Thomas Parry &
Ann Roberts
(1801-1886) (1803-1882)
Thomas R.
Parry was born 1 November, 1801,
in St. George, Denbighshire, North Wales, to Edward
Parry and Mary Jones.
The family
lived on the estate of Lord and Lady Kimberly, where Edward, Thomas' father,
was the head stonemason of the estate and Mary, Thomas' mother, was a midwife
or doctor on the estate. She had a
special gift of healing, and many people, for miles around, came to her for
help.
Thomas
learned the trade of stonemason from his father, and after his father's death
he became the head stonemason. In time,
Tomas R. Parry was given his own land from the estate to farm.
Ann Roberts
was born 5 July, 1803, in St. George, Denbighshire, No.
Wales also, to David Roberts and Elizabeth Roberts Roberts. Her mother died when she was a young
child. She had one sister, named
Margaret, and they lived with their father, who was a squire. Ann lived a sheltered life, not having to do
much housework or hard work. She was
sometimes called Lady Ann Roberts.
Thomas and
Ann met and were married 8 June, 1824 in St. George, Denbighshire, North Wales. To them,
were born fourteen children.
The gospel
came to Wales, and the Parry family believed, joined the church and prepared to
come to America. By 1857, five children
had died, and five children had already come to America. Ann Roberts Parry was determined to come.
Thomas R.
Parry sold his farm and home and everything he had, and came to America with
his wife and 4 children: Joseph, age 17,
Leah, age 15, David, age 12, and Emma, age 9.
They departed from Liverpool, 23 April, 1860 aboard the ship
“Underwriter” with Capt. J. H. Roberts, arriving in New York 22 May, 1860. They crossed the
plains with a team and a covered wagon in Captain James D. Ross Wagon Company,
arriving in Salt Lake September 3, 1860.
On the boat
coming across the waters, Ann had an infection in her hands which took a long,
long time healing. Leah, who turned 16
years old on the trip, was left with the responsibility of much of the manual
work. She made yeast from a start and
would mix bread in the morning and put it in the wagon during the day's travel
to be baked in the evening over the campfire.
When Tomas
R. Parry arrived in Salt Lake, he bought property with the money from the sale
of his farm in Wales. Then he and his
sons continued their mason work. Their
firm of contractors did some of the mason work on such famous buildings in Salt
Lake City as Auerbachs, ZCMI, Walker Bank, and the Jennings building. They also worked as masons on the Manti, St.
George and Salt Lake Temples. They were
active in the 15th Ward of Salt Lake.
Anne died
28 January, 1882, at the age of 78, after suffering a stroke and being quite
ill. Thomas died 4 years later 19
October, 1886, at the age of 85. They
were both buried in Salt Lake City.
(Taken from "A Family History of Bernard A. and Mary L. Jones,
1774-1994", compiled and organized by Teri Jones Cook, Mabel Jones
Gabbott, and Sue Gabbott Dewey. Courtesty of Teri Jones
Cook.)