10 March 1787 – 20 October 1855
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HISTORY OF THOMAS GUYMON
Thomas Guymon was born March 17, 1787; a son of Isaiah Guymon and Elisabeth Flynn* His father, Isaiah, was the first Guymon born in the United States, and a soldier of the Revolutionary War. We know very little about the childhood days of Thomas Guymon. The first we know he was a young man living in Surry County, North Carolina. He was a goodnatured man and was liked by everyone who knew him. He was an ambitious young man with a fairly good education for those days, for we know he had enough education to be a school teacher. He was also a farmer. It seems that in the first part of the Nineteenth Century people only had time for school when there was no farm work to be done; therefore he farmed in the summer and taught school in the winter. The descendants of Thomas Guymon have in there possession a contract which reads as follows
CONTRACT FOR TEACHING SCHOOL
Articles of an agreement made and entered into between Thomas Guymon of the County of Jackson, in the state of Tennessee of the first part, and we the undersigners of the other part. The said Guymon does bind himself to teach a school for three months, of reading and writing five days out of every week, at the rate of six dollars per year. One half in current money to be paid at the end of school; one half to be paid in cotton, wool or cloth delivered before the 25th of December. The school house to be built at the Dripping Spring, between that of Guymon and Orson Martins. The school to begin on the second of August. The said Guymon to make up all lost time that he does loose. The said Guymon is to keep good order in the school. The subscribers with the teacher are to build a good sufficient schoolhouse. The house is to be ready in good time. Signed this 11 day of July 1821.
Signed: Thomas Hicklen, Archibald M. LeVant, Orson Martin, Salton Coyd, John McLearan.
Along with the other work Thomas Guymon did while living in Tennessee he operated a ferry boat crossing over the Cumberland River. His ferry consisted of several boats, some large and some small. The large boats were big enough to carry two teams and wagons. The large boats were run by hose power. The horse was in the cent of the boat, the horse went round and round, which worked the paddles, and the paddles pushed the boat across the river. The small boats were propelled by hand or by a rope stretched across the river.
Thomas married Sarah Gordon the 23rd day of February 1809, and together their married life began in Surry County, North Carolina. Here their first three sons were born. They moved from North Carolina to Jackson County, Tennessee about 1815. Tennessee was the birth place of their next three sons and one daughter. They lived in Tennessee for some ten years, then they moved to Paris, Edgar County, Illinois, where three more daughters were born to them.
One beautiful day in 1836, Thomas' son James came home very excited, with information of a new church. It was different from the other churches they had known. Thomas and his sons were out in the forest chopping wood. When James told them his story they listened with interest, and when James had finished speaking, Thomas stood upon a log and said, "Jim that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is just what we have been looking for." Thomas and his wife Sarah, his sons James and Thomas, and his daughters Barzilla, Polly Ann and Melissa Jane were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They soon joined the saints and were with them through all their persecutions.
From the history of Caldwell County, the following information was obtained. A document or covenant made in Caldwell County, Missouri, January 29, 1839. Among the signers we find the name of Thomas Guymon and his son Noah Thomas.
"We hose names are here underwritten, do each for ourselves individually here-by covenant to stand by and assist each other, to the utmost of our abilities, in removing from this state in compliance with the authority of the state; and we do hereby acknowledge ourselves firmly bound to the extent of all our available property to be disposed of by ai committee who shall be appointed for that purpose, for providing moans for removing of the poor and destitute who shall be considered worthy, from this country till there shall not be one left who desires to move from the state; with this proviso., that no individual shall be deprived of the right of the disposal of his own property, for the above purpose, or having the control of it, or so much of it as shall be necessary for the removal of his own family; and be entitled to the surplus after the work is affected; and furthermore said committee shall give receipts for all property, and an account of all expenditures of the same. (There were 214 signers).
The committee members were as follows: William Huntington, Charles Bird, Alanson Bigpley, Theodore Turley, Daniel Shearer, Shadrack Roundy, and Jonithan H. Hale.
Thomas came across the plain to Utah, leaving Illinois in the spring of 1850 with the Aaron Johnson Company. With him were his children who had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the exception of James who came the year before. The children were all married and had families of their own, except Melissa Jane and she and her future husband did their courting while crossing the plains. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley in September 1850. Thomas lived only five years after coming to Utah, The fact that they had Joined the church had divided his family, because his sons Isaiah, John and William never Joined the church, and as a result they .and their families remained in the state of Illinois, He never for one moment regretted Joining the Church, but he did regret the separation in his family. We have many copies of letters exchanged between those who remained in the east with those who came west.
Thomas Guymon died in Sprlngville, Utah County, Utah 20 October 1855.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS GUYMON
Isaiah Guymon b 15 Feb 1810 in Surry County, North Carolina
John Guymon b 28 Nov 1811 in Surry County, North Carolina
William Guymon b 23 Jan 1815 in Surry County, North Carolina
James Guymon b 2? Dec 1816 in Jackson County, Tennessee
Noah Thomas Guymon b 30 June 1819 in Jackson County, Tennessee
Martin Guymon b 12 June 1821 in Jackson County, Tennessee
Barazlla Guymon b 31 Dec 1823 in Jackson County, Tennessee
Elizabeth Guymon b 19 July 1826 in Edgar County, Illinois
Polly Arm Guymon b 11 July 1829 in Edgar County, Illinois
Sarah Jane Guymon b 11 July 1829 in Edgar County, Illinois
Melissa Jane Guymon b 14 Feb I833 in Edgar County, Illinois
In Volume 6 page 337 of the History of the Church we find that Thomas Guymon filled a mission to North Carolina in the year 1844, This was his birth place.
Pioneer story of Thomas Guymon family- Missouri to Salt Lake- 1850
Thomas, Sarah & son Noah came in 1850 with the Aaron Johnson Co. They left with 100 wagons from Council Bluffs. Trek was from June 8 to Sep 12 1850. Their company had bad cholera (blessings, prayers & healings), a buffalo run through camp, lots of rain. They all walked to lighten the load of the poor oxen. People would sing, tell stories, have music (fiddle, flute etc), dancing. Visited by the Chief of the Ottawa.
Info found from different diaries of people in the company. on lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompanysearch.
Biography of Thomas Guymon
10 Mar. 17871–20 Oct. 1855.
Schoolteacher, farmer. Born in Surry Co., North Carolina. Son of Isaiah Guymon and Elizabeth Flynn. Married Sarah (Sally) Gordon/Gordin, Feb. 1809, in Stokes Co., North Carolina. Moved to Jackson Co., Tennessee, by 1820. Moved to Edgar Co., Illinois, by 1830. Baptized into LDS church by “Brother Rathburn,” by 9 June 1835. Ordained a priest and appointed to lead branch of church in Edgar Co., Illinois, 21 June 1835. Member of high council in Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri, 1838. Moved to Hancock Co., Illinois, by 1840. Migrated to Utah Co., Utah Territory, 1850. Died at Springville, Utah Co.
I found this on: http://josephsmithpapers.org/person?name=Thomas+Guymon
https://familysearch.org/photos/images/3435908?p=5069910&returnLabel=Thomas%20Guymon%20(KWJ2-ZD6)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilysearch.org%2Ftree%2F%23view%3Dancestor%26person%3DKWJ2-ZD6%26section%3Dmemories
Hi, just wondering where the last photo of Thomas at the bottom of this biography came from. I had it in my tree and another distant family member who hadn't seen it before was wondering. Unfortunately I didn't know. So many photos are shared online. I couldn't remember.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Karrie