John Gandsworth Wilkins (1800 - 1890)

Born 22 Jul 1800 in Ballston, Saratoga, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Nancy Adeline (Kennedy) Wilkins — married 2 Jan 1830 in New York, United States

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1890 at age 89 in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States

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John Wilkins was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Biography

John was born in 1800^[1] He passed away in 1890.

s/o Edward WILKINS & Susannah McCREER

Evidence from census, the obituary of John Gandsworth Wilkins, and newspaper records proves the Wilkins family traveled to Utah in 1851. They appear in the Iowa census in 1850 (taken in October). First documentation to place them in Utah is the rebaptism of John G. Wilkins in the Utah Stake City Ward on 1 January 1852.

From the Susan Black File:

Resided in Provo in 1870. Signed an agreement to help the poor leave Missouri in 1839. He came to Utah in 1850 with the Capt. Cooley Company. He was president of the Bluff City branch. Settled in Provo, Utah in 1851, where he assisted in building canals, wagon roads, sawmills and in developing the country. He sent ox teams at two different times for immigrants in 1860. He was the first supervisor of Provo City. In 1870 , John had a household of 9, a real wealth of $200, and personal wealth of $1000.

President of Bluff City Branch, San Juan, Utah

Obituary^[2]

At Provo City, Jan 8 1890 JGW deceased. He was born 27 Jul 1800 at Ballston Springs, Saratoga, New York, where he lived with his parents until he was 21 years of age. He married Nancy Kennedy in the year 1830. Shortly after he removed to Upper Canada where he first heard the gospel and on Christmas Day 1836 received the rite of baptism under the administration of Elder John E. Page. The spirit of "gathering" coming upon him, he soon closed his business affairs and started for Far West, Missouri, passed through all the mobbings and troubles incident to the saints at that place and was driven out in connection with them. Moving to Illinois, he settled within three miles of Carthage , where the mob burned him out of house and home. During this Father Wilkins was put to a severe test. Said the mob, " Mr. Wilkins, we respect you as a citizen and neighbor, now if you will only say Joe Smith is a false prophet, we will not burn down your house." He emphatically refused and his home was destroyed. From here he bent his course to Winter Quarters, accompanied by his wife and four children. Here he buried one of his children. From there he moved to Iowa, working for the government, helping put up the first grist mill at Fort Kearney, from which labor he realized sufficient means to purchase an outfit to cross the plains in 1851, arriving in the valley that same year. He made Provo his stopping place, residing here ever since, until the day of his death. Father Wilkins rendered efficient service in the early days in helping build up Provo.

He is the father of seven children, grandfather of forty-eight and great-grandfather of forty, his descendants numbering ninety-five in all. He died in full fellowship, bearing a strong testimony of the truth of the latter-day work and passed away at the ripe age of eighty-nine.

Journal History of the Church - Provo Utah, Deseret Evening News Newspaper Articles

Falls Dead in His Garden, Sudden Taking Off of Councilman Wilkins of Provo Today - Was in the Best of Health and Had No Premonition of The Approaching end- Was Well Known 

Christening

Christening:

Date: 11 FEB 1802

Place: Ballston Center Presbyterian Church, Saratoga, New York

Burial

Burial:

Date: JAN 1890

Place: Provo, Utah, Ut, Provo City Cem.

Sources

1. ↑ "New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2C3-QH5 : 12 December 2014), John Wilkins, 11 Feb 1802; citing FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT BALLSTON,BALLSTON CENTER,SARATOGA,NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 533,502.
2. ↑ Daily Enquirer, Provo, Utah dated Jan 14, 1890

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ4J-3HT : 9 November 2014), John Wilkins, Pottawattamie county, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States; citing family 630, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCB-G8C : 17 October 2014), John Wilkins, Utah, United States; citing p. 1, family 8, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,111.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNSL-3YV : 14 July 2016), J G Wilkins, Provo, Utah, Utah, United States; citing enumeration district ED 81, sheet 133B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1338; FHL microfilm 1,255,338.

• "Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9B-ZWQ1 : 20 May 2016), John Gansworth Wilkins, 1851.

• "Utah, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1847-1868," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KL71-99Y : 12 December 2014), John Gansworth Wilkins, ; excerpted from Frank Esshom, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah: Comprising Photographs, Genealogies, Biographies (Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Pioneers Books, 1913).

• Cemetery marker [1]

• FindAGrave