Chapter I

George Welton Ward

George Welton Ward Ann Trulock
(First Wife)
George Welton Ward Mary Hankinson
(Second Wife)
HISTORY OF GRANDFATHER WARD AND FAMILY
BY DAVI D C. WARD
Family Historian-I 950
Our great, great grandfather, Samuel Ward of Grandfather was born September 12, 1814, in the
England, whose wife was Elizabeth Iffe of the same village of Leiston of Suffolk, England. He married
country, was the father of J ohn Ward our great Ann Trulock, who was born May 13, 1818 in
grandfather. Samuel Ward was a foreign commis- London, of wealthy parents. They were married on
sioner in England taking care of the imports and the 24th day of J anuary, 1842, in London. Their
exports of foreign goods. marriage certificate being now in the possession of
one of his sons. Grandfather lived on a farm wi th
J ohn Ward* the Of Ward* his father during his early life, doing the mowing
married Susian Of London* He and other light work on account of his poor health.
J ohn Ward was a farmer. taking up this occupation came manager of an oil mill and stayed i n this posi-
early in life. George Welton Ward, our grandfather tion unti l he came to ~ ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ .
of Leiston Suffolk County, England, is the father
of the Ward brothers of Wlllard, I daho and Iowa. During the time grandfather and grandmother
Was :he father Of George Welton Ward, the eldest
After his marri age he kept an i n woodbridge
son Of the From the earllest history we
In Suffolk County for about six years. He then be-
1
lived in Suffolk County, Engl and, their first three moved to North Wi l l ard Creek. since known as
sons were born ; namely : Wi l l i am, George and Rich-
ard Trulock
On the twenty third day of J anuary 1854, J ohn
I n 1847 oui grandparents moved to South- J oseph, the si xth son, was born at North Wi l l ard
hampton Hamshire, Englaiid and on April 11, 1849, Creek, BOX Elder County. Ann Elizabeth, their
Alfred Ward the fourih son, and also my father was first daUghter, was born March 21, 1856 at wi l -
born rThree years later In J anuary 1851 at three lard Ci ty, BOX Elder County.
Charles Robert, the
o<-lock p, M
our grandparents were baptized i nto seventh son, was born February 1
1858 at Wi l l ard
the Church of J esus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At Cl T, BOX Elder County
Grandfather had two wives, the second being
this time grandfather was manager of an oil mill
Willard Ci ty.
and was doi ng financlallY He did not have
to leave to go to pol ygamy, says his brothers and
Mary Hanki nson, daughter of J ames 2nd Ann Han-
kinson of England. She was born in Bidsbury, J an-
uary 12, 1840. Grandfather met his second wife
sisters, he was doi ng so well
here in Utah.
emigrated to the United States of America, sailing His second wife had seven children. Namel y:
from E nc l and in a l i ttl e sailing vessel named Mary Ann, David Henery, Sarah Ellen J oseph Wel-
Marie. I-hzy were twelve weeks crossing the At- ton, J ames Albert, Eliza J ane and Hyrum H Ward.
lantic ocean, landing at N2w Orl zans about May 23 J ohn J oseph and Hyrum H are the onl y two living
185 1. After land P Z they sailed UP the i%ississippi of grandfathers children.
and Missouri rivers to Council Bluff They were
compelled to ga to Council Bluff as that was the Granefather was ordained first c o u n s e 1 o r to
outfitting point for th. journey across the plains. Bishop Cordon. who was the first bishop of Wi l l ard
Ward, 1857, acd held this office until the death of
On the eighth day of ,J une, 1851, on their west- Bishop Ccrdon in 1871 He was acting bishop of
ward journey they reached Harris Grove, thirty miles Willard Ward from 1871 to 1877. On September
north of Cainsville Ccunci! Bl uff, Potawattami e 9, 1877, he was ordained bishop of Willard Ward,
County. Duri ng this wearisome journey and on holding this offi ce until his death, August 18, 1882.
this same day, grandmother gave birth to her fi fth Grandfather was sixty seven years, eleven months,
son, Moroni I retilimber, says grandfather, that nine days old at the time of his death.
it rained hard and we were forced to enter an old
Besides being bishop he was alro active in civic
shed for shelter at ten oclock P. M Pans were held
selectman or commlSSioner of Box
to catch the rain so as not to wet my wife, Ann
Elder County for twenty five years 1857-82. He
was estray pound keeper from 1864-65 and was
Trul ock
Shortl y after this grandfather and grandmother
Grandmother made many hard sacrifices First, mayor of Willard Ci ty for ten year?, 1870-82
it mas verv painful for her to leave her pzople in
England and come west Second we can imagine
wht hardships she had to undergo on her journey
westward, besides i t was difficult for her to adapt
htrseif to frontier l i fe She was a small woman in
stature, but genuine i n character, being a brave
mother and a sweet tempered wife
As the onl y occupation for the earlier settlers
was farming, grandfather, along wi th other settlers
of Wi l l ard Creek, homesleaded some land. He was
able to take up occupation because of early
home training on hi s fathers farm i n England. Here
he acquired some worthy traits of character which
carried over in his later frontier l i fe He Drided hi m-
I n May 1852, our grandparents emigrated to
the great Salt Lake valley. and arrived there on
the ni nth of October A year later a call was made
bv honorable Brigham Y oung, then governor of
the desert, for men and their families to leave Salt
Lakc and settle the territory both north and south
By so doing small communities were established
which later developed i nto towns and cities.
I n 1852 our grandparents wintered at North
Ogden, Weber County. I n the spring of 1854 they
self in doi ng his farm work carefully and systernat-
ically. He trained his family of boys to be thorough
in their work and because of this training the work
of George Wel ton Ward s family became very notice-
able among the early settlers. There wasn t a man,
says Edwi n Cordon, that could stack grain to shed
water like your Grandfather Ward
Wc are proud of our grandfather and the
tiaits of character that he has handed down to his
posterity. May we ever emulate his worthy examples.
Other Interesting Stories In The Life Of
George Welton Ward And His Family
Seven years after their marriage (George Welton Marys father died the 4th April, 185 1, succeeding
and Ann Trulock Ward) the restored gospel was her mothers death on 6th March. same year. A
presented to them by the missionaries of the Church brother William, a sister Ellen and Mary emigrated
of J esus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After thorough to Utah with the C. A. Harper Company, arriving
investigation, they accepted it and were baptized in Salt Lake City the 29th of October, 1855. T wo
into the Church. George Welton Ward was the first years later Mary was married to George Welton
and only known one of his fathers family to em-
brace Mormonism. When he did so he was required
to make a choice between his share of his fathers Mary Hankinson Ward completed her earthly
estate and his newly found religion. Like Mary of mission and Passed away 1 March, 1882 at the
old he chose the better part and stayed with hiq
The greatest accomplishment of George Welton
church. He was baptized the 12 day of J ul y, 1849
Ward wa5 his large family, which numbered 15 chil-
by Elder Thomas D. Stenhouse.
George Welton Wards second marriage took dren. He went to his reward five and a half months
place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hemarried Miss Mary after the death of his good wife, Mary, 18 August,
Hankinson, J une 30, 1857 in President Brigham 1882. He was buried in the Willard Cemetery, at
Youngs office, the ceremony being performed by Willard, Utah.
President Young himself. They were later sealed for
time and eternity in the Endowment House by Newspaper clipping from Deseret News Files:
Daniel H. Wells on 20th J une, 1863.
Feb. 18, 1858-At Willow Creek, Box Elder
Mary Hankinson was the daughter of J ames and County, a Committee was appointed by the people
Ann Wych Hankinson. She was born 12 J an. 1840 to draw up resolutions approving of the present gov-
at Didsbury, Lans, England. The family of Han- ernment of the Territory. Those selected for this
kinson accepted the gospel in England. The mission- duty were: Salmon Warner, Dwight Harding, J oseph
ary who baptized them told them that the father L. Lish, William Bradbury, William M. Dalton,
and mother would not migrate to Utah, but that William Brewerton, J ohn Robinson, George W.
some of the children would come. Thi s was fulfilled. Ward, J acob Lundel.
Ward.
home*
SAMUEL WARD AND JOHN WARD BRIEF HISTORY
The earliest known ancestor in the Ward fam- Temple. Owen D. Ward and Eunice A. Ward Har-
ily at the present time is that of Samuel Ward. He ris received their Endowments for them on the 28th
was born about the year 1753. His wife was Eliza- of May, 1924. They were sealed for Ti me and
beth Iffe. She was born about the year 1765. Their E t e r n i t y the same day, and the children were
residence was Theburton, Suf folk, England. sealed to them.
We know little of his l i fe, except that he was
interested in political life. He served as a Foreign
Commissioner. ton, Suffolkshire, England.
J OHN WARD, son of Samuel and Elizabeth
1786 at Theber-
He married Susannah Welton about the year
1810 at Melton, Suf-England. They then moved to
namely, Samuel, J ohn, and Elizabeth. Leiston, Suffolk, England. Susannah Welton was
I ffe was born 25
Thi s couple had three children that are known,
the daughter of J ohn i nd Mary Welton.
J ohn Ward took up farming early in life, and
continued with this occupation the rest of his life.
Six of their children were born at Leiston, Eng-
land the family then moved to Fox Hall, where the
remaining six children were born.
They did not have the opportunity of living
when the restored Gospel was on the earth, conse-
quently their baptism into the church was done by
proxy on the 13th day of May, 1924, in the Logan
*Informati on from Mrs Callie A (George D ) War d
( S ~ n c o above was wri tten t wo more ance9torS have been traced wi t h incom
pkt e records Those are added t o the pedigree chart for your information )