The Welsh Saints Project

Given Name: Thomas Morgan
Surname: Richards

Gender: Male

Birth date: 20 February 1814

Birth place:
English Spelling: Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales
Welsh Spelling: Merthyr Tudful, Glamorganshire, Wales

Death date: 7 July 1879

Death place: Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States

Burial date: 9 July 1879

Burial place: Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States

Father: Morgan Richards
Mother: Ann Phillips

Siblings

Elizabeth Powell (1816-)

Married 1835 in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales * Merthyr Tudful, Glamorganshire, Wales

Children

Richards, Mary Ann

Richards, Thomas - September 1847 Letter
Richards, Thomas Morgan - 20 Nov 1854 letter

Thomas M. Richards came with his family to America on board the "Patrick Henry", arriving in New York on 3 April 1848. On the shipping list his surname is spelled without the final "s" and the family's origin is listed as Ireland. With him were Ann Richard, age 60, presumably his mother, and his wife Elisabeth Richard, age 32. Also the four children of Thomas and Elizabeth: Mary-Ann, age 10, Morgan, age 7, Rees, age 4, and Phillip, age 2.

Baptized in December 1846, Thomas emigrated nearly a year before the first group of Welsh emigrants who came on the "Buena Vista". His letter to Captain Dan Jones that was printed in the September 1848 issue of the Welsh Mormon periodical "Prophwyd y Jubili" [Prophet of the Jubilee] is dated 15 July 1847 from Minersville, Pennsylvania. But that is no doubt a misprint for 15 July 1848. Thomas Morgan Richards was still in Minersville as late as 20 November 1854, the date of another letter to Dan Jones in Wales published in "Udgorn Seion" [Zion's Trumpet], 6 Jan 1855, pp. 6-8. Also his daughter Mary Ann was married to Joseph Henry Joseph on 15 Feb 1855 at Minersville, so it was likely after this date that Thomas M. Richards came west with his family. He died 7 July 1879 in Parowan, Southern Utah.