I, James Taylor was born at Dryclough Edge Lane England
I was invited to go and hear him,
but heard many strange reports that they did away with the old Bible and had a
new one they called the Golden Bible. I went to hear with my mind made up to
oppose and tell the preacher we had no use for him or his Bible. I had been
taught by Mother to love and revere the good old Book.
I went to hear and was astonished
to find everything so plain, his reasoning so correct. Although I did not
understand all his remarks about the priesthood, as I had read considerable
about what was call[ed] the priesthood in the Catholic Church. Such as
the Spanish Inquisition. I thought we had plenty of priests. The rest of his
discourse I did like.
After this I was visited by two neighbors, both of the
same trade as myself—blacksmiths. The[y] preach[ed] to me very faithfully, but
I had no idea of believing them till one night I had a very strange Dream, and
in it I saw the destruction of the wicked. I was shown very plain the only way
to escape was by going to [the] waters of baptism. Another part of my dream was
concerning a man we supposed dead and buried. I thought he came to us alive—and
caused us much trouble. This part was fulfilled just as I had dreamed it.
I told this to a man I worked
with. Said I, "If the Latter-day Saints were to hear of that it would just
suit them." But I thought I would not tell them. But it so happened I did
tell one of my neighbors, and he went to meeting and told it that I had a
vision. And from that time I had no rest till I was baptized in the month of
June 1841.
Chapter 2
I had not been in the church but
a short time when they ordained me a priest and set me to preaching. I preached
everywhere where I was sent. I soon had a testimony to know it was the work of
God. My wife began to be very bitter against the saints and [I] sometimes
thought I received more abuse than anyone ever did, but perhaps not. About this
time, some two years after I obeyed the Gospel, I was accused of great
wickedness, of which I was as innocent as a baby, and was in great trouble. When
on going to place for secret prayer, when I felt I could bear no more, the Lord
whispered in my ear very plainly these words: "Tis gone forth a firm
decree that as thy strength shall be." [1]
This encouraged me and took away my trouble.
I was much blessed in preachings and traveled about a great deal.
In some two years from that time
I was ordained an Elder, which caused very much jealousy in the president of
the Branch—which caused him to lose his place—and Richard Cook was appointed
President, and we had better times. Not long after that, Br. Cook was appointed
to preside over the Manchester Conference, and I was appointed to preside over
the Oldham Branch.
I was a
great reader of the Bible and tried to be as useful as I could be, and before
long we added to the Branch over
one hundred members, amongst them my two brothers Thomas and William, Edwin
Standring, his sister, and many more people.
About this time a great preacher
called Doctor West came to Oldham [and] made
the Methodists believe he could do wonders in putting a stop to Mormonism. He
published his lecture against all kinds of infidelity including Catholicism,
Mormonism, etc. We went to hear. Although a mere boy, I put him to shame, and
the Methodists too. So much that they shut their chapel against him. He had to
hire another hall, and in that he sent for the "young lad," as he
called me, and when I went, he wanted me to prove to the people that I believed
the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints by taking a dose of deadly poison, because
the Book of Covenants[2]
reads, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, …and if they
drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them." (Mark 16: 16, 18) He and
the Methodists were clamorous for me to take it. I told him I would like to ask
him one little question before I took it, for he told me it would most
assuredly kill. And they shouted, "Take it! Why don't you take it?!"
Some infidels called out, "Shame, shame! Allow him to ask the
question!" So the great Learned Doctor allowed me to ask the question.
I asked him if he believed the
New Testament.
"Oh, most assuredly."
I then quoted to him the same
words as found in the last chapter of Mark, and said, "Now Doctor West,
you take one half of that deadly stuff to prove to that ungodly crowd of
professing Christians, and I will take the other half."
He backed down entirely, and we
had no more of him. The Oldham Branch was in a fine condition. And soon after
this, to my surprise, the way opened up for me to emigrate and leave that land.
Chapter 3
I had much sorrow to contend with
because of the folly and unbelief of my partner in life.
Left Liverpool
Sept. 24, 1848.
Although very young, I was
appointed first counselor to the president, and much of the time I had charge
of the company. The ship was the Sailor Prince, The president, Lorenzo Butler.
On one part of our voyage we were becalmed for many days, and it happened that
I was called upon to pray before we went to our berths. And in my simplicity I
very humbly asked our Father in Heaven to give us fair winds. As I did so, the
captain, who was just above me on the poop deck, began to curse and blaspheme.
Oh it was awful. We had been asking for the same for a long time. We went [to]
bed, and early in the morning I went on deck and as soon as I made my appearance,
there was such a shout: "Hurrah for Mr. Taylor. He is the man when you
want anything you must ask him to pray!." We had a fair wind and were
going fine.
We landed in New Orleans St. Louis
While in Orleans
the cholera was very bad, and when we got to St. Louis
My two brothers both went to the
Valley and left me there. After I had toiled for five years I by faith and
economy made a bare fit out and by a great wonder got [to] the Valley of Utah
Chapter 4
We started on the first of May,
went up to Keokuk, and from there started to cross the plains in what was
called the St. Louis Independent Company. Captain Moses Clawson [was] our
leader.
We had a fine time altogether.
Several very bad stampedes on the way, but no one seriously hurt. One day my
little daughter Margaret fell off the wagon tongue and was run over by both
wheels. I was afraid she was killed, but we administered to her, and strange to
tell, at dinner time next day she run after me, got out of the wagon herself,
and ran after me to see some missionary that was camped a little way off. We
then wended our way westward and had no more accidents but were very short of
provisions, and the feed for our cattle begun to be very short.
I used to go off into the
mountains to seek grass. I always found it in great abundance, and having
filled two large sacks, I used to lug them to camp and feed it to my cattle at
noon when the rest had none. By that means I kept my cattle in prime order.
Ourselves, we begun to get very short of provisions—so much so that I had to
give my children a few pieces of dried apple instead of dinner, but they never
complained once, but I felt it very badly.
I had a promise from my brothers
that if I would get spades and scythes and such things, they would meet me with
provisions, but when we got one day past Bridger, we had two small biscuts
apiece and these were done. A man driving a flock of sheep along and some of
them dying of footlace and poverty. He skinned them and cut them up and gave
portions of them to us and others, and this he told us a little that night. I
told my wife to give one little biscut apiece to the children. I would go
without, and what we should do for a week I could not tell, but we must trust
in the Lord. I could hear nothing of my brothers, only that the Indians were so
bad they were not allowed to come out. While I stood by the wagon wheel
reflecting, I saw a man come down the hill to the camp where he soon found his
brother and family, and after having a good time with them, I heard him ask if
there was a man of the name of Taylor
I soon walked up, or run, and
told him I was that man. He said, Brother Willm was at Bear River .
That was more than a day's journey. He was there waiting for me. I soon asked
him if he had any provisions with him. He said he had a plenty. I went back to
my wagon and told my wife to give the children some more supper, and I felt God
was taking care of us.
Next morning we started early to
find more feed, and getting on to a ridge we found grass and stopped for
breakfast. And while getting it ready we were passed by some missionaries going
to England
After that in about a week we got
our first sight of Salt Lake City
Chapter 5
After being in Salt Lake City a
short time, in which I was ordained a Seventy in the Sixth Quorum, we then
moved to a place 30 miles south, to a place call[ed] Lehi, of which we have
been residents ever since—over 30 years. I can say truly in that time I have
wronged no man in thought, word or deed knowingly, but have tried to be a
consistent Latter-day Saint.
When we came here we had four
small children. We now have nine, some dead, and over 40 grandchildren and one
great grandchild.
In Lehi I built me a house on a
lot I drawed, the first house built on a city lot after it was laid off as a
city. Two adobe rooms. In 1854 I started
a dramatic association. We played many times and had lots of fun.
Chapter 6
In the spring of 1856, I was
called to go on a mission to England
We had many strange things
occurred to us in getting along. When we got to the South Pass we often slept
under the snow, and one night it snowed and blooded fearfully, and when morning
came it was so bad the [suit is more?] to try and find the Sweetwater. He found
it and we moved down to it, and from that we stood out in the snow and cold for
58 hours, it snowing incessantly till it froze horses and mules to death. Then
the captain of the company told us if we did not get out of that we should all
share the same fate. We started and had to walk elbow to elbow, and after
tramping the snow we wrest with ropes pulled the teams through. We could see no
sight of a road and had to guess at it the best we could. We had not gone far
before the sun shone out and before night we were more or less snow blind.
Brother Orson Pratt was literally so for many days.
We soon got over it and went
along with the raggedest faces anyone ever saw. I forgot to say my horse was
one that succumbed to the cold.
I was feeling very bad and
shedding tears when Br. Benson came to me and blessed me and told me I should
have [more] horses and cattle than I had ever owned and tried to comfort me all
he could.
I still had an interest in the
wagon, but two of those that were with us from that time on were trying the Job
comforters plan, informing me that they would sell the wagon and would pack it,
which would leave me out in the cold. This meant you must pay us for carrying
you bread and dinner. One night the Twelve had heard of this and Br. Benson got
up and told the company what they were going to do, but said he, when they do
it, Br. Taylor [must] have one of the horses, for I will tell them he has got
an interest in that fit out. These were two Jacobs, but they never said one
more word about packing. But one of these, when we got to the Missouri River,
he claimed all I had to sell to carry me down to the river to St. Louis
On the way we met and [passed?]
many hostile Indians, but when they were told we were Mormons, they never
molested us in any way.
We got to the river, and the
brethren sold out in a very short time, and in a few hours we were on a steam
boat on our way to St. Louis St. Louis we told
to go out in the country and see the Saints and collect whatever they would
give towards sending us on to England
I went out to a place called
Gravois, and there found some old acquaintances and next day came back. Was
told they had held a meeting and divided the money and when my name was
mentioned Br. Benson told them not to mind me, I would get along. This made me
think, but however there had been enquiring for me and left word for me to meet
him next morning. It [was] David Turnbull, formerly of Hockport Branch in the
same conference we came from. I met him. He asked me what money I had towards
taking me to England New York and
from there to England
We took the train to New York Greenwich
Street
Chapter 7
We went on board on the 3rd of
July 1856, and a very prosperous voyage. Landed in Liverpool
early in August. I went home to my folks that same day. Reached there about ten
o'clock at night and was very glad to embrace my father, mother, brother and
niece, and spent a joyfull time with them. Preached in the ['coon?] at Oldham , had a good time with the Saints. Next went to
Shaw to preach there. Had a good time with a Methodist minister. He first
introduced a lot of Books and papers and wanted to read from them. I told him I
would have nothing to do with them. They did not one of them agree with the
other. They would assert and I could contradict--and how much wiser would they
be? We then went at polygamy. He made a great many very foolish assertions. I
replied to them and bore a very faithful testimony, till he trembled like an
aspen and asked me where he could get our works, he wanted to read them.
I had a good time and God was
with me and blessed me very much.
I next day received a letter to
go to Acrington to commence my labours in the Preston Conference. I went and
found Br. Dana and Jas. Craig. I laboured in that conference till the end of
the year. In that time I went to hear a Mr. Hawthornwahite who had come to
lecture for the Methodists against the Mormons. I heard him make some very
untrue statements. He allowed me to reply, and I did so till he was ashamed of
himself. I told them that on Sunday night I would give a lecture in reply to
all he had been telling them. I did so to a room full of people. After I had
done, the Methodists asked me if I would meet the same man in a public debate
on Mormonism. I told them if the Bible should be the only rule of evidence I
was quite willing. They made an agreement to that effect and directly put up
great bills on the wall announcing the same.
I was appointed to the Welsh
mission and had to go right away. They accepted Jas. Marsden in my place when
the time came he only tried to make one [something inserted, illegible?] speech
and give it up. The rest of the time was spent in [I Mers?] preaching to the
people. I went to Wales
I had many great blessings while
labouring among that people. Upon one occasion I was very unwell and went to a
place where I thought there would be a sister who would nurse me and comfort me
as many of the good sisters would. When I got there they told me Sister Harris
was sick in bed. I went to the foot of stairway and called out "Sister
Harris, what ails you?" She replied, "I am very sick." I
answerd, "You must not be sick for I am sick and I need you." In a very few minutes she came down all
right, ready to attend to be [me]. She said God had healed her instantly and
she was ready like a blessed mother.
In the same place they had heard
I was come and another Sister who apparently was sick unto death, sent for me.
I went and she was very low. She asked me to administer to her. I told her I
was to sick to do so, but I said, "In the name of the Lord for your faith
you shall have a blessing." I all most thought I had no business but next
morning she was better than she had been for years. These two cases caused a
great stir in the neighborhood. This was in the Penicui [?] Branch.
Upon another occasion I was in
north Wales
Another time I was going from a
Branch below Cardiff
I spent a very happy time in the
Welsh mission. The people where very good to me. I could have had anything but
I took no advantage of the people's kindness. I lived and spent with care and
economy. My mission in that country would have been much longer but Johnson's
army started for Utah
I had the pleasure of rebaptizing
my dear mother before I left. We left in February on a sailing vessel
"Empire", Feb. 19, 1858, for New York
and had a prosperous voyage and land[ed] in New York New
York and after trying to get somewhere we found ourselves in St. Louis
Chapter 8
I was told by the president of
the mission that I must go and charter a steam boat to take up quite a company
of Elders and families going up to a new settlement called Genoa
At the commencement some of the
cabin passengers where very mean to us, but the mate told them he would not
have us insulted by no one. We where minding our own business and they must let
us alone. After that we where treated with great kindness and had every favour
shown to us, and when we landed at Florence, the officers where very sorry they
had to let us go. The captain said we were the finest lot of folks he had ever
had on his boat. We stayed there some time and saw hard times before we where
ready to start over the plains for home. But we were organized at last and had
a very poor fit out and a poorer captain, but we started.
I must here mention that we where
very kindly treated by the Piper Brothers who where keeping store there in Florence
We started across the plains and
where told that the soldiers at Fort
Kearney Fort Kearney
We tried the same dodge at Laramie Echo
Canyon Salt
Lake City
Chapter 9
I do not want to write of many
years that passed after that of sorrow and heartaches that I endured but
amongst it all I was the means of starting the Sunday School which afterwards
became one of the chief [institutions?] of the territory. I labored
mightily for many years when for no fault of mine I was dismissed. All through
the misrepresentations of a mean person.[5] I
pass over this period rather than write of the meanness of which I was the
victim and come to a better time, but before doing so I will relate—me and a
few others with Br. T. R. Cutler to take charge, we commenced a Cooperative
Institution. which has proved a decided success. I was chosen president of the
same and at this time, 1886, I still remain so[6].
The better time was when the
authorities saw fit to appoint T. R. Cutler as the Bishop of Lehi[7].
With him began a reign of peace and quietness. I was put back into the Sunday
School. John Taylor became president of the Church and the word was, Put away
all your sins and serve the Lord with full purpose of heart, and be in reality
Latter day Saints. We are enjoined to keep the word of wisdom. This is not hard
for me. I have been trying for over forty year to do so.
I ought to have told that after I
came home from my mission I was appointed one of the presidents of the forty
fourth quorum of Seventy. I remained so till now. We where recommended to join
the quorum established in the place where we reside, so I have withdrawn from
the 44th to the 68th and am now a member of that quorum.
I am this week sixty five years
of age. I have been a member of the church for over 44 years and am proud of my
standing and of the prospects that are before us and, oh how I wish that I
could say as for me and my house we will serve the Lord, but I cannot, for it
seems as though I should have to go and be with very few exceptions alone in
the kingdom of God.
I am very thankful to be able to
say the people seem today more determined than I ever saw them to keep God's
laws and commandments. We have good meetings. Speakers seem blessed. The
meeting house is filled. Our school on Sunday is full, and thank God we seem to
be trying to do better and I hope will shall go on to the perfect day and be
ready when He comes whose right it is to reign.
We have now passed another year
and many [things?]. We are still urged to live our religion. It won't do to
just have a name on the books. We are told we must be Saints indeed. During the
year I have been removed from the 44 Quorum to the 68 Quorum as one of the
Presidents of the same. I have been very unwell since then and have not been of
much use to the Brethren of that quorum. My wife also has been very sick for a
long time.
To complete the history of James Whitehead Taylor, the
following are the closing remarks of Ethel Taylor Scalley’s history of James.
James was the means
of starting the Sunday School which afterward became one of the leading
interests of the territory. . . The
Sunday School was found in May 1866. For
many years he was the superintendent. He
was at his best as a Sunday School man, being possessed of a most pleasing
personality and an attractive smile. He
was able to win the love and confidence of the children who listened with rapt
attention to his faith promoting stories. . .
During the years James took part in activities which brought
him before the public. In those days
when public amusements were very rare, he was editor and reader of a paper
which was part of the regular Sunday evening meeting. Many amusing and humorous sketches were the
results of his fertile imagination. At
times he apperead on the Fourth and Twenty-fourth programs with original songs
and readings. His old love for the
“footlights” led him to put on a number of plays in the music hall. These were always eagerly patronized by the
public.
James was a useful man in the community and did much to
dispel the drudgery and sordidness of pioneer days. With all his fun making and
comedy, however, he was deeply religious and spiritual-minded man. . . Nine
days after completing his seventy-second year, James Whitehead Taylor passed
peacefully to the great beyond on March 27, 1891. He left a very large family to carry on his
good name. . .
At his grave in the Lehi Cemetery
The People’s Co-operative Institution
In Grateful Memory of Their Friend
James Whitehead Taylor
Who was Their President Eighteen Years
Have Shared with the Family in Erecting
This Monument
From a marble stone at his grave side, we also read:
An amiable father here lies at rest.
As ever God with his image blest,
The friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age, the friend of youth.
Death of James W. Taylor
Elder James Whitehead Taylor departed this life at fifteen
minutes to 12 on Friday, March 27th, after an illness of ten days. He was the
son of Samuel and Sarah Taylor and was born March 18th 1819 at Dryclough near
Royton, Lancashire , England
“Tis
gone forth, a firm decree. That as thy day thy strength shall be.”
From the time of his reception of the Gospel till the day
of his death, he never faltered, but was always found faithful to the truth. In
1843 he was ordained an Elder and was afterwards made president of the Oldham
Branch. With his family the deceased left his native land for America in the fall of 1848 and landed in New Orleans St. Louis Utah Salt Lake City Taylor was called to
go on a mission to England ,
which he faithfully filled, laboring in both England
and Wales
He was the first or one of the first to agitate the
question of Sunday School in Lehi, was appointed Superintendent of the school
and was a faithful worker therein from its inception until his death — a period
of 24 years. His love for the children and his great influence over them
specifically adapted him for this work. He possessed wonderful ability for
instructing entertaining and amusing both old and young; and as long as his
health would permit he was always foremost in everything for the advancement
and good of the people.
Brother and Sister Taylor had 12 children, 68
grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren of whom two sons, seven daughters, 51
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren are still living.
Brother Taylor died surrounded by his wife and children
who did all in their power to help and comfort him during his sickness. Kind
friends were also ready and anxious to help.
The funeral services were held in the meeting house on
Sunday morning March 29th. Consoling remarks were made by the following
brothern: William Goates, Sen., William Yates, William Southwick, Oley
Ellingson, Bishop T. R. Cutler, John Woodhouse and Counselor William Clark.
[2]Actually, it's in Mormon 9:24.
[3] From the “Journal of John
Woodhouse,” p. 21, we take the following description of the cholera raging in St. Louis St. Louis
This was received for Anne Chambers.
[I have an additional history of James Whitehead Taylor and Ann Rogers. It is 28 pages longs, if you would like to receive a copy, please contact me. Tammy Stevenson]
[I have an additional history of James Whitehead Taylor and Ann Rogers. It is 28 pages longs, if you would like to receive a copy, please contact me. Tammy Stevenson]
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