MARY PUGH (PREECE/PRICE)

Mary Pugh was born at Llangunllo,
Radnorshire (now Powys), Wales, the
daughter of Evan Pugh and Jane Davis
(or Davies). Llangunllo is a small
rural town in Radnorshire, Wales,
located 5½ miles west of the market
town of Knighton and the English
borders of Shropshire and
Herefordshire.
The Pugh family line has been traced
back for at least two further
generations to the small Welsh hamlet
of Llanbister, located just seven miles
to the west of Llangunllo. The
surname of “Pugh” is believed to
derive from a distant ancestor named
Hugh whose children became known
as “Ap Hugh” (“son or daughter of
Hugh”).
FIRST GENERATION
MARY PUGH (PREECE/PRICE)
(Mother of Ezekiel Price)
It is believed that Mary was the oldest
child in this family. The records
indicate Mary was born on Christmas
Day in 1793 and was christened 29
December in the parish church at
Llangunllo. Other children born to
Evan and Jane Pugh included Ann,
christened 9 October 1796; Evan,
christened 1 September 1799; Thomas,
christened 23 May 1802; and John,
christened 24 March 1805.
In the distance is Knighton parish church where
Mary Pugh married William Preece in 1824.
On 21 June 1824, Mary married
William Preece (also sometimes known
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as Price) in
K nighton,
Powys, Wales.
Mary was thirty,
and William was
a twenty-two
year-old farm
laborer from
n e a r b y
Herefordshire.
A lthough
William was
listed in the
marriage record
as being from
Bucknell,
A view of the Llangunllo hills, in Radnorshire, Wales, where Mary Pugh
was born. In the 1800s and before, sheep’s wool provided a valuable
supplemental income for the local farmers.
Shropshire, this may have been his working address and not necessarily his home.
Mary and William were married by banns in the Knighton parish church by the
minister, Bob Morris. Witnesses to this marriage were Edward Philfist and Anne Pugh
(probably Mary’s younger sister).
William's vocation as a farm laborer meant that the family moved frequently. On 5
April 1825, their first child, Henry Thomas (or Thomas Henry), was born in Astley,
near Stourport,
Worcestershire,
England. Their
second child, Ann,
was born 5 June
1827 in Knighton,
Herefordshire. In
1833, when
Ezekiel was born,
the Preeces appear
to have been living
at Lower Lye, near
Aymestrey in
Herefordshire.
High Street in Presteigne, Radnorshire, 1833. William Preece Jr
was christened at the local church in 1836. Mary Preece’s Perpetual William, born 24
Emigration Fund sponsor, James Jenkins, lived on this street. (As January 1837 (or
drawn in 1833 by Joseph Murray Ince).
1836), was born in
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Presteigne, near his mother's birthplace in Radnorshire. There was an earlier child
named William, likely born between 1828 and 1832, who died within a year of birth.
Research in England has found a christening date of 8 May 1825 for Henry Preece at
Astley, Worcestershire. Astley is located approximately three miles from Stouport,
the birthplace of Henry as listed in the 1851 census. Other searches also located the
possible christenings of William and Ezekiel: Ezekiel Preece was christened 14 April
1833 at Aymestrey, the son of William Preece, a laborer of Lower Lye, and Mary.
William (Jr.) may have been christened at Presteigne, Radnorshire on 24 February
1836, the son of William Price, then a laborer of Stapleton Hill. (This would make
William’s birth year 1836 instead of the 1837 date he was to give in later years.)
Although many records are in conflict, Ann Preece is believed to have been born in
Knighton on 5 June 1827 and christened there on 24 June 1827. The LDS Patriarchal
Blessing Index gives her birthday as 5 June 1828 at Knighton; the British Mission file
as 24 June 1825 at "Niton"; the Alpine Ward records as 5 June 1826; and the Alpine
Cemetery tombstone as 5 June 1826. Census records favor the 1827 date.
In spring of 1840, Wilford Woodruff and other Mormon
missionaries from America were having startling success in
baptizing converts into the LDS Church in Herefordshire and
other nearby areas. Elder Woodruff baptized over six
hundred at John Benbow’s farm; during the same period,
Elder Heber C. Kimball and other LDS missionaries also
baptized huge numbers of British citizens in nearby areas.
According to family accounts, the Preece family was living
in Herefordshire (probably Aymestrey) in 1840 when Mary
Elder Wilford Woodruff
Pugh Preece became extremely ill, possibly suffering the
aftereffects of a stroke. The doctors gave her husband and children no hope for her
recovery. During her illness, the bedridden Mary received what she believed to be a
divine vision. In the vision, she saw two special messengers coming to her home.
Later, after she awoke, there was a knock at the door. As Mary's daughter Ann Preece
hurried to the door with the intention of silencing the intruders and shooing them
away, Mary called out, "Let them in, I have been expecting them—they have a
message for me!" The callers proved to be two Mormon missionaries who carried
what proved to be a life-changing message for Mary and her family. (Family lore
would later identify one of the elders as LDS Apostle Wilford Woodruff; Elder
Woodruff’s diary, however, does not report a visit to Aymestrey, although it is certain
that his preaching in Herefordshire strongly influenced the Preece family.)
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Ann, ever protective, asked the Mormon elders to be brief, as her mother was dying,
and the family did not want her to be disturbed. From her bed, Mary reproved her
daughter and insisted that the missionaries must stay, insisting "God has sent them
with a message for me." The missionaries talked with Mary and then laid their hands
on Mary’s head and gave her a priesthood blessing. They promised the frail and
nearly blind woman that she would become strong enough to come to America. Mary
recovered from her illness. She converted to the new-found religion and was baptized
1 July of 1840. Family tradition affirms that her husband William and daughter Ann
were also baptized at the same time; however, no record of this ordinance has been
located. Although Mary’s oldest son, Henry Thomas Preece, declined baptism, Mary’s
two younger children, Ezekiel, and William were baptized into the LDS Church as
they became older.
The next record of the Preece family is in the 1841 Census of Shirley Place,
Aymestrey, Herefordshire. William was listed as an Agricultural laborer, age 40-44.
Mary was listed as age 45-49 with three children at home—Henry, age fifteen;
Ezekiel, age eight; and William, age five. Ann, fourteen, was working as a servant in
the home of John Davies in neighboring Nether Lye.
A decade later, in the 1851 Census, William and Mary Preece were residing at Bach
Brook Farm in Aymestrey. (This farm still exists near Aymestrey.) William, age 45,
farmed twenty acres. His birthplace was listed as Richard's Castle, Herefordshire,
England. Mary was listed as age 55 with her birthplace listed as Llangunllo,
Radnorshire, Wales. William, age fifteen, born in Presteign, Radnorshire, Wales, still
lived at home. Henry and Ann resided a short distance away at Deerfold Bridge.
Henry was 25 and a farm laborer, and Ann was 23 and a housekeeper. Henry was
listed as being born at Stourport, and Ann as being born at Knighton in
Worcestershire. Ezekiel, age seventeen, was hired out to the family of William
Morgan at Crossway Farm in Lower Kinsham.
The family underwent various adversities and hardships. Mary was nearly blind, and
her husband William had fallen into progressively ill health which made him unable
to work. William Preece finally died of "consumption" (tuberculosis) at Bach Brook
on 7 March 1853. Despite the loss, Mary encouraged her family to continue with their
preparations to emigrate with other British Saints to America.
Finally, on 22 April 1855, Mary and her three grown children, Ann, Ezekiel, and
William, traveled to the Liverpool waterfront and boarded the sailing vessel S.
Curling, bound from Liverpool to New York City. On the ship’s roster, Mary was
listed as age 60; Ann, age 29; Ezekiel, age 22; and William, age 19.
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The Preece family
was part of a
company of 578
LDS passengers
who were chiefly
English or Scots
with a small
sprinkling of Irish
and foreigners.
385 of these
p assengers
(including the
Preece family)
were financed
t hrough the
Perpetual
Emigration Fund
of the LDS
Balleau’s Pictorial, a contemporary English magazine, depicted
typical passengers boarding an emigrant ship bound for America
(above), and then their departure (below).
Church. (The PEF, as it was known, allowed participants to travel to Utah and then
repay the Church for their passage after their arrival through increments of labor or
money. The "perpetual" feature of the plan reflected that the repayments would be
used again to help others emigrate.)
The Preece family’s generous PEF sponsor was another LDS convert, James Jenkins,
a thatcher by occupation, formerly of High Street, Presteigne, Radnorshire, Wales.
The PEF cost for the
four members of the
Preece family was
£55. A valued friend,
James and his family
were also continuing
on to the Salt Lake
Valley. James was
accompanied by his
wife Elizabeth
Wright Jenkins, and
three of their younger
children, Elizabeth
Sarah, Emma, and
James.
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The S. Curling was
a n o a k e n
square-rigged
sailing ship with
three masts, three
decks, an oval stern,
and a figurehead.
Her captain,
Sanders Curling,
was one of the
owners. Although
several immigrant
records refer to the
vessel as the
“Samuel Curling,” it
A contemporary drawing of the British packet ship, S. Curling, which
transported the Preece family from Liverpool to New York.
also appears possible that the owner-captain, Sanders Curling, had named the S.
Curling after himself.
Captain Curling had been warned beforehand to expect misconduct and other
problems if he took on a boatload of troublesome Mormons, and he and his crew were
consequently very apprehensive. He was quickly reassured when he saw the
organized self-discipline exercised by his passengers. The three decks of passengers
were immediately divided by their leadership into seven wards, with capable leaders
assigned to maintain order and cleanliness. Although opportunity was occasionally
found by some passengers to enjoy quiet hours on deck, most of the passengers'
waking time was diligently spent making tents and wagon covers in preparation for
their eventual overland travel to Salt Lake City. Hymns and prayers were part of the
daily routine. Captain Curling's opinion of the Saints mellowed rapidly, and an
atmosphere of mutual respect and cordiality between sailors and passengers replaced
the earlier apprehensions. Captain Curling, a naturally affable man, began to go out
of his way to be agreeable to his passengers, and by the end of the voyage, he would
win the affection of many.
The New York Tribune later reported on the voyage of the S. Curling and included
a description of the passengers’ daily routine was later reported by the New York
Tribune and reprinted in the Latter-day Saints Millennial Star:
“The routine of daily duty was somewhat as follows - At 4 a.m. the men
told off in rotation the night previous commenced cleaning the wards, at
5 o'clock morning worship, at 5 1/2 cooking commenced, the stewards
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of each ward being allowed the use of the galley for half an hour, and
priority of use being assigned to the wards in rotation every day. At
another stated time water was served out. Dinner cooking commenced
at 11, and tea at 5. At 8 o'clock, evening worship was celebrated, and
then the lights were put out and the night watch set. The duty of the
latter was to guard against visits from the sailors, or indiscretions of any
kind among the brethren. All of these duties were discharged with
military precision at the summons of the bugle; for instance, the call to
prayers was "Rosa May," and the night watch was set to the tune of "The
Soldier's Tear". As far as we could learn, comfort, cleanliness, good
humor, and good health prevailed throughout the voyage.”
Matthew Rowan, a passenger, recorded in his journal the signals used to regulate the
passengers’ daily routine:
“A brother who can play the saxehorn is appointed to give the following
signals for the following purposes:
1st: Three notes for general silence.
2nd: "Weep not for me Zion," for general prayer in wards.
3rd: "God Save the Queen," for lights to be put out at night.
4th: "Soldier's tear," for those engaged at night, such as the guards, to
take to their posts and for all passengers are to get to bed.
5th: "Rosa May," to prepare to get water in the morning.”
Steerage passengers below decks on a 19th-century emigrant ship, as portrayed in the Illustrated
London News.
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Brother Rowan also reported, “We lack not for music on board we have both violins,
saxehorns, cornopians & accordions, playing merrily.”
When the industrious Saints completed their first canvas tent cover, they held a special
ceremony on the main deck. First erecting the tent cover as an awning, the LDS
leaders and tent makers conducted a solemn ceremonial progression under the canvas
in commemoration of the wanderings of both the ancient Israelites and the modern
Saints. A few of the onlooking sailors decided to join the progression line, and the
solemn atmosphere suddenly began to become predictably rowdy; however, order was
immediately restored by the LDS elders. After the Saints sang “Praise to the Man,”
the ceremony was closed with prayer.
Portions of the voyage were stormy. One noteworthy incident was later recorded in
the LDS Millennial Star. While in the midst of a particularly severe storm, with the
ship rolling in the howling gale and tins and boxes rattling noisily below, an extremely
anxious Captain Curling privately took aside Israel Barlow, leader of the Mormon
immigrants. Captain Curling warned Elder Barlow that as an experienced seafaring
man, he had never seen a worse storm, and it had not reached its peak yet. Elder
Barlow, a confirmed landsman, cooly contradicted the captain. He assured Captain
Curling that the storm would not increase in violence, and, in fact, was already nearly
over. Captain Curling was affronted that this inexperienced landsman would
contradict his professional judgement. Angrily, Curling went to his cabin to confirm
his opinion by consulting his barometer and other instruments. He was shocked to
find that the barometer readings showed the storm to be already abating. The weather
calmed almost immediately. According to the Millennial Star report: "Elder Barlow
afterwards told some of the Saints that while the storm was raging he saw the ship
surrounded by scores of angels, who stood in a circle around it with joined hands.
This was a testimony to the Saints that the Lord was watching over the ship, and that
there was no danger."
Good weather or bad, most of the passengers experienced periodic bouts of illness and
seasickness. Many were surprised upon recovering from the rigors of seasickness that
they now had developed an appetite that allowed them to eagerly devour double the
portions that normally would have filled them when at home. As the vessel neared the
Newfoundland Banks, the passengers were treated to their first sight of icebergs. Soon
after, they encountered thick fogs. During the times when fog would cling densely
around the vessel, the ominous possibility of icebergs still present, many passengers
became understandably anxious. Some passengers morosely considered the plight of
one luckless sailor on board whose story was that this voyage was his fourth attempt
to return home to New York, having been shipwrecked the last three tries—his last
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shipwreck had been on these same Newfoundland Banks. Nervous passengers tried
to peer through the dense fog banks and sincerely hoped they were not about to share
yet another repetition of the sailor’s ill luck.
After a voyage of 30 days, the S. Curling docked at New York on 22 May 1855. As
this was the first Mormon immigrant ship to dock at New York, several curious
newspaper reporters came aboard. They were surprised when Captain Curling began
extolling the virtues of his Mormon passengers to everyone who would listen,
exclaiming, "There never was a better shipload of people brought into port." The fond
captain even had the Saints perform for their visitors: As one bemused passenger
recorded in his journal, "The captain gets us to sing to strange officials when they
come aboard. Oh! he is big about his passengers." Captain Curling even expressed
the wish in behalf of himself and his crew that they could travel further with the
Saints.
A reporter for the New York Tribune afterward wrote:
“The vessel was the cleanest emigrant ship we have ever seen;
notwithstanding the large number of her passengers, order, cleanliness,
and comfort prevailed on all hands, the between decks were as sweet and
well ventilated as the cabin, and the orlop deck was as white as
scrubbing brush and holystone could make it. It would be well if the
packet-ships that ply between this port and Liverpool were to imitate the
system of management that prevailed on board this ship.”
In parting, Captain Curling complimented his passengers as being true Saints. One of
the LDS leaders, William Willes, quoted the affable Curling as saying, "You are
Saints, for you have acted like such in every way, and, of all passengers I never saw
such, for you have been no trouble to me at all; more of a pleasure than a trouble."
The arrival of Mormon immigrants in New York City was a novelty for New Yorkers,
but it was part of a newly-planned northerly route designed to help the Saints avoid
New Orleans and other Mississippi River locales which were notorious for deadly
cholera epidemics. LDS Apostle John Taylor was the first to greet the immigrant
Saints upon their arrival. Two days later, on 24 May, those who were a part of the
Perpetual Immigration Fund boarded a steamboat to Philadelphia. The following day,
they boarded a train to Pittsburgh for a two-day journey. After a Sunday morning
arrival in Pittsburgh, the train-weary immigrants joined with another group of P.E.F.
Saints freshly landed from the ship Chimborazo. All were then immediately herded
aboard the river steamship Amazon to embark on the next stage. From Pittsburgh, the
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Amazon carried its passengers several hundreds of miles along the mighty Ohio River,
past Cincinnati and Louisville, to where the river merged with the Mississippi River;
the Amazon then pushed upstream another two hundred miles to its destination of St.
Louis. Unfortunately, river travel meant almost inevitable exposure to cholera, and
as the Saints progressed the miles along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, several
contracted the disease and died.
The large band of PEF immigrants stayed in St. Louis sixteen days while
arrangements were made to ferry them further up the Missouri River to Atchison, in
what was then Kansas Territory. Eventually, the Saints boarded the steamship Nebo
and, after another river journey of well over 400 miles, successfully arrived in
Atchison. Atchison at that time was a young, but growing, boom town, dependant
upon its steamboat landing and the commercial traffic provided by the three thousand
or so Mormon immigrants passing through each immigration season. Wagons took
the arriving Saints from the steamboat landing and transported them four miles
westward to Mormon Grove, the new "jumping-off place" for Mormon immigrants
who were about to cross the plains via what was termed "The New Mormon Road."
Mormon Grove proved to be an orderly tent city, located on an undulating rise with
tents spread through an open woodland of black hickory trees. A few weeks before
the arrival of the S. Curling immigrants, the local Atchison newspaper briefly
described Mormon Grove: "The camp of the emigrants just back of town presents a
city-like appearance, their tents leaving streets, alley, etc. between them... The health
of the emigrants is good, with but little or no sickness among them." Nearby were
nearly two hundred acres of carefully cultivated farmland and additional generous
pastureland set aside for cattle. Hundreds of cattle were needed for the use of each
immigrant wagon train and hundreds more were needed for breeding stock to be sent
to the Saints in Salt Lake Valley.
Generally, during the summer immigrant season, lasting from June through late July,
Mormon Grove would contain between eight hundred to one thousand immigrants at
a time. The settlement was built on a rise behind the town of Atchison. At night, the
tent city would present a cheerful sight with its hundreds of cooking fires, camp fires,
and lanterns. The constant lowing of hundreds of nearby cattle contributed a
deceiving air of tranquility—deceiving, because every person in Mormon Grove filled
each day with constant preparations for the eventual overland journey, gathering
supplies, tending or gathering crops, building fences and pens, tending livestock, or
building houses. Later, at the conclusion of the immigration season, the canvas tents
would be packed away and the cattle shipped out, and Mormon Grove’s population
would dwindle to less than three dozen Latter-day Saints.
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The Preece family and over three hundred other Perpetual Emigration Fund
immigrants were to remain encamped in Mormon Grove for several weeks. Several
times during this period, they would assist other companies to put together their gear,
then watch as company after company of wagon trains would depart before them for
Salt Lake Valley. The Preeces were assigned to the final PEF company scheduled to
leave that season. Delays in gathering sufficient cattle together—most had to be
transported to Mormon Grove by flatboat—had caused a serious delay in the departure
of the company. The departure was further complicated by a lack of an experienced
guide who could be trusted to lead the company’s wagon train.
Mary Preece’s son, Ezekiel, was now a strongly-built 22-year old. Her other son,
William, was eighteen. Ezekiel and William and every other able-bodied man were
each required to have a good rifle or pistol with sufficient powder and ammunition.
The pioneers, to be ready for the journey to Salt Lake, were each required to have one
hundred pounds of breadstuffs, a few pounds of bacon or dried beef, and at least a
three months’ supply of sugar, tea, coffee, and dried fruit. All of these items were
supplied to the Perpetual Emigration Fund passengers as part of the PEF agreement.
Anything beyond would be considered a luxury, and perhaps even excess baggage.
While waiting, the Preece family and others heard that their former steamship, the
Amazon, had hit a snag in the Mississippi River in July and had sunk. No lives were
reported lost.
Finally, in early August, the Preece family and others remaining at Mormon Grove
received the long-awaited word to dismantle the tent city for the season and prepare
to leave. While the immigrants were pulling down tents and packing for the journey,
there still remained the question of who could adequately lead the company. The
leadership quandary was not resolved until the night before departure. Elder Milo
Andrus had previously been in charge of the Mormon Grove encampment. He was
shocked when he was unexpectedly called upon to assume immediate charge of the
wagon train. He was to be assisted by Israel Barlow and John S. Fullmer. Elder
Andrus hastily settled what personal affairs he could in the twelve hours he had
available, then took command of the PEF company early the following morning.
On 3 August 1855, the Mary Pugh Preece family set out as part of 461 Saints and 63
wagons assigned to the Milo Andrus Company. This was the tenth and final company
to leave that year for Salt Lake City. James Jenkins and his family were also part of
the company. Jenkins was the valued friend who had generously sponsored the
emigration of the Preece family through the Perpetual Emigration Fund. He and his
family had accompanied the Preece family on the voyage, and were now continuing
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onward with the Preeces to the Salt Lake Valley. James was accompanied by his wife
Elizabeth Wright Jenkins, and three of their younger children, Elizabeth Sarah, Emma,
and James Jr. Since there were eleven people generally assigned to each wagon, it is
very possible that the four Preeces and the five Jenkins family members shared wagon
quarters as they continued to Zion.
Accompanying the train was a large herd of cattle. Part of the oxen stock was needed
to pull the wagons and supply meat for the journey; the rest were intended to provide
needed breeding stock for the Salt Lake Valley.
Starting out on the trail, the immigrants were immediately hampered by the fact that
several (including the near-blind Mary Preece) were old and infirm. Of those who
were able-bodied, few knew how to handle cattle or livestock. Initially, they found
it generally took as many as four immigrants to guide each yoke of oxen. The oxen
themselves were inexperienced, largely wild, and not broken to harness. Guiding each
ox-drawn wagon quickly became a comedy of errors. Some more experienced
teamsters found themselves called upon to take one set of wagons forward, then return
with their teams to shuttle others ahead. Captain Andrus, fully appreciative of the
challenges of leading this group of raw greenhorns into the wilderness, was to record
afterward that leading this 1855 train was “one of the hardest burthens that I have been
called to bear in the midst of Israel during my sojourn in mortality.” Part of Andrus’
burden was that he fell ill through a good part of the journey, yet was unable to
surrender leadership.
An early obstacle to the Saints’ departure was the local U.S. marshal who intercepted
the train only a few days out. The marshal wanted to confiscate the wagons and
livestock because of a debt attributed to the Church’s First Presidency. Over dinner
and a “medicinal” application of brandy, Captain Andrus convinced the marshal that
everything in the train belonged to the Perpetual Immigration Fund, and not to the
Church leaders. The marshal relented, and the train was allowed to continue. The
marshal afterward satisfied himself by confiscating a few wagons and a few head of
livestock left behind at Mormon Grove.
Despite the ineptitude of the immigrants and the scanty grass available for the animals,
the Andrus wagon train began to make good time and quickly overtook two other
trains that had started days before. With the threat that winter weather could imperil
a tardy passage through the Rocky Mountains, Captain Andrus emphasized haste. He
drove the members of the company arduously, and according to reports, he was neither
an easy nor a popular task master. On 22 August 1855, Captain Andrus wrote a letter
to the St. Louis Luminary in which he addressed his anxieties:
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“[I] am doing all in my power to push on this camp which is in my
charge, as I am deeply anxious for their welfare. My brethren well know
if there is not exertion used on our part, the season being so late, we
shall feel some inclement weather when we are some hundreds of miles
further West. The Saints feel well and cheerful. We are in excellent
traveling condition, as our yesterday’s work will tell—we came not less
than twenty-five miles.”
Early in the trek, two elderly members of the wagon train company died; however, the
rest of the company seemed to grow in strength and ability, despite the exertions
required. No more deaths were to occur for the remainder of the long journey.
According to family lore, Ezekiel and William Preece prepared a bed in their wagon
to accommodate Mary Pugh Preece’s physical frailties; Mary, however, often preferred
to walk and would grip a corner of the wagon as an aid for her faulty vision. Mary’s
daughter Ann Preece had for many years also suffered from ill health and was nearly
as frail as her mother. Yet, as the trail continued onward, Ann began to walk also.
She would cover most of the trek on foot and would steadily gain in health.
At evening time, most of the immigrants’ daytime woes were set aside, apart from the
sorely aching muscles and intermittent minor complaints. Major complaints were not
often aired. The Saints were not whiners, and they were by and large always
optimistic. They were on their way to Zion, and their religious enthusiasm remained
unabated. Each evening, some would bring out musical instruments, and as the stars
began to appear, “cheerful songs of Zion” would be heard all along the long train of
wagons and campfires. Whether the immigrants dared to go so far as to start a dance
is unknown; certainly Israel Barlow, one of the company leaders, would have frowned
at the prospect as severely as he had when on board the S. Curling.
It is likely that Ezekiel Preece was making a valuable contribution to the wagon train
by this time. In later years, Ezekiel would become known for his love of animals and
his ability to deal with them; it is reasonable to assume that these same traits came to
the fore on the trail as he coped with the animals assigned to the Preece wagon or
worked with the large herds of horses and cattle accompanying the train.
The route of the Mormon immigrants followed the Santa Fe Trail westward to One
Hundred and Ten Creek, then followed a new route northwest to Fort Riley. Once in
Nebraska, the company joined the original Oregon/Mormon trail. Although the
immigrant travelers had heard tales of marauding Indians, the Native Americans they
met along the way were invariably friendly. The sheer size of the company, with
nearly every adult male carrying a weapon, discouraged the prospect of any serious
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attack. Along the way, the immigrants met members of the Ogalallah, Pawnee,
Arapaho, and other assorted tribes. Periodically, small groups of Indians would visit
the train to beg for provisions, blankets, clothing, or other items. The immigrants
would often reciprocate with a meal. On occasion, the Indian visitors might pick up
one or two items attached to a wagon—with or without the owner’s awareness—as a
pleasant bonus to their visit.
One tribe the immigrants did not see—nor did they want to—were the Sioux Indians.
The Sioux grievances against the U.S. government had erupted in warfare. When
Captain Andrus’ wagon train arrived below Fort Laramie on 5 September 1855, he
received a message from General Hearney. The message indicated 700 members of
the U.S. Cavalry had engaged several hundred Sioux Indians near Ash Hollow two
days before. Four soldiers and 120 Indians were killed, with several Indian prisoners
taken. Captain Andrus was advised to establish a careful advance guard for his camp,
since 40 of the reckless and hostile marauders were known to be camped only a few
miles distant from the wagon train encampment. Fortunately, the Sioux were at war
with the U.S. Army, not with immigrant wagon trains, and the camp encountered no
trouble.
Buffalo were still a major presence on the plains. From the first few days onward, the
pioneers saw herd after herd of buffalo and deer. Buffalo were especially numerous
near the Platte River. On one occasion, as the wagon train trundled onward, the
company was broadsided by a large herd which ran across the lengthy line of wagons
and animals. Fortunately, damage was slight, as only one oxen was knocked over,
resulting in the loss of a horn. Hunters in the company shot three of the buffalo, and
all of the immigrants were treated to meat for several days.
While traveling near the South Pass, the pioneer company encountered a snow storm
which caused considerable suffering, since most were entirely without shoes by this
time. Several head of stock were also lost.
By 4 October 1855, the company had crossed the Devil’s Backbone and were at the
fifth crossing of the Sweetwater River. Three inches of snow fell that night and more
snow fell throughout the following day, freezing bare feet and thinly clad bodies.
Afterward, when it warmed and became otherwise pleasant, the mud, instead of frost,
became treacherous. Two days later, the Saints crossed South Pass and the Great
Divide. While camping near Chimney Rock, twenty oxen and two cows died,
apparently from poisoned grass or water. For a company already drastically short on
the animals needed for travel, this was a devastating loss.
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By the time the Andrus company arrived at the Green River on 11 October, travel had
become a true hardship. Once camped by the river, Captain Andrus judged the
company unable to continue without more animals. Clothing was needed, and most
of the company were now in bare feet. Desperate, Andrus sent two men ahead to Fort
Bridger to plead for assistance in the form of animals, shoes, and clothing to enable
the company to continue.
The Andrus company finally crept into Fort Bridger on 15 October. After a brief rest,
and with only minor sustenance, they began to push onward again. Even with the
constant urging of Captain Andrus, progress continued to be slow. Grass and feed
were sparse, and all of the animals were worn to the extreme. The pioneer immigrants
found the last 100 miles of their journey to be the most difficult. They remained short
of provisions, clothing, and shoes, and the steep mountain crossings were almost a
heartbreaking challenge to man and beast.
Before entering the Salt Lake Valley, the immigrants had joined together to compose
a song in anticipation of the event. In spare moments along the arduous trail, through
Little Mountain and Big Mountain, they rehearsed their song. When the weary but
exuberant company entered the valley on 24 October 1855, they were met by a
welcoming party of Church dignitaries. The immigrants formed a circle around the
dignitaries and sang. (Presumably, the Welsh converts carried the harmony!) They
sang to express their faith—their faith in God, in their religion, and in their future.
The words of their song not only contained a commitment to continue to serve their
God, but reflected the exuberance of their hearts.
Their faith had held true, even as their strength had waned. They had learned the art
of pushing onward, striving with a cheerful demeanor despite the adversity of the
moment. Each had learned lessons that were to remain an integral part of their lives.
Some of these lessons have since been eloquently summarized by two descendants of
Mormon pioneers—these words would seem to equally apply to the Preece family and
to every pioneer company:
“In every case, the promised land is reached only after the tedious and
difficult journey, and the heart is transformed in the process. Priorities
became clear to converts who shed every precious keepsake along the
trail, who dragged on when their bodies cried out in utter exhaustion.
They came to know and prove the Lord when human strength was gone
and He was there to compensate, when their faith, like gold, was seven
times purified. They learned to give freely to each other and bear one
another’s burdens in the furnace of affliction. These are Zion lessons
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that the world cannot offer...the trail was to strip Babylon from the heart
of one who wanted to build Zion.” (From The Gathering, by Maurine
Jensen Proctor and Scot Facer Proctor, Deseret Book Company, 1996, p.
15.)
Even though they traveled very late in the season, the urgently driven company had
arrived relatively intact. Captain Milo Andrus, because of the need to push the Saints
ahead of the bad weather, was called by some “a terrible bully and tyrant...very much
disliked by all.” Yet others in the company respected and admired Andrus and
appreciated his concern for their lives. Well over half of the cattle herd had been lost,
with the surviving cattle arriving in poor condition. Yet this disappointment was easily
outweighed by the fact that the immigrants were safe, and no lives had been lost, other
than the two elderly Saints who died in the first days of the journey. They had
successfully eluded the major storms that might have devastated the company. They
had arrived in Zion. All, indeed, was well.
Placed in retrospect, and compared with the experiences of other pioneer companies,
some members of the Andrus Company began to consider that their lengthy journey
had been relatively easy, except for the haste. Despite the adversities, there had been
many pleasant moments along the way. Many memorable moments were shared with
company members who had become, and would remain, very special friends.
As were most other pioneers, the Preece family was first directed to encamp in the
common pastures known as Mill Creek, near the Jordan River between Murray and
South Salt Lake. They became members of the Mill Creek LDS Ward, and on a chilly
3 December 1855, Mary, Ann, and Ezekiel were each rebaptized into the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by George Allen. Mary’ son William waited until
Christmas day for his rebaptism. At some point after the family’s arrival in Utah, the
spelling of “Preece” began to evolve to “Price.”
The Preece/Price family did not find things easy after their arrival in Salt Lake Valley.
The family converted their wagon into a winter shelter. 1855 had been a drought year,
and grasshoppers and crickets had destroyed much of what had been grown. Little
food had been available to put aside for the coming winter. The pioneers in the Valley
that winter found themselves subsisting primarily on bran bread and boiled roots.
When spring came, they gathered Sego Lily roots, thistles, and watercress until planted
crops could come in. Mary’s two sons Ezekiel and William found work where they
could, and began to send money and provisions to Mary and Ann as best they could.
By spring of 1858, Utah was “at war” with the United States Government. Because
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of false reports, federal officials in Washington DC had sent an army under General
Albert Sydney Johnston from the eastern states to Utah Territory to subdue a so-called
Mormon “rebellion.” Ezekiel and William had settled in Draper by this time. Ann’s
previous poor health had virtually disappeared after her arrival in Utah, and when she
met another Herefordshire immigrant, William Brooks Mason, they married. William
and Ann had very likely previously known each other as Church members in
Aymestrey, Herefordshire. The marriage had probably occurred a year or two prior
to 1857. William Mason and Ann Price Mason had settled in Alpine, Utah, just a
three-hour ride over the mountain separating Draper from Alpine. Mary stayed in the
Mason home in Alpine with her daughter and new son-in-law.
With the approach of the U.S. Army, the Saints in Salt Lake Valley were called upon
to vacate their homes and move southward. Accordingly, Ezekiel was called upon by
the Draper community to help preserve the community herds. Some horses and cattle
were sequestered in Corner Canyon while others were pushed over the mountain to
graze in the pastures of Alpine. Ezekiel’s visits to Alpine included stays at his sister
Ann’s home, but also included visits to a near neighbor in Alpine, Robert Watkins.
The visits to the Watkins family soon included chats with a young daughter of the
home, Rhoda Elizabeth Watkins. The two were to marry five years later.
After the conflict with the army was resolved, Ezekiel returned to Draper, but his
mother Mary remained with the ever protective Ann Price Mason in Alpine. Mary
Pugh Preece lived with her daughter Ann and Ann’s husband William Mason for
thirteen years. Mary Pugh Price received her LDS temple endowments in Salt Lake
City the same day as Ann and William Mason, on 2 March 1861. Mary’s parents were
listed in the Endowment House record as Evan and Jane "Price"—an error on the part
of the recorder, as the father’s name should have been recorded as Evan Pugh.
Mary lived with Ann and William Mason in Alpine
until her death on 15 February 1868. Reports vary
on the state of her health, but it is generally agreed
that Mary had improved in later years from the
devastating illnesses she had known earlier. She
was buried in the highest part of the Alpine city
cemetery, on a hill overlooking the entire Utah
valley. A modest stone has since been laid at Mary's grave site to replace an older,
weathered marker.
The stories of each of the children of Mary Pugh and William Preece are found in
further sections of this book...
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PATRIARCHAL BLESSING FOR MARY PUGH (PRICE)
Mary Pugh Price received her patriarchal blessing from Patriarch Emer Harris in
Alpine, Utah, on 11 July 1858. It reads as follows:
"Sister Mary I lay my hands upon your head in the name of Jesus of
Nazareth and place upon your head a father's blessing. Thou art a
descendant of Sarah of Old and has come down through the lineage of
Ephraim. Therefore thou art entitled to the holy Priesthood in
connection with thy companion When thou hast on which Priesthood has
come down through the lineage of thy fathers and unto you thou hast had
many afflictions in thy day but thy latter fruits of the Earth shall be given
unto you til thou shall be satisfied. Therewith many shall be added unto
thy life because thou shall spread forth and become numerous upon the
Earth. Thou shalt behold the Glory of Zion and the Son of Man with
thine own eyes and inasmuch as thou shalt hold out faithfully unto the
end thou shalt have the manifestations of the Holy spirit to comfort and
console you in your lonely moments and inasmuch thou shalt be in
obedience to the powers that be all these blessing shall be made sure
unto you and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood I seal this a fathers
blessing upon thy head and in the name of Jesus Christ I seal you up unto
Eternal Lives. Even so. Amen."
* * * * *
CHILDREN OF WILLIAM PREECE AND MARY ANN PUGH
1. Henry Thomas “Harry” PREECE (STRANGWARD), born 5 April 1825,
Astley, near Stourport-on Severn, Worcestershire, England; married 29
September 1853, Harriet Selina Taylor KEDWARD; died 20July 1892,
Westhope Hill, Canon Pyon, Herefordshire, England.
2. Ann PREECE, born 5 June 1828, Herefordshire, England; married abt
1857, William Brooks MASON; died 14 September 1899, Alpine, Utah.
3. Ezekiel PREECE or PRICE, born 5 February 1833, Lower Lye,
Herefordshire, England; married 16 February 1862, Rhoda Elizabeth
WATKINS; died 24 January 1892, Draper, Utah.
4. William Evan PRICE, born 24 January 1837, Radnorshire (Powys), Wales;
married (1) 27 February 1864, Rhoda Jane STONE (divorced); married (2)
4 December 1875, Amelia EKINS; remarried (3) about 1881, Rhoda Jane
STONE; died 18 September 1903, Idaho Falls, Idaho.
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SIDEBAR (1): THE MYSTERY OF THE PITTSTON PHOTO
An old cardboard mounted photograph
was found among the effects of Angus
Byard Price (grandson of Mary Pugh
Preece). It shows an elderly woman in
a posed studio sitting. The photo was
taken at an unknown date at the Lee
Stearns & Co. studio in Pittston,
Pennsylvania. Written on the back of
the photo is the notation, “Grandma,
to [for?] A.B. Price / Mary Pugh
Price.”
For many years, this photo has been
accepted at face value as a genuine
photo of Mary Pugh Price. Some
questions have emerged, however,
especially in regard of when the photo
could have been taken.
The only time Mary was known to
pass through Pennsylvania was during
the 1855 emigration from Liverpool to
Salt Lake City, when her PEF
company traveled by railway from
Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, where they exchanged train travel for an Ohio River
steamship. It is possible that the railroad route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh at that
time may have passed through Pittston, although it would have been an awkward,
indirect, route. But Pittston’s coal industry had already attracted considerable railway
construction, and it was a popular place to cross the Susquehanna River.
It is very unlikely, however, that the photo could have been take at this time. The
woman in the photo is much older than the 61 years, which was Mary’s age in May of
1855. It is also unlikely that the Lee Stearns photo studio was yet in existence,
although the Pittston locale shows that the photo was taken well before the late 1800s
when the studio had relocated to nearby Wilkes-Barre. The dress of the woman in the
photo also suggests a period later than 1855, although it might barely fall into the era
just before Mary died in 1868. Mary is otherwise not known to have visited
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Pennsylvania or to have had other contacts with Pittston, although Pittston has always
had a strong contingent of Welsh coal miners, some of whom may have been known
or related to Mary. If Mary did visit Pittston, it would have been just before her 1868
death, since the railway did not arrive in Utah until that same year. On the other hand,
if it is not Mary Pugh Preece, who is she, and how did she come to be identified as
Mary?
It is also certain that the legible writing on the back of the photo is not Mary’s: Angus
B. Price was not born until 1877, nine years after Mary’s death. There is other earlier
writing on the back of the photo as well, but it is too faded and damaged to adequately
decipher.
Is the photo (below right) really of Mary in her last years???
* * * * *
29

SIDEBAR (2): THE SIBLINGS OF
MARY ANN PUGH (PREECE / PRICE)
Children of Evan PUGH and Jane/Joan DAVIES/DAVIS
1. Mary Ann PUGH (PREECE / PRICE) [details in preceding section].
2. Ann PUGH was possibly born in Llanbister, Radnorshire (now Powys), Wales.
Shee was christened 9 October 1796 in Llangunllo, Radnorshire. Ann apparently
witnessed the marriage of her sister Mary to William Preece in Knighton, Radnorshire,
Wales, on 24 June 1824.
3. Evan PUGH was possibly born in Llanbister, Radnorshire, Wales. He was
christened 1 September 1799 in Llangunllo, Radnorshire.
4. Thomas PUGH was possibly born in Llanbister, Radnorshire, Wales. He was
christened 23 May 1802 in Llangunllo, Radnorshire. Thomas died two days later, on
25 May 1802.
5. John PUGH was possibly born in Llanbister, Radnorshire, Wales. He was
christened 24 March 1805 in Llangunllo, Radnorshire,
Resource:
“Our Price Heritage,” written by Mary Lue Jewkes Gordon
“Price Family History (From Preece to Price),” by Verna Lea LaMoine, Ellen
Jorgensen, and Sandra Leah Price
Personal records of Ruby Price Klenk
Mormon Immigration Index, LDS Church
Millennial Star, volume 17, pp. 280, 397, 399, 423, 424, 459, 461, 490
“Mormon Immigration (NY Tribune news report),” Millennial Star 17:27 (July 7,
1855) pp. 421-22.
30