TITLE PIONEER (full name) BIR TH (date and place) DEA TH (date and place) PARENTS . MARRIED (who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote ) (date w ritten) (who submitted) (address) PAGE John Toone 10 April 1813 - Birmingham, Warwicks , Eng (buried in Croydon, 31 August 1893 Morgan County, Utah John Toon e Elizabeth Reading Emma Prosser - 12 June 1836 Hannaq. Wardle - 1 F e bruary 185 7 Jemima Cook - 22 February 1857 ,. 27 September 1852 Captain Thomas How ell Ter esa Dawson Olson (gr - granddaughte r) Februar y 1980 Jane Dawson Merz Morgan, Utah 84050 CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTING _S_o_u_th M_o_r~g_a_n _______ Camp _M_ o_r..;g;;_a_n_ ___________ County. ( Camp Historian It address)._ ___L o_l_a_D_a_w_son P_ete_r_s o n ________ P.O. Box 13, Mor gan, Utah 84050 County Historian & address )_ __v _eI _o_y_To_nk_s_Dic_k_s _on_ _________ P. 0. Box 203, Morgan, Utah 84050 SOURCE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: JOHN TOONE John Toone, our great grandfather, was born to John and Elizabeth Reading Toone the 10 April 1813, at Birmingham, Warwicks, England. Being the eldest of fourteen children, John liad many advantages. He and his four brothers were all given a good education, as their father was a prominent builder and contractor in Leamington. It was important to him that his sons learn the trades of plumber, plasterer, builder, painter and carpenter . Some of the special things John studied were law, medicine and music. He had a strong thirst for knowledg e, reading and studying many books. He was a talented musician and played h is violin in the Royal Orch estra of Queen Victoria, as well as at the Old Salt Lake Theatre and Social Hall. Old time dances at Croydon, Henefer and Echo often heard the lively strains of J ohn's fiddle. John was about twenty -two years of age when he met and fell in love with a lovely and refined young lady whose name was Emma Prosser. She was born 26 April 1819, at Herefordshire, England, the third child of James and Mary Ann Morgan Prosser, who had nine children, six g irls and three boys. Emma was t all and slender with brown hair and sparkling brown eyes, along with a lovely smile. She was reared in a comfortable home with n ice clothes and pleasant surroundings. She grew up happy and secure. She had a good education and special training in dressmaking and fancy sewing, which came in very handy in her pioneer years. John was a tall handsome fellow , well over six feet, with an abundanc e of curly nair and srr..iling blue eyes . When he was twenty - three years old, and Emma but seventeen, the y were married in the L eamin gton Chapel on th e 12 J u ne 1836. The y made the ir home i n Leamington, where six o{ thei.r eight children were born and -2- e two were buried. There had been Mormon missionaries in Leamington a number of times, but they were not too successful in making converts in that part of England. In 1843, Brother Alfred Cordon, who had been converted years before, and lived at that time in Willard, Utah, was sent on a mission to England. While in Leamington and Warwick he preached the gospel where Emma had relatives, and they were converted and baptized. The following is taken from Brother Cordon's Journal and given to Sister Dora Toone Brough, by his great, great granddaughter, June Cordon Garfield. On 3 April 1849, he baptized Mr. John Toone of Leamington, who afterwards became an efficient Elder . In conference, held 15 April 1849, he was visited by Elder Levi Richards, who had a commission to travel in any part of England he so desired. On 19 April 1849, John Toone and William Chiveral were ordained Elders. John was later appointed to preside over the branch. Emma was also baptized in 1849, along wit h other members of the Prosser family . When Elder Cordon was released from his mission to return hom e, th e saints of the Warwick Conference presented him with a contribution to h elp pay his expenses. Elder John Toone, representing the conference, wrote: "When at last we reflect upon the lonely situation in which you found us , and the wonderful things that have transpired in this, so short a time, we with reluctance say, 1 Go home, dear Brother Alfred, to the bosom of thy family,' but this event will cause the breaking forth of many a tear . When we reflect upon y0u r past labors , your diligence and faithfulness to build up Zion , by aiding her with converts from the land of our nativity , we will unit e to bless you in the name of Israel ' s God. -3- We testify to all around that we have found the Church and King dom of the living God. 11 These quotations are from the Journal of Alfred Cordon. In 1850, John and Emma were anxious to come to Utah and join the saints. They began planning for their future in a new land. At this time they were expect-ing their sixth child. Little Ann was born t h e 23 November 18 5 0. They loved the precious gospel, were humble and faithful and more than happy to make the sacrifices necessary to leave. In early winter, 1 February 1851, the little family set sail for America. Mary Elizabeth, age 12; William Henry, a g e 10; Charles Jabez, age 8; and baby Ann. Soon after sailing, Ann was taken ill and died on the 16 February, o nly t wo months and twenty-one days old. The tiny girls was bur i ed at sea. Can we mothers realize the anguish of Emma when she had t o wrap her darlin g baby in a blanket and see her cast into the ocean? In those days it t ook from six weeks to two months to make the voyage by sailing vessel, the only way to travel, and if passengers died during the voyag e they were buried at sea. Emma and John were on their way to a new land, to make a home in the west, leaving Emma Georgenia and Hezekiah Prosser b u ried in t heir native land and baby A n n a t sea. The voyage was long and tiresome, with m u ch sickness and h ardship. They finally arrived in the U.S.A. in March of 1851, and made preparation to cross the plains. They left Pottawattamie 7 June 1851, in Captain Thomas Howell's company. They spent some time at a place called Little Pigeon, Indiana, g etting wag ons and ox en r e ady. There were 10 families, 79 souls, 12 wag ons, 77 oxen, horses, sheep and calves . They le ft there 7 Jun e 1852, jc.st one yea r later. This company sent a letter on ahead to the presi ding council in S alt Lake, dated 4 Au gust , Upper Ferry of the Platte River , signed Captain Howell , J 0hn Toone , clerk. The letter stated -4- they were on their way and hoping they would have food enough to carry them through. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley the 27 September 1852,1 with their remaining three children. Soon after arriving in Salt Lake they bought a homestead about 11 D11 Street and 3rd Avenue, and built a nice four-room adobe house, where Emma kept busy sewing and taking care of her family. She did beautiful fancy work for many noted women of Utah, and made burial clothing when needed. How happy Emma was when she could sit in the theatre in h er black, or brown, lace trimmed dress and see her John in the orchestra, playing the cello, or other times the viola, during the performance of a Shakespearean play, or home dramatics. On the 19 February 1854, another son was born to Emma and John. They named him John Prosser. He was a strong, fine baby. He was their 7th child. This same year, John was called to go back to England on a mission. This gave him a chance to preach the gospel to his family in Leamington. They were very nice to him and told him they lov ed him, b ut were not interested in his new Mormon reli gion. Emma was lonesome, but kept busy. She worked in the Primary, holding the position of President for 20 years. Little did she know that she would be sharing her John with two other wives soon after his return from his mission. While on his mission he converted a very n i ce young English school teacher by the name of Hannah Wardle, born 2 April 1821, at Hookley Heath, Warwickshire , England. She b e came h is second wife on the 1 February 18 5 7. Little is know of Hannah or he r family. • - 5 - While returning from his mission in 1856, in Apostle Richards' Company, John met Jemima Cook. Jemima was the daughter of Richard Cook and Elizabeth Johns. To our knowledge she was the only one of her family to join the church. Her early childhood was one of nine children, 5 boys and 4 gir ls, Jemima being the youngest daughter. The children were all born at Stoke Damerel, Devonshire, except Jemima. When she b e came old enough she had to help support the family. Her schooling was very little, two or three months each wint er, over a period of a few years, but she was bright and alert and lea rned the profession of a tailoress. When she heard the Mormon missionaries preach the gosp el, she became v ery interested, although her family was v ery much opposed to her listening to t h eir teachings and attending their meetings. She would slip away after t hey thou ght her in bed, and slip back in through the window unobserved. She was baptized in February of 1854, against the wishes of her faro ily. She had the tailor, who had especially tra i ned her, and for w h om she worked , hold a little of her earnings back each week until such a time as she would b e ready to s t art fo r America. The night she left she wrote her parents a n ote, t h en she slipped quietly thro ugh the window. Her parents rushed to the h arbor, but the ship had already set sail. She came to Utah in 18 56, in Captain Edward Martin's company. She often pushed a handcart through 18 inches of snow. One night she was so exhausted she tried to steal a ride on one of the wagons, and the t eamster guid e used h is b ullwhip on he r . This incident was told by Jemima to one of he:r g ra n d -· da ughters, with whom she u s ed to live . Most of the way t hey s uffe red many har d - s h ips . S h e told of m en d i ggi ng g rave s wh er e fires ha d bee n burni ng a ll night. This soft e ned t h e g rou nd, a s it wa s fr oze n ve r y hard. On e ni ght 18 soul s we r e -6- • buried in one grave. e Their provisions ran out and they became very hungry. Some ate the flesh from their own forearms. At night, when they stopped, their clothing was covered with ice and snow and frozen to their bodies. Large fires were built to thaw them out, only to have them awake in the morning and find two or three feet of snow oh their beds. Some of the Saints were so exhausted they would ask to die, they felt they could not go on. Mand did die and w ere buried only in the deep snow. President Young heard of their s uffering and distress and sent men and provi-sions to help them. One of the g reatest of Mormon Scouts was Ephriam Hanks, and h e said the storm during those three days was simply awful. In all his travels in the Rocky Mountains, b efore and after, he said, " I have seen no worse. It lay on the ground so deep it was impossible to m ove wagons thr ough it. The sig ht that met my gaze, as I entered their camp, can never be erased from my memory. The starved forms and haggard countenances of the poor, suffering souls was enough to touch the stoutest heart. I was camped in South Pas s one night and earnestly prayed for meat to t ake to the starving saints. Upon arising next morning , a buffalo crossed my path. I shot it and took it to the starving saints. " John was on of the many men sent to rescue the Saints. At a p l ace called Devil's Gate, in Wyoming, John again met Jemima. He asked her if she were going to cross the river in the morning. She told him she was. The river was deep and the water very cold. She sat down to remove her shoes to wade i t . Inst e ad John picked h er up and carried her across the river to safety. H e also h elped pus h her hand ca rt. This was when their cour t s hip b e g an. She h ad remained at W i nt er Q uar t ers for s ome t ime b efore leaving with th e saints fo r the Rocky Mountains . The faith of these saints was surely t r ied, and yet , - 7 - in the face of so many obstacles, they had courage to go on, stopping each S unday to worship and give thanks for their new found true religion. They arrived in Utah the 1 November· 1856. John and Jemima were married the 22 February 185 7 , and she became his third wife. Jemima, like Emma, was also a beautiful seam.stress . She made many suits for the army officers at Fort Douglas, also for President Young and other church leaders, for which she was well paid. She bought green tea from Fort Douglas and paid $ 5. 00 a pound for it. At one time, President Young asked her to make a coat and a pair of pants for a speaker who was to appear at the Opera House. She told him she would for a pound of tea and $10. 00. President Young thought it too high, b ut they needed t h e clothes badly, so they gave her what she asked, and the suit was made. William Driver, a pioneer druggist of Salt Lake, said she made him a suit out of a blanket. He was very well pleased, and said he would never forget her. When Johnson's army came to Utah in 1857, it caused much unrest. John, and his family, stayed in Salt Lake until the early part of 1858. Here Jemima g ave birth to their first child, Lyon, born the 6 M arch 18 58, in Salt Lake. Emma and Hannah, John's other two wives, were both expecting babies. There was a move south, so John and his three wives moved to Payson, Utah. On the 19 March 1858, at Payson, Emma gave birth to another son, Benjamin Prosser, her eighth child. It was a terrible hardship for all concerned. Living c onditions were very poor, with p:-actically no conveniences. His second wife , Hannah, gave bir th to p r emature twin babies . She and both babie s died th e 2 0 Jul y 185 8. Tha t same w e ek on th e 23 July , Emma ' s tiny son, Benjamin , died. He, along with Hannah and her twins , was buried at Payson . -8- Years later, members of the family went to Payson and tried to find t h e g rav es, so markers could be installed, but there were so many others, the g raves were never identified. After the army trouble was over the family moved back to Salt Lake. They were very happy to get back in their own homes. The following year Jemima gave birth to another son, Felix, born 25 August 1859, in. Salt Lake . John and Jemima h ad seven children, four s ons a nd three daughters, all born in Salt Lake, except Emma Jemima, their 5th child, who was born in Croydon, Utah, the 15 November 1865 . She was given the name of J ohn's two wives . The two young est girl! were born in Salt Lake, Caroline, born t he 16 November 1867, and Elizabeth, born 20 May 1871. In 1863, John Prosser, Emma's y oungest son, was almost ten years old. His two brothers , William Henry, 21, and Charles Jabe.z, 19, and their father were sent to ~ost Creek (later named Croydon) by President Brigham Young to help build up the town. In October of 1865, Lost Creek was first or g anized into a branch of the church. In 186 5, William Henry married Hannah Webb and Ch arles Jab ez married Sarah Aug usta Squires. They both made t heir h omes in Croydon. Joh n Prosser remained in Salt Lake with his mother . As most boys, he was very unhappy, because he felt he was big enough to go along with his big brothers and father. As John traveled back and forth between Salt Lake and Croydon, he continued to serve chu rch affairs and families. Emma and Jemima were alon e m u c h of t he time. It w asn 't until 1871 that John and Jem ima , with t h eir young e st child, Eli zabe th, who was but six months old at th e time , moved t o Croydon to make i t a per m anent h o me • -9- Emma chose to remain in her comfortable h ome in the Salt Lake 20th Ward area, where she had served in the Primary for so many years, and had many friends . Her daughter, Elizabeth, had married John Lyon in April of 1857, and lived close by her. Emma was lonesome at times, but always enjoyed the company of her grandchildren, who stayed with her often. In her later life she had several i llnesses and was obligated to give up Primary and sewing for others. For several weeks she was very ill, and her family took t urns sitting by her bedside. She passed away 7 April 1889, age 70 years, with her son, Charles, sitting by her side. She had many trials and heartaches, but she loved the precious gospel and was humble and faithful to the end. John was tall, with an abundance of curly white hair and a long white beard, a description given by many of his g randchildren. He carried a walking stick, and a dog was always at his heels. He always had such exciting stories to tell about people, places and things. He would teach the children songs and music, and he sang with them, as they listened to him play his fiddle, as he often called it . He was the father of 17 children, 91 g randchildren, numerous great - g rand-children and countless great, g reat grandchildren . He died just four y ears after Emma 1 s passing, the 31 August 1893, at the age of 80 years . Jemima was age 65 at the time of John 1 s death. As a young woman she had been tiny in stature, with small hands and feet , brown hair and blue eyes. As she grew older, her weight was always a problem. Her son used to call her, jokingly, 11 a little ro u nd b utter ball. 11 She was almost as round as she was tall. The life of a po l ygami!>t w i fe was anythi ng but smooth saEing . Many jealousies a n d bad feelings , among children, a n d wiv es, w ere oft e n a pr obl em. The men's d e dication to chur ch affairs l e ft w ive s alone much o f the time in those days . ... .. -10- Jemima loved the gospel but was very shy at taking part in p ublic affairs. Her first and last concern was always John and the children. After Jemima's health began failing, she went to live with her children. She lived for a time with her son, Benjamin, at Echo, and also Lyon. As her health continued to fail, she went to live with her youngest daughter, Elizabeth (Bessie) Hardy, in Morgan, Utah. Jemima helped raise a grandson, Joseph Toone, son of Felix, whose wife died at Echo, Ut ah, when t he b o y was born. Jemima lived 14 years after Johnf s death, and died the 3 January 1907, a g e 79 . She was buried in Croydon, by the side of her husband, J ohn, in t he beaut iful little valley where they helped build a settlement. Compiled and written by Teresa Dawson Ols o n, g reat- g ran dda ughter of John and Jemima Cook Toone, in February 1980.