Thomas Richardson

Thomas Richardson Jr. was born Feb 18, 1804 in Wigan, England to Thomas and Jane Thornton Richardson. Thomas was a member of the Mormon Battalion. Thomas was a veteran of the Utah War. Thomas is a Pioneer of Richmond.

Early Life

Thomas was raised in the city of Lancaster, England. After the death of his father in 1812, Thomas began working in the cotton mills to help support his family. During this time, he began associating with another factory worker, Mary Mallalieu. Thomas married Mary on Nov 12, 1826 in Walton-le-Dale, England.

Conversion and Mission

Records about when the Richardson family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints vary. Some suggest that Thomas was baptized in 1837 by the first Missionaries of England, making him the 7th native of England to embrace the gospel.1 While other records say this is false, and he was baptized in 1840.

After his baptism, Thomas was called as a missionary. Apostle John Taylor writes about Thomas is a letter to fellow Aposlte Brigham Young"

"Brother Richardson went to preach to the people of Leigsinton, 3 miles from Malvern, a thriving little village for this country for the first time there. A congregation of three or four hundred assembled to hear him in a corner of the street. As he was commencing, a policeman stepped up to him and told him they did not allow preaching in the streets there. They had a good parson at the church and a good preacher at the chapel and were so enlightened that they needed none of his instructions. Brother Richardson presented his license, and said he wished to preach. 

"The police told him his license allowed him to preach to licensed houses only, that if he would preach, he had better go and preach to the brethren, etc. Brother Richardson said it allowed him to preach where he pleased if he did not interrupt travelers, etc. He began to speak about ten minutes when the whizzing stones and sods knocking off his hat and pelting his side proclaimed the state of respectability to which the place had risen. Brother Richardson remarked that if that was a civilized community, and religious too, he wished to be delivered from going among the heathen; he said he would preach immediately in another part of the village; the congregation followed, among whom were probably 100 Saints. 

"The police having manifested his approbation of what the mob had done, went along, begging him not to preach as he was disturbing the peace of the place and insulting the Priest, it being near his house, etc. He replied that he was bound preach and asked to speak five minutes publicly, which was finally granted. He then testified that God had again spoken from the heaven and had sent forth his servants to preach the everlasting Gospel and warn the inhabitants of the earth to repent and prepare for the second coming of Christ, and all things spoken by the Prophets concerning the last days, etc. That the servants were sent forth to warn cities, towns and villages, and that place that would not receive them they were to cleanse their feet as a testimony against them, and that it be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that place, etc.Then turning to the police he said that except that man repent and keep the commandments of God, where God and Christ are, he could not come, etc. 

"The police asked him his name and where he could find him the next day. He showed his licence again, told him where he could find him, intimating that he was as ready then to have him attend to it as he should ever be, and that it would not take much to induce him to send him a summon for not doing his duty. Thus ended the first lesson as far as I have learned."4

Journey West and life in Nauvoo

In 1841, the Richardson family began their journey to the United States of America to live with the Saints. It is possible they sailed on the Caroline on Aug 8, 1841 from Bristol and arrived in Quebec, Canada, Oct 22.1 3 During this voyage, Thomas was appointed President of the company of Saints. The company arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois, during the last week of Oct 1841.

After the assassination of Church President Joseph Smith, the Richardson family was forced out of Nauvoo and began living in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Life was not made easier when Mary died in 1846. To provide for his family and gather the necessary funds to travel to the Rocky Mountains, Thomas and his son, John, began operating a ferry on the Missouri River.

During this time, a woman asked to cross the river. Due to a severe storm, the river was too dangerous to cross. Thomas invited the women to stay in his home until the weather cleared. Seeing the disparity of Thomas' children without a leading female, the woman, Anne Owen, began tending to the children. Thomas married Anna in Feb, 1846.

Mormon Battalion

Because of the severity of his family, Thomas joined the Mormon Battalion in hopes of blessing from God and money from the Government. Thomas was enlisted on July 16, 1847 in Company E as a Private.

In a letter to Anne, Thomas relates some of his experiences during the battalion:

"My health has been feeble at times but I have been able to do my duty as a soldier. I feel better now than I have since I left you. I feel as though the first part is worse than the future will be. We have had some hard marches and hot days but the nights are getting longer, our days marches shorter. We traveled 50 miles in two days during which time we had neither wood nor water suitable to drink except that we took with us and the teams, nothing at all, we are now seventy miles west of the Arkansas River, we have had to use buffalo chips 4 days instead of fuel, and expect to use it for weeks to come we have seen hundreds of buffalo together, wolves, prairie, squirrels, antelope and so forth....

"In clothing they would done better to said at the bluff and enjoyed themselves or the rest of you have and been for and fine to started on the journey in the spring.... We have goat so we don't mind distance of place. We have out traveled mules, oxen and horses and miles and now we are taking it by leagues. Im with five of my old and young friends...

T"ell all the children they must be good children and mind you in all things and we will all meet again in California if we don't meet before. I mean to act the part of a wise parent and pray for you and the children and I want you should pray for me and the Lord will preserve our lives for we must live by faith. Tell John and Robert that they will have many rodes on the ocean and catch many a large fish. Now may the land bless you and all our children and preserve your lives and mine till we meet again is the prayer of your affectionate husband. 

"...I have sent eight dollars on the check which is sent by E company back to the church to be laid out for to supply your wares..."5

On May 24, 1847, the Mormon Battalion disbanded, and Thomas was allowed to make his way to his family in Iowa. He joined a group of Battalion members and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 29, 1847, before joining a freight to cross the plains and arriving in Iowa soon after.

Life in Utah

The Richardson family joined the Thomas C.D. Howell Company on June 7, 1852 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 2. During this time, Thomas participated in the Utah War. The Richardson family moved from place to place before finally moving to Richmond.

Epilogue