Edward Phillips
Oct ? 1855 Wenvoe Parish in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales
I, Edward Phillip, stone
mason by trade took in hand to write the histories and prophecies of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the neighborhood of the above parish
also I Edward Phillip was born in the parish Wenvoe,
in a cottage called 'Old Grave' in the year of our Lord 1808. Then my father Edward Phillips Sr. built a
cottage in the Parish of St.Georges on a piece of
property which had been the land of my grandfather, Phillip Richards, my mothers father. We
then moved to our new home in the parish of St.Georges
in the year 1809. Then my father Edward
Phillip Sr. passed away in the year 1850 being 70 years old leaving my Mother Dianah to reside in the above cottage after his death in
the parish of St.Georges where they dwelt for more than
40 years. My Father Edward Phillip Sr.
was born at Holy Bush in the Parish of Llamblethian
near Cambridge. His fathers name was Edward Phillip and his
mothers name was Sarah Tanner. After
they lived a few years at Holy Bush their three children were christened
together at the Llamblethian Church, Lewiza the first born, Edward my father the second and Theonas the third.
After this my grandparents were gone from home. The cottage where they lived took fire and
burned down. This was at Holy Bush. Then they moved to Boverton
in the Parish of Llantwit Major in a cottage by his
father John Phillip. Who was a musician
who had come there from the west of Wales and was married to
Elizabeth Russel. Elizabeth Russel and her sister kept a public house and this house
was given to Elizabeth by her brother John Russel for her inheritance and to keep forever. John Phillip got used to the house and so was
married to Elizabeth and they had two
sons. John older and Edward second
son. John was brought up as his father a
musician and they went together to play.
One played the Harp and the other the violin or fiddle. In the time of the American War, they both
were at Swansea following their
business. John Phillip and his father
John were pressed of the pressed gang.
The old man made his escape but the young man was taken aboard the ship
and not heard of again. The old man
returned to home to Boverton And after the death of
his father John Phillip, his son Edward Phillip and Sarah his wife came to live
to Boverton to the aforesaid Public House. And there was born unto them several sons and
daughters. There they spent the rest of
their lives and was buried at Llantwit Major. I will write more of the particulars now, I
Edward Phillip of Wenvoe, stone mason and the first
son of Edward Phillip and Dianah my mother. Edward Phillip was the son of Edward Phillip
the son of John Phillip of Beves. Edward Phillip my father And Dianah my mother had ten children, Edward, Ann, William,
Diana, David, Grace, Thomas (died), Sarah, Margaret, Eliza, all in order of
birth. I Edward Phillip son of Edward
and Diannah was married to Elizabeth daughter of Robert and
Sarah Taylers Ivins, of the
parish of Lanark in the year of our Lord 1833 on Nov. the 20th by License of
St. Georges Church. Rev. H. Hewellyn, (poss.
Llewellyn?) Priest.
Thomas Harry and Evan Evans Witnesses
Information
given by Mary H. Phillip Garner, Edward Phillip, and Elisabeth Ivins Phillip. His wife
left South Wales Glamorganshire County the spring of 1856 in a
sailing vessel from Liverpool. It took
about nine weeks to cross the ocean. The
Captain Samuel Curley had crossed seven times with Latter-Day Saints
aboard. The eighth time he started
across the vessel sank and he was lost.
They landed in Boston then went to Ohio and remained there nine
weeks making hand carts. There was quite
a large company of saints and Edward Bunker was the Captain. There was several
captains under his command. They
traveled from Ohio and stopped at Florence Nebraska and camped a few weeks
preparing hand carts for the rest of the journey. There was five children the oldest being 19
years. She fell and hurt her knee and
had to be pulled on the handcart all of the way. Mary Brooks Herrick and Moses Evans and a
step sister Louisa Vest helped to pull the handcart until they arrived in Salt
Lake City at October Conference time.
Mary Phillip was the youngest child being eight years old who walked
part of the way until her little tender feet were bleeding when her shoes had
worn out. The cattle were all worn and
very tired, so they had to put part of the provisions on the handcarts for the
saints to pull. There was very little
food. When Edward Phillip got so week he
thought he couldn't cross the Green River he asked if he could
ride through and was refused. So he said
"in the name of Israel God, I left home to go to Zion and I will get there." and he did
for his wife, my grandmother put him on her back and carried him across, but he
died in Farmington, Utah just three days after their arrival, from hunger and
exposure. Grandma Williams, his wife was
a trained midwife and that is the teaching she gave her family also providing
for them by caring for the sick. At
first she used to get two dollars for confinement cases and went every morning
for ten day\ to care for the mother and baby.
Later she received five dollars.
But many times she did her work for nothing as the people were very hard
up. She was a widow for seven years then
she married Grandpa Williams, but still went on nursing. She waited on Polly Handcock
Joses six weeks before she died. She lived to be 84 years old.
She was married to
Edward Phillip on Nov. 26, 1833. They were blessed with five daughters for of whom survive her, Elizabeth, Sarah, Margaret and Mary. She and her husband now had joined the Baptist Church. They were members of this church until the
fall of 1847. At that time they had
first heard of the Gospel preached by the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day saints.
After a careful examination of the doctrines so thoroughly and
beautifully explained, she became convinced of the truths and on the 25th day
of March 1848 was baptized by Elder William Phillip, her father's brother. One of the first and greatest testimonies she
received was the miracle performed upon her daughter Sarah. She had lost her speech, sight and hearing
from a severe illness she had when a child.
When by the power of God through the prayers of the priesthood her
hearing, sight and speech were restored to her, this was a living testimony to
her, Grandma, and one that could not be doubted. Her house was always open to the Elders and
the servants of the Living God, until her departure for Zion, her mountain
home. On April
18, 1856
she sailed with her husband and family in the ship S.S. Curling for America. This was the 49th company of saints that
crossed the ocean to the United states of America. She was very ill during the rough and
boisterous voyage just helpless the entire trip. They arrived in Boston, Massachusetts and after a short stay
there they wended their way to Iowa City, Iowa where they were
outfitting companies for the arduous trip across the plains. Their stay was short at this outfitting camp for
on the 18th day of June they were organized as the 3rd Company numbering about
300 souls under the charge of Elder E. Bunker, assisted by Daniel Grant, George
W. Davis and John W. Perry as captain of hundreds. On Jun. 23rd they broke camp to begin their
toilsome march across the unsettled state of Iowa to the Missouri River. Their journey to end across the river from Council Bluffs to Florence was performed in
safety, arriving at Florence, Nebraska on July 19th. Before their departure from Iowa her husband
was assigned to the handcart that hauled the tent and necessary equipment for
the camp while she and her
daughters and a nephew, Jacob Phillip hauled their family cart on
which was one of her daughters who had become very sick and lame, and all the
necessities required by the family for the journey. During their stay at Florence her husband and herself were very fortunate to obtain employment, the
results of which was more than acceptable for their journey. After a few days they started on their
journey again, to tug along over sandy plains, rocky roads and rushing
rivers. This with an accident that her
husband received as he suffered a sun stroke all added to her labor and grief,
and the short rations they had, barely enough to sustain life, greatly reduced
their body strength. At last Big Mountain was reached. There her husband sprained his ankle.* With this accident
it was with great difficulty they reached Salt Lake City. Arriving there on the 3rd
day of October 1856. Here their
stay was short for their friends went there to take them northward and while en
route for Brigham city her husband who had not recovered from the affects of
his accident and no food died, at Farmington, Davis County.
That was promised upon
her head many years before, that she should live to see the Temple completed and witness
its dedication. She not only did this,
but she walked eight blocks in a drifting rainstorm to the Temple and came home
in good spirits, knowing that her Heavenly Father had heard and answered her
prayer. She saw and heard and walked
through every room from basement to the Assembly Hall and all was done to her
entire satisfaction. Thus her life was
blessed from the time of her conversion to the truths of the Gospel to the time
of her death Jan. 27, 1894 at the ripe age of 84
years. The funeral services were held at
the Ogden
Tabernacle on Tuesday Jan. 30, 1894. The building was filled to the utmost
capacity with true friends who came to show respect to her memory and take the
last look at the remains of one so dearly loved for her untiring kind deeds. The Pall Bearers were her Grandsons. The cortege which followed was immense and
her posterity was well
represented. She was the
mother of five children, 33 grandchildren all of whom were devotedly attached
to her. Her friends were legion for
everyone claimed her as Grandma. Her
name will go down in history as one of the greatest benefactors of the
age. She traveled for miles in very
severe weather to care for the sick and needy never giving a thought to
herself.
Written by William J. Handcock her Son-in-law
Husband of her daughter
Margaret
Edward Phillip was born
in 1780 in Llanblethian, Glamorgan,
South
Wales
and died August 17th 1850 in St. Georges, Glamorgan, South Wales. He married Diana Richard May
4th 1807
in St. Georges. She was born December
4th 1785
in Wenvoe, Glamorgan, South Wales and died February
28th 1875
at Three Mile Creek, Box Elder Co., Utah. They had eleven children; Edward, Ann,
William, Diana, David, Grisha Grace, Thomas, Sarah,
Margaret, Elizabeth Eliza and Daniel.
*In another account I found that the injury and his general
condition caused him to go to the head of the company and request that he be
allowed to cross the river on the goods wagon.
This request was refused. He went
back to his wife and consulted as to what he could do. He is reported to have said “By the Lord God
of Israel I have come this far
and I will reach Zion.”
Finally his wife, a tiny Welsh woman, carried him across the
river on her back.
