William Young BLACK & Jane JOHNSTON

Mikesell, Meixel, and Mixsell Genealogy

Husband: William Young BLACK ^{1 2}

   Born: 20 AUG 1784 in Lisburn, Antrim, Ireland ³
Married: 31 JUL 1822 in Lisburn, Antrim, Ireland ¹⁸
   Died: 28 JAN 1873 in Rockville, Washington, Utah ⁴
 Father: William Mark? BLACK
 Mother: Mary GARDNER
Spouses:

   Wife: Jane JOHNSTON ^{7 8}

   Born: 11 JUN 1801 in Lisburn, Antrim, Ireland ⁹
   Died: 20 JAN 1890 in Deseret, Millard, Utah ¹⁰
 Father: Daniel III JOHNSTON
 Mother: Margaret (Marietta) CHAMBERS
Spouses:

Children

01  (M): William Valentine Sr BLACK ^{14 15}
   Born: 21 FEB 1832 in Lisburn, Antrim, Ireland ¹⁶
   Died: 01 APR 1927 in Deseret, Millard, Utah ¹⁷
Spouses: Almyra Murry AYERS

Alternate data

William Young BLACK:

Title: Master Hoser
Buried: 31 JAN 1873, Rockville, Washington, Utah ⁵
Ancestral File Number: 198N-NN ⁶

Notes:
[870374_GM.ged]

William Black, the son of William and Mary Gardiner Black, was born August 20,
1784, at Lisburn, Antrim County, Ireland. At the age of seventeen years, he
enlisted in the Seventy-second Regiment of the British Army in which he served
four years in Ireland and seventeen years abroad. He was present at the taking
of the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch on January 6, 1806, and also when the
Isle of France fell to the British from the French government. The year 1814
found him at Madras, from which place he traveled to Bengal, East Indies. In
the year 1821 he left for England, and on the way home called at the Isle of
St. Helena. From his records we quote:

I landed in England about the first of March and was discharged and arrived at
my father's house on July 2nd of the same year. When I got home my mother,
brothers and sisters were all dead; none were left but my father. On the 31st
of July, 1822, I was married to Jane Johnston. I then joined the New Connexion
Methodists and lived with my father until the 4th day of February, 1834, when
he died, happy in the Lord. I then left my native country and went to
Manchester, England, as my business at home failed. We then had a family of
three sons and one daughter. My trade was very poor, but I had one shilling
and five pence per day from the British Government which enabled us to get
along middling well. About the 1st of January, 1839, we joined The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were baptized by Elder William Clayton.
I was soon ordained a teacher and at the next conference was ordained a priest
and sent to Ireland with Brother John Taylor, one of the Twelve Apostles.
Brother Taylor did not remain long with me, as the people of that country did
not receive the Gospel. Brother Curtis was sent to me and we opened a branch
at Hillsburrow where four or five were baptized before I left. Brother Curtis
stayed there. I came home on account of my family, as I had to draw my pension
in Manchester. The next conference I was ordained an elder under the hands of
Hiram Clark and John Smith, I believe, and was sent to Oldham and Rockdale,
and [p.259] with the help of James Kerigan built up two branches, and the Lord
blessed our labors. I had to stop there two years.

My family went to America in 1840 while I was on my mission. The Lord blessed
me in all my labors and in December 1842, I began my journey to America to
join the Saints who had gone before, and landed in New Orleans on the 1st day
of March, 1843, but did not get to Nauvoo on account of ice in the river,
until the month of April. I heard Joseph Smith preach on the first floor of
the Temple, as that was the height of it then. I started for Augusta where my
family was and found them safe and well, praise the Lord. I had to go twice a
year to Canada to draw my pension. On the 11th day of May, 1845, was ordained
a high priest by order of President Brigham Young, under the hands of Samuel
Gully and William Huntington. I moved to Nauvoo in the fall of 1844 and lived
there until the expulsion of the Saints. Then moved into Iowa until the spring
of 1850 at which time I crossed the plains, over 1,000 miles by ox team to the
Valley of the Great Salt Lake and in the same fall, in November, moved to
Sanpete Valley, 140 miles south.

In the spring I went by order of President Brigham Young and relocated in what
is now known as Spring City which had been abandoned because of Indian
depredations in the year 1853. In the fall of 1861, I moved to southern Utah
on the Rio Virgin River, remaining there until 1873. (End of quote.)

William Black died January 28, 1873, at Rockville, Kane County, Utah. He was a
man of unassuming character, strictly honest and much loved by all his
acquaintances, and he died firm in the faith which is known as Mormon doctrine.

These lines may be found on his tombstone in Rockville Cemetery:

A noble veteran lieth here,
His name and acts the Saints revere.
He's blest with honors of the best,
With his armour bright, he's gone to rest.

William and Jane Johnston Black had the following children: George, born May
6, 1823; died November 1872, Kanosh, Millard County, Utah. He had two wives
and was the father of thirteen children. Mary, born April 25, 1825, was
married to John McDonald, a Roman Catholic, in Painesville, Ohio, and had one
son. She died in 1845 at Nauvoo, Illinois. William V. born February 27, 1832,
died April 1, 1927. Joseph S. Black, born July 14, 1836, died August 13, 1910,
at 6:55 p.m., Deseret, Millard County, Utah.

Baptised on 14 Jan 1839, Manchester, England.

Biographical sketch of William Young Black, by Henry J. Black, Manti, Utah.
Temple Records from George Black, Sealing film #574.
and personal knowledge of Henry J. Black.

Jane JOHNSTON:

Christened: Lombag, Antrum, Ireland ¹¹
Buried: 1890, Rockville, Washington, Utah ¹²
Ancestral File Number: 198N-PT ¹³

Notes:
[870374_GM.ged]

Jane Johnston Black, daughter of Daniel and Marietta Chambers Johnston, was
born June 11, 1801, at Lombag, Antrum County, Ireland. Her father was a
Wesleyan Methodist preacher. Jane's parents died when she was sixteen, then
she was called to fill her father's place in the ministry which position she
held until she was twenty. Before his death Mr. Johnston named William Black,
Sr., his daughter's guardian, and Jane lived in the Black home until she
married William Black, Jr., July 31, 1822. The young couple made their home in
Lisburn, Ireland. Jane became the mother of three sons and one daughter,
George, William, Joseph and Mary. The family moved to Manchester, England, in
1835. It was here they heard of a newly organized church, called the
Latter-day Saints and they were invited to go to a meeting to hear the
missionaries preach. Following are Jane's own words:

"The meeting was held in Paul Harris's cellar and Elder William Clayton and
Joseph Fielding addressed us and it was "Tidings of Great Joy" to my husband
and myself. We both believed in their teachings and on January 14, 1839 we
were baptized by Elder William Clayton. Then in the year of 1840, we (mother
and children) moved to Nauvoo and heard the Prophet Joseph Smith preach and I
can testify that he was a prophet of God. We came to Nauvoo under the Council
of the Authorities and left my husband on a two-year mission. We moved to
Augusta and remained there until my husband came home in 1845. We then moved
to Nauvoo again and remained there until the Saints were driven from there. My
husband being in Canada at the time, I went with the Saints to Montrose before
crossing the Mississippi River. A posse of the mob rode up and surrounded our
wagons and demanded we give up our fire arms. I had a pistol in my bosom and I
drew it out and told them 'Here is my pistol, but I will use it before I give
it up.' They did not take it from me but threatened to throw me in the river
that night. Then we were ferried across the Mississippi River into Iowa and
remained there a short time. I buried what arms I had in a quilt in a hole
under the wagon wheel. We had nothing to eat but a half bushel of corn meal
and a half-dozen cucumbers that were given to me by Martin Littlewood. There
were a great many sick among us and [p.428] nothing to comfort and nourish
them but corn meal, until the Lord sent quails among us which supplied our
wants. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I, being a doctor and also a nurse,
President Young set me apart to deliver all expecting mothers and care for the
sick and I fully did my duty.

"We had nothing to sweeten anything with until the Lord sent honey dew, which
we gathered from the bushes until we had all the sweets we wanted. I also
boiled maple juice and got cakes of maple sugar. While preparing to leave
Montrose, I was engaged in taking up the firearms I had buried under the
wagon, when the mob came and asked me what I was doing. I told them the Saints
were to have power to resurrect and that was what I was doing. 'Oh,' said one,
'she is crazy,' so I saved our arms. We then moved about eight miles up the
river and pitched our tents and there my husband joined us. Then the Saints
moved into Winters Quarters, where we stayed about a year. We started across
the plains by ox teams in Captain Pace's company.

"After a weary trialsome journey over 1,000 miles walking fifteen to twenty
miles a day on foot to ease the load on the team, we arrived in Salt Lake
Valley in 1850. We lived there for a short time, then President Brigham Young
called us to go to Spring City, Sanpete County. We remained there until 1861.
Then we were called to go to St. George. Later we moved up the Virgin River to
a place called Rockville, Washington County. I lived there until my husband
died and was laid to rest in the Rockville Cemetery, Washington County. I
lived there for many years after all my children had moved away. I felt very
lonely and they wanted me to move where they lived in Deseret in Millard
County, Utah. Finally I decided to go to my children so I moved to Deseret."
Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 6, p.428

Jane was one of the best known pioneer women in the different localities in
which she lived. She gained recognition for her medical services, not only in
the various settlements in southern Utah, but during the period which preceded
the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo. According to family records she was
called and blessed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, setting her apart to give aid
to those who were ill. It is known that she gave active support to the
defenders of Nauvoo during the mobbings and administered aid to the men who
were injured. She was frequently the only woman on the scene of battle.

Following the martyrdom at Carthage, President Taylor, who had been seriously
wounded, would not permit a doctor to see him until Jane Black arrived after
the bullets were removed from his body. Mrs. Black asked him later why he had
sent for her. He said, "Because I knew there was none better at such a job,
and wanted you to stand at the morning of the resurrection and testify to the
Lord against the assassins who murdered the Prophet and his brother Hyrum." [p.
429] As an obstetrician Jane took a leading part in giving medical assistance
when nine babies were born in the midst of winter as the Saints were being
forced to leave Nauvoo under mob attack.

Her records show that she delivered more than 3,000 babies. Not only was she
known as a midwife, but took the place of a physician whenever needed. On one
occasion she was called upon to amputate a man's leg in order to save his life.
She used an ordinary butcher knife and a carpenter's saw to perform the
operation. The man recovered.

After a long and eventful life, Jane Johnston Black died at the age of 92
years and was buried in Rockville, Utah.
Myrtle McDonald

I, Jane Johnston Black, was born June 11, 1801, at Lombag, Antrim County,
Ireland, the daughter of Daniel Johnston and Margaret Chambers. I lived at my
father's house until I was sixteen years of age when my father died. I was
then called as a local preacher on the same circuit that my father had
traveled, he being a Wesleyan Methodist. I remained in that position until I
was over twenty years [p.260] of age, and made William Black's house my home,
as he was my guardian. I lived there until my marriage to his son, William,
who had been away serving as a soldier in the British Army. We were married
July 31, 1822, and lived in Lisburn, Antrim County, Ireland. We had three sons
and one daughter. Moved to Manchester, England, in the year 1834 or 1835, with
my husband and family.
Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 10, p.260
We heard of the people called Latter-day Saints and were invited to go and
hear them; the meeting was held in Paul Harris' cellar. William Clayton and
Joseph Fielding addressed us, which brought glad tidings and great joy to my
husband and myself. We both believed, and on or about the 14th day of January,
1839, were baptized by Elder William Clayton and in the year 1840, traveled to
Nauvoo and saw and heard the Prophet Joseph Smith, and can testify that he was
a Prophet of God.

I came to Nauvoo under counsel of the authorities and left my husband on a
two-year mission. Moved from Nauvoo to Augusta and remained there until my
husband came to us in the year 1843. We then moved back to Nauvoo and remained
there until the Saints were driven across the Mississippi River.

I buried what arms I had in a quilt in a hole under the wagon wheel. We had
nothing to eat only a half bushel of meal and a half dozen cucumbers that were
given to me by Martin Littlewood. There were many of the Saints sick and there
was nothing to comfort and nourish them but a little cornmeal until the Lord
sent the quails amongst us which supplied our wants. I borrowed a tent from
Brother Johnston and had women that were being delivered at childbirth put in
it. We had no sugar to sweeten anything with until 'the Lord sent honey dew
which we gathered from the leaves of the bushes, until we had all the sweets
we needed. I also boiled maple juice and made cakes of maple sugar.

While preparing to leave Montrose, I was engaged in taking the guns from under
the wagon wheel, when the mob came up and asked me what I was doing. I told
them that the Saints were to have power to resurrect and that was what I was
doing. "Oh," says they, "She is crazy." In that way I saved our arms. We then
moved about eight miles up river and pitched our tent under a tree where my
husband joined us. We remained there a short time when the Saints moved into
Winter Quarters, where we stayed about one year and then we began the journey
across the plains and arrived in the Valley of Salt Lake in the fall of 1850
after a weary and toilsome journey of over 1,000 miles, often walking from
fifteen to twenty miles per day to ease the load of our oxen. In November 1850
we traveled to Sanpete County until we were called back by President Brigham
Young where we lived until the move south when Johnston's Army came to Utah.
After this was over we moved back to Sanpete County and remained there until
the year 1861, when we were requested by Brigham Young to move to St. George,
Utah.

[p.261] My sons, getting discouraged, we moved on to the Rio Virgin in
southern Utah where my husband, William Black, died January 28, 1873, and was
buried in Rockville Cemetery, Kane County, Utah. I continued to live there
until the year 1878, when feeling lonesome for my children who lived in
Deseret, I was persuaded to leave my home and come and live with them, where I
have lived until the present date, May 12, 1883. Feeling my health declining
and being sick at the present time, my sons have been desirous that I should
leave a short history of my life. But my memory has failed me in many things,
so that I have not been able to give a complete account or as much as I should
like to do, being in my eighty-seventh year.

Wiggins, Marvin E. Mormons and Their Neighbors.
Black, Jane Johnson 1801 -.
Guide To Mormon Diaries & Autobiographies by Davis Bitton. [Provo, Utah:
Brigham Young University Press, c1977.] p.31.

Black, Jane Johnston 11 Jun 1801 -.
Our Pioneer Heritage compiled by Kate B. Carter. [Salt Lake City:
Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958.] v.6, p.427.

Black, Jane Johnston 11 Jun 1801 - 20 Jan 1890.
Our Pioneer Heritage compiled by Kate B. Carter. [Salt Lake City:
Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958.] v.10, p.259.

Black, Jane Johnson, 1801.
Autobiography (18011883).
Davis Bitton, Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies (1977), pg.31.
Autobiography (18011883).
Duplication of typescript. 4 pp. HDC.
[LDS Church Archives] (Ms d 2050, 21, 8, #4).

In "Record of Joseph Smith Black," pp. 47. Born at Lombag, Antrim, Ireland,
1801. Death of father, c. 1817. Local preacher for Wesleyan Methodists, c.
181721. Married William Black, 1822. Four children. Moved to Manchester, c.
1834. Heard William Clayton and Joseph Fielding preach. Baptized, 1839. Moved
to Nauvoo, 1840. Husband remained in England on mission until 1843. Lived in
Augusta until his arrival. Midwife. Moved to Montrose, c. 1846, then to Winter
Quarters, c. 1849. Crossed plains, 1850. Settled in Sanpete County, 1850.
Returned there after Utah War. Called to St. George, 1861. Death of husband,
1873. Lived at Rockville. Kane County, until 1878. Moved to Deseret to be with
children.
Dictated in 1883.

Baptised on 14 Jan 1839, Manchester, England.
Endowded 6 Jan 1846, Nauvoo, Illinois.

======================================================================

Carol Lynn Pearson, well-known LDS poetess, wrote an article in _BYU Studies_
(21:4) about the episode and tells of finding a statement of a midwife, Jane
Johnston, who personally delivered nine babies on the first night in September
when the so-called "poor camp" was camping across from Nauvoo. Conditions
during this exodus were much different than the one seven months earlier. The
Saints who had remained in Nauvoo during 1846 were mostly those who could not
afford to outfit themselves for the exodus (hence the name "poor camp"), or
those whose health or other conditions prevented them from traveling. But when
the mobs came to Nauvoo in September 1846, they cruelly drove all the Saints
from their homes regardless of condition. The account of Jane Johnston,
describing conditions across the Mississippi from Nauvoo, reads:

"Had nothing to eat only half a bushel of meal and half a dozen cucumbers that
were given to me by Martin Littlewood. There were a great many sick among the
Saints and nothing to comfort them, and nourish them, but corn meal, until the
Lord sent quails amongst us, which supplied our wants.

"I then got a tent from Brother Johnston and had women that were being
delivered of child put in it. I was the mid-wife, and delivered nine babies
that night. We had nothing to sweeten anything until the Lord sent honey dew,
which we gathered from the bushes until we got all the sweets we wanted. I
also boiled maple juice and got cakes of maple sugar." (From the diary of
Joseph Smith Black, BYU
Special Collections; quotes in Pearson, op. cit.)

It seems much more likely that the events Eliza described occurred during this
time, and the midwife's account supports this idea. Eliza mentions that she
"was informed" that the nine births occurred on that first night, but she (or
her informant) probably confused the date.

However, the poignancy and tenderness of Eliza Snow's description still
touches the heart. The suffering of these mothers is beyond our conception,
and is a tribute both to their faith in God and to their patient commitment to
what they viewed to be a divine cause.

Footnotes

Created by FamilySearch (TM) Internet Genealogy Service.
[50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.]
870374_GM.ged by Tony Grossnickle on Ancestry.com.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Created by FamilySearch (TM) Internet Genealogy Service.
[50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.]
870374_GM.ged by Tony Grossnickle on Ancestry.com.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Created by FamilySearch (TM) Internet Genealogy Service.
[50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.]
870374_GM.ged by Tony Grossnickle on Ancestry.com.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.
Ibid.
Date of Import: 16 Feb 2005.

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