History of Rachel David Chambers
Rachel David Chambers, my Mother the daughter of Morgan and Elizabeth Bowen
David was born in Llanely, Wales March 3-1842 (sic). At the age of five her
father being desirous of coming to this country worked to that end and they set
sail for the States of (sic) the 14th of February 1849. They sailed on the
Troubador from Swansea to Liverpool. On arriving at Liverpool they found that
the ship James Hartley on which they were to sail was not ready and would not
sail for three weeks.
They were permitted however to live on the ship during the time. On the second
night an unfortunate accident occurred. Betsey (sic) the nineteen-year-old
sister fell from the top deck to the bottom of the hold. She was severely cut
ant bruised and unconscious (sic) when they found her.
She was taken to the Hospital but did not regain conciousness (sic) until the
next day. Little hopes were held for her recovery but through the prayers of
the Elders she was made well again.
The boat left Liverpool March 9, 1849. The way over was without any mishap is
(sic) the weather was very calm. After seven weeks and five days on the water
they landed in New Orleans. From New Orleans they journeed (sic) up the
Mississippi River to St. Louis arriving their (sic) May 12 1849. The dreadful
plague of cholera broke out at this time claiming many of the Saints. MotherÕs
mother was stricken with the disease and died in (sic) the night they landed in
St. Louis. The grief stricken family were not allowed to see her or know where
she was buried. Their father then moved his family to Day hill where he worked
in a coal mine. Nine days after the death of their Mother the hand of death
reached out to them again claiming their sister Mary, wife of David Bowen, and
soon after, her nine months old baby.
Some time later a Welsh family by the name of Williams who were living at Blue
Ridge, four miles from Day Hill, hear of the Morgan David family also being
from Wales and came over to see them.
In the spring of 1852 the family started for Utah. They stopped in Council
Bluffs, Iowa where they remained for five (?) weeks. During this time their
Father was busy preparing for the big journey with two oxen, two cows, and a
wagon, The family consisting of ten people started to the West. We have all
heard of that memorable journey across the plains by our Fathers and Mothers of
the many things they endured for the sake of their religions and we know they
suffered much. They arrived in Salt Lake City September 19, 1852 where they
remained for three days. Then they moved to Palmyra during the winter.
At this time the Indians were still very unfriendly to the white people. The
family thus far had been living in dugouts but it was now necessary to build a
house for the coming winter. During the building of this two room adobe house,
Mother's (sic) sisters Hannah Hughes and Emma Reese tended mason carring (sic)
the adobes in a basked on their heads.
For three years they resided in Palmyra. In 1856 Brigham Young gave the orders
to move to the present site of Spanish Fork. Their early pioneer life was
fought (sic) with many hardships. Their first crop of wheat was among the
many to be destroyed by the grasshoppers. Following the catastrophe the family
lived on rations. Their bread was made from corn which was grated over a pan
with holes driven in it
The next crop of wheat was a little more profitable. As patches her and there
would ripen they would cut it, dry it, and thrash it with a flail. The early
morning wind from the canyon would blow away pound of flour from the first
grinding and the rest was distributed among friends and neighbors. Even the
bran and shorts were given away. The soap they used was made from saleratus
which was gathered from clay beds, and grease. For light they used a cloth
dipped in greased which was kept burning a pan. This was called "bitch light".
In the summer of 1858 many people went to Provo and camped for three days for
the purpose of picking manna a sweet substance like sugar which they found on
bushes. Many said it was a direct message from Heaven and had been sent by
God.
The pioneers were generous and unselfish with what little he had sharing with
all alike and in spite of the many trials and worries they were all happy.
At the age of twenty one Mother married George Harrison Chambers in the
Endowment House. Father then took up the property on Main St. He built a two
room dobe house of the dobes he made. Mother cooked by a fire place for
fourteen years before (sic) she had a stove. She had to dip the water from the
ditch that is still their till they had a well dug. It was one time befor
(sic) the well was dug in the winter. Mother had to go out and and break the
ice over the ditch. That (sic) Martha was ten months old she was in the chair
that she fell backwards on the fire place with her head. Mother said some
thing told her the baby was on the fire so she ran and found her. She got hear
and happen (sic) to have a bottle of hop yeast ant that was what saved her life
but she still had that scar till she died.
Their (sic) was no Doctors at that time, she knitted all the stocking for the
children and made pants for Father out of wagon cover cloth, and she saw the
time they had to pay five dollars a pound for tea. But when Father took up
sheep and cattle they go so they were a little better off. He built the large
brick home from the brick he made. She often wondered why he built such a
large house. Father said he was going to have some more women. Mother said
you better not bring them here. I will have some scalding water for them all.
She kept the neighbors in yeast so she told them to bring tablespoon of sugar
for it. Then she took up making bread and she loved the work and kept many old
people in bread for nothing pie and cake (sic) for thirty five years till her
health started to fail she only raised a family of eight out of the sixteen.
She had forty two grand children and twenty five great grand children. The
family consisted of four girls and four boys. Mary, Martha, Elizabeth, Hanna,
Joseph, Morgan, William and Frank. She was always happy and cheerful and loved
to have company. Her home was always open to any one that wanted to come. She
died at the age of seventy nine, September 28, 1920 of a throat infection.
