Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Samuel Roskelley papers, 1862-1979
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Roskelley, Samuel, 1837-1914
- Title
- Samuel Roskelley papers
- Dates
- 1862-1979 (inclusive)18621962
1862-1906 (bulk)18621906 - Quantity
- 7 boxes, (3.75 linear ft.)
- Collection Number
- UUS_COLL MSS 65
- Summary
- This collection contains seven boxes of papers from Samuel Roskelley, an early settler of Cache Valley. It includes several important documents pertaining to the life and family of Samuel Roskelley, such as his diaries, life sketches, and financial records.
- Repository
-
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Restrictions
Open to public research.
- Languages
- English.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Samuel Roskelley was born to Thomas and Ann Kitt Roskelley in Davenport, Devonshire, England on January 1, 1837. Raised Baptist, he converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1851 and emigrated to Utah in 1853 with the Appleton Harmon company. After being called back to England in 1856 for a two-year LDS mission, Roskelley returned to Utah and married Rebecca Hendricks on July 22, 1858. In 1860 he settled in Richmond, Utah, but church leadership soon asked him to make the short move south to Smithfield, where he served as a church bishop from 1862 to 1880. There he held a number of other important positions in the community, including superintendent of common schools for Cache County, mayor of Smithfield, and captain of the Cache Valley Militia. During this period Roskelley also married a second wife, Mary Roberts, in 1865. He ultimately took on four additional wives over the course of his lifetime: Mary Florence Kelsey, Mary Jane Rigby, Margaret Rigby, and Sarah Maud Burton.
In 1880, Roskelley departed on a second mission to England, and shortly after is return in 1881 he was appointed president of the high priest quorum of the Cache Valley Stake on August 6, 1882. He assisted in the construction of the Logan Temple, for which he was later named recorder on May 2, 1884. Samuel Roskelley passed away on February 10, 1914 in Smithfield, Utah.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection contains seven boxes of papers from Samuel Roskelley, an early settler of Cache Valley. It includes several important documents pertaining to the life and family of Samuel Roskelley, such as his diaries, life sketches, and financial records. Of particular interest are items related to his work with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which relate to temple work in the St. George, Manti, Salt Lake, and Logan temples, as well as meetings of the High Priests’ quorum of the Cache Valley Stake. These papers are useful to anyone researching the history of early Mormon settlers in Cache Valley or the history of the Roskelley family.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
CopyrightIt is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Permission to publish material from the Samuel Roskelley : papers and temple records must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Preferred Citation
Samuel Roskelley : papers and temple records, 1862-1962. (COLL MSS 65). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged into three series: I. Roskelley Temple Records; II. Roskelley Family Records; and III. Personal Business Records; IV. Roskelley Genealogy
Acquisition Information
This collection of material regarding Roskelley and the Roskelley Family was deposited in the Hatch Memorial Room at Merrill Library as part of the Cache Valley Historical Society's archive by R. Welling Roskelley. Later the archive was donated to the Department of Special Collections by the president of the Cache Valley Historical Society, S. George Ellsworth. Originally part of CVHS COLL MSS 43; processed in 1976; separated in Nov 1981.
In 2015 the collection was reprocessed to accommodate new donations. These donations include the map in Box 2, Folder 5, which was donated to USU Special Collections by Richard Saunders in 2015, as well as the items in Box 3, which were donated to USU Special Collections by Gaylen and Elaine Ashcroft in 2015. The family history material in Box 7 was donated by Favell Plant in 2006.
Additionally, the mathematics text in Box 1, Folder 1 was transferred into this collection from the Richard Welling Roskelley Papers (Coll Mss 284, Box 4, Folder 11) in 2015. It was donated by Richard Saunders in 1997.
The two deeds in box 6, folder 5 were donated by Richard Saunders in 2018.
Separated Materials
Photographs of the Roskelley family are available P0013.
Related Materials
Roskelley family photograph collection, P0013
Richard Welling Roskelley Papers, COLL MSS 284
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Family Records of Samuel RoskelleyReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Mathematicus, math compilation book of John and Samuel Roskelley, Davenport, England
(Item removed from Coll Mss 284, Box 4, Fd 11).
|
1881 |
| 2 | Book 1: Diary
Entries refer to temple work at St. George and, later, speak of labors on the interior of the Logan Temple. After dedication of the Logan Temple, Roskelley became the Temple recorder and in his diary he records persons who received sacraments such as second anointing.
|
1883 January 1 - 1888 January 1 | |
| 2 | Book 2: Diary
Entries refer to work as the president of the quorum until 1904. The remainder of the diary contains information regarding family matters.
|
1901 December 1 - 1910 October 15 | |
| 2 | Book 3: Transcriptions from family record book and other family history, Dr. R.B. Roskelley.
|
1871 September 25 - 1919 March 12 | |
| Folder | |||
| 2 | 1 | Loose issues of the Roskelley Organ |
undated |
| 2 | 2 | Minutes of meetings of the Roskelley Family Organization |
undated |
| 2 | 3 | Copy of 1880 diary commencing March 8th and continuing through September 19 regarding mission to England |
undated |
| 2 | 4 | Miscellaneous personal papers of Samuel Roskelley: |
undated |
Letter from A. Milton Musser of the Deseret Nursery Company to Roskelley in regards to the purchases of carp and goldfish |
1880 May 15 | ||
Letter to Roskelley from Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthony H. Lund, First Presidency of the L.D.S. Church, concerning continuation of temple work by the brethern until a successor to President Merrill was appointed |
1906 March 13 | ||
Extract from the Millenial Star, vol. 15 page 230, concerning the calling and authority of Seventies |
undated | ||
| 2 | 5 | Samuel Roskelley's Devonnport
A map complementing A Devonport Boy Comes to America and The Latter-day Saints of the Devonport Branch by Richard L. Saunders identifying people and sites of 1837 - 1853 mentioned in the Roskelley memoir and Latter-day Saint Branch records (see Map Cabinet 6, Oversize Manuscripts)
|
undated |
| 2 | 6 | Miscellaneous Items |
undated |
| 3 | 1 | Outgoing letter from Maggie [Margaret Roskelley] to Sister, Florence Roskelley |
1882 September 9 |
| 3 | 2 | Outgoing letters from Samuel Roskelley to his Wife, Mary Jane Rigby Roskelley |
1877 April - 1882 April |
| 3 | 3 | Outgoing letters from Samuel Roskelley to his Wife, Mary Jane Rigby Roskelley |
1882 - 1883 |
| 3 | 4 | Letter fragment from Samuel Roskelley to Mary Jane Rigby Roskelley |
undated |
| 3 | 5 | Samuel Roskelley Diary |
1880-1881 |
| 3 | 6 | “No. 2 Journal Commencing April 1, 1857; Samuel Roskelley, Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. |
1857-1872 |
| 3 | 7 | Register of Logan Temple ordinance work and journal of church affairs |
1888-1901 |
The Roskelley Temple RecordsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 4 | Book 1: Record book
Contains: Revelation given through President John Taylor at Salt Lake City, October 13, 1882 (pp. 1-6); "Choice Tid-Bits," (pp. 7-9); Copy of "The Manifesto" issued by President Wilford Woodruff, September 26, 1890, (p. 10); Statistical tables with totals of ordinance work done in the L.D.S. Temples at Logan 1885- 1908, Manti 1888-1900, St. George 1877-1897, and Salt Lake 1893-1900, (pp. 12-176).
|
undated |
| 4 | Book 2: Brief biographies of David B. Dille, John P. Wright, David Osborn, Francis Astle, Alva Benson, Lars Williamson, Hans Monsen, Neils Christensen, Ita Allen, John Bradley, Loren Nielson, Peter Jisiel, Richard Palmer, and William Palmer
Also includes "Copy of Time Checks," "Subscription for Missionaries by High Priests of Logan," "Minutes of High Priests Stake Conference Meetings: 11-3-1877 to 7-31-1880."
|
undated |
| 4 | Book 3: Ledger
Duplication of genealogies of David B. Dille, John P. Wright, and David Osborn.
|
undated |
| 5 | Book 1: Temple work performed by Samuel Roskelley
Also includes genealogical and biographical information, letters and copies of letters.
|
undated |
| 5 | Book 2: Minute book of the High Priests' Quarum, Cache Valley Stake
Also includes rolls, rosters and lists of donations. (recorded by various clerks.)
|
1859 November - 1883 September |
Personal Business RecordsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | |||
| 6 | Volume 1: Roskelley's Private Accounts, Smithfield, Utah
This volume gives an account of Roskelley's private financial dealings. Included are labor for work on the Utah Northern Railroad, tie hacking, buying and selling agricultural goods, and dealings in agricultural commodities. Also in the ledger are his accounts with the Cache County School Fund.
|
1868-1884 | |
| Folder | |||
| 6 | 1 | Receipts and miscellaneous notes |
undated |
| 6 | 2 | Temple Certificates (recommendations) |
undated |
| 6 | 3 | Receipts for barbed wire purchased from the Iowa Barbed Steel Wire Co. |
1880-1881 |
| 6 | 4 | Two separate accounting sheets: Samuel Roskelley County Superintendent Common Schools in account with County School Funds, 1873. Francis Sharp's account bill |
1873 |
| 6 | 5 | Two separate deeds: Samuel Roskelley to William F. Rigby and William F. Rigby to Mary Jane Rigby Roskelley |
1880 |
Roskelley GenealogyReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 7 | Family group sheets and brief biographical information |
1970s |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Melchizedek priesthood (Mormon Church)--High Priests.
- Mormon Church--Cache Valley (Utah and Idaho)--History.
- Mormon missionaries--England--Diaries.
- Mormon pioneers--Utah--Diaries.
Personal Names
- Roskelley, Samuel, 1837-1914.
Corporate Names
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--Bishops--Archives.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--Clergy--Archives.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cache Valley Stake--History.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cache Valley Stake. High Priest Quorum. (contributor)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cache Valley Stake. High Priest Quorum.
- Logan Temple (Utah)--Records and correspondence.
- Manti Temple (Manti, Utah)--Records and correspondence.
- Roskelley Family Organization.
- Salt Lake Temple--Records and correspondence.
- St. George Temple (Saint George, Utah)--Records and correspondence.
Family Names
- Roskelley family.
Form or Genre Terms
- Mormon missionary journals--England--1880.
Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
2015
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
