Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together remember the other boundaries. This scope of country was granted them for herd ground. This law can be found in the first volume of the compiled law of Utah. Father was the first bishop in Morgan county, presiding over the valley for several years. He took up and improved one of the best farms in the county and at one time valued at thirty thousand dollars. When he became old he turned his farm over to some of his children. He took his second wife, Elizabeth Smith Thurston, and some of the younger children to St. George where his life's labor was brought to a fitting close working in the temple. He died and was buried there, being eighty-one years old. When he died his record showed that he had been baptized for 6,822 persons and had done more temple work that any other person at that time in the Saint George Temple. He had been endowed for 2,106. Of course, much of this was done by proxy, but he was paid one dollar a name for the endowment work that was done. In writing of Father I have tried to give as correctly written sketch of his life as possible. He was a great and good man, and my mother loved and honored him and taught her children respect and Hulda Cordelia Thurston Smith, Thomas Jefferson Thurston, Rozetta Bull Thurston. George Washington Thurston, imchsi obedience to him. He was intellectual, exceptionally well-versed in the bible and in ancient and modern history; he was a beautiful penman, writing like copy plate. He was the father of twenty-four children. Yet father had peculiarities of which I have written with love and the best feelings toward him. A plaque was placed and dedicated as Thurston Peak in honor of this great pioneer's efforts in opening up and helping to settle Morgan County. ©9 William Tonks and Martha Derricott Tonks William Tonks was born July 19, 1832, in Willenhall, Staffordshire (near Birmingham), England, a son of George Tonks and Martha Pearson Tonks. He received his education there and grew to manhood, learning the blacksmith trade from his father. When William Tonks but eighteen years of age, he became converted to the teachings of the Mormon Church. He became acquainted with and fell in love with Martha Derricott, daughter of Charles Derricott and Mary Ashley Derricott. She was born May 24, 1828, in Wrockwardin, Shropshire, England. They were married in 1855 and immigrated to America in 1856, arriving in New York after being three months on the ocean. They lived in New York for three years where William made a living by working at his trade of locksmith and blacksmith, and saved enough money to outfit them for the trip to Utah. Two children, George Moroni and William Henry, were born in New York. Their oldest child, Elizabeth (Lizzie) was left in England with her grandparents, Charles Derricott and Mary Ashley Derricott. She joined the family in 1868 when she came to Utah with her grandparents. In the early spring of 1859, William and Martha and their two sons took passage by way of New Orleans, up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Here they started their long journey of over one Martha Derricott Tonks