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David Edwards Jr.
(Back to front L - R) David Barton, Morgan, David Edwards Jr. holding Lois, Ann, Ann Eliza Barton holding Amasa
David Edwards Jr.
Born: 21 July 1857 at Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan South WalesDavid Edwards Jr.
David was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, South Wales. As a young boy he recalls, that his father was a “colliery” [which is actually another name for a coal mine and it’s physical plant and out buildings] in the coal mines of South Wales. After a day’s work all the miners would leave the mine swinging their lunch pails in groups, walking toward their homes. As they walked they would sing, in part singing, as all Welsh people seem to be blessed with fine beautiful voices, such songs as “Men of Harlech” and “All Thru the Night,” and countless other well-known songs only native to Wales. Their deep resonant voices penetrated the air, bringing joy and relaxation to their tired bodies.
In summer evenings, as was the Welsh custom, families would go together to the Pubs and drink cooling drinks and all the time singing. After each day’s work, each miner would go to his kitchen where there was a warm fire and a big deep wooden tub filled with warm water and bathe to remove the soil and grime from the dusty mines. The bath would relax and refresh them. By the time father was thru with his bath, it would be dark enough to light the candles and the evening meal would follow. Their fare was not as bounteous as ours is, a supper consisting of perhaps a drink of milk, bread and cheese.
David Jr. was a boy of 5 or 6 at this time. His father David, Sr., had worked in the mines since a young boy of 11 years, as that was the age that most Welsh boys entered the mines. David Sr. developed the wicked lung disease that most of the miners got, which is silicosis. He died at the young age of 42, leaving his widow Sarah Ann and 5 young children, William, Edward, Eliza (Hanks), David and Sarah Ann.
Life was not easy for a father and mother to provide for their family, but when left a widow, trials were many. Their dream for some was to go to Zion. Now, especially since being a widow, more than ever did they want to go. The missionaries of the church had been in their midst sometime before and the [Edwards] had recognized the truthfulness of the Gospel and so they became converted and baptized, making their dream of going to Zion more vivid.
After the death of David Sr., Sarah Ann and the 5 children had to wait for about a year to keep saving money to start on their journey. David Sr.’s last words before he passed away were, “Mother, take the children to Zion in America.”
The voyage took 13 long weeks in a sailing vessel. They finally arrived on the east coast and then continued their journey to the body of the Saintes, crossing the plains with other saints. Sarah Ann was a plump little Welsh lady of 200 lbs. and by the time she reached the Salt Lake Valley, she weighed only 98 lbs., for she had walked most of the way [probably often carrying the youngest daughter]. David being 7 years of age now, I venture to say, walked a good many, many miles, as did his brothers and sisters.
Having arrived in the vast desolated Salt Lake Valley, they then were called by President Brigham Young to settle in Southern Utah, going first to Paragonah, Iron Co. Utah. Sarah Ann being a widow, was assisted in the move by others. They soon set about to build a place to live, their first home being a one room log cabin, and we all know that willing hands are many, as each one helped one another, otherwise the going would be terribly hard.
When David Jr. was 9 years of age, there was a concert in Parowan for adults only, no children. During the concert, there came word that David Jr. was missing, perhaps kidnapped, by Indians. David and his friend wanted so badly to go to the concert, as unbeknown to parents and family, he and his friend started for Parowan. They walked 41/2 miles, walked into the concert and sat unconcerned thru the beautiful program. When the concert ended, they found David Jr. wide awake, but his friend was very much asleep. The concert was so much enjoyed [by David] as he had inherited a love and talent of music …, so inherent in the Welsh people.
David Jr. acquired the amount of education offered in those days, sometimes only for a few months, and perhaps to 3rd or 5th grade. As he grew into young manhood, he performed work as was required to live and survive, like farming, helping neighbors, building fences. As a young man he went to St. George, where he helped on the temple.
He was at this time courting a fine young beautiful girl, Eliza Ann Barton and he wrote her letters while he was in St. George. This romance blossomed and these two young people were married 12 January, 1881, in the St. George Temple.
They had their first home in Bluff, San Juan Co., Utah. The government (church and government officials were often the same) requested many young married couples to go and settle this area of Bluff and each family acquired probably a specified tract of land. Those who went to Bluff at this time were David and Eliza, Joseph (Eliza’s brother) and Harriet Ann Barton, Amasa and Parthenia and others. [Joseph and his family and Amasa had gone earlier in 1879 and Parthenia Hyde actually came from Salt Lake in 1880).
They farmed. David was in charge of a trading post about 9 miles from Bluff, selling all items from food to harnesses. All articles were freighted by team from Thompson Switch, which was the nearest railroad connection. This trading post was set up primarily to better serve the Indians, Navajo and Ute, who would bring their hides and blankets to the post to trade for food staples and calico for their squaws, and make better, more friendly and peaceful relations between the whites and red men. At the trading post, the Indians called David, NASJUBGIE, which means, “fair trader.”
Elisa’s brothers Joseph and Amasa Barton and Eliza’s husband David, had a group arrangement, wherein David ran the trading post [apparently in Bluff]. Amasa had a large trading post at Rincon, about 15 miles from Bluff. When about 2 wagon loads of hides accumulated between the two trading posts, Amasa and Joseph would freight the hides to the Thompson Switch for shipment to other points. On these trips, Joseph and Amasa would go and sometimes Joseph and David would go. On one of these trips to Thompson Switch, Amasa was at his store on the banks of the San Juan river when two strange Ute Indians came across from the opposite side of the river in the boat which was worked by heavy rope cables. They entered the store and ordered Amasa to get merchandise from the shelves. While this was being done, one Indian [saw] Amasa’s wife start from her home towards the store as she had [watched] the Indians approach the store. He told her to stay where she was or he would kill her and of course she had no choice.
The other Indian in the store shot Amasa in the back of the head. They then threw a rope around his head, dragged Amasa over the counter to the door. While his head was on the step, they shot him again in the head. The 2 Indians loaded the boat with food and etc., pulled hand over hand on the cable across the river, unloaded their boat to waiting ponies, and then proceeded to cut the rope, letting the boat go down stream, lost.
When Amasa’s wife could run to the store, she found her husband very critically injured and she saw two young Indian bucks approaching, alarmed at the gun shots. She asked if they’d go to Bluff and get help. She offered money and they said they’d go for $11.00 apiece, but they wouldn’t hurry. They’d hurry for $22 apiece. They did hurry, bringing help from Bluff. Some had started after Joseph and David who had left only that morning with 2 wagon loads of pelts. They caught up with them and returned to the scene of the tragedy. Amasa lived a week with 2 bullets in his head and passed away, leaving Parthenia with a 10 day old baby and 2 year old son and her mother
All thru these years before, David tried to teach and give others a love for music. He had groups where he taught part singing. He conducted the choir, the congregation, children, his family and relatives to learn a greater love and appreciation for music.
Their first child, David Barton, was born in Bluff. Soon after he, Eliza, and child returned to Paragonah, where David continued to farm and still keep his love for music above all else. They had some sheep, some livestock and their lives were hard but with music to relieve and relax themselves. They had a happy life, for their home was blessed with children, 2nd was Joseph Morgan, 3rd Ann Eliza, 4th Lois, all born in Paragonah.
They went back to Bluff for the second time, and David taught music in the school. They lived there a short time, returning to Paragonah for a third time where Amasa Marion, Eunice Pearl, and Ella Irene were born. When Ella was one year old, David, the father, was called on a mission to Great Britain and assigned to the Welch district, his native country, for 2 ½ years. Before David left for his Mission, the entire family moved to Provo, and there the older children went to Brigham Young Academy. To keep David on his missions, Eliza took in boarders, students at the school and did their washing, ironing and mending for $3.00 a week. In summer, she’d pick fruit on shares to feed her family. Life was not easy for her to maintain her family and keep her husband on a mission.
He returned from his mission, to Provo, and he and two sons went to Alberta, Canada, with the Jessie Knight farming enterprise, which was mainly cattle. They worked there and sent money back to the family. David went back to Provo when Jay was born, then to Rexburg, Idaho and Teton for a few months.
In Rexburg, David taught music in the grade schools, put on concerts, and taught people who would, to love music. He helped to build the Sugar factory at Sugar City. Later he worked in the factory and after it closed they moved to Pocatello where they, with their family, ran the Portnaff Rooming House. This venture lasted a few months and they moved to another address in Pocatello where David worked wherever and whenever he could. His health began to fail, as he was having prostatitis and was ill for many years. He had a first surgery in Salt Lake City and a second operation in Pocatello.
Soon in Idaho Falls, he trained many children in 3 part singing; [produced] many concerts and special programs; and formed the Columbia Quartet which was composed of three of his kids; David, Barton, Annie, Lois. It became a fine, wonderful musical group that traveled over and around the country.
David and family lived a short time in Inkom, Idaho. Shortly, David, Eliza, Ella and Jay, the 2 youngest children, moved to Verdure, Utah, in southern part of the state. David’s health was not good, he was suffering so much of the time he didn’t enjoy life to its fullest as he wasn’t able to join in the festivities and family life. His condition grew worse and he became bed-ridden as his body had become very weakened. He was unconscious for two weeks and passed away 8 March, 1919. His diagnosis probably was a cancer of the prostrate. Uncle Joseph Barton, Eliza’s brother, made David’s casket. His services were at Joseph’s house, and he was laid to rest on a hill near Verdure, Utah. In 1953, the 4 daughters contributed money to buy a headstone and monument for David’s grave.
Source:
A history of David Edwards Jr. by his three daughters and arranged by a granddaughter Bernice Watson Wennergren Sept. 1963.
Right-click [Mac Control-click] to open full-size image:
David Edwards Jr.
(Back to front L - R) David Barton, Morgan, David Edwards Jr. holding Lois, Ann, Ann Eliza Barton holding Amasa