The Minor Family of Somerset

REFN: 17CB-VH
came to Utah 29 sep 1847, Edward Hunter Company, Elder: high pri
est. Veteran Echo Canyon campaign. Farmer. (Pioneers and Promi
nent Men ofUtah)
Bigraphical Sketch of the lives of John and Louisa Park.
Little is known of the early lives of our father and mother. N
o Journal or memorandum ofthe dates have been kept by either o
f our parents for reference and here letme say how great woul
d be our satisfaction if we had in our parents hand writing tell
ing us of their early lives. This is also a hint for all presen
t to profit by our loss. It is understood that John Park was bo
rn May 11 1802 at Kent, five miles from Glasgow Scotland. Fro
m a sample in my possession written in the hand of Father's youn
gest sister, our Aunt Jean Park Williamson,we have the followin
g: "Our Grandfather James Park and Marion Allen were married Au
g 6, 1788, then follows the intitials of our children first. Ja
mes Park, Hugh Park, Martha Park, Marion Park, Andrew Park, Joh
n Park, Mary Park,Joseph Park, Ellen Park, William Park, Margar
et Park, jean Park. At the endof this it reads that Jean Par
k and David Williamson were married on the 5thDay of May 18.
. The sampler is so old that the figures are scarcely discerni
ble in some instances. I think that the Park family emigrated t
o Candad before the Smith's father married our mother when he wa
s about thirty-seven years old. Mother was born Jun 24, 1818 a
t Farrenham, Kent County, England, and emigrated to Canada in abou
t 1829 with her parents and lived with them in theneighborhoo
d of the place now known as Lambton, Ontario Canada. Her mothe
rassisting her father in clearing the forest, burning the brus
h and all the vissicitudes of the early settlers on the frontier
. Mother was engaged in teaching school about the time she marr
ied Father. Grandfather Park lived withour parents. I do no
t remember him but Mother has told me that I waited uponhim whe
n I was quite a little child. The gospel reached our parents i
n Canada. It was carred to them by Elder John Barrowman, who ma
rried our Uncle William Park's daughter Agnes.
From recent corresPondents now living in Canadain the vicinit
y of the old homestead, we learn that part of Father's farm isn
w the burial ground of the present generation. The county the
n abounded in game turkey, deer, timber wolves, and panthers wer
e in abundance. The corresPondent referred to (Mr. Joseph S. W
illiams) tells how after Father left his yard dog, Watch, that h
e left behind was pursued by a large gaunt wolf right up close t
o the old log house, and the corresPondent's father shot the wol
f and paid his taxes in part with the bounty money received fro
m the wolf'sscalp.
A written agreemtn is held by the family which states that Joh
n Parkagrees to maintain his father James Park during his las
t Days in consideration of receiving all properties owned by th
e said James Park, which is a quaint and ancient piece of lega
l writ, quite interesting. Again the deed from the British gove
rnment to John Park for his section of Land, dated the 29th ofD
ecember 1841 and parchment is worthy of note given under the sea
l of theprince of Canada; and in the fifth year of the reign o
f Queen Victoria, theycame to Utah and lived and died at Nephi
, Juab County, Utah. Father and Mothersoon after embracing the go
spel left Canada in the year of 1846, passing through Nauvoo
. I can remember we journeyed with oxen and cows, also stayin
g with wagons while our parents went to visit the Temple at Nauv
oo; and we children were given some nice red apples to keep us e
ngaged while during their absence. We journeyed on, staying a
t Winter quarter throughout the winter of '46 and '47; and the
n journeyed to the valley with President John Taylor's company i
n 1847. When we arrived that same year, with Mother and Fathe
r were four of the children; myself, Jane, Mary Marion, a