Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree--George Welton Ward and the Great Mormon Migration

 

Much of the story and history of George Welton Ward comes from a book called GEORGE WELTON WARD FAMILY and was published privately by the Ward Family Organization in 1969 and written by David C. Ward, grandson of George Welton Ward. It tells the story of George Welton Ward from a family descendant’s perspective and provides a great amount of detail.  As such, I have only edited it for the sake of brevity. 

“The family home of his parents, John and Susannah Welton Ward, being in Leiston, Suffolk, England. When George Welton was eight years of age the family moved a distance of about 24 miles in a southwesterly direction to Fox Hall. Until his marriage, George Welton remained with his father and assisted with the work on the farm. It appears, from studying the records, he must have gone to London sometime during the year 1841, probably to visit some of his relatives. While there, he met a young woman by the name of Ann Trulock. She was the daughter of William Daniel and Mary Ann Trulock, born in the capital city of London 13 May 1816. On 24^th January, 1842. George Welton Ward and Ann Trulock were married. The marriage certificate reveals that he married Ann Trulock, full age, a spinster. She resided at Baldwin Gardens. George Welton was listed as a bachelor of full age. Living at 9 Drake Street in London. They were married 24 January 1842, after Banns had been declared by H. Montagu Villiers, at the Parish Church, according to the Rites and ceremonies of the Established church in the Parish of St. George Bloomsbury, in the county of Middlesex. They were married in the presence of John Ward, his father, and Elizabeth Trulock, who was the sister of Ann. The certificate also gives the father of Ann—William Trulock, a carman. The Parish where they were married was in the Registration district of St. Giles in the Fields and St. George Bloomsbury.

“After their marriage they went to Suffolkshire where George Welton served as the proprietor of the Horse and Groom Inn at Woodbridge. They must have had their home at Melton which was only three miles distant from where he worked, as three of their eight children were born at Melton—William, George and Richard. Sometime after the birth of Richard, the family moved to Northam South Hampton Hampshire….”

Our great grandfather, Samuel Ward of England, [grandfather of George Welton Ward] whose wife was Elizabeth Iffe of the same country, was the father of John Ward [father of George Welton Ward], our great grandfather. Samuel Ward was a foreign commissioner in England, taking care of the imports and exports of foreign goods.

John Ward, the eldest son of Samuel Ward, married Susan Welton of England. From the earliest history we have, John Ward was a farmer; taking up this occupation early in life. George Welton Ward, our grandfather of Leiston Suffolk County, England, is the father of the Ward brothers of Willard, Idaho, and Iowa.

Grandfather was born September 12, 1814, in the village of Leiston, Suffolk, England. He married Ann Trulock, who was born May 13, 1816 in London England, of wealthy parents. They were married on the 24 of January 1842 in London. Their marriage certificate being now in the possession of one of his sons. Grandfather lived on a farm with his father during his early life, doing the mowing and other light work on account of his poor health. After he married, he kept an “Inn” in the Woodbridge in Suffolk County for six years. He then became manager of an oil mill and continued in this position until he came to America. During the time grandfather lived in Suffolk County, England, their first three sons were born, namely, William, George and Richard Trulock.

In 1847 our grandparents moved to Southampton, Hampshire, England, and on April 11, 1849, Alfred Ward the fourth son, and also my father was born. Three years later in January 1852 at three o’clock p.m. our grandparents were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At this time grandfather was manager of an oil mill and was doing well financially.

The Great Mormon Migration

Shortly after, Grandfather and Grandmother emigrated to the United States, sailing from England in a little sailing vessel name “The Ellen Maria”. They were nine weeks crossing the Atlantic Ocean, landing at New Orleans April 6, 1851, after landing they sailed up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to Council Bluffs, Iowa. They were compelled to go to Council Bluffs as that was the outfitting point for the trip across the plains.

On June 8, 1851, on their westward journey they reached Harris Grove thirty miles north of Cainsville, Council Bluffs, Potawattamie County. During this wearisome trip and on this same day, grandmother gave birth to her fifth son, Moroni. “I remember,” said Grandfather, “that it rained hard and we were forced to enter an old shed for shelter at 10 o’clock p.m. Pans were held to catch the rain so as not to wet my wife, Ann Truelock.

Grandmother made many hard sacrifices. First it was very painful for her to leave her people in England and come west. Second, we can imagine what hardships she had to undergo on her journey westward; besides, it was difficult for her to adapt herself to frontier life. She was a small woman in stature, but genuine in character, being patient, thrifty and an even-tempered wife.

In May 1852 our grandparents emigrated to the Great Salt Lake Valley, arriving there on October 9. A year later a call was made by Hon. Brigham Young, then Governor of Deseret, for men and their families to leave Salt Lake and settle the territory both north and south; forming small communities which later developed into towns and cities.

In 1852 our grandparents wintered in North Ogden, Weber County. In the spring of 1853, they moved to North Willard Creek, since known as Willard City.

On January 23, 1854, John Joseph the sixth son was born at North Willard Creek, Box Elder County, Utah. Charles Robert their seventh son was born February 1, 1858. Ann Elizabeth was born March 21, 1856 at Willard City, she being their first daughter.

Grandfather had two wives, the second being Mary Hankinson of England. She was born in Didsbury, January 12, 1840. Grandfather met his second wife in Utah.

His second wife had seven children, namely, Mary Ann, David Henry, Sarah Ellen, Joseph Welton, James Albert, Eliza Jane, and Hyrum Hankinson [Ward].

Grandfather was ordained first counselor to Bishop Gordon who was the first Bishop of Willard Ward. He held this office until the death of Bishop Gordon in 1871. Grandfather was chosen counselor in 1857.

He was acting Bishop of Willard Ward from 1871 to 1877. On September 9, 1877, he was ordained Bishop of Willard Ward, holding this office until his death August 18, 1882. Grandfather was sixty-seven years, eleven months, and nine days old at the time of his death.

Besides being Bishop he was also active in civic affairs, being selectmen or commissioner of the Box Elder County for twenty five years, from 1857 to 1892. He was Mayor of Willard for twelve years from 1870 to 1882.

As the only occupation for the early settlers was farming, Grandfather, along with the other settlers of Willard Creek, homesteaded some land. He was able to take up this occupation because of his early home training on his father’s farm in England. Here he acquired some worthy traits of character which carried over in his later frontier life.

He prided himself in doing his farm work carefully and systematically. He trained his family of boys to be thorough in their work, and because of this training, the work of George Welton’s family became very noticeable among the early settlers. “There wasn’t a man” says Edwin Gordon that could stack grain to shed water like your grandfather George Welton Ward.”

Genealogy:  George Welton Ward (1814-1882) was the son of John Ward 1786-1848 and his father was Samuel Ward II 1753-1815 and his father was Samuel Forrest Ward Sr. 1727-1790 and his son was William Ward 1761-1824 and his daughter was Mary Ann Ward 1807-1894 and her son was Andrew Baggott 1845-1905 and his son was William Andrew James "Pimm" Bagot 1879-1949 and his wife was Alice Mary Utting 1880-1963 and her mother was Mary Jane Durrant 1851-1936 and her mother was Mary Welch 1824-1894 and her father was Sherrard Welch 1791-1856 and his father was Thomas Welch 1761-1792 and his son was John Welch 1787-1884 and his son was John Welch 1812-1884 and his daughter was Susannah Welsh 1847-1898 and her son was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.