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TIMOTHY TONKS

Written by Chloe Thacker Slade, February 1969

Edited by Donald G. Hill1

Timothy Tonks was born 11 October 1792, presumably at Willenhall, Staffordshire, England, as he was christened there 21 October 1792.

Timothy was the oldest child of Isaac Tonks-christened 24 November 1771 at Willenhall-and Susannah Wood-born about 1775 at Willenhall. His brothers and sisters were:

  1. Abraham , b. 28 Jun 1874, bur 9 Sep 1795
  2. Abraham , b.1 Jul 1796
  3. George, b. 13 Jan 1799
  4. Isaac, b. 27 Apr 1800, bur. 6 Aug 1800
  5. Hannah, b. 16 Aug 1801
  6. Ann, b. 4 Nov 1802, bur. 29 Nov 1802
  7. Fanny (twin), b. 17 Aug 1806
  8. Ann (twin), b. 17 Aug 1806, bur. 15 Jan 1807

Very little is known of Timothy's life in England. The family worked hard for a living. He became a locksmith. Willenhall had extensive mines of iron, steel, and coal.

A few days before his 25th birthday he was married, 5 October, 1817, to Ann Jones, daughter of John Jones and Ann (or Anne) Hail. According to one source of information all their twelve children were born at Willenhall and the first three died in infancy. The name of Enoch was given as the first child. He could have been a twin and died at birth. However, only eleven children are listed on the family group sheet as follows:

  1. M. Frederick, b. 6 Jul 1818, bur. 24 Feb 1821
  2. F. Eliza, b. 16 May 1820, bur. 22 May 1825
  3. M. Isaac, chr. 4 Oct 1821, died 7 Mar 1864, Md. Mary Ann Wilkes
  4. M. Abraham, b. 23 Feb 1823, died at sea, 1855
  5. M. Jacob, b. 1825, Md. Bessie
  6. F. Rachel, b. 27 Jun 1827, Md. William Thacker
  7. F. Leah, b.14 Feb 1829, Md. George Baker
  8. F. Susannah, b. 2 Feb 1833, Md. Aaron Hill
  9. F. Tabitha Darkis, b 14 May 1835, Md.Richard Gough
  10. F. Elizabeth or Eliza, b. 19 Jul 1839, Md. .James Beeston
  11. M. Frederick, b. 1840 (no further information)

They heard the gospel in England and Timothy was baptized in 1850. His wife, Ann, was baptized two years later. The five daughters joined the Church but the sons did not. Four of the daughters were pioneers to Utah before the railroad came. The other came in 1870. (See History of Ann Jones)

The daughter, Eliza Beeston, living in New York, sent for her parents to come to America. They sailed from London 4 June 1863 on the ship "Amazon" and landed at New York 18 July 1863. A twelve year old granddaughter, Sarah Tonks, came with them. (This is found in Gen. Lib. -61884 F942 pt 2, p 292. Master of ship-Hovey Williams, 882 Saints on board.) (The book Church Chronology by Andrew Jenson, gives name of ships and dates, p. 69)

In the Instructor, April 1967, p 155, it gives an account of author, Charles Dickens and "The Mormon Emigrant Ship." (Extracts from chapter from "Uncommercial Traveler.)

The place: The London docks on the River Thames.

The ship: The "Amazon"

Date: 4 June 1863

The Emigrants: Some peculiar people known as Mormons.

Dickens goes on board an emigrant ship on a hot morning early in June. He goes first to the great cabin, finding that, as usual in such circumstances, "perspiring landsmen, with loose papers and with pens and inkstands, pervade it." But there on the deck to which he now passes, "nobody is in an ill-temper, nobody is worse for drink, nobody swears an oath or uses a coarse word, nobody appears depressed, nobody is weeping..."

Dickens wonders aloud, "What would a stranger suppose these emigrants to be?" The captain responds, "What indeed! The most of these came aboard yesterday evening. They came from various parts of England in small parties that had never seen one another before, yet they had not been a couple of hours on board when they established their own police, made their own regulations and set their own watches at all the hatchways. Before nine o'clock the ship was as orderly and as quiet as a man-of-war." Dickens concludes that "...it would be difficult to find 800 people together anywhere else, and find so much beauty and so much strength and capacity for work among them.

"What is in store for the poor people on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, what happy delusions they are laboring under now, on what miserable blindness their eyes may be opened then, I do not pretend to say. But I went on board their ship to bear testimony against them if they deserved it, as I fully believed they would. To my great astonishment they did not deserve it, and my predispositions and tendencies must not affect me as an honest witness. I went over the Amazon's side feeling it impossible to deny that so far some remarkable influence had produced remarkable result, which better known influences have often missed."

The emigrants saw through the eye of faith. They were to find a new, richer life on those distant "shores of Great Salt Lake"

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the "remarkable influence" which produces remarkable results.

Timothy was 71 years of age and Ann was almost 64 at this time.

Their daughter Susannah and husband Aaron Hill and four children were waiting for them so they could leave together for Utah. Their grandson, Jobe Hill, tells in his diary written years later, of incidents of the ship's landing and crossing the plains. Jobe, eight years old, and his father were at Castle Gardens, New York, when the ship came in. It was interesting to see the sail vessel towed up to the landing by a steam tug and see so many strange faces and hear the strange noise of the water cans as the water was emptied out of them preparatory to refilling them with fresh water.

The granddaughter stayed with her aunt and uncle, the Beestons, and came to Utah with them the next year.

At this time the Civil War was on and a call had been made for 600,000 men. The only way the son-in-law, Aaron Hill, could escape war was to emigrate to Utah. There was a terrible riot in the streets of New York City for several days. It ended just before the ship "Amazon" landed. The Lord opened the way for them to come west.

Upon leaving for the west, they boarded the train, and after crossing the state of New York, they came to and crossed the Niagara River in full view of the falls, on a large suspension bridge. The train slowed up so they could have a good look at the falls. Reaching the first station in Canada they were put into box cars because the train had been fired upon a time or two by professional soldiers. At Detroit they rode in passenger cars again.

The small granddaughter, Eliza Jennette Hill, became ill with canker and diarrhea and each day became worse.

At St. Joseph, Missouri, they boarded a river steamer and ran up the Missouri River to a place called Omaha, although no houses were in sight, the town being a mile or two from the river. The water was too shallow in the river to go on to Florence, Nebraska, a few miles farther. The next morning 70 or 80 covered wagons drawn by six to eight oxen on each wagon came, and the immigrants were seated in these wagons. Their company numbered about 250 men, women, and children, with a Mr. Hyde as Captain. (Rosel Hyde, "Church Chronology," p. 69).2 They made camp a few miles away from the river where there was plenty of wood, water, and grass. Here they stayed fourteen days while the steamer returned to St. Joseph for the luggage of the immigrants.

It was while waiting here that the little 2 ½ year old granddaughter passed away. This was a heart-breaking time for them. In some way a little rough lumber was obtained by a friend and a small box made for her to be buried in. She was the only one of sixteen in their company who died before reaching Salt Lake that was buried in a box, as all others were rolled in a blanket or buried in the clothing they wore.

The luggage came and the westward trek began, 11 August. At 7 a.m. the bugler played "Do What is Right" as each wagon and oxen moved onto the road. Those strong enough would walk ahead a ways, then rest beside the road until the train caught up. Instructions were not to go far ahead as it would be safer from Indians.

They traveled sixteen to twenty miles a day, resting on Sunday. Religious services were held. Reaching the Platte River, they camped several nights along the shore as they traveled, but found water very low. A little meat was obtained along the way by men with guns-such as wild ducks and chickens and even antelope at time, which was a real treat, to supplement their meager diet. Many buffalo heads were found scattered along the trail. "Chimney Rock" could be seen for several days before passing it. This attracted considerable attention. As they drew near South Pass some snow fell on the distant hills and the nights were pretty cold. Large brush fires were made at night for warmth.

The company arrived in Salt Lake 13 October 1863 after two months of weary traveling.

Through the kindness of friends, Timothy obtained a lot up on the bench and a nice little one-room stone house was built for them. Five years later after coming to Utah he passed away in June 1868. Burial was in the Salt Lake Cemetery 9 Jun 1868. (S. L. C. Cemetery Records)

Notes from Donald G. Hill:

1. I acquired this story from the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in 1995. I scanned it into my word processor (Word Perfect) to make soft copies available. I also corrected a few of the typographical, spelling, and punctuation errors to make it easier to read.

2. Also found in Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 7, pp 12-16