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MILES ROMNEY
Miles Romney was born in Dalton in Furness, Lanc England, on the 15th of July, 1806. He was a carpenter by trade. In 1837, while he and his wife, Elizabeth were going to the market, they heard Orson Hyde preaching on the street.
He later attended meetings in the cockpit in Preston, and was among the first to be baptized in England--he was baptized in 1837. He was ordained an elder and emigrated to Nauvoo, arriving there April 18, 1841. He labored on the Temple from its commencement to its completion, and was foreman of all woodwork.
He married Elizabeth Gaskell (date unknown) and had the following children: George, Jane, Elizabeth, Joseph, one that died while living on temple block in Salt Lake City, Miles
Park9 Thomas, and Mary. When the Saints left Nauvoo, he was unable to accompany them to the West for lack of means. He moved to Burlington, Iowa, and later to St. Louis, Mo. While there, all of the family had small pox, except himself, his wife, and George, the eldest son. Miles and son, George, by
some means, were able to continue working; being destitute, it was the only means of getting something to live on. On March 18, 1850, by persistent toil, they had accumulated enough to start to Utah by ox team, where he arrived October 12, 1850. He camped on the temple block. He was foreman of the Publish Work Shop from 1851 to 1856.
On May 15, 1855, a committee created by George A. Smith was sent around the temple block to make a survey of the work on the temple. They reported there was on hand 150,000 ft. of lumber. They went into the Joines Shop, which under the supervision of Miles Romney was a perfect beehive of industry- every bench being in active occupation, and every man intent upon the labor set before him.
Miles Romney with others on February 22, 1856 was called to go on a mission to England. They left Salt Lake City April 22, 1856, and encountered a storm May 4 which lasted until the 7th. They had to feed their animals bread and cover them with their bedding. They traveled several days in snow and their progress was slow, because their animals were so weak. Miles had sore feet, and was very much fatigued from walking. On July 5, 1856, he, with others, embarked for England on the vessel called New World for Liverpool--they left from New York, and arrived in Liverpool August 7, 1856. On January 1, 1857, he was appointed to preside over Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston Conferences.
He returned from England in April, 1858, and on May 4th was on the Platt River. On May 7th, all bedding and clothing were weighed, and an average of 54 lbs. was allowed per person. All bedding and clothing over that amount was charged a rate of 151% per pound. He arrived in Provo June 23, 1858.
At the fall fair in 1860, he headed a committee to award prizes on furniture and copper ware. He was living in the 14th Ward. On October 8th and 9th, he was called to settle in Southern Utah. He went to Dixie in 1862, and a town called Grafton. Afterwards he settled in St. George.
In "Immortal Process", page 91, it states that the corner stone of the Tabernacle was laid June 1. 1863--its dimensions being 561 X 1061. The plans for this edifice were prepared by Miles Romney. He, being a master builder, was the supervisor of all architecture and woodwork. Miles was assisted in this task by Edson Barney, Wm. Barnes, Willis Copeland, Hosea Stout, David Rogers, Thomas Cottam, Benjamin Blake, and Warren Hardy. It was in this building that William Blake displayed his artistic skill in plaster of Paris decoration, while Miles Romney and others displayed their craftsmanship in the roof cornice and interior decorations.
Miles Romney also acted as superintendent of all construction on the Temple--he labored zealously in the erection of both the 11 Temple and the Tabernacle, in Saint George.
“October 12, 1874--On Saturday evening, brother George Romney received a telegram informing him that his father, Miles Romney, while working on the St. George Tabernacle, fell from a ladder, breaking one of his arms and one of his legs. He received another dispatch yesterday, which stated the injuries were very serious, indeed, Brother Romney, age 63 years being against him, and being a heavy-bodied man, the shock to his system in addition to the breaking of his bones must have been very great. His many friends hope to hear of his favorable progress and recovery. The last dispatch stated that the patient rested better on Saturday night than the previous night.” He recovered from this accident and resumed his activities on the Temple and Tabernacle. In the Deseret News, May 9, 1877, there was a notice of his death after a short illness. The illness was caused by a fall from a window-,while working on the Tabernacle. The closing paragraph of the obituary reads as follows:
He was a kind father and a steadfast friend, liberal in his views and charitable to all, without fanaticism but firm in his faith. He died as he has lived in faith and fellowship. He leaves a wife, herself ill, seven children, fifty-seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and a numerous circle of friends to mourn his departure. He was one of the noblest works of God--an Honest Man.
Of his grandchildren who were old enough to remember him very well, are Mary Romney Farr, of St. Johns, Arizona, who was nine at his death, and remembers carrying trays and water to him during his illness. Gaskell, who was six, remembers little of his grandfather, except that he was kind, but stern when the children helped themselves from his favorite Pear tree, instead of from other trees which he had given them permission to take fruit from.
Copied from the original -- written by Mrs. Gaskell Romney |