Post by Admin on May 7, 2021 12:22:36 GMT -7
The Phillip Rodgers Family
www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/75539833/notes-on-the-life-of-philip-roberts-sr-his-wife-maria-obrey-he-was-a-stone-mason-to-the-crown
www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/75539833/notes-on-the-life-of-philip-roberts-sr-his-wife-maria-obrey-he-was-a-stone-mason-to-the-crown
Philip Roberts Sr., son of Thomas Roberts and Mary Jane Williams, was born 4 May 1814 in Johnson, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, (know as Pope’s Hill). He was christened 22 May 1814, Hamlet of St. Thomas, Pembrokeshire, South Wales. His Father died when he was young. There are five sisters, Sallie or Sarah, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth and Mary Ann listed on the “Family Search” Group sheet, but only three listed in the family stories. Elizabeth and Mary Ann have been recently added. The Family stories state that there were six or seven brothers, but only four are listed on the “family Search” group sheet: Thomas, Lewis, Robert and David. The Family stories have Philip Sr. as the youngest and he grew to be six-foot-tall, blue eyes, brown hair, a very stately gentleman. They were all farmers and worked very hard for a living.
At the age of four, Philip earned wages for shooing birds off the shocks of gain. When older he worked at a dairy farm, starting to work in the morning before it was light and worked until dark in the evening. The maids in the kitchen gave him the pieces of candles that were too short to burn in the holders. With these he studied at night and gained a good practical education.
Philip saved his money and apprenticed himself to learn the trade of stone-cutter and was an expert at this trade. As a child, I heard my great grandmother tell my mother the story she had been told as a young girl, that the underside of his rocks was done as good as the other parts. He was honest and thorough in all he did and expected every other man to be as just.
Philip met and married Maria Obrey, February 2, 1842. She was born September 6, 1814 in Pembrodock, South Wales. She was the daughter of John Obrey and Elenor Allen. She was tall and large allover, very stately and handsome, dark hair and eyes. She had a good education, grace and culture. Growing up, her family’s religion taught them that it was a sin to be an actor or anything to do with stage or the theater, she said she would have made that her life’s’ work.
Her father was a ship builder and in the King’s employ. The family was very proud of it. Her mother was very proud and fashionable. A story about Maria’s father that has been passed down is that at the time he was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he was serving as secretary or clerk of the local “Church of England” church. He had intended before being baptized to tell the minister and turn the book in but the Elder said not to give the devil notice of joining the Mormons. But one evening he told the minister and the next morning went to work high on a scaffold, fell and was killed.
Philip and Maria’s first daughter Emma Jane was born 10 Oct 1843, she passed away in 1851. Next came their twin sons, Joseph and John Obrey. They were born April 9, 1846, then Hyrum Thomas was born 1 August 1848, Celestial was born 28 August 1850, Philip Jr. born 28 August 1852 and My Great-Great Grandmother Mariah was born 17 November 1855.
Philip and Mariah joined the Latter-Day Saint church and their home was open to the Elders for years. Some of the Missionaries would stay for weeks at a time. He was active in the church, he spoke and sand in tongues. The name of the missionary that converted them was Elder Henshaw. Philip and his wife were converted about 1844. Maria said that when she first heard the gospel preached, she knew it was true and loved it. She washed the Elder’s clothes and darned their socks.
The family left Liverpool, England on June 4, 1868. The family sailed on a sailing vessel known as "John Bright" because they could not afford steamship passage. It had 722 people on board.
Another story that was shared by Maria was that Philip Sr., her husband, worked with the Elders at the printing office of the Millennial Star. She went to the office to take Philip lunch and the brethren were printing the revelation of Plural Marriage, the first given to the public. The paper was always printed during the week and came out the following Monday. From the time she went to the office, the men looked like devils as she felt so hard towards them. She felt so bad on Sunday that she decided to fast and she fasted from that evening until Tuesday. The paper came out with the revelation on Monday; that night she was showed the truths of Polygamy, from Adam until Joseph Smith like an unbroken chain and was told not to tell but she knew the Gospel and it’s teaching were true.
The Family arrived in Salt Lake City in August 1868. Philip’s wife Maria and youngest daughter, Mariah went to Cache Valley to live with her two brothers, Samuel and Thomas Obrey. Their daughter, Celestial had married, so Philip Sr. and Philip jr. went East working on the Union Pacific Railroad. They worked to Omaha, Nebraska. There they bought a farm and built a home and the mother and daughter joined them. In the fall or Summer of 1877, Philip Jr. married Maggie Curtian, a member of the Catholic Church. The two Marias came to Utah and the mother took ill and died. She was buried at Hooper, Utah in November 1877 soon after Philip sr. came to Utah.
Philip Sr. and Maria Obrey Roberts were sealed in the Endowment House. Celestial Roberts Knight and Maria Roberts Syrett were sealed to their parents in the Endowment House and all the sons were sealed in 1926 in the Salt Lake Temple by Philip Roberts.Philip Roberts Sr., after coming to Utah become neglectful of his duties in the church, looked at Men’s actions and business dealings.
After he was eighty years old he lived in out home, attended sacrament meetings and prayers but did not wear his L.D.S. garments, seemed to have gone back to the religion of his youth. Philip Sr. died 6 February 1910 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States. A newspaper article entitled “Philip Roberts Found Dead” has been added to this history by a member of the family.
Hazel Knight Hansen, granddaughter to Philip Sr. tells the story, “My Mother, Celestial and Uncle Philip Jr., advised me to talk to the President of the Manti Temple, Lewis Anderson, which I did in May of 1919. He asked me if Philip Sr. ever talked or did anything against the Church. He never did in any way as I knew. President Anderson studied for some minutes then said there was nothing for us to do, all would be all right.”
At the age of four, Philip earned wages for shooing birds off the shocks of gain. When older he worked at a dairy farm, starting to work in the morning before it was light and worked until dark in the evening. The maids in the kitchen gave him the pieces of candles that were too short to burn in the holders. With these he studied at night and gained a good practical education.
Philip saved his money and apprenticed himself to learn the trade of stone-cutter and was an expert at this trade. As a child, I heard my great grandmother tell my mother the story she had been told as a young girl, that the underside of his rocks was done as good as the other parts. He was honest and thorough in all he did and expected every other man to be as just.
Philip met and married Maria Obrey, February 2, 1842. She was born September 6, 1814 in Pembrodock, South Wales. She was the daughter of John Obrey and Elenor Allen. She was tall and large allover, very stately and handsome, dark hair and eyes. She had a good education, grace and culture. Growing up, her family’s religion taught them that it was a sin to be an actor or anything to do with stage or the theater, she said she would have made that her life’s’ work.
Her father was a ship builder and in the King’s employ. The family was very proud of it. Her mother was very proud and fashionable. A story about Maria’s father that has been passed down is that at the time he was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he was serving as secretary or clerk of the local “Church of England” church. He had intended before being baptized to tell the minister and turn the book in but the Elder said not to give the devil notice of joining the Mormons. But one evening he told the minister and the next morning went to work high on a scaffold, fell and was killed.
Philip and Maria’s first daughter Emma Jane was born 10 Oct 1843, she passed away in 1851. Next came their twin sons, Joseph and John Obrey. They were born April 9, 1846, then Hyrum Thomas was born 1 August 1848, Celestial was born 28 August 1850, Philip Jr. born 28 August 1852 and My Great-Great Grandmother Mariah was born 17 November 1855.
Philip and Mariah joined the Latter-Day Saint church and their home was open to the Elders for years. Some of the Missionaries would stay for weeks at a time. He was active in the church, he spoke and sand in tongues. The name of the missionary that converted them was Elder Henshaw. Philip and his wife were converted about 1844. Maria said that when she first heard the gospel preached, she knew it was true and loved it. She washed the Elder’s clothes and darned their socks.
The family left Liverpool, England on June 4, 1868. The family sailed on a sailing vessel known as "John Bright" because they could not afford steamship passage. It had 722 people on board.
Another story that was shared by Maria was that Philip Sr., her husband, worked with the Elders at the printing office of the Millennial Star. She went to the office to take Philip lunch and the brethren were printing the revelation of Plural Marriage, the first given to the public. The paper was always printed during the week and came out the following Monday. From the time she went to the office, the men looked like devils as she felt so hard towards them. She felt so bad on Sunday that she decided to fast and she fasted from that evening until Tuesday. The paper came out with the revelation on Monday; that night she was showed the truths of Polygamy, from Adam until Joseph Smith like an unbroken chain and was told not to tell but she knew the Gospel and it’s teaching were true.
The Family arrived in Salt Lake City in August 1868. Philip’s wife Maria and youngest daughter, Mariah went to Cache Valley to live with her two brothers, Samuel and Thomas Obrey. Their daughter, Celestial had married, so Philip Sr. and Philip jr. went East working on the Union Pacific Railroad. They worked to Omaha, Nebraska. There they bought a farm and built a home and the mother and daughter joined them. In the fall or Summer of 1877, Philip Jr. married Maggie Curtian, a member of the Catholic Church. The two Marias came to Utah and the mother took ill and died. She was buried at Hooper, Utah in November 1877 soon after Philip sr. came to Utah.
Philip Sr. and Maria Obrey Roberts were sealed in the Endowment House. Celestial Roberts Knight and Maria Roberts Syrett were sealed to their parents in the Endowment House and all the sons were sealed in 1926 in the Salt Lake Temple by Philip Roberts.Philip Roberts Sr., after coming to Utah become neglectful of his duties in the church, looked at Men’s actions and business dealings.
After he was eighty years old he lived in out home, attended sacrament meetings and prayers but did not wear his L.D.S. garments, seemed to have gone back to the religion of his youth. Philip Sr. died 6 February 1910 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States. A newspaper article entitled “Philip Roberts Found Dead” has been added to this history by a member of the family.
Hazel Knight Hansen, granddaughter to Philip Sr. tells the story, “My Mother, Celestial and Uncle Philip Jr., advised me to talk to the President of the Manti Temple, Lewis Anderson, which I did in May of 1919. He asked me if Philip Sr. ever talked or did anything against the Church. He never did in any way as I knew. President Anderson studied for some minutes then said there was nothing for us to do, all would be all right.”
The records are complete in the files of the temple, were gone over by Hazel Knight Hansen of Kearns, Utah in May 1956.
Sources:
• Family information listed on the original family group sheet complied by Velma Mitchell
• Kingston Ward Records (Gs6351 F Utah K5 p.2) Kingston, Piute, Utah
• Birth & Marriage certificates, emigration records from British Mission was held by Celestial Millerberg 121 West 7500 South, Midvale, Utah
• LDS Liverpool Conference (Gs13656 F Eng. 1 pt.38)
• Also family Pedigree chart complied by Mrs. Elsie F. Roberts 237 North 4th East, Logan, Utah
• Family group sheet held by Thurlan Anderson, brother to Velma Mitchell
• Hinckley Ward Records, Hinckley, Utah
• Birth & Marriage certificates found at Somerset House, Eng. 1841, 1843, 1848, 1850, 1855 - Census of Kirkdale, Everton, England.
• Sailing to America Information taken from the British Mission History p2. (4 June 1868)
• Birth & Marriage certificates, emigration records from British Mission was held by Celestial Millerberg 121 West 7500 South, Midvale, Utah