Mary C Edwards - Llanrwst, Llanelian
Mary C. Edwards was born on September 30th 1810 in Llanrwst, Denbighshire. She was the daughter of Thomas Edwards (a Baptist minister) and Elizabeth Davies
Mary Edwards
Llanrwst
When she was 2 years old she went to live with her grandparents in Llanelian. In 1831- the population of Llanelian was 604.
At the age of 18, Mary set out on her own. She was an excellent cook and had learned the English language which led her to become housekeeper in the home of Lord Henry Mainwaring of Peover Hall, Cheshire, England. She became a well-loved member of the household and was particularly fond of the children.
Llanelian
Peover Hall
Whilst she was with the family she visited many churches in search of something she felt she had been unable find in the churches in the area where she previously lived.
She heard about men who were preaching that they had been chosen by God to spread the news of a restored Gospel and that their church had a living prophet. These men were Latter-day Saints and Mary chose to be baptised by Elder John Needham on 6th March 1842.
Lady Mainwaring was not pleased with Mary’s decision, feeling that she had been deluded. She tried to dissuade her but Mary was adamant that she had found the true church that she had been looking for and that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God.
Joseph Smith Jr
A bitter argument followed, with Lady Mainwaring insisting that she had no alternative but to end Mary’s employment with the family if she chose to associate herself with the Latter-day Saints but Mary stood her ground. Mary later told her daughter that Lady Mannering had tears in her eyes as she dismissed her. The children missed Mary very much and in
later years one of them visited Mary in America.
John Needham
Following various other positions, including that of cook in a large boarding school, Mary eventually made her way to Liverpool where she met and married Joseph White, also a member of the Church. The pair felt drawn to follow the Saints to Utah but Mary wished to visit her family in Wales once more before leaving.
The visit was not as she would have hoped however. Her father, minister of the Baptist church, was shocked to hear that she had made what he felt to be a mistake in joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and insisted that if she wished to visit them again she should leave the church. This she refused to do and returned to Liverpool with “a sore and bleeding heart”, knowing that she would probably never see them again.
Penuel Baptist Church, Llanrwst
In 1843 Mary and Joseph set sail for America, but Joseph died on the voyage and Mary arrived alone, a widow, in a strange land. She had one advantage over some of the other Welsh emigrants as she could speak the language many of whom could not. She found a temporary home with Bro John Taylor and his wife, who was the sister of the now widowed George Cannon whom Mary had met in Liverpool with his wife Ann and six children. Ann had died on the voyage to America and been buried at sea. George and Mary were married on Feb 24th 1844.
On 19th August that same year George died of sunstroke whilst away from home in St Louis in search of work. Mary was left with very little more than a half finished house in which to live. On 21st February the following year Mary gave birth to a daughter who she named Elizabeth after her own mother.
Life was difficult for Mary and one day when she was in need of food she was tempted to go to a neighbour’s house and help herself to some potatoes. As her hand touched the potato she caught herself, saying aloud "The Lord can help me without stealing", she then left the neighbours and returned home where she found a small sack of flour the door step. She sank to her knees and thanked her Heavenly Father not only for prolonging her life but also for saving her from committing a crime
Escaping Nauvoo
Her granddaughter, Alice C. Reay, later reported how Mary and Elizabeth were able to escape from Nauvoo.
“On June 27, 1846 the Saints were attacked by an armed mob ruthlesly driven from their homes at the point of bayonets, Brethern were taking care of their families then returning to help the widows and orphans across the river, by this was Granma got to the other side with her babe and a few clothes all else left in a hurry to escape the violence of the mob, then Grandma thought she would return and try and get her cow and left her child with a friend, she went back finding her cow missing and stood wondering half dazed with horror on the river bank not knowing how she could get back to her babe, when one of the mobcrats Louis Bidamon then asked her for her name, she told him Mary Cannon, then he
laughingly said he was loaded with fire arms and one Cannon more would not make a difference, so he put her in this small room with all the fire arms and told her to be quite. When the one in charge came by he stopped and asked Louis Bidamon, "what is in this room?", he said, "Cannons Sir". Her heart was filled with gratitude to this man and her Maker who had opened the way to be reunited with her baby again.”
Nauvoo.
Charles Barber Taylor became the girl’s “greatly beloved stepfather” when she was less than four years old when he married Mary in St. Louis on Christmas Day 1847. This was typical of the migration pattern of so many Saints. Their son Charles was born there in December 1848, and the family finally completed their journey to Salt Lake City. 27th Aug 1850.
Among Mary's talents was that of sewing. This quilt block on the left which she created in 1857 is a surviving example of her work.
It was a skill she passed on to her daughter Elizabeth who in the same year created the quilt block on the right which unfortunately has not survived in entirety. The similarities can be seen in the hive lower left, surrounded by bees.
Elizabeth became an adept musician, her instrument being the melodeon. Hers was only the second one to arrive in Salt Lake City and was a gift from her stepfather.
Her musical talent coupled with her sewing skills served her well as years later she became a teacher of music and dressmaker. She also worked as postmistress
Mary died in Salt Lake City on 7th October 1890.
From “The Life and Ancestry of Elizabeth Cannon Piggott”, by Alice C. Reay:
“When grandmother died in Salt Lake my mother promised her that she would let her father know of her passing away. Mother tried very hard to keep that promise but, she had no address to go by. She had a friend in Liberty, Idaho, who had just returned from a mission in Wales. Mother went to him to see if he could tell her who she might contact in Wales who would likely help her to locate some of the family, if any were still alive. He told her as best he could who to contact that would help her if possible. She followed his instructions to the letter. After a long, long wait she received a reply, but it was written in Welch. So that said she would again have to contact her friend in Liberty. This letter contained simply a few verses in poetry, signed, The Bairds Sister, mother knew she had a brother, John. When reaching the friend again he said, "Yes, Sister Piggott, I can read it but it will cease to be poetry." I don't know what became of these lines, but I do know she never was able to again reach him. This is all I can give you of my grandmother's family."