LIFE OF JOHN L. ROBERTS

John L. Roberts was born 11 January 1850, in Llanfrothan, Meirionthshire, North Wales. His parents were Daniel Roberts and Winifred Lloyd were in moderate circumstances, making their living by working in a state quarry.

They were visited in their home by Mormon Elders; and uncle of John Lloyd Roberts being an instrument in converting them to the LDS faith. Winifred, John's mother was converted first, after which his father accepted the teachings of the Elders.

There were two boys and two girls in the family, John L. being only 6 months old when his parents decided to come to the land of Zion.

They crossed the ocean in a sailship called "Joseph Badger". They docked at New. Orleans and sailed up the Mississippi River on a steam boat. John's father and brother William, were victims of cholera, and died on the boat the same night, leaving his mother, two children and himself less than a year old. The boat anchored in the morning at Worthington Landing, Kentucky, long enough to bury them, then sailed on to St. Louis where Winifred was left without friends or a knowledge of the language.

A wealthy man there fell in love with grandfather John L. and tried to get his mother to give him her baby boy, but of course she refused. The path before her looked dark, but when her parents in Wales offered her money and tickets to return, she refused, saying she was going on to Zion.

In the fall of 1852 she came to Utah. With the money she had, she bought a cow or two and helped buy a wagon to haul their baggage. Baby John rode all the way be-cause of his age and his sister two years older rode part of the distance. His mother and the little girl six years old had to walk all the way to Salt Lake. No wonder my grandfather was able to become one of the brave pioneers of this country.

The family remained in Salt Lake over the winter and in the following spring of 1853 John's mother married Captain Evans, whose wife had died. Grandfather loved him as dearly as his own father. They moved to a Welsh settlement in Box Elder County, near Brigham City where they lived in a fort, for protection from the Indians.

Five sons were born there, before Captain Evans died in 1861, Leaving John L. (my grandfather) at the age of eleven, along with his mother, the sole supporter of the little family. They would yoke oxen to their plow, wagon etc and make a living from the soil. Grandfather said they thought that was a fairly good living for that time.

On November 21, 1869 at the age of nineteen, Grandfather was married to Mary Adeline Ensign in Salt Lake City.

Their first baby, Mary Adeline was born October, 1870. Shortly after this, John and his brother Charles went on search of land with more advantages for making a home. Finally, after about a month of looking around, they filed on a homestead in Malad City, Oneida Co., Idaho, then returned to Brigham for their supplies and families.

They got logs from the hills, and sawed and built their homes. They were the first in the settlement to have shingles on their house. Grandfather became the first President of the Y.M.M.I.A. that was organized there.

2

In 1881 believing firmly in the teachings of the Church and in the law of polygomy, he was married to Elizabeth Ann Dredge in Salt Lake City.

A few years following shortage of water and the pioneer spirit (Our progenitors seemed to be blessed). forced Grandfather to look for a more favorable location. It was at this time in the year 1884 that he came to Rexburg, a new county and here again to go through the trial of the early pioneers.

President Thomas E. Ricks had come here the year previous. Grandfather became first counselor to Bishop Thomas E. Ricks Jr. of the Rexburg Ward.

He filed a claim on the land where he was living at the time of his death, and here he built two homes, one for each of his families.

It was at this time the U.S. Deputy Marshalls started giving him trouble because of the federal law on plural marriages. He shifted from place to place and was kept on the go most of the time trying to elude them, as well as provide for his families. (However, in 1885 he with another man were arrested and sentenced to four months in the penitentary at Boise and a $300 fine, which he paid.)

Following this he worked in Montana for a time, then went to Alberta, Canada in 1887. He returned in the fall on 1888 to Rexburg, where he was rearrested and sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred and fifty dollars with the attorney fees amounting to 5150.00 more.

During the two year period from April 1891 to August 1893 five children ranging in ages from three years to 22 years died, also his wife, taking from him his six dear ones in such a short time and reducing his finances so he caould hardly buy the necessary food to keep himself and family alive.

Grandfather continued to live on this farm he took when coming to this part of the state.

Five of his sons are living on the old homestead or the farms adjoining. Eight of sixteen children are still living, all in the state of Idaho.

John L. Roberts died 14 July, 1932 in his home in Sugar City, Idaho and was buried in the Rexburg Cemetery.

JOHN L. ROBERTS

From the book of Progressive Men of Idaho - A.W. Bowen and Co. 1904

Possible there is no resident of Fremont county who has experienced more

hardships, privations and suffering on account of adherence to the practice of

the doctrine of his religious faith than has John L. Roberts of this review.

In the coming time the simple story of his experiences will be looked upon as

akin to those of the Quakers and Baptists of New England in the early colonial

days. He was born on January 11, 1850 at Merionethshire, Wales the son of

Daniel and Winifred (Lloyd) Roberts, who emigrated to the United States in 1850.

Daniel and his 3 year old son William died on the Mississippi River in the state

of Kentucky of Cholera in 1852 and his widow remarried with David R. Evans with

whom she and her children crossed the plains to Utah in one of the usual ox

trains of the period, being left a widow having none other than the Welsh lan-

guage and not an acquaintance in the country. They settled in the town of Brigham

City, where everything evil seemed to conspire against the coming of civilization;

hostile Indians being on the warpath, swarms of crickets and enormous grasshoppers

destroying the forest-green leaves of the growing crops of the settlers. Besides

the other numerous sufficient difficulties incident to life in pioneer locations.

The courage and perserverance of these early settlers were truly heroic, for they

battled on and on, outlasting and surviving all of the dread plagues opposing their

success, and with increasing prosperity. Mr. Evans and family resided at Brigham

City, where Mr. Evans died in 1862, until 1872, when the family changed its resi-

dence to Oneida county, Idaho where they engaged in agriculture operations. The

mother is now passing the closing years of a productive and devout life on the

Oneida county homestead, having attained the venerable age of eight-two years on

November 13, 1903.

2

Before he had attained his majority, John L. Roberts was conducting farming

and stockraising for himself at Brigham City, Utah, and in 1872 he migrated to

Oneida county, Idaho, there continuing cumulative and properous stockraising and

farming operations, principally attending to the raising of horses and cattle

until 1884, when realizing the advantages that would accrue from availing himself

of his homestead right in the Upper Valley of the Snake River, he removed to the

infant settlement of Rexburg, filed on 160 acres of fertile land, and there he

now resides, having wonderfully improved and developed his property, adding to his

acreage seventy-seven other acres by purchases and still being engaged in stock-

raising, having however, changed the stock in a large measure from cattle to sheep,

of which he owns a fine band. The improvement of his land necessarily required

as the first thing the bringing of water to the thirsty desert ground, and so

Mr. Roberts was early at work on the irrigation canals of his locality, and he

has been a director of the Teton Island Canal Co. for a number of years. Shortly

after the Bannock Stake of Zion was organized Mr. Roberts was made a member of

the High Council and now holds the office. In 1899 he was elected as a school

trustee and after a full term of very acceptable services, was re-elected in 1903.

It is, however,with his connection with the Church of Latter Day Saints and

his practical carrying out the tenets of his faith that Mr. Roberts has become an

historic character and a martyr to his convictions of the truth. He married on

November 29, 1869 with Miss Mary A. Ensign at Salt Lake City and was living with

her when in 1881, he was united with Miss Elizabeth A. Dredge. On coming to

Rexburg in 1884, he was made a counseller to Bishop Thomas E. Ricks, of Rexburg

ward, and held the office until 1887. At this period of time the United States

authorities commenced a most bitter crusade against the Mormons, to enforce the

Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Law. Many of the Saints were driven into exile for years

3

and numerous fines and imprisonments followed. The first arrest in Fremont county

were those of John L. Roberts, of Rexburg, and William Pratt of Wilford, who were

both arrested of "Unlawful cohabitation" and taken to the United States District

Court, then in session at Blackfoot. Mr. Roberts pleaded guilty and was sentenced

to serve four months of imprisonment in the United States penitentiary at Boise

and to pay a fine of 300.00. He served the time, paid the fine, and returned

home, but passed the year of 1886 in rapid movements through Utah to evade the

Federal marshals who were in search of him to rearrest him on the same charge.

In 1887, he worked in Montana for a time, then went to Alberta, Canada, re-

turning to Montana early in 1888 in the fall returning to Rexburg, where he was

once more arrested for "unlawful Cohabitation" and tried and convicted. But on

account of the condition of his family, he was permitted to remain at home until

the next spring before sentence was passed upon him, when he was sentenced to pay

a fine of 150.00. His attorney's fees amounting to 150.00 more. His first

wife died on August 6, 1894. She was a daughter of Martin L and Mary (Dunn) Ensign

who moved from the Eastern States to Salt Lake City in 1852, later removing to

Brigham City, where they now reside, having each attained the biblical "three-

score and ten" years of life. The children of this marriage are: Mary A., Daniel

L., Winifred L., Martin L., John L., and Henry C. The parents of the second wife

were Jesse and Ellen (Reese) Dredge, natives of England, who came from that coun-

try direct to Utah in 1861, locating first at Kaysville, Utah and five years later

moving to Malad, Idaho where they now live. The father being seventy-five and the

mother being sixty-six years of age. The children of the second union of Mr. Roberts

are: Ellen E. (died at nine months of age). Catharine, Jesse L., William C., and

Addie.

This copy was prepared by Norman Keith, son of William C., son of John L,5

son of Daniel on August 31, 1961 from a copy of the original article.

t y 1'77 i L.

L i Pia

ti.q.betik (; j

VI FE 1.1CAP:i it OE L 1!;;E EKS CI,?

13 10 53.52- • - Ce rd. j s C'o

• , ,57 CC, •

Kyr i N .

31 1g »

• \ ..„!. H nQ a--3 27- t1:::''.1

0 _rC.: -PA) C-07/7

_ • can •S)

(-3 1. C, C 1

'4),y70 -17 D

ee.civkci V$1 -1 fe Etizab4th. D-ret4se