Deveraux

As I Knew My Forefathers
By: Roy Deveraux

Grandparents are usually remembered as swell folks. As I remember my Grandfather, Ira Patching Tiffany, he was a very humble man. He was tall, around six feet and of slender build, a hard worker, very pleasant disposition, never cross. I asked my Mother and her sister Eliza, her husband, Uncle Alton Tanner and my Father if they had ever seen Grandfather mad. They said if he had any temper, he kept it to himself.
He came to Utah in 1852 as a driver for the Church. He made many trips across the plains hauling freight, as well as to the other parts of the west. After the railroad came, he settled in Salem, Utah as a farmer.
He had three brothers, George, Loyal and Nelson Tiffany. I knew all but Uncle George, who was a colonizer for Brigham Young. He led pioneers to several new towns in the south part of the state.
Loyal was a farmer around Provo. Nelson made brick for many homes in around Provo. His sister, Aunt Almira Tiffany Holden lived in Provo, a very sweet old lady.
My Grandmother, Mary Ann Davis Tiffany, I never knew. I did know her father and mother Davis. I lived with them one summer helping them with garden work. He was a gardener and nursery man. Both of them were very humble and sweet dispositioned. They were short, stocky people. Their two sons, William and Frank were big men over six feet, wonderful people. At Uncle Frank’s funeral the church was filled. The bishop said he didn’t think there was a person in Salem, able to be out, that wasn’t at the funeral.
Aunt Elizabeth was a big woman, very likeable. My Mother’s brothers, Ira, Zean, George and Albert Deveraux were all big men over six feet. Aunt Elizabeth was average, six for a woman.
My Grandfather Deveraux and his father I hardly remember. Great Grandfather John Deveraux was short, slender build; came to Utah with a handcart company in 1856. His wife, Esther Cockshed was buried at sea and he buried a daughter on the plains. He was a stone- cutter, worked on the Salt Lake Temple. He moved to Pleasant Grove and lived with his sister, Harriet Richins, where he died.
Grandfather Joseph Deveraux was a stationary steam-engineer. He ran steam engines for saw mills in American Fork Canyon, Provo Canyon and Spanish Fork Canyon. As I remember, he was tall and slender, liked to have fun. I was too young to remember much about him. I remember Grandmother Jane Lewis Deveraux well. She was short, stocky and husky build. I have heard Father and Mother say she could carry a large wooden tub full of water on her head. She always carried heavy things like a sack of grain and flour on her head. She was a typical Welsh woman. She could roll up her sleeves and fight like a man, but was very pleasant when things went smooth. I don’t know of any of her folks coming to Utah.
My father, William Deveraux, was a soldier in the British Army, before coming to America where he followed the timber business. He hued ties for the railway in Spanish Fork Canyon when he first came to Utah.