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Show His wife, Harriet Nash Welch, was a Primary officer for twenty years. Father was a member of the High Council of the Morgan Stake of Zion for twenty-nine years and kept the tithing books for thirty-five years. He died as he had lived, firm in the Faith which he had espoused in a foreign land Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together in the days of his youth, for which he had sacrificed the society of all his relatives, for none of his kindred as far as I know, have ever joined the Church. He was buried in the South Morgan Cemetery by the side of his first wife, who had preceded him in death by twenty-two years. ©9 Harriet Nash Welch Harriet Nash Welch was the daughter of Charles Nash and Mary Davy Nash. She was born April, 17, 1831, at Horsted Karnes, Sussex, England. She was the oldest of thirteen children and had to work away from home to help support the family, and she had a wonderful training as a home-keeper and cook in the families of the rich, though she had but little schooling. It is a singular thing, but the Charles Nash family was never all under the same roof or at home at one time in all their lives. She was baptized into the Church on the first day of October, 1853, by Elder James Pitman and confirmed a member of the Church October 2,1853, by the man that baptized her. She accepted the gospel while working at Brighton, a beautiful resort of the seashore. Her future husband Thomas Robert Green Welch, was working in Brighton in a large dry goods establishment and the two were brought together through the meetings of the Latter-Day Saints. He was four years her junior having been born July 10, 1835, at Shepton Mallet Sommersetshire, England. He was baptized by Elder William H. Kimball in Brighton on September 20,1854, and was confirmed September 24 of the same year by Elder Samuel Francis. About six weeks after joining the Church, Mother became very much excited over a testimony for herself of the divinity of the work. She had attended her meetings regularly and had heard the brethren and sisters testify that they knew the gospel was true and that it was indeed the work of the Lord. She believed this with all her heart and, in reading the Bible, it seemed like a new book since her baptism and confirmation. There was still something lacking to give her that peace of mind that she so much desired. She took the Apostle James' advice and decided to ask the Lord that she might know of a surety for herself of the truthfulness of the gospel she had accepted. She was still working in the service in a gentleman's family and she and another young lady occupied the same room, though each had her own bed. One evening she called on the Lord in mighty prayer and told Him that if this was His work to give her a testimony for herself that she might be able to rise and bear it to any and all that she knew the gospel was true. After retiring, she lay meditating upon the joy that filled her heart since her conversion, when suddenly the room was filled with a most glorious light and she was told of the truth of the work of the Lord. The other young woman also saw the light and cried out, "Oh, Harriet, the house is on fire." Mother told her that the house was not on fire, but that she had just received a manifestation from the Lord of the truthfulness of the gospel. That testimony always remained with her to the end of her days. After joining the church, the gospel was so plain to her that she went home to tell her people of the glorious tidings she had received. When she told them her story, her father turned her out of doors, for he did not want any thing to do with Mormonism. On August 27,1855, she was married to Thomas R.G. Welch, and they began to save means to emigrate to Zion for they felt that with the Saints their future home should be made. On July 25, 1856, a son was born, Thomas F. Welch. On Saturday March 28, 1857, father and mother sailed from Liverpool, England on the ship George Washington for Boston, U.S.A. There were eight- hundred and sev- enteen Latter- Day Saints on board, under the Harriet Nash Welch 227 |