The Cro,vthers of Fountain Green, Utah ZroN's PRINTING & PuBLISHING Co. INDEPENDENCE, JACKSON Co., Mo. Copyright r943 William 0. Crowther Manassa, Colo. Printed in the United States of America THOMAS CROWTHER Born in Easthope, England, 1797, died March 3, 1871, buried at Bridge North, England. HI() ,rn ) ( PREFACE About the year 1850 a number of Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints went to England. Those that went to Shropshire made many converts. Among them were three brothers and a cousin, Thomas, Francis, Richard and George Crowther. All four emigrated to the U. S. of America. The sole pur­ pose for making their home with the Saints of God (commonly called Mormons). Francis came in 1852 and died {)n the plains on his way to Utah. Thomas came in 1855, Richard in 1864 and George in 1857. These two brothers and cousin chose Fountain Green, Sanpete County, Utah, as the place to make their permanent home, where they lived and reared their families, for thirty years. Then Thomas moved to the San Luis Valley, Colorado where he and his family helped to make settlements. Richard moved his families to Southern Utah and later moved to Logan, Utah, with one family where he died. George remained at Fountain Green until his death. To keep a record of these three families is the pur­ pose of publishing this book with a desire of connecting their Genealogy with the Crowthers that are in England and also many of that name who came to America. This task of family historian has been assigned to Wm. 0. Crowther who has been laboring along this line for thirty years. At the reunion of the Thomas Crowther family held in Sanford, Colo., July 26, 1941, it was agreed by this assembly to have this record published. Wm. 0. Crowther was appointed chairman with Lewis R. Ander­ son of Manti, Utah, and Arthur F. Crowther of Salt Lake City, Utah, as aids to see that this work was accomplished. I want to thank these two men for their support and loyalty to this cause, and all members of the family who have rendered aid in this undertaking. Especially do I want to thank Mrs. Leah Kirby for her untiring help. May it prove a blessing and help to future generations yet unborn and all members of this great family to "KNOW YOUR KINFOLKS." WILLIAM 0. CROWTHER, - Manassa, Colorado. INDEX PART ONE Page Thomas Crowther ____________________ -------------------------------------------- 1 I Jane Jewkes Crowther__________________ __________________ ________________ 18 Mary Ann Crowther Anderson __________________________________ 31 Sarah Jane Crowther Johnson _________ __________ ________________ 52 Thomas Alma Crowther__________ ___________________ _______________ 68 James Franklin Crowther_____________________________________________ 85 Emmaline M. Crowther Kirby ____________ _,____________________ 109 Laura Marie Crowther Morgan ________________________________ 120 William Orson Crowther __________________________________________ 145 Annie Rozilla Crowther Mortensen _________________________ 167 Vilate May Crowther Jensen ______________________________________ 178 Nellie Crowther Mortensen ________________________________________ 184 PART TWO Richard Crowther_____ ___________________ ________ _______________ 195 Annie Margaret Christensen Crowther ______________________ 204 Mary Jane Crowther Durfee______________ _________________________ 206 Esther Rebecca Price Crowther__ ________________ ---- _______________ -235 PART THREE George Crowther__ ___________________________________________________ 240 Janet Wiley Crowther_______________________ __________________ 243 Robena Crowther Collard __________________________________________ 250 John William Crowther_______________________________ _______________ 267 James Crowther _____________________________________________ 268 Catherine Crowther Larsen ______________________________________ 269 Elizabeth Crowther Anderson ____________________________________ 297 Sarah Crowther Ottsen ------------------------------------------------315 George Crowther, Jr. ___ ________________________________________________ 327 William John Crowther_____________________________________________ 328 Thomas James Crowther_ ______ - ----------------------------------333 Fountain Green, Utah, ·1942 Part One Thomas Crowther Family SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THOMAS CROWTHER HOMAS CROWTHER was born on the 12, March 1823, at a place called Easthope, Shropshire, Eng­ T land. "My father's name was Thomas Crowther, he was born in r797, and he died March 3, 1871, and was buried in the cemetery at Bridge North, Shropshire, Eng­ land. My mother's maiden name was Ann Preece. She was born 9, Oct., 1800. She died 27, Aug., 1846, was buried at a place called Stanton, Shropshire, England. When I was nine years old my parents sent me to school for about twelve months. After that my father having a large family, put me to work as soon as I was able. By this time I was able to read in the Testament with­ out much difficulty. But I never made a letter or figure at school. What I know about writing or the value of figures I have picked up myself and that after a hard days work. At eleven years of age I hired out to an old gentleman by the name of John Bradley at a place called Ditton Priers. I stayed with him for two years and four months, and worked on his farm. He was a good man as far as he had light and knowledge; he was a strict Methodist and taught me good moral principles that had a lasting impression on my mind in after years. He would have me go to Sunday School every Sunday morning and meeting twice during the day, which I thought at that time was very irksome. But I have thought since it was all for my good. When I left him I hired to a man by the name of Edward Hughes, at a place called Kinsley, near Bridge North. I stayed with him two years, but did not get that religious training as I did of my former master. For he was a worldly man." I continued to hire out until I was twenty-two years of age, and notwithstanding the religious training that I 12 THE CROWTHERS OF FOUNTAIN GREEN, UTAH had received in my youth it did not seem to have that impression on my mind as it does on some people; that is I could not reconcile myself in regard to what God re­ quired me to do to be saved. "I went from one sect to another but I still felt an aken void. I seemed to be hunting something that none of the religious sects had got. About this time I was twenty-two years of age when I quit farmer's service and went into Staffordshire and worked at blast furnaces, that is manufacturing of iron. I continued to work at this business the remainder of the time I stayed in England. When about 26 years of age I married a young woman by the name of Sarah Thompson. About the time that we got married I went and paid a visit to my mother-in-law. When for the first time my eyes beheld the Book of Mormon. This was about 1849. There happened to be a Mormon Elder at my mother-in­ law's, by the name of Thomas Shelly, he presented me with a copy of the Book of Mormon which I took home with me and read it through, and truly I thought I had found the pearl of great price. My father - and mother-in-law had already been baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and had two of their children healed in a miraculous manner. They were both healed by the power of God, which caused quite a stir in that neighborhood. Several joined the church there about this time, and as I stated I read the Book of Mormon through and was very much interested in the little light that I had gained through reading that precious record. It caused me to long for more. I was not long in hunting up the place where the Latter-day Saints held their meetings, and the first or second time I went to see them, one elder ·spoke in Tongues and another interpreted the Tongue. The substance of it was, that THOMAS CROWTHER FAMILY 13 branch should grow and prosper and many should be added to the church. I ·shall never forget the sensation that came over me at that time, for I was satisfied that these men spoke by the power of God. I saw that prophecy fulfilled to the very letter. In the next three months there were forty-four added to that branch, my­ self and wife included among them. We were baptized Oct. 13th, 1850, into the Tipton Branch of the Birming­ ham Con£ erence, by Elder George Hill, president of that branch. Was ordained to the office of priest, December 26, 1851 by Elder John Weston. Later ordained an elder by William George, 13 May, 1853. About this time I met with a bad accident. I hurt one of my shoulders so bad I could not lift my arm up. I had faith in the power of God and his ordi­ nances. I went to meeting at night and took with me some oil and requested the elders to anoint my shoulder with the oil and pray to the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ to heal me; which they did and I was healed from that very moment, and went to my work the next morning to the astonishment of all my fel­ low workmen. Although my shoulder was black and blue and discolored for weeks afterward, but not to hurt me in the least. This was the first time I had the power of God manifest upon my own body. Previ­ ous to my hearing the Gospel I had one of my legs broken which caused me to be helpless for three months. This was about two months after I was married. During this time I read and reflected a great deal. I prayed earnestly for the Lord to guide me in the right path. I realize that it was through this circumstance that led me to investigate and embrace the Gospel.