John Deveraux was born in England, a son of Joseph Deveraux and Elizabeth Hayward. He was christened 4 May 1800 in Dymock, Gloucestershire, England. He was known to have one brother, William.
He married Esther Cockshed in Ledbury, England on 26 February, 1827. They had five children: Ann, born 18 March 1828; Joseph (our ancestor), born 16 September 1829; John, born 18 March 1832 and died in 1833; Harriet, born 29 December 1833; and Esther, born 21 October 1838. Not much is known of Ann. Esther married James Baldwin and lived and died in England. Joseph (our ancestor) married Jane Lewis in England and later came to Utah with his family. (They are buried in the Salem, Utah Cemetery.) Harriet married Thomas Richins in England and came to Utah with her husband and baby on the same ship as her mother and father.
John and his wife, Esther, became dissatisfied with the Wesleyan Methodist Church to which they belonged. They joined a group of about 600 people of similar conviction, who called themselves the United Brethren. In his journal, Wilford Woodruff says, “This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were continually calling upon the Lord to open the way before them, and send them light and knowledge that they might know the true way to be saved.” Wilford Woodruff came to that part of the country in 1840, by revelation from the Lord and he baptized over 800 souls in 8 months, including all the United Brethren but one. John and Esther were 2 of the 800 souls he baptized.
When they were converted, they lived at Clencher’s Mill, Eastnor, near Ledbury, Herefordshire. They lived there sixteen years after they were baptized and then decided to go to Zion. Esther was not well but was anxious to get started. She was afraid if she died, her husband or children would not come. Esther’s friends told her she shouldn’t make such a journey but she would rather die on the way than not make the attempt.
John and Esther, along with their daughter, Harriet and her husband Thomas Richins and their 14 month old son, Albert Franklin registered with the ship on 10 March , 1856. The ship was the Enoch Train. John listed his age as 57 and his occupation as wagoner. They embarked 22 March, 1856 and set sail the next day. There were 534 Saints aboard (415 adults, 98 children, 21 infants under the age of 1 year.) After they had been on the water about 10 days, John’s wife, Esther, died. She was buried at sea.
On 9 June, 1856 they (John, Harriet, Thomas, and baby Albert) left Iowa City, Iowa with the first handcart company of which Edmund Ellsworth was captain. John had enough money to come by wagon team but deposited his money with the Perpetual Emigration fund so others show had none could come also. They walked and pulled their handcarts all they way to Utah.
After nearly 4 months of weary traveling, having been delayed by the breaking down of handcarts, and by sickness and death, they reached the Salt Lake Valley. The company was met by Brigham Young and a large number of saints in Emigration Canyon and were given a hearty welcome. Harriet used to tell how they brought watermelons up the canyon to greet them and how good and refreshing they tasted.
An article from the Church News dated 28 June 1958 says: “After the greetings and handshakes, the weary travelers feasted on cool, thirst quenching melons brought up from the valley. The entire party then paraded out of the canyon and down South Temple with the brass band playing triumphantly. Nearly everyone in the city lined the street on either side and hundreds joined the procession, shouting and waving as it moved west to the 16th Ward square.”
On the same ship and handcart company as John and family was a small blue-eyed widow with her two daughters. She was Ann Perkins Price. They were married 10 July 1857 and lived in Salt Lake City for a few years and then were called to settle what is now Goshen in Utah County. They built a cabin there and lived there more than 20 years. People liked to visit this sweet, kindly old couple. But when they were asked to tell of their experiences getting to Utah, they replied, “It was too hard, and we don’t want to talk about it. We are glad we are in Zion so our children and grandchildren can be born and raised here.” (This is you!!)
Ann became blind and John cared for her until she died 23 May 1888 and was buried in Goshen. John then moved back to Pleasant Grove with his daughter, Harriett and son-in-law. He also became blind and bedridden the last six years of his life. Harriett cared for him and did everything she could to make him comfortable. He was always appreciative of everything that was done for him and he always thanked anyone who did anything for him. He died on 9 February, 1895 at the age of 95 and is buried in the Pleasant Grove, Utah cemetery.
(Most of this info and more was taken from a DUP history written by Gene Richins Fischio in 1981.)
This is another website with information about John and Esther Deveraux.
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