Archives West Finding Aid

George Thomas (1821-1890), the son of William and Martha Thomas, was born in Ambroth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, in 1821. He was a farmer and miner by occupation. On 26 November 1842 he married Mary Morgan. The couple had three children, all of whom died as infants. Mary Thomas also passed away in 1848, shortly after the death of her second child. In 1849 he married again, this time to Martha Howells of Ambroth. She was considerably older than George, having been born in 1798. Apparently no children were born to this union.

In the same year as his marriage to Martha Howells, George was converted to the LDS Church faith, and was baptized in 1849 by William Vaughn. He was ordained a Teacher a short time later. He began working as a home missionary, laboring in the towns and villages around his home in Stepasie. In June 1851 he was advanced to the Melchizedek Priesthood as an Elder. Two years later he was set apart as the President of the Stepaside Branch in the Pembrokeshire Conference of the LDS Church. In January 1854 he left his home in Stepaside, seeking work, but returned in October 1854 in order to immigrate to America with a company of Saints.

On 9 November 1854, he left for Liverpool, arriving on 12 November 1854. Ten days later be boarded the "Clarawheeler," and five days later the ship set sail. The ship was forced to return after two days because of stormy weather at sea. On 7 December 1854 the ship set sail again, and after a good passage landed at New Orleans on 11 January 1855. On 12 January 1855 he caught a boat that traveled up the Mississippi River, and on the 22 January 1855 George and Martha landed at St. Louis. After the trails of such a lengthy passage, George and Martha were re-baptized in St. Louis on 9 March 1855, by Richard Driker.

Between 1855 and 1860 the couple lived around the St. Louis area awaiting an opportunity to travel to Utah. On 16 March 1857, George was again re-baptized. On 30 April 1860 George and Martha started across the Plains, arriving in Salt Lake City on 9 August 1860. In the spring of 1861 he settled in Hyde Park, a small town four miles north of Logan. On 24 November 1862, George and Martha were endowed and married in the Endowment House.

George met Mary Ann Griffiths when she visited Hyde Park with some relatives who were returning home after attending a Church conference in Salt Lake City. On 13 January 1866, she and George were married, becoming his polygamous wife. Their first child was George Thomas, Jr., who later became President of the University of Utah. Three more boys and three girls followed. Of the four boys only George, Jr., lived long enough to reach maturity. On 30 November 1887, Martha Thomas died, and George laid his second wife to rest in Hyde Park, Utah.

In April 1871, George moved his family to the banks of the Bear River, helping to settle the community of Benson. He acquired a fifty-two acre farm. The farm proved to be far from productive, and it is said the family lived in poverty much of the time. To make matters worse, George broke his ankle in 1883 and poor medical treatment rendered his leg useless. After that George, Jr., took over the major portion of work. In June 1886 George transferred the title of the farm to his oldest son.

In May 1876 George was ordained a High Priest, and two years later he was set apart as the President of the High Priest Group in Benson. Mary Ann died at the birth of her seventh child in December 1880 and was buried in Benson. On 30 November 1887, George received his Second Anointing in the Logan Temple, and a month later his two polygamous wives, Martha and Mary Ann, were similarly anointed to him by proxy. In November 1881 George married for the fourth time to Rebecca Willes. No children were born to the couple, and she survived him. George Thomas died on 5 May 1890 and he was buried in Benson, Utah.