in Henefer, Summit, Utah.

William’s daughter Susanna had married Henry Randall in 1854 in England, and 10 of her children were born there. Susanna and her family came to Utah in 1872.

You can imagine the joy when this family was again able to unite again. The family settled in Henefer, Summit, Utah. Elizabeth, after her marriage to James Ure III, moved to Kamas, Wasatch, Utah. Rhoda moved to Salt Lake City, married Samuel Bennion and moved to Taylorville, Salt Lake, Utah.

John stayed with his grandfather, William, in a one-room cabin. Many of the descendants are still living in Taylorsville, Kamas and Henefer, Summit County, Utah.

William had a one- room log cabin on the lot now owned by Mrs Marguerite Paskett. His granddaughter Susannah Stephens Fowler says that he was a very kind and pleasant person. She can remember as a small girl that her mother, Mary Jones Stephens would pack a lunch for him and the children, and they would take it to him each day to be sure he had plenty to eat. It has been said that he was a very quiet man and as he grew older he walked with a cane. At this time many people were leaving the Church and joining the "Josephite Church". Each time someone left the church he would make a notch in his cane and he had acquired quite a few notches. He lived to be 84 years old and died on 7 July 1889 in Henefer, Summit, Utah. He is buried in the Henefer Cemetery. His headstone made from sandstone is nearly gone now but the following was taken from it about 1953. William Jones original headstone has been replaced by a new one in the Stephens family plot.

Written on the original headstone for William Jones We miss thee from our home Father, We miss the from thy place, A shadow o'er our life is cast, We miss the sunshine of they face.

Our Father, William Jones died July 7, 1889