James John Walker

James John Walker

James John Walker

The foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints involves the ladies who invite the missionaries in to discuss the Gospel. One of those ladies was Mary Ann Mellows Walker of Sheerness. Kent. England. Mary Ann Mellows was born 14 February 1791 in Birmingham, Warwickshire. England, some distance from Kent. Somehow she met and married Thomas Walker, a seafaring man who had been born in Strood, Kent County and they settled in nearby Sheerness.

Mary Ann bore her first child, a daughter named Mary Ann, in January of 1819 when she was not quite 18. In 1823 she bore twin Sons who died soon after birth. Another son, Thomas William, was born in September 1825, then a daughter, Sarah Ann who as born in February 1828. Finally, she bore a son, James John, in July 1830. This is the family she raised there in Sheerness, Kent, England.

When the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came calling in Sheerness, Kent in the 1840’s Mary Ann joined the Church along with her son, James John. Her husband Thomas, her son Thomas William, and her daughter Sarah Ann, who had married Philip Michael Wright, did not join. In 1847 the husband, Thomas died and in 1849 the oldest daughter, Mary Ann died. With these developments, the spirit of gathering and the relative freedom led Mary Ann Mellows Walker and her son, James John Walker to work toward emigrating to America.

James was six feet tall with blue eyes and brown hair. Life was hard in England, and he welcomed the chance to come to Utah. They sailed from Liverpool, England to New Orleans, Louisiana on the ship “Ellen Marie” on 16 January 1853.

The trip across the plains was indeed an ordeal. It taxed the strength of the strongest. The heat, wind, and rain was bad enough, but to walk all day and sometimes far into the night with little food was too much for his mother. Mary Ann Mellows Walker died August 12, 1853 and was dressed in her best clothes, wrapped in a blanket which was sewed tight and then lowered into the freshly dug grave. She was covered with prairie sod and a fire was built on top to keep the wolves away.

James John Walker Family

James John Walker married Mary Ann Cox November 23, 1853 and had the following children: James T., Mary Ann, Catherine Ellen, Daniel H., Victoria Jane, Ephraim William and Emily. Fourteen years later in plural marriage, James married Alice Townsend June 1867. From this union seven more children were born: Thomas Edgar, Alice Maud, Frank Lester, Fred Clyde, Arther Eugene, Homer Chase, Joseph John and Hyrum Alfred.
Mary Ann Cox was born in North Hampton, England, August 17, 1828 as the oldest child of Charles Cox and Ann Harris. Mary Ann embraced the LDS Church in 1848. She had a great desire to go to America as did most converts at that time. She worked diligently for 5 years as a dressmaker to earn enough money for her passage.

By chance, Mary Ann Cox traveled on the same wagon train as James John Walker. One night at a campfire a young man was called to lead the singing, Mary Ann could hear his voice and knew he was English, but could not quite see him. Standing on tip toes she finally managed to see her future husband. They were married a month after they reached the Valley.

Alice Townsend was born April 13, 1841 in Cheltenham, England, the only family member to join the LDS faith. She was a very good singer and sang many times at social gatherings. Mary Ann accepted Alice, James Walker's second wife, into her life and together they shared the trials, disappointments and hardships of life. They also shared the joy, bliss and sunshine of life. In 1869 both families moved to Kaysville. Mary Ann had three boys and four girls and Alice was just starting her family with one. Everyone did their share of work while James John painted. He and Alice taught school in the basement of the old meeting house. The attendance went up so dramatically that they moved upstairs to the main floor.

When the boys and girls grew older, a family council was held, and it was decided to move to a farm which would allow the children a chance to expand their energies and talents. This they did by homesteading a 160 acre farm located in the southeast quarter section 20 at "Willow". They followed in the footsteps of their daughter Catherine and son-in-law William Beazer and lived just south of them.

James was a painter by trade. He had learned painting, plumbing and glazing as an apprentice for seven years back in the old country. In America he added to this list, postmaster, clerk, contractor, school teacher and farmer. Ecclesiastical duties included tithing clerk, Sunday School superintendent, counselor to a bishop and bishop. He was presiding elder at Croydon, Utah for several years. While working there an interesting event happened in 1869. The Union Pacific Railroad was being built down Weber Canyon. He and his crew worked past an awesome looking rock formation. The men asked what should we name it? James looked up and without hesitation said "Devil’s Slide." To this day it goes by that name.

Mary Ann lived to be 88 years old, dying October 2, 1916. She was living with her daughter Emily Rampton at the time of her death.

Alice Townsend Walker died in 1884 leaving all seven children to be raised by older children and Mary Ann. She was only 43.

James John Walker died June 3, 1896 after suffering from a lingering illness. He requested his son Daniel who was serving a mission in the Eastern States to complete his mission which he did.

James and his two wives lay side by side in the Kaysville Cemetery.