2 April 1832 – 2 May 1896
Brief History of Jane Jewkes Crowther:
Story written by Jane Crowther Anderson
Jane Jewkes, (wife of Thomas Crowther), was born April 2, 1832, at Kateshill, Worcestershire, England. Her mother was Jane Woodward Jewkes (born June 3, 1802, at Tipton, Stafford, England) and her father was William Jewkes (born January 5, 1794).
Jane’s parents lived in the parish of Tipton, which was only one and one half miles from the large city of Dudley. Tipton is situated nearly in the center of an extensive and rich mining district. The area had grown from a village to a town of over 11,500 population in the 1830’s because of the abundant 30-foot thick deposits of coal and iron-stone found under almost every acre of the area. The mines were of superior quality, and provided employment for the people of the community.
Jane’s father was killed in a mine accident at Kateshill eight and one half months before she was born. We do not know much about her childhood, for we have no records. We do know that she had four older brothers: Richard, Samuel, William, and John. We find her on the census, living with her brother, Richard, when she was six years old.
Her mother was married again soon after she was born, to a man by the name of *William Price Dunn, and had *two daughters by him: Lydia, and Mary. Although we never heard much about them, we know they came to America. Lydia was married to a man by the name of Coombs, and was Postmistress at Huntington, Utah, for several years.
When Jane was *seventeen, she married a man by the name of *John Price, on *December 9, 1849, at *Saint Thomas, Dudley, Worcestershire, England. Together they had two children: Richard and Mary Jane. Their little son Richard, was born September 9, 1851, in *Sedgley, Staffordshire, England. Because of her husband’s drinking problem and disposition, she left him. Her little baby girl, Mary Jane, was born shortly after, on March 9, 1854, in *Kates Hill, Worcestershire, England; she only lived eighteen days.
Jane Jewkes was a small woman, weighing about 110 pounds, and was 5 foot 2 inches tall. She had dark brown eyes and was a very kind, patient person. *The following spring after she was married, she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the 7th of April 1850, by Elder George Hill, in the Tipton Branch of the Birmingham Conference. This was probably one of he things her husband resented.
On the 22 of April, 1855, she left the shores of England with her sister, Mary Ann, to come to Zion, traveling to America on the ship “Samuel Curling,” and bringing her three year old son, Richard, with her. William remained in England. John also came to America, although they lost track of him. However, in later years when Lewis Anderson (uncle to author) was on a mission in Chicago, Illinois, he found him living there.
*Jane Price (age 23) and son Richard (age3) departed July 25, 1855, with the Charles A. Harper Company. 305 individuals and 39 wagons were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Mormon Grove, Kansas (Near Atchison). Captain Charles Harper rightly called his overland emigrant company "a mixed multitude from many nations"; it included French, English, Welsh, and Italians. Some of Harper's company left England on the S. Curling. (called the Samuel Curling. in Latter-day Saint literature). Some of these travelers were Perpetual Emigration Fund (PEF) passengers (which Jane and Richard were); others paid their own fares. Arriving at New York City, they transferred to Philadelphia by steamer and then continued by rail to Pittsburgh and by steamboat (the Amazon), down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to St. Louis. Finally, up the Missouri they went on the Ben Bolt. Several different groups of these emigrants joined Harper's company at Mormon Grove.
It was in Utah in the fall of 1855 that Jane Jewkes met Thomas Crowther; *he had traveled across the plains just six weeks before Jane and Richard had. They were married November 25, 1855, by the President of the Stake, Isaac C Haight, in Iron County.
Thomas Crowther had lost his first wife and a baby at St Louis, Missouri. He buried them at Mormon Grove, and after some time came on to Utah by ox team, bringing his little girl, Mary Ann, who was only four years old. This gave them much in common, she with a little boy three years old and he with a little girl of the same age. But exactly two months after they were married, January 25, 1856, little Richard, the son of Jane’s first marriage, passed away. He was buried at Cedar City, Iron County, Utah.
They moved from one settlement to another in Southern Utah for a while but finally settled in Fountain Green, where most of their children were born. Their family grew to three boys and seven girls. They were faithful Latter-day Saints, she staying home and taking care of the children, while Thomas helped on both the St. George and Manti temples.
Vernal and Jane C. Anderson made a trip with her Father and Mother (William Orson and Mary Caroline Crowther), (brother to Sarah Jane Crowther Johnson) to Fountain Green and visited the old home site. Their house had fallen down, except for one end, where the old fireplace stood. William O. walked all around the place, and it was sacred ground to him. He told of several stories of his childhood days. He spoke of his mother’s beautiful voice, and how he loved to hear her sing.
In March 1890 Thomas and Jane left Fountain Green and moved to Sanford, Colorado, where most of their children had settled. They purchased a lot (for three dollars and thirty-five cents) within a few blocks of the homes of all the children, and there built a little brick house where they were happy and comfortable.
They were soon put to work in the Church. Thomas was ordained a patriarch and Jane became a counselor to Cornelia Mortensen in the Stake Relief Society. They both served for several years.
On the morning of May 2, 1896, Thomas arose and went out to feed the chickens and milk the cow. Thinking Jane was still asleep, he didn’t disturb her. When he came in he could see she had never moved. On going to her bedside, he found she had passed away in her sleep. She was buried in the cemetery at Sanford, Colorado.Obituary of Jane Jewkes Crowther, From the Deseret News. The Manti Messenger, Friday 15 May 1896
Jane Jewkes Crowther, died at Sanford, Conejos county, Colorado, Jane Jewkes Crowther, wife of Thomas Crowther, born at Kateshill Dudley, Worcestershire, England, April 2, 1832, baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints April 7, 1850 by Elder George Hill in the Tipton branch of the Birmingham conference, She emigrated to Utah in 1855 and was married to Thomas Crowther November 25th of the same year at Cedar City, Iron county, Utah. From this place she moved with her husband in 1860 to Ephraim, Sanpete County, and in 1861 removed to Fountain Green of the same county, where she took a prominent part in the Relief Society, holding the office of first counselor to the president of that ward. In 1890 she removed with her family to Sanford, Colorado, where she continued her labors, holding the office of second counselor to the president of the Relief Society of the San Luis Stake. Sister Crowther was the mother of twelve children two of whom have gone before her. She leaves an aged husband, ten children, forty-nine grand children, one brother, one sister and a host of friends to mourn her loss. She had been failing in health about eighteen months, but of late had appeared to be improving, and on May 1st was at a birthday party of one of her daughters. On the morning of May 2nd, Brother Crowther left her sleeping while he went out to feed his stock, being out about fifteen minutes, and on returning to the house found she had passed away apparently without a struggle. She had been a loving and devoted wife and mother and died in full faith of the Gospel, with the hope of a glorious resurrection. May 4, at 10 a.m. the cortege went from the family residence to the meeting house where the services were conducted by Bishop Soren C. Berthelsen. Bishop Marcus Funk, Soren C. Berthelsen and Stake President Albert R. Smith were the speakers. The funeral was one of the largest ever seen in Sanford.
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