A Life History of

JAMES PERKES

by Alice Albertie Griffeth (Griffiths)

Now it is my pleasure to write a little about a very, very good man——James Perkes. According to my mother, he was her stepfather. He was born November 14, 1917 in Dudley, Worstershire, England. His Parents are John Perkes and Sarah Jones.

He married Eliza Rolinson June 24, 1841, in Sedgley, Staffordshire, England. They had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Shortly after marriage, he became acquainted with the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He believed in the message, was converted and was baptized September 27, 1842. His wife was not converted. The following ten years their children were born. The last one Ephraim, was born on October 5, 1853. When the call came f or the Saints to move to Zion, James had a strong desire to heed the call. His wife, not being converted, could not see his reasoning and refused even to consider going to America with him. They decided to get a divorce and divide the children. It was decided that three children would go with him to America. They were his oldest son John, born August 31, 1842; his third child Rueben, born August 13, Aug 1845; and his fifth child, a daughter Leah, born November 1, 1848.

It was hard for him to leave his remaining family behind, because he thought that he never would see them again. They left Liverpool, England, April 4, 1854, six months after his last child (Ephraim) was born, on the ship Germanicus No. 75. There were 220 people in the company under the direction of Rueben Cook. They arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 12, 1854. The ship was eleven weeks on the water. They ran out of food and fresh water and had to stop at Cuba for supplies. During the crossing they were quarantined for that dreaded disease, Cholera.

James and his children made their way up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, where he engaged in his vocation as a miner to provide for his family and to prepare for the long journey to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.

While crossing the water, he met Mary Ann Gibson Thurman, and her two children, Edward Thurman, six years old and Mary Elizabeth Thurman, four and one—half years old. Mary Elizabeth, too, had joined the Church and left her husband in England because he could not accept Mormonism. As James needed a housekeeper to help take care of his children, she too needed a breadwinner to help provide for her children. They decided to chance their fate together and they were married, probably in St. Louis, December 9, 1854. By this marriage three more children were added to their families, William Lorenzo Perkes, born May 3, 1856; Ellinor Emily Perkes, born May 14, 1858; and Katherine Sarah Perkes, born May 12, 1861.

William and Ellinor died before the family was prepared to leave for the Rocky Mountains. The children were buried in the Bellview City Cemetery, Illinois. Katherine was one year old when James and Mary decided that the time was right for them to leave Bellview, Illinois for the long trek across the plains. According to information handed down by family members they left Bellview in mid-summer arriving in Salt Lake valley October 17, 1852. They were directed by Church authorities to continue on to Hyde Park, Cache, Utah to make their home. Upon arriving there were only eight families residing in the community.

The first winter they lived in a dugout. This consisted of digging a room—size hole in the ground any where from three to four feet deep or deeper. This would provide a more even temperature on the floor after logs were put up on the upper part to form an enclosure from the elements of winter. The following spring (1863), James built a log house for his family. There was no mining in the area for him to work at, so he took up farming to provide for his family.

James became active in the church and community affairs. He was ordained a High Priest, and on October 9, 1865, he and Mary Ann were sealed in the Endowment House. About this time someone was inquiring the whereabouts of James Perkes. He had a message for him from England. Upon receiving the message he learned that his first wife, Eliza Rolson, had joined the Church and wanted to come and join him in Utah, so they could be a family again.

James was able to raise the money needed to bring her and the children to Hyde Park. After arriving she was willing to accept what had transpired in the relationship with another wife. Even though she was his first wife, she became his second wife, when they were sealed in the Endowment House, October 18, 1869, becoming his plural wife.

James built her a house close to the home he had built for Mary Ann. I, Albertie, remember how the two women enjoyed each other’s company. He was a wonderful man with the mixed families. Mary Ann’s sister died, leaving two small children. James took them in as his own to care for them. They were William Gibson, and Sarah Gibson.

He was always kind, fair and patient with the children. If ever he had any extra unpleasant task to be done, he called upon his own children to do it. The children felt the strength of his nobleness and respected and loved him. There was unity and love in their homes.

He was a large, straight man with blue eyes and dark hair. He always wore a short full beard. He was very neat and particular. He took great pride in his home, garden, oxen and small farm.

He grew up without an education, but after he married Mary Ann, she persuaded him to learn to read. In later years when he was stricken with miner’s consumption, he enjoyed his newspapers very much. His daughter Katherine speaks of his beautiful and sincere prayers. James died March 22, 1889. I remember as a young girl how the two women would cling to each other after his death.

Mary Ann died May 22, 1898. Eliza Rolson died March 28, 1899. All were buried in the Hyde Park Cemetery.