Grace Ann Williams (1801-1873)

The Following is a history of one of my ancestors, Grace Ann Williams. This history was written by Edith Folsome Hatch.


Grace Ann Williams
Born: 2 Feb 1801 at Aspherton, Herefordshire, England
Died: 14 Nov 1873 at South Bountiful, Davis County, Utah
Father: James Williams
Mother: Sarah Williams

On the 2nd day of Feb. 1801, into a good but unpretentious house, in Ashperton, Herefordshire, England, a beautiful dark eyed baby girl came to bless the lives of the family of James and Sarah Williams.

This child was destined to become one of God's noble women, a savior of her parents and loved ones, an influence for the enrichment of the lives of many persons who were to come into contact with her and the progenitor of a great and worthy posterity. This child enjoyed a normal happy childhood, surrounded by parents, brothers and sisters and respectable neighbors and friends; always exhibiting a preference for the good and ennobling things of life.

She grew into a stately young woman, slightly above average height, whose early years were filled with the homely tasks, customary to the young women of her day. Sewing, knitting, baking, she became an excellent house wife, proficient in all of the duties of the home. Her keen dark, kindly eyes, held attention of all who met her. In the course of time she met her ardent admirer and lover, John Perry of Castle Fromes, Herefordshire, England, to whom she was later married. (You Can read a history of John Perry here.) They resided resided in the neighborhood of her birth where the following children were born; James, Elizabeth, Grace, Eliza Ann, Thomas, Alice, William, Elizabeth Melissa and John.

The members of this family were very sincere people, who took a prominent part in the religious activities of the community, and while Wilford Woodruff visited that locality in 1840, he found them members of the group known as the United Brethren; earnest, sincere souls who had banded together to seek more light concerning the Lord's will in regard to his earthly children. Elder Woodruff preached the gospel of salvation to these people and Grace Ann Williams Perry was one of the first persons to recognize it as the Iight for which she bad been seeking. She accepted the Gospel and was baptized March 27, 1840, in the pool on the John Benbow Farm, where more than six hundred of her religious associates also received baptism at the hands of Elder Wilford Woodruff. This number included forty-five ministers; her husband being one of them.

This family had the misfortune to lose three of their children while living at Ashperton, Herefordshire, England, but when the two hundred souls who formed the second group of foreign Mormon emigrants sailed from Liverpool, Monday September 8,1840, the father, mother, two sons and three daughters, were numbered among them. This company, in charge of Theodore Turley, sailed on the ship "North America" and arrived at Nauvoo, 24 November 1840.

One of their severest trials befell them while they were yet upon the water. Their son died and was buried at Staten Island. Upon reaching Nauvoo the father's ability as a master carpenter and joiner was soon discovered and appreciated, thus he was assigned some of the most technical work on the Temple. The wife was always found busily engaged with the other sisters, providing for the workmen and helping the people of the community.

While at Nauvoo, their daughter Alice, and another son, were taken from them by death, thus leaving but two children to them; their oldest daughter Eliza Ann, and youngest daughter, Elizabeth Melissa

The Saint's contentedness and happiness were short lived for the grumblings of Satan were heard again and the Perry family was obliged to make preparations to accompany the Saints in their quest for a new home.

Grace Ann Williams and her husband received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple 21 January, 1846.

Upon being driven from Nauvoo, the Peny's camped on the Elkhorn River where they were assigned to Charles C. Rich's Guard, with Edward Stevenson as Captain, and on Thursday, June 17, 1847 they were organized and ready to begin their westward trek: seemingly a slow arduous journey to us;, but very satisfying to the persecuted Saints. The company traveled an average of about ten miles each day, never failing to leave messages and signs along the route that others following might find them and thus make their journey easier.

What rejoicing there was in the camp when the Saints were visited by the brethren who were returning from the Rocky Mountains, to the Missouri to assist other stricken Saints. Such unity and brotherly love as existed at that time would be highly appreciated in our day.

Eliza, the eldest daughter, married Elder Ezra T. Benson and joined the company of which he was member; this left the parents without one child to accompany them to the valley.

The company in which Grace Ann Williams Perry and her family traveled arrived at the Old Fort on October 3,1847 being the ninth company to enter the Great Salt Lake Valley. This family remained in the Fort during the winter of 1847-48 and early in April 1848 they joined the families of Peregrin Sessions, Jezreal Shoemaker and two others in settling the country known as Sessions Settlement, remaining in that immediate neighborhood, where they cultivated the soil and fought the crickets at the time of the saints' miraculous deliverance by the Seagulls. In the summer of 1849, the family was informed that Pres. Brigham Young wished them to go and assist in the settlement of the country to the south. Always obedient to council, they loaded up their belongings and went to Great Salt Lake City where Pres. Brigham Young told them that they had been misinformed and advised them to go back to Sessions' Settlement. While retracing their steps they found a beautiful spring surrounded by some splendid looking land and decided to locate at that place, later acquiring the title to a homestead adjacent to this spring. It is located some eight miles north of Salt Lake City and about three quarters of a mile south of the present O.S.L. Depot at Woods Cross (1939). Here, during late summer and early fall of 1849 John Perry built a log cabin, near the spring, thus providing a home for his wife Grace Ann and their daughter Elizabeth Melissa.

The family was always hospitable and charitable in their attitude toward others who came into the neighborhood and through their untiring efforts were able to provide the necessities of life, for themselves and also render assistance to others.

At a special conference held at Great Salt Lake City, August 18, 1852, the husband was called to fill a mission in Great Britain, for which he departed the same fall, thus leaving Sister Perry a virtual widow in a strange land. She never wavered in her determination to truly be her husband's helpmate, so bravely assumed the responsibility of managing the faun affairs, a task to which she was not accustomed. She never failed, no matter what conditions were at home, to write him encouraging letters. Her integrity and faith were characteristic of common knowledge among her neighbors.

One day while attending to her household duties she happened to glance out of the door and was surprised to see a tree standing in the pasture some distance from the house. She realized immediately that there was no tree in that locality, so decided to investigate the phenomenon. As she approached the spot she saw a man standing beneath the tree. The apparition then. disappeared and she returned to the house meditating upon the significance of the affair: She was not to learn its meaning until the next company of emigrants entered the valley, when word of her husband's death was brought to her.

Upon being released from his labors, Brother Perry, who was in charge of a company of English emigrants, had reached Mormon Grove, Kansas on his homeward journey. Here several of the company were stricken with Cholera, he being among the number , and after only eight hours illness he died and was buried beneath a tree. Upon comparing the date and time of his demise and the time of the appearance of the apparition she found them to be the same, July 18, 1835.

The daughter Elizabeth Melissa married Orin Hatch, also a Pioneer of the community November 10, 1855 and this couple made their home on the Perry homestead where Brother Hatch relieved Sister Perry of her responsibilities of the farm work. She lived with them at this place until her death, always desirous of continuing in the work of the Lord and determined to accomplish all that he wished of her.

Those who knew her, described her as a person a little above average height, very imposing almost aristocratic appearance, rather good looking, regular features, with keen, kindly, dark eyes and brown hair, who was extremely particular of her personal appearance. She had little to say but what she did say had great weight. Her charitable acts were legion and consisted mainly in the assistance rendered the new arrivals in the neighborhood.
Many of the people community, state that through the assistance given them by her, their people were able to establish themselves in homes of their own. She was strictly honest and would not countenance dishonesty in any dealings of her family. Thoroughly appreciating the good in others, she made every effort possible to see that each person had a fair chance.

Although Grace Ann Williams Perry so readily accepted the Gospel, she was unable to convince the members of her immediate family of its truthfulness and although her efforts in that direction were continued throughout her life, were of no avail and she remained the only one to be a Savior on Mr. Zion to them. Her mother lived to more than one hundred years of age and was still unfavorable at her death.

Grace strictly adhered to the principles and doctrines of the Church.

Her death occurred November 14, 1873, at her home in South Bountiful, Davis County, Utah.

Her descendants are eight children, twenty ,one grandchildren and the later generations are numbered in hundreds.

She was truly one of Our Father's noblest daughters.

Submitted to Daughters of the Utah Pioneers by: Mabel Peterson on 5 Feb 2003