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From Kent“According to the most reliable information which Ihave been able to obtain, the original ancestor of thefamily was Tonne, Lord of Hales and Luceby, in thetime of Edward the Confessor.” From this man1

descends Sir Nicholas Hales, who introduced the Halesname into Kent County and resided at High Halden.

“Halden, in the hundred of Blackborne and Barkeleyhas nothing worthy in it that may oblige aremembrance, but only Hales place, from whence, asfrom their fountain, the several streams of the Hales,that in divided rivulets have spread themselves overthe whole county, did originally break forth,” wroteThomas Philipott, Esquire. “But where Hales place isnow placed, or in what angle of the parish it issituated, I confess I cannot instruct myself, unless it bethat great house which was the original seat of theScots, before they planted at Congerherst in Haukherst.. . . Indeed it is often mentioned in the pedigree ofHales, and likewise in the deeds of that family, as lyingin Halden.”2

“Hales Place is an ancient residence embosomed in foliage about one mile east from the church (HighHalden), and is eminent as having been the originalseat of the family of Hales, who in the reign of HenryVIII removed to Tenterden.”3

The Hales family was very prolific and spreadthemselves from Kent throughout all of England. Information regarding them would take more spacethan I have allowed for this book and they are thesubject for a future volume.

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How the Hales family descends from the originalNicholas Hales is not known. The records being hiddenduring the Oliver Cromwell period. I have been able totrace them from records kept by my family and frominformation gleaned during my years of research when I was the driving force of the Hales GenealogicalSociety.

England in the 1600s was a scene of unrest. In theearly part of the century people left England for thenew land for several reasons including religiousfreedom and new opportunity. In the mid-1600s thecivil war deposed the gentry and new religiousmovements gained footholds. While the civil wardisrupted the country it also disrupted the church. Record keeping in the Anglican Church, whichprovided clues to ancestry, was almost non-existentfrom 1640 to 1660. The unrest subsided in the late1600s and order was restored to the land and to therecords of the church.

Some of our ancestors left for the new land and

Tenterden Place, an early Hales family residence

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some of them remained in England. Some of ourancestors were of the English gentry and some of themwere poor.

There were several Hales families in the Maidstone,Kent area in the 1500s and 1600s. Thomas andNicholas of Yalding and Thomas and Nycholas ofMereworth might even be the same two families in twodifferent locations in close proximity. They areparticularly interesting because Jacob Hales, myearliest known ancestor, was from Yalding. Hopefullysomeone in the future will be able to prove therelationships and sort out these early Halesgenerations.

If Jacob Hales descended from the gentry I cannotdetermine, but he suddenly appears in the town ofYalding, Kent with his new wife, Elizabeth Penny, whohe married at East Malling on November 10, 1692. Shewas the daughter of Henry Penny and was christenedat East Malling. This Hales family enlarged to at leastsix sons and two daughters. How Jacob Hales came toYalding is not known, but perhaps he is one of theHales boys named James mentioned by some of thefamilies in this area, Jacob being the Latinized form ofthe name James.

Perhaps Arnolde Haille of Frinstead is a relative, asFrinstead is the place where John Hales, the oldestchild of Jacob and Elizabeth Penny Hales, traveled tocourt Mary Foster. This was before dictionariesstandardized spellings of words and often people werepleased that they could spell their names differentlythan others in the same family.

John Hales married Mary Foster and they madeBoxley, Kent their home. This couple had a family of sixsons and one daughter; their fourth son, Stephen, being

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Here lies the Body of John Hales of this parish

he died July 29, 1756 aged 62 yearsalso Mary his wife (small headstone at the left)

died July 1, 1737 aged 38 yearsAlso Sarah his second wife

died October the 12, 1754 aged 81 yearsleft isue 4 sons and 1 daughter

Tho John Step Lawrence and Marys n

our ancestor. This Stephen married first Ann Clinch and secondly married Sarah Wells when Ann died. Hisson Stephen, by Ann Clinch, and his son Henry, bySarah Wells, are both direct ancestors.

Stephen, son of Stephen and Ann Clinch Hales, married Margaret Waterman. She was previouslymarried to John Harbour on October 15, 1784 at East

Photographed in May of 1981 in the Boxleychurchyard the barely readable headstone details

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Peckham, Kent. This John Harbour was a farmer who

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Peckham, Kent.. This John Harbour was a farmer whowent to the parish of Westerham and stole two cowsand a calf that belonged to a farmer named Luck. He was hanged at Penenden Heath on April 5, 1786 for hiscrime leaving Margaret a widow. She then marriedStephen Hales on September 9, 1789.

Henry Hales, son of Stephen and Sarah Wells Hales,married Hannah Kidney and had a family includingMary Ann Hales. Mary Ann was christened at the Isleof Sheppey, Kent on October 11, 1799. This family canbe found in several towns in Kent. As they traveled, nodoubt some time was spent with the Stephen andMargaret Waterman Hales family. At any rate MaryAnn, daughter of Henry and Hannah Kidney Hales, andStephen, son of Stephen and Margaret WatermanHales, became well acquainted.

With common grandfathers but different grand-mothers, cousin Stephen Hales married cousin MaryAnn Hales on August 31, 1816 at Rodmersham, Kent, England. This family left England and arrived inCanada in 1832.

From Mary Isabella Hales' journal:

“I was born on the twentieth of November,1818, in the town of Rainham, county of Kent,England. I am the daughter of Stephen and MaryAnn Hales, and am the eldest daughter of a largefamily. My parents were honest, industriouspeople; and when very young I was taught to pray,to be honest and truthful, to be kind to myassociates, and to do good to all around me.

“My father was of the Methodist faith, but mymother attended the Church of England. As I was

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religiously inclined, I attended the MethodistChurch with my father, who was faithful in theperformance of his religious duties, although henever became a very enthusiastic Methodist.

“In the year 1832, when I was in my thirteenthyear, there was great excitement in the town whereI lived, over the favorable reports that were sentfrom Van Diahman's land, and the greatinducements held out to those who would go tothat country. My father and mother caught thespirit of going, and began to make preparations forleaving England. Before arrangements had beencompleted for us to go, however, letters werereceived from Upper Canada, picturing, in glowingterms, the advantages of that country. My fatherchanged his mind immediately and madearrangements to emigrate to the town of York,afterwards called Toronto. Accordingly, on thesixteenth day of April, 1832, our family, consistingof my parents, five sons, myself and a youngersister, bade adieu to England. We had a tediousvoyage of six weeks across the ocean, and mymother was sick during the entire voyage. Duringthe passage across there were three deaths onboard – one of the three being my brother Elias,whom we sorrowfully consigned to a watery grave.

“Our ship anchored at Quebec in May, and aftera tedious passage up the St. Lawrence by steamer,we landed in safety at the town of York, June 16,thankful that we were at our journey's end. Herewe were in a strange land. And to our dismay, wefound that the cholera was raging fearfully in thatregion; but through all of those trying scenes theLord preserved us in health.

“In the spring of 1833 we removed into the

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country about eight miles, to a place located in thetownship of York, and in the spring of 1834 Iattended a Methodist camp-meeting in thatneighborhood, where I formed the acquaintance ofMr. Joseph Horne, who is now my husband.

“The most of the time for the next two years Ilived in service in the city of Toronto, going once inthree months to visit my parents.

“On the ninth day of May, 1836, I was marriedto Mr. Horne. He owned a farm about one mile frommy father's house, and I removed to his residencesoon after our marriage. I now felt that I wassettled in life, and, although I had not been used tofarm work, I milked cows, fed pigs and chickens,and made myself at home in my new situation,seeking to make my home pleasant for my husband,and working to advance his interests.

“About the first of June, of that year, reportcame to us that a man professing to be sent of Godto preach to the people would hold a meeting abouta mile from our house. My husband decided thatwe should go and hear him. We accordingly went,and there first heard Elder Orson Pratt. We werevery much pleased with his sermon. Anothermeeting was appointed for the following week, andElder Pratt told us that business called him away,but his brother, Parley P. Pratt, would be with usand preach in his stead. I invited my father to gowith us to hear him, and the appointed eveningfound all of his family at the "Mormon" meeting. Elder Pratt told us that God was an unchangeablebeing – the same yesterday, today, and forever --and taught us the gospel in its purity; they showedfrom the bible that the gospel was the same in allages of the world; but many had wandered from

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God and the true gospel, and that the Lord had sentan angel to Joseph Smith, restoring to him the puregospel with its gifts and blessings. My father wasso delighted with the sermon that he left theMethodist Church and attended the "Mormon"meetings altogether; and in a short time everymember of his family had received and obeyed thegospel. This made quite a stir among theMethodists. One of the class-leaders came toconverse with us, and used every argument hecould to convince us that Mormonism was false,but without avail. "Well," said he, finally, “there arenone but children and fools who join them,” and leftus to our fate. In July (1836) I was baptized byOrson Hyde, and ever after that our house wasopen for meetings, and became a home for many ofthe elders.

“In the latter part of the summer of 1837 I hadthe great pleasure of being introduced to, andentertaining, the beloved prophet, Joseph Smith,with Sidney Rigdon and T. B. Marsh. I said tomyself, “O Lord, I thank thee for granting the desireof my girlish heart, in permitting me to associatewith prophets and apostles.” On shaking handswith Joseph Smith, I received the Holy Spirit insuch great abundance that I felt it thrill my wholesystem, from the crown of my head to the soles ofmy feet. I thought I had never beheld so lovely acountenance. Nobility and goodness were in everyfeature.

“The saints in Kirtland removed in the followingspring to Missouri. We started from Canada inMarch, 1838 with a small company of saints. Theroads were very bad, as the frost was coming out ofthe ground, consequently I had to drive the team

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during a great portion of the journey, while myhusband walked.

“On arriving at Huntsville, one hundred milesfrom Far West, we found several families of saints,and tarried a short time with them. There I wasintroduced to the parents of the prophet, and alsoto his cousin, George A. Smith. At a meeting heldin that place I received a Patriarchal Blessing fromJoseph Smith Sr. He told me that I had to passthrough a great deal of sickness, sorrow andtribulation, but “The Lord will bring you through sixtroubles, and in the seventh He will not leave you;”all of which has verily been fulfilled.”

Mary Isabella Hales Horne, with her husband andfamily, reached Far West in August of that year, andreceived their full share of the privations incident to thesettlement of that city, and also a full share ofexposure, sickness and peril incident to the expulsionof the saints from Missouri. Finally thereafter theygathered to Nauvoo.

Charles Henry Hales biography

The oldest child of Stephen and Mary Ann Hales,Charles Henry Hales wrote his biography which isrecorded on page 208 of the record of the SecondQuorum of Seventies as follows:

“I, Charles H. Hales, was born in the Parish ofRainham, county of Kent, England, on theseventeenth of June 1817. I was educated andraised under the doctrines of the Church ofEngland. I was baptized in infancy and had

33

Godfathers and Godmothers to stand responsiblefor my conduct until I arrived at the age of fourteen. At this age they were no longer held responsible,since those being confirmed took the responsibilityupon themselves. I did not receive this ordinancemyself, since I was not quite old enough to whenthe bishop visited our parish for confirmation. Itwas established by law that the bishop should visiteach parish twice in seven years. At this time allthose who had arrived at the age of fourteen wereconfirmed while the remainder waited for the nextterm. I was one that had to wait on account of age,but before the next term my father with his familyemigrated to upper Canada in North America. Thiswas in the year 1832.

“My father was a boot and shoe maker by tradeand he taught me the same business until I wasfifteen years of age. I was somewhat adverse tothis trade, and when we came to Canada I waspermitted to follow any occupation I chose. Accordingly I chose to follow farming which I diduntil after the time I embraced the everlastinggospel. My father was a professor of religion. Hewas called a Wesleyan Methodist when we came toCanada, and continued in the same faith until ElderParley P. Pratt came into the providence of UpperCanada and proclaimed the everlasting gospel. Ihad never embraced any of the systems of thepresent age, but had been greatly addicted to thereading of the old and new testament. I wassubject to many serious reflections andwondering’s as to why we had not apostles andprophets on the earth at the present age as wastrue in former ages. Since I was destitute of thepriesthood I could not understand the scriptures. I

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always endeavored to be honest in my dealingswith my fellow men. I had been trained to observethe Sabbath very strictly and to be upright andhonest in all things; principles which I alwaysendeavored to inculcate and practice according tothe knowledge we had of right and wrong.

“I embraced the everlasting gospel in themonth of June 1836. I was baptized by Parley P.Pratt and confirmed by Elders Orson Hyde andParley P. Pratt in the fall of the same year. Afterembracing the truth I went on a visit to Kirtland,Ohio where the church as a body was located. Here I first became acquainted with Joseph Smiththe Prophet and Seer of this last dispensation. Ialso became acquainted with his father, JosephSmith Sr., the Patriarch of the Church for I receivedmy Patriarchal Blessing. I stayed in Kirtland tillspring, and then returned to Canada. I was wellpleased with my visit, and had heard many goodinstructions in the house of the Lord. The sameyear I left Kirtland, I was ordained a priest in theAaronic Priesthood at conference held inScarborough Township in December 1837. I wasthen sent out to preach with Brother Eli Maginnwho had been ordained a priest at the sameconference. We continued to preach until spring atwhich time the word of the Lord through hisservant Joseph was for the saints to sell their farmsand move to the state of Missouri. Accordingly, wegathered a small company together, and afterselling our farms, started our journey on thetwentieth of March in 1838.

“We had a very tiresome journey since westarted just as the roads were breaking up in thespring. We arrived in the state of Missouri in the

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early part of June, coming to a place calledHuntsville. We stayed a short time, since we foundquite a big branch of the church there. Some of ourcompany concluded to buy and settle there whichthey did. I stayed with my father, and went towork for a few months here. I first becameacquainted with Julia Ann Lockwood at this place. She was the daughter of Joseph and AnnisLockwood, and was a member of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Sometime in the month of September, I startedfor Far West, but on coming to DeWitt I wasrequested to stay by George M. Hinckle, who wasPresident of the Branch. I was asked to assist themin defending the place as they were threatenedwith the mob. I did so, although the first time themob came to make an attack on us we were but 23in number while they numbered from 150 to 175. Istayed in DeWitt until the brethren were counseledto leave. Joseph Smith, Hyrum, his brother, andmany other brethren came to assist us from FarWest. I did not leave DeWitt quite as soon as therest of the brethren as I stayed behind to assist oneof my Canadian brethren, who was not quite readywhen the rest were. We, however, calculated toovertake them soon, but one of his horses gave out,and he was compelled to stay. I was then underthe necessity of going to Far West on foot, andalone, since he, himself, gave up the idea of going.

“The first day I lost my way as I crossed theprairie of the Big Mound. I continued traveling tillnight, not knowing but that I was on the right road. On coming to a cultivated field I found a manputting up corn. I inquired if I could stay with himfor the night. He made no reply, but asked me if I

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was a Mormon. I replied in the affirmative. Hethen told me that I could not stay with him, andfurther told me that I was greatly out of my way forFar West. I then told him that I was a perfectstranger in the county, that I had lost my way, thatmy feet were much torn by my boots, and that itwas now sunset, and I could not go any further. Hethen said, as a reason for not keeping me, thatduring our difficulties in DeWitt, he had himselfentertained seventeen of the mob, and that he hadsworn never to keep a Mormon. He did, however,tell me where I could stay for the night.

“In the morning I started again for Far West,and arrived there in October. I arrived just a fewhours before the Crooked River Battle. I was one ofthe company engaged in that affair, although I waslame and tired. I borrowed a horse and a gun, (for Ihad neither) and went to defend my brethren. Isaw Brother Obanion when he fell. Soon after thebattle the Governor's troops came to Far West, anddemanded every man that was engaged in theCrooked River Battle. At this time, we were underthe necessity of having our houses and grain burntand our cattle driven off, or else if we stood up forour rights and defended ourselves like men andsaints of the Most High we must be hunted by anauthorized mob and be driven from our homes andfamilies, or be killed, just as they pleased. As soonas we learned their intentions were to take everyman that was in the Crooked River Battle we allstarted for Illinois, going by the way of Diahman,since we were surrounded on every other side. Before we arrived at Diahman my horse gave out, sothe brethren counseled me to stay in Diahman as Iwas not known by any of the mob in that county.

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Accordingly I stayed till the arms were given upand the brethren returned again to Far West.

“I then went to Fort Leavenworth and workeduntil spring. Then I left the fort and came toQuincy, Illinois. Here I married Julia AnnLockwood on the last day of October 1839. On thefollowing year on the twenty-seventh of November,my eldest daughter was born which we called ElizaAnn.

“The next April I left Quincy and went on amission in company with Elder Andrew Hamilton tothe southern part of the state of Illinois. Webaptized some and left quite a number believing. After I came back I continued to live in Quincy tillnext spring when I moved with my family to thecity of Nauvoo.

“As soon as I arrived in Nauvoo I joined thebrass band and continued to play with them atevery public festival. We played for the NauvooLegion, for the dedication of the Seventies Hall, andfor the laying of the capstone of the Lord's House.

“The first summer after I arrived at Nauvoo, inthe month of June, my second daughter was bornwhich we named Julia Ardena. This was June 1842and in the month of March 1844 my wife deliveredof a son which we called George.

“In the fall following, at the October conference,I was ordained one of the Seventies and wasorganized in the Second Quorum. On the twenty-third of December 1845 we were called to go intothe Temple to receive our endowments. We werefully satisfied that the present organization of thechurch is as it should be, and that the priesthood isagain restored to man on the earth with all it'sattendant gifts and blessings as in ancient days,

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that all men must sooner or later bow to thatpriesthood, held by The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints. We knew that Joseph Smith wasthe instrument in the hands of God in bringing forththe fullness of the gospel and that he lived and dieda prophet of the Most High God, sealing histestimony with his blood as did the ancientprophets and apostles.

“After crossing the plains with the saints,Charles Henry Hales made his home in SpanishFork, Utah where he became a prominent builderand farmer. He married a second wife, Frances E.Brunyer, on October 31, 1856 at Salt Lake City. Hewas the father of twenty-five children by his twowives and is the ancestor of the Spanish Forkbranch of the Utah Hales family. Charles HenryHales and his two wives are buried in the SpanishFork, Utah cemetery.”

Stephen Hales biography

Stephen Hales, third child and second son of Stephen andMary Ann Hales, records the following biography in theSecond Quorum of Seventies records:

“I, Stephen, son of Stephen and Mary Ann Haleswas born in England, Rainham parish, county ofKent, in the year of our Lord 1820. My father was aprofessor of religion. When I was eleven years old,my father removed to America, with all his family. We located in Canada.

“We all tarried there five or six years whenParley P. Pratt came and preached to the peoplewhere my father resided. In a short time my father

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and mother united themselves with The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and removed to theplace of gathering in Far West, Caldwell County,Missouri. At the age of eighteen I was baptized byElder Hunter in Daviess County, Missouri.”

Stephen Hales was caught up in the activities of thesaints to protect themselves from the spirit of mob-feverthat was rampant in Missouri during these trying times. No doubt Governor Bogg's “extermination of theMormons” order caused some of this activity. The HaunMill massacre where wives and children of many of thesaints were killed also led to protective feelings amongthe saints. Stephen's story continues.

“A number of the brethren started off on anexpedition, and I with the rest, to search out thedesigns of the mob. We came to the place wherethey had camped the night before where they hadburied a cannon. I found the cannon and somepowder and balls. And, from there we returnedhome to our city.

“In a short time, I heard the mob was letting thebrethren's fences down and turning the cattle intothe corn fields. A small number of the brethrenincluding myself went in search of them. We left ourhomes about the twelfth hour of the night. Aboutthe break of day we found the mob, encamped on asmall stream called the Crooked River. We marcheddown in battle array. Their guard shot one of ourmen and a number of our men shot their guns athim. The mob fired on us and we returned thecompliments. We returned home with three killedand six wounded and a short time later left ourhomes as exiles and came to Quincy, Adams

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County, Illinois. We resided there four years andcame to Nauvoo in the twenty-fourth year of my age. “I was ordained into the Quorum of Seventiesunder the hands of President Joseph Young andIsaiah Butterfield. I was united to the SecondQuorum of Seventies and by the assisting grace ofGod, I shall try to stand in my lot and station as longas I live on the earth. And, when I leave this worldof trouble, I hope to meet my brethren in the nextbetter world and praise God through all eternity.”4

Stephen Hales married first Eveline Lydia Carter,daughter of Simeon Doget Carter and Lydia KenyonCarter at Nauvoo, Illinois on October 16, 1842. Hemarried second Henrietta Keyes, daughter of SamuelKeyes and Nancy Ann Delgarn Keyes, on December 23,1851. Stephen was the father of fourteen children by histwo wives. He and his wives are buried in theBountiful, Utah cemetery.

Harriet Hales story

Sylvia Barlow, granddaughter of Harriet Hales, tells thisstory about her grandmother:

‘Harriet Hales was born in Kent, England, onJune 10, 1824, the daughter of Stephen and MaryAnn Hales. In June of 1832 the family, thenconsisting of the parents; five boys, Charles, George,Stephen, Henry William and Elias, and two girls,Isabella and Harriet; emigrated to Canada. Theysailed on a ship and the voyage took them elevenweeks. The subject of this sketch spent her eighthbirthday anniversary on the ocean. She had the sad

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experience of seeing one of her brothers, Elias,buried at sea.

“They settled in Toronto, Canada. Here thefamily joined the Mormon Church. When they werefirst invited to attend a Mormon Meeting the fatheragreed to go to the service, but he said that hewould soon knock that into a cocked hat. However,before the service was over he knew that he hadfound the truth. Soon after this the whole familywas baptized.

“In the spring of 1838 they started by team tojoin the body of the saints at Far West, Missouri,arriving in the fall of the same year. While at FarWest they endured the persecutions by the mobswith the rest of the saints. It was here they first metthe Prophet Joseph Smith. After their expulsionfrom Missouri they moved to Quincy, Illinois. There,on October 31, 1839, Harriet married John Ellis, anative of Canada, who had joined the church andemigrated to Quincy.

“Four children were born to Harriet and JohnEllis while they lived in Quincy; namely, Mary Ann,Hanna Isabella, Stephen Hales and John Henry. In1842 they moved to Nauvoo where they lived untilthe expulsion of the saints by the mob.

“Harriet's father and mother joined them tocommence the journey across the plains. One daythe oxen strayed away, and Harriet's father went insearch of them. He became fatigued, and reaching aspring of water, he drank from it. It was laterlearned that the water was poisoned, and it causedhis death. His wife, Mary Ann, started the journey,but she also died while crossing the plains.

“They started for the Rocky Mountains in thespring of 1851, and it is believed that they were in

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John Taylor's company. Harriet's younger brother,Henry, and his family were also in the samecompany. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley inSeptember of 1851. Harriet's sister Isabella's twosons, Joseph and Henry Horne, met them in Parley'sCanyon and took them to the Horne Home. Isabellaand her family had come west with the secondcompany of pioneers in 1847.

“After resting a few days they went on toBountiful where they proceeded to make a home. Four months after their arrival a baby girl was bornto the family, and she was named Harriet Louisa. They built a one room log house in which they livedfor a number of years. Later, in about 1867, theybuilt a four room adobe house. It was located aquarter of a mile south of the Woods Cross depot. Itwas quite a roomy house with a large attic, and wasbuilt on their homestead. Six more children wereborn to the family, Joseph Ezra, Sarah Ann,Elizabeth Jane, Laura Victoria, Charles William,George Franklin (who only lived one year), andJames (who died at ten months).

“The family engaged in stock raising. They kepta little flock of sheep to supply wool for clothing. The wool was prepared for use by the industriousmother. She sewed for her family by hand, evenmaking trousers for her husband and sons. She alsomade them straw hats by braiding the straw andsewing the braids together. They made their ownsoap and candles. When the grain was ready forharvest it was cut and cradled by hand. During theharvest when the men worked hard, Harrietprepared lunches and a cool drink and sent them tothe fields during the morning and afternoon. Theyraised sugar cane and had a molasses mill on the

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bench land farm. This mill was one of the first inBountiful. Youngsters came from miles around withtheir pails to get the skimming’s to make candy.

“The Ellis home was a hospitable one. Themother, and subject of this sketch, was a capable,refined woman, and her husband was a happy,jovial man who loved young people. Naturally theirfireside was often the scene of social gatherings. These two often sang together for the entertainmentof their family and friends. Singing school was oftenheld in their home.

“Tragedy struck the family when the father died,after a severe illness of several months duration. Heleft his widow and ten surviving children. Some ofthe cattle and property were sold to pay the doctorbills. The mother kept her family together, and inspite of her strenuous household duties, she alwaysfound time to take an active part in church affairs. She was a Sunday School teacher for twenty-fiveyears, and when the Relief Society was organizedshe served as treasurer of the ward organization. She pieced several quilt tops for the Relief Society;she was a very fine needle woman.

“She was matron at the Deseret Hospital forabout two years. In 1897 she went to live with heryoungest daughter, Laura, and she made her homethere until her death on May 24, 1910, after havingbeen a widow for thirty-nine years.

Henry William Hales story

This sketch was compiled by an unknown author manyyears ago. It was not in the original Windows book. Ithas been added here and edited by Kenneth Glyn Hales.

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For additional information on the family of HenryWilliam Hales refer to The Hales Newsletter, Volume 4,Number 1, “There Goes Matilda,” and Volume 4,Number 2, “The Gypsies are Coming! The Gypsies areComing.”5

“Henry William Hales, the sixth son and ninthchild of Stephen Hales and Mary Ann Hales, wasborn on August 7, 1829 at Rainham, Kent, England.

“Henry was nearly three when his father andfamily immigrated to Canada in the spring of 1832and settled at Toronto. He was in his seventh yearwhen his father, mother, older brother CharlesHenry, and older sister Mary Isabella, embracedThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints inthe year 1836. In his ninth year, in 1838 in thespring, the Hales family started by team to gatherwith the saints at Far West, Missouri. The roadswere bad because of the spring thaw, andfollowing several stops along the way they arrivedin the fall. Now the Hales family was with the mainbody of the church and were subject to all of thepersecutions of that time.

“Henry first saw the Prophet Joseph Smith atKirtland when he was betrayed into the hands ofthe mob by Colonel George Hinkle, and heard him,along with other prisoners, sentenced to be shotwithout being given a hearing.

“From Far West the Hales family was expelledfrom the state of Missouri with the rest of the saintsand went to Quincy, Illinois. They remained atQuincy until 1841 when the Hales family, withHenry in his twelfth year, removed to Nauvoo,Illinois.

“It was at Nauvoo where Henry heard theProphet Joseph Smith preach and prophecy andsay, “Thus sayeth the Lord.” He heard him say thathe had finished his work and rolled the burden of

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the Church onto the Twelve Apostles and that theyhad to round up their shoulders and bear off theKingdom or they would be damned. The Apostleswere given all the keys, power and authority heheld to build up the Kingdom, and they had to do it. He had laid the foundation and they had to build itup.

“Henry was nearly fifteen when he saw theProphet Joseph Smith being taken to the jail atCarthage, Illinois and heard him say, “I am goinglike a lamb to the slaughter, but I am as calm as asummer morning. I have a conscience void ofoffence to God and all men, and it will yet be said Iwas murdered in cold blood.” He saw Joseph andHyrum Smith in their coffins. He knew they weremen of God.

“Henry was baptized November 9, 1844 by JonaC. Wright at the age of fifteen. Less than a yearlater, he was just sixteen when he was ordained aSeventy June 29,1845, at Nauvoo, and was amember of the 29th Quorum. He received hisendowments in the Nauvoo Temple December 31,1845.

“When the saints began their trip west, Henrywas with the first that crossed the Mississippi toleave Nauvoo. He joined the Camp at Sugar Creekin Iowa, and continued with the Camp to GardenGrove where he helped build the houses and plantthe fields for those that were not able to go on thatseason. Then he went back to Nauvoo to help hisfather's family start west. They went to FortMadison, Iowa, just across the river from Nauvoo,where he and his father were taken very ill. Hisfather, Stephen Hales, died at this place October5th, 1846 and was buried in the City Cemetery onOctober 7th.

“Henry was just getting well when the mobcame and made war on the saints that were left.

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They could hear the canons distinctly. They wenton to Garden Grove, Iowa that fall and lived thereuntil the following winter when they returned toFort Madison where Henry obtained work.

“The next year Henry returned to Garden Groveto take care of the stock. His mother marriedWilliam G. Thompson. He took the teams andmoved them to Garden Grove where they remaineduntil 1850 when he married Eliza Ann Ewing on the19th of May.

“In the spring of 1851 they started for Salt Lake. His mother died on the plains and was buried atthe Ancient Bluff Ruins. They arrived in Salt Lakeabout the first day of Autumn. He first built ahouse at Little Cottonwood and lived there until thespring of 1853. At that time he went to CedarValley and made his home.

“During the Indian troubles Henry helped buildtwo forts. He participated in all the Indian troublesand through the Grasshopper War when flour couldnot be bought for any price. On January 11, 1857 hemarried Sarah Jane McKinney, and received hisPatriarchal Blessing from John Young on August 27,1857. He was then called to go to the city to be inreadiness to go to Echo Canyon if needed. He wasthere when the U.S. Commissioners came toinvestigate the trouble between the people of Utahand the U.S. Government, and he stayed there untilthe trouble was settled.

“Henry lived in Cedar Fort until the fall of 1859when he removed to Big Cottonwood Canyon andstayed until 1861. Then he moved to Weber Valleyand made a farm at Enterprise, Morgan County. Heand his brother, Stephen, were two of the firstfarmers in Enterprise.

“Henry and Isaac Bowman were among the firstschool teachers in Enterprise. He was chosen andserved as Counselor to Bishop Charles Peterson.

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He was also road commissioner and laid out most ofthe roads in the county. While at Enterprise, athigh water, the Weber River cut his farm in two andcarried about ten acres of the best land away. Soonafter, the railroad took a strip and they cut in theditches. On October 14, 1872, he was sealed in theEndowment House to Jane Spencer Hall. He lostsix crops to grasshoppers, so in 1873 he sold outand moved back to Cedar Valley.

“In Cedar Valley Henry and his family rented afarm and ran a stock ranch until the fall of 1877when they moved to Laketown in Millard County. There they entered and fenced a quarter section ofland, farmed and raised stock and sheep until 1891when they moved to Deseret, Millard County.

“Henry was ordained a High Priest in TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints atFillmore and he was Presiding Elder of Laketownuntil he moved to Deseret. He was appointed one ofa committee of three to complete the Deseretmeeting house and continued until it wascompleted. He was set apart as Counselor toBishop Milton Moody and continued in that callinguntil the reorganization of the wards on November22, 1898. At that time he was set apart asCounselor to Bishop Frank Hinckley until heresigned on account of ill health and could not seewhen out after dark. He was ordained a Patriarchby John Taylor assisted by Reed Smoot and Ira N.Hinckley.

“Henry had the privilege of entertaining in hishome President Wilford Woodruff and his wife attwo different times. Also Owen Woodruff and hiswife at the same time. A number of times heentertained in his home President Lorenzo Snow,wife Jennie, and a son LeRoy. He also entertainedPresident Joseph F. Smith several times, along withtwo of his wives and two of his sons, Hyrum M. and

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Joseph Fielding Smith. Others that wereentertained included Apostles Reed Smoot, his wifeand son; George 0. Cannon; Francis M. Lyman andwife; Anthon H. Lund; Heber J. Grant; John W.Taylor; Henry George Teasdale; Orson F . Whitneyand Charles W. Pemose as well as several of theFirst Seven Presidents of Seventy, B. H. Roberts;Rulon S. Wells, and Joseph McMurrin.

“Henry was the father of nine children by hiswife Eliza Ann Ewing and the father of fifteenchildren by his wife Sarah Jane McKinney.

“Henry William Hales died June 25, 1909 ofheart trouble, following an illness of a week, whilevisiting in Woods Cross, Utah. He was buried inDeseret, Millard County, Utah. “

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1. Rev. R. Cox Hales, M.A. Archaeologia Cantiana,Multiple volumes, Publication of the Kent ArchaeologicalSociety. (London: Mitchell and Hughes, 1892), Vol. 14 p.61.

2. Thomas Philipott, Esquire, Villare Cantianum; or Kent Surveyed and Illustrated. (London: W. Lane, 1776), p.176.

3. Samuel Bagshaw, History, Gazetteer, and Directory ofthe County of Kent, Comprising a General Survey of theCounty. (Sheffield: Ridge, 1847), Vol. II p. 623.

4. Recorded by B. W. Elliot on September 6th, 1845 atNauvoo, City of Joseph.

5. Kenneth Glyn Hales, The Hales Newsletter, NewSeries, (Privately Printed, 1995 – 2002), Vol. 1 – 7. (Note: These Newsletters can be found at the Salt LakeCity Family History Library as well as other mainFamily History Libraries).