THOMAS D. ROBERTS –
Biography
By D. R. Roberts
[Transcribed
from the Book of Remembrance of David and
Catherine Roberts.
Compiled, Edited and
Arranged by David R. Roberts. Ogden,
Utah, March, 1940,
pages
D-1 to D-4.]
Gelli Cornwydydd,
Llanfrothen, Merionethshire,
Wales
is one of the important landmarks in the earthly journeyings
of the family of David and Catherine Roberts. It was there that they went to
live about the beginning of the year 1839 and where they resided for about five
or six years, and where the family of David Roberts’ parents – Robert and
Elizabeth Edwards Roberts afterward resided. It was a beautiful homey place and
is described by my father (see page “A-6” of this book) for he loved it. Around
it he played as a small boy. It was near here, too, that David Roberts was
baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (See page “A-5”)
on May 24, 1846, by Robert Evans.
On July 6, 1840, Thomas D. Roberts, son of David and
Catherine Roberts was born at Gelli Cornwydydd. Probably his brother Daniel and sister Ann were
later in their turns born there. “Uncle Tom” as we all knew him and as we will
hereafter call him, had very little chance for an education and early in his
life he had to go with his father and brother Robert to work in the slate
quarries of Festiniog, Merionethshire
to assist in providing the necessities of life for the family. I loved “Uncle
Tom” and it may seem out of place at this juncture, to so call him, but I
believe that we were then just waiting over there for our turn to come here in
mortality, so that we could call him “Uncle Tom”. He was a noble, fine
character and he was good to me. He was a choice spirit, reserved to come in
this day and time. I write this brief story of his life because he is deserving and there is no one else to do it. Nor do I
feel that I can do his memory full justice.
He was baptized into the Church on September 30, 1849, by
his father and was confirmed the same day by Eleazer
Edwards at Festiniog. (see
page “A-10”). He was called upon to suffer the persecutions heaped upon those
who were known as “Mormons” in his native land at that time and until the
family migrated in 1856 to “the land
of Zion”. The family left
Bethania, Blaenau Festiniog, on April 10, 1856 for Liverpool,
England where on April 19th
they boarded the sailing ship “Samuel Curling” and set sail for America. The
ocean voyage was a very stormy one, the ship being threatened with destruction
on several occasions, but was preserved by the exercise of the powers of the
priesthood, through the blessings of God (see A15 to A18). They landed in Boston, May 24, 1856.
From here they went by railroad to Iowa City, Iowa, where they remained until the 23rd of
June when they “rolled out” with handcarts in Captain Edward Bunker’s Company
for the march of thirteen hundred miles to Salt Lake City, Utah
where they arrived on October 2, 1856, very much emaciated and fatigued by
reason of the journey. He pulled a handcart all the way. (See A-19 to 29) Shortly after arriving there the family moved to
Farmington, Davis County, Utah.
Here they rented homes to live in and they were very poor as was nearly
everyone in those days. “Uncle Tom” was now sixteen years of age and quite a
man and doing men’s work. He hired out wherever he could and wherever anyone
needed help to assist in earning a livelihood for the family. He was on the
move south with the family on account of the coming of Johnston’s
Army in 1857 and the return to Farmington.
(see A-30 to A-31) He followed his brother Robert to Logan, Utah
in the early winter of 1859 and assisted in the building of the first log cabin
home of the family there. (see A-40). He returned to Farmington and assisted in moving the family to Logan in April 1860, into
their new first and only home of their own. The story of that migration and the
events that followed are recorded in as great detail as possible from the
available information in Section “A” of this book, and reference to it is
hereby made, for the story of the family is the story of his life up to the
time that they landed in Logan, Utah, after the death of their father. (see A-19 to A-41). After their arrival in Logan the whole family was very bush
improving their new home and their farms and doing the things necessary to be
done in a newly settled country. They had the joy of ownership now for the
first time, and the thrill and pride which goes with
it to make it most desirable and profitable and they all worked with a will to
that end.
One by one the sisters in the family were married and left
the home to make homes of their own by 1872. Robert married in 1870, residing
in a part of the old home and Daniel married and moved away in 1875, leaving
Uncle Tom and Grandmother also at the old home. “Uncle Tom” was a member of the
Militia, (see page A-43 for details), and was active in the service from the
winter of 1859-60 until disbanded as recorded. He went across the plains to Florence on the Missouri River
in 1866, driving a mule team outfit to haul merchandise, but that is all that
is known of that journey, or can be ascertained, about this mission, for it was
a mission. (see page A-48)
“Uncle Tom” and Robert, his brother, being the oldest
members of the family, and taking the lead in family affairs, worked together,
more or less as partners, until “Uncle Tom” was married in February, 1881. Each
claimed personal ownership of certain lands and personal property, but they
worked together and divided the profits. There was a time when they owned three
hundred to four hundred head of stock, and during the late seventies and early
eighties I used to help round them up in the fall of the year and assist in the
hunt for days, for lost cattle.
During the sixties, “Uncle Tom” and (my father) Robert
planted their one acre city lots into fruit trees of all kinds. Every available
part of both lots were planted and they grew and bore
prolifically, and to begin with, there were no worms or pests to destroy them.
There was a great variety. Apples, pears, plums, berries,
currants and a fine garden. Everybody had just such a situation and
there was little or no sale for such products. Uncle Tom used to take big wagon
loads of fruit, drawn by horses, to the mines in Idaho
and Montana,
every season, to sell, when the fruit was ready; - that is, the apples, pears
and plums and he did very well at this business. Sometimes he would stay at the
market and Robert would ship fruit to him by railroad. The surplus and small
stock would be ground in a mill they owned, to make vinegar and they had
barrels of it every year to sell.
HOMESTEAD
In the early seventies, he homesteaded a quarter section of
land near Black Rock on the west side of Cache Valley, about a mile and a half
south of where Cache Junction is now located. Several other residents of Logan did the same, among
them being Benjamin Williams, Morgan S. Evans, and David Eames. During the
summer season, these families did ranching there and made butter and cheese,
shipping most of it to the Montana
mines. Grandmother went to the ranch every summer to supervise this work. They prospered
in this business for some years. About the year 1879, he completed a five room
adobe home just west of the old log cabin and moved into it. It was a fine home
for those days and fit for a bride.
BAPTISM AND
PRIESTHOOD
Grandfather David Roberts wrote: “I baptized our own
children. Thomas was baptized September 30, 1849.” (D Rec. also see A-3). He was confirmed September 30, 1849 by Eleazer Edwards. (see A-8, #38). Logan City,
January 27, 1865 – On the 8th of this month, Mother, Thomas and myself (Robert) started for Salt Lake City to receive our endowments in
the House of the Lord. We arrived in the City on the 10th and on the
13th we went through the House (Endowment House) and were ordained
to the office of an Elder, Thomas by Peter Maughan –
etc. “On the morrow, we started for home. Arrived on the 16th
in good health. Though the weather was very cold, we found all well at
home.” (R. Rec. p. 10). “Logan
City – January 6, 1884 – Thomas D.
Roberts was ordained a seventy by Aaron D. Thatcher” (R. Rec. p. 23). He
was a member of the fortieth Quorum for many years. It comprised the Seventies
residing in the First, Second and Third Wards of Logan.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
“February 19, 1881, Thomas D. Roberts was re-baptized by
Bishop Henry Ballard, and was confirmed by the same. On the 24th he
and his intended wife – Miss Margaret Goodman Davies, went to the House of the
Lord, (Endowment House) in Salt Lake
City and were united in the bonds of the everlasting
covenant, to be man and wife for time and all eternity, by Daniel H. Wells (R
Rec. 21) That is the record of his marriage, by his brother, Robert. One son
came of that union, born December 26, 1881 and named David William Roberts.
Uncle Tom’s farming and stock raising days were no about over and a great change
came into his life.
BUSINESS VENTURE
His wife was of a rather business turn of mind and desired
to open up a millinery story and go into that business. As a consequence of
this desire, he rather dubiously extended the credit of his good name and property
to start it out and he quit his other activities to help in such ways as he
could in the business, and in taking care of his son. The business was a
success from the start under his wife’s able management and it steadily grew
and flourished until the “Mrs. T. D. Roberts Millinery” became a large
institution, doing thousands of dollars worth of business annually. Their whole
lives were wrapped up in this business and in their only child and son, David
William, and Uncle Tom and he were constant companions, and so the years came
and went in a business way.
MISSION
About the year 1890, “Uncle Tom” was called on a mission to Great Britain and he labored in Wales. He went
to the old home in Festiniog and Llanfrothen
and met many old friends and relatives. (R Rec. 49) He secured the record of
the Festiniog Branch of the church while there, and
brought it home with him. The remarkable story of that record book is printed
in this book (see page A-7). He spent about two years on this mission and
returned home satisfied and pleased with his labors, having successfully
completed his work. Upon returning home, he resumed his former tasks around the
store and companioning with his son. His son finally married and divorced and
married again. There were three grandchildren born of this second marriage.
David William, the son, died August 10, 1918, at Logan,
Utah and was buried in the Logan Cemetery.
This was a severe blow to Uncle Tom and one of the hardest trials of his life,
and I think that it hastened the end of his mortal sojourn, for he passed
peacefully away on May 26, 1919, at his home in Logan. His home, at this time, was in the
second story of their store building on West First North Street. The funeral
was held in the Logan Tabernacle and he was buried in the Logan Cemetery.
They were worth probably a hundred thousand dollars at this time.
CONCLUSION
Uncle Tom was a well built, strong man, physically, and had
done a lot of hard work before his marriage, but had a much easier time of it
physically, afterward. He was strong and active minded, spiritually, and
thrilled at the things pertaining to the Gospel, which he dearly loved to the
end of his days. He respected authority. He used to tell me of the sayings of
President Brigham Young, and of the power manifested by him in his preaching.
He was thrilled when he spoke about the Gospel and those things. He never
aspired to any high church position nor to any public
position, but was content to stand among the ranks. He was a faithful ward
teacher and attended to his meetings regularly. He was kindly in his words and
in his manner and considerate of others. He was an honest man. He minded his
own business and never had trouble with other people. He was a good neighbor.
The world is better for his having lived in it. I have written these things
about him because he deserved it, and more, but no one else seemed to care.
Following is a story of Taliesin Edwards, of Emery County, Utah, who
was a missionary companion of Uncle Tom’s in Wales:
“It was up in Denbighshire, North Wales.
The town was built on a sloping hill so they called “Cefyn”.
There were three of us missionaries in our group, viz:
myself, Brother T. D. Roberts and Brother Levi John, of West Portage, Box Elder County, Utah.
Brother Roberts was the only one of us who could talk the Welsh language of the
north, so he was the speaker at the meeting. Apparently everything went along
alright until Brother Roberts mentioned something about Brigham Young. That
immediately caused a resentment from the crowd. So a
local preacher stepped in the ring and started vilifying Brigham Young and his
wives and the Mormon people in general. Of course, we were forced down that
steep hill by the mob. As I remember now there were possibly a hundred of them
following us. Being forced down this steep hill by the rush of the crowd, we
were forced to our knees at intervals, and our clothing torn quite badly. We
escaped serious bodily harm of any nature. The next night, the mob came to our
lodgings place and wanted to get us out but the police were called and
dispersed the crowd. We were advised, by our Conference President, to leave
that locality for a time.” On another occasion, later, they were mobbed again,
but did not receive any bodily injury.
SKETCH OF MARGARET G.
DAVIS ROBERTS
By D. R. Roberts
The family record of Robert D. Roberts contains the
following date:
“Logan
City, February 24th,
1881. – On February 24th, Thomas D. Roberts and his intended wife,
Miss Margaret Goodman Davies, went to the House of the Lord in Salt Lake City,
and were united in the bonds of the everlasting covenant, to be man and wife,
for time and all eternity, by Daniel H. Wells”. Margaret received her
endowments at the same time. She was born in Rhuthun,
Denbighshire, Wales on June 30th,
1854. [The International Genealogical Index has her birth as 7 July 1848.] She
was baptized by Henry W. Naisbitt in Liverpool, England,
and was confirmed by Joseph F. Smith in August, 1877. She emigrated
to Utah in 1878 and arrived in Salt Lake City. She
resided with the family of William Jennings until April 1880 when she and her
sister Polly (who emigrated to Salt
Lake City in 1877), came to Logan
and rented a small store building of Mr. H. K. Cranney,
and started in the millinery business.
Her parents are Robert and Ann Davies. They were baptized in
Rhuthun, Denbighshire, Wales, in the year 1853 by John
Parry. In April, 1853 the family moved from Rhuthun
to Manchester, England. The parents emigrated from
Liverpool, England,
October 18, 1879, arriving in Logan,
Utah, November 10, 1879. Two sons
and two or three daughters then remained in England.” (R. Rec. 21)
Her father, Robert Davies, was born in Rhuthun,
Wales,
on February 25th, 1819. He died at Logan,
Utah, January 2, 1884, and was buried in the Logan Cemetery.
Her mother resided with her daughters until her death, which occurred on
October 10, 1892, at Logan, Utah
and she was buried in the Logan
Cemetery.” (R. Rec. 45)
“Logan
City, December 26, 1881.
– Margaret Goodman, wife of Thomas D. Roberts, at 7:55 in the morning, gave birth
to a nice little boy – weighed nine pounds. He was blessed by Thomas McNiel on March 2, 1882. His name is David William
Roberts.” (R. Rec. 22)
After her marriage, she with the help of her husband, opened
up quite a large millinery store on Third North Street in Logan, and continued
in this business very successfully, until some time after the death of Uncle
Tom, her husband. At the time of her death, she was worth around a hundred
thousand dollars. She died at the home of her niece, Annie Hughes Cowley, at Logan, Utah on June 27,
1926, and was buried in the Logan
Cemetery by the side of
her son, David William and her husband, who had both preceded her. She left her
wealth to her three grandchildren (a son and two daughters, of her son David
William, by his second marriage). I have written to these grandchildren, who
reside in Los Angeles, California, several times, but can get no
response for some cause apparently. I desired their co-operation in the record
of themselves and their parents for this record book, but received not so much
as the courtesy of a reply. So here, I regret to say, I must leave the record
of Uncle Tom’s branch.
THE
DESIRABLE THING. By D. R. Roberts.
The most peaceful, restful and soul-satisfying labor, the
most charitable, effective and far-reaching service – the most uplifting,
enlightening and enobling duty – the surest source
and power for safety and the greatest spiritualizing force in the world today
is – Temple Work, with its kindred activities and requirements. It is the way
of the “pure love of Christ”. And yet, this labor offers no earthly
compensation, for what hope of reward is there from the dead? However, the dead
may be able to do more for us than we can do for them, if we but understood.
