Person:Robert Wiley (2)

THE ROBERT WILEY FAMILY Robert was bom on 22 November 1809 and christened in the parish of St Denis, York, Yorkshire Co. England on 20 December 1808. His parents were John Wiley born in 1782 and Elizabeth Lawton Wiley was bom 1784. He married Sarah Darling when he was 24 and she was 19. They were married at St. Peters Church, St. Peters St., Liverpool, England on 28 Aug. 1832. Sarah Darling was born on 15 Dec 1813 at LiverpooL Lancashire, England. Sarah was the daughter of John and Ann Youd Darling. The Darlings were from Scotland and never joined the church. The Wileys decided to move to America, shortly after they were married. They sailed on 21 September 1832 in company with his father's family. They settled in Newark, Licking County, Ohio. Their first child, Maria, was bom 13 months later on 3 Oct 1833 in Newark, Licking, Ohio. She only lived for one day. It must have been a sad experience, moving to America while Sarah was pregnant, settling in a new country and losing her first Child. Robert and Sarah waited two years to have another child. John Hirarn was born on 24 Oct. 1834. They were still residing in Newark, Ohio. John only lived until the age of4 Y2and died on 17 May 1839. William came into the family three years later on 17 Dec. 183 7 at Newark, Ohio. WUfiam died Iwithin the month that he was bom. Their fourth child, William Darling was bom on 8 May 1839, 11 days before their second son passed away. I can see that their first stay in America was not a very happy time in their lives. They had four children and three of them died during this period. They must have decided that they would take their son Wffliam Darling back to England to see if they could have a better life in England . Robert, Sarah and young William could have taken the Eric Canal or gone overland to New York City to obtain passage on a ship back to LiverpooL Lancashire England. This occurred sometitne between 8 May 1839 when William Darling was bom and 23 Nov. 1841 when Ann Darling was bom After their return to England, Sarah Darling Wiley went into business for herself. A section of a large market was reserved for her, where she sold bacon, cheese, lard and eggs. Her business grew and she saved quite an amount of money. Robert Wiley was so impressed upon hearing the gospel that he was baptized at once, the date being 14 April 1843. When Robert was baptized he was 35 years old and Ms wife was 30 years old. They had two living children, William Darling, age 3 and Ann Darling age 1. Sarah was pregnant with James at this time. James Darling was bom on 1 Jan 1844. The family lived at 5 Chapel Lane Harford Street, Liverpool when John Darling was bom 14 Feb. 1846. John Darling contracted cholera infantum and died in his first year of birth on 26 Aug. 1846. This was not a new occurrence for this family as they had three other children die before him. We know that they lived close to Sarah's Father John who lived at 22 Bittem Street in Liverpool as he was the informant on the death certificate of John Darling Wiley. Robert earned his living as a bricklayer and continued this profession through out his life. In February of 1849 Robert Wiley was appointed to preside over the Liverpool Branch of the Church. Robert's wife Sarah did not join the church when he did. He kept waiting and hoping that she would see the beauty of this new religion, but she could not see it , so he decided to return to America without her. He was very generous, and many times gave his voyage money that he had saved to the poor that wished to come to America. Finally, he left taking the two older boys with him, and leaving his wife and younger cbijdren in England. This must have been quite a feat for Robert. Imagine having lost three children - in America before and now agreeing to go farther West into a desert to live. When Robert Wiley arrived in the United States, he made plans to cross the plains to Utah. While crossing the plains, he was made the leader of a company of ten. He arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah in the fall of 1850. He was a member of the first Brass Band organized in Salt Lake City. In December, 1850, he volunteered to go with George a. Smith's company to settle Iron County, Utah, arriving there the 23 January 1851.

George A. Smith wrote the following about this undertaking: This colony numbering 120 men with their families left Salt Lake City the first day of December, 1850 for Parowan. We numbered I 00 wagons, a number of carriages, and I assure you it was a sight to see this number of wagons wending among the hills and mountains with each wagon a smoking stove pipe sticking through the white canvas cover. It looked like a line of stearn goats. The ground being at various depths covered with I snow.

Brother Smith further stated that: On 27, January 1851, twenty teams started hauling logs from the mountains for houses and on January 30, 1851 the meeting hall was three logs high. The next spring Robert Wiley raised his first potatoes. He had seed, potatoes gathered one Sunday afternoon in his silk handkerchief where one of the sisters had thrown them out. Carefully planted and cared for they made a crop. At this time, he and others had no bread for about three months, living principally on boiled wheat, there being no flower mius with in their reach to grind it for them. In 1851, George A. Smith appointed Robert Wiley leader of the Parowan Choir. In May of the same year he was elected a member of the City Council. In the fall of 1853 he was elected a member of the Territorial legislature from Iron County, under governor Brigham Young. Even though Sarah was not converted to the LDS Church, Robert finally convinced her to give up here business in England and immigrate to the United States to join the Latter Day Saints in Utah. After Sarah got to Salt Lake City and could see the gospel in its fifflness she decided that she wanted to embrace the gospel and be married for time and all eternity. She was baptized on 14 Sep. 1852 and sealed to Robert in the Endowment House one day later on 15 Sept. 1852. Sarah Darling Wiley was also very generous with her means and money, and assisted may poor people in Utah. She made three trips across the ocean in the interest of her property. They moved to the desert country of Southern Utah, a small settlement called Cedar City, either that year or the following year. He walked a distance of more than a mile to his work bare footed. Though he was raised up and spent the early part of his life in easy circumstances, in England, he often said he never regretted having joined the church and coming to Utah for there was nothing outside of the Latter Day Saint Church for him. Wherever he lived, he and his wife were always members of the choir, for they loved music and liked to sing. They were always Ernest workers in the church. Being a brick mason by trade, during the eighteen fifties, he was closely associated and labored in partnership with Elias Morris, the mason who resided for may years in the Fifteenth Ward in Salt Lake City, and built may brick houses in that district. In 1859 Robert Wiley moved to TokerviUe, Washington County, Utah there he buidt the first adobe house erected in that town. Sarah Jane (my ancestor) was bom to them on 23 Jun. 1853. She married Charles Albert Dalton. They were married on 9 Oct. 1870. Sara Jane was 17 years old and Charles was 21 years old. Robert and Sarah continued to live in Cedar City, ftve years later their last Child Heber was bom. Tragedy struck again and two years later Heber also passed away. My the sorrows that Sarah and Robert had to endure, five of their nine children died in infancy. However imagine the joy of the knowledge of the gospel knowing they were sealed as a family for time and all eternity. Robert continued his profession as a brick layer. He moved to Beaver City,Beaver County, Utah in the fall of 1860, a town about 50 miles north of Cedar City, where he held many positions of trust. He resided in Beaver City until the time of his death on the 30 Jun 1872 at the age of 63 years, dying as he lived in ftffl faith and fellowship in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was buried in the Beaver cemetery. During all these years of hardship, his wife lived and labored with him in " things, a faithful and willing helpmate. After Robert passed away, Sarah come to live with her daughter Sarah Jane who had moved to Circleville, Utah, just across the large mountain range in the valley to the east. She passed away on 2 Jan 1897 at the age of 84 and was buried in the Circleville cemetery. She was the mother of nine children.

Sources of Information. Part of this was written by Arthur R. Whittaker. Part of it was taken from Birth and Death certificates obtained while Arthur R. Whittaker was on a genealogy mission to the Hyde Park Family History Centre in London, England. Part was written by a great grandson, Orin Collett, of Shell Beach California. Part of the material was taken from the History of Utah, 31 Vol.2, Page 97. This was written by a daughter, Jane Wiley Dalton. Also part of this was taken from the Autobiography of George A. Smith and the files of the Deseret New. Some were Runished by his granddaughter, Charlotte Simkins Nelson. And some was taken from the History of Iron and Beaver Counties. From the history of Utah 3 1, Vol2, page 97, we get the following; which is the English marriage License: "Robert Wiley, bom 22, Nov, 1899, York, Yorkshire, England. Father, John Wiley, Mother Elizabeth Wiley. Married Sarah Darling 28, August, 1832, at St. Peters Church, Liverpool, England. She was bom 1815 in LiverpooL England. Her Father was John Darling. Robert Father's name was not given in the marriage license. But it was found in the History of Utah 3 1, Volume 2, page 97. It was John Wiley. In the Deseret News of June 1872, we read that "Robert Wiley died at Beaver City, Utah of pneumonia, on June 30, 1872. He embraced the gospel in LiverpooL England in 1842. He was one of those who accompanied George A. Smith on his first trip to southern Utah. he was 63 years old when he died." Robert Wiley was appointed to act on the school examining Board to pass on the teachers qualifications in 1860. In 1866, Robert Wiley and Samuel Edward's did the masonry work on the Beaver Stake House.

More History about Robert Wiley from another source: Robert Wiley was barn on 22 November 1809 at York, Yorkshiret England. His parents were John and Elizabeth Lawton Wiley. He was married to Sarah Darling, daughter of John and Ann Youd Darling, whose home was in Liverpool England on 28 August 1832. They were married in the St. Peter's Church, St. Peters Street, Liverpoolo England. Sailing on 21 September 1832 in company with his father's familyp he immigrated to the United States, settling in Newark, Licking County, Ohio. At this place the following children were born: Marieo 3 October 1833... died the same day; John Hyrum, 24 October 1834 ... died 17 March 1839; William, born 20 November 1837 ... died 17 December 1837; William Darling Wiley, born 8 May 1839. Leaving Ohio in 1840, Robert and his wife and son William Darling returned to England where they settled at 22 Bitton Streetg Liverpool England. Ann Darling Wiley was born 24 November 1841; James Darling was born I January 1844; John Darling was born 24 February 1846 ... died 26 August 1846 at Duchingfield St., Liverpool, England. After their return to England, Sarah Darling Wiley went into business for herself. A section of a large market was reserved for her, where she sold bacon, cheese, lard and eggs. Her business grew and she saved quite an amount of money. In 1842 some missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to that part of England. Robert Wiley was so impressed that he was baptized at once. His wife did not see this new Church as he did. He kept waiting and hoping that she would see the beauty of this new religion, but she was not impressed. In February of 1849 Robert Wiley was appointed to preside over the Liverpool Branch of the Church. Robert was very generous, and many times gave his voyage money that he had saved to the poor converts that wished to come to America. Finally, he did leave Englandg taking the two older boys with him, and leaving his wife and younger children in England. When Robert Wiley arrived in the United States he made plans to go on to Utah, crossing the plains. While crossing the plains he was made captain of a company of ten. He arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah in the fall of 1850. He was a member of the first brass band organized in Salt Lake City. In December 1850 Robert volunteered to go with George A. Smith's Company to settle Iron Countyg arriving there the 23rd of January 1851. George A. Smith wrote the following: "This colony numbering 120 men with their families left Salt Lake City the first day of December I850 for Parowan. We numbered 100 wagons a number of carriages, and I assure you it was a sight to see this number of wagons wending among the hills and mountains with each wagon a smoking stove pipe sticking through the white canvas cover. It looked like a line of steamboats. The ground being at various depths covered with snow" "On 27 January, 1851 twenty teams started hauling logs from the mountains for houses and on January 30,) 1851 the meeting house was three logs high." The next spring Robert Wiley raised his first potatoes. (THE FIRST DALTON POTATOES) He had for seed, potatoes gathered one Sunday afternoon in his silk handkerchief from where one of the sisters had thrown them out. Carefully planted and cared for they made a crop. At this time he and others had no bread for nearly three months, living principally on boiled wheat, there being no flour mills within their reach to grind it for them. In 1851 George A. Smith appointed Robert Wiley leader c the Flarowan Choir. In May of the same year he was elected a member of the City Council. In the fall of 1853 he was elected a member of the Territorial Legislature from Iron County, under Governor Brigham Young. He helped build the Iron County Court House in Parowan. Some time after Robert left England, Sarah decided to give up her business in England and immigrate to America.Sarah and Robert Wiley, while living in Utah, attended the old Endowment House at Salt Lake City. Sarah Darling Wiley was very generous with her means of money, helping many poor people in Utah. She made three trips across the ocean in the interest of her property. Her parents were Scotch people and never joined the Church. In the spring of 1853 Robert Wiley moved his family to Cedar City, Utah, being one of the first families to settle there. While in Cedar City he worked in the Iron Works, . helping to make the first iron ever made in the state. Robert walked a distance of more than a mile to his work barefooted. Though he was raised up and spent the early part of his life in easy circumstances in England, he often said he never regretted having joined the church and coming to Utah for there was nothing outside of the Latter-day Saint Church for him. Wherever they lived, Robert and Sarah were always members of the choir, for they loved music and liked to sing. There were always ernest workers in the Church. Robert was a brick mason by trade, and during the eighteen fifties he was closely associated and labored in partnership with Elias Morriso the mason who resided for many years in the Fifteenth Ward in Salt Lake City and built many brick houses in that district. In 1859 Robert Wiley moved to Toquervillep Washington County, Utah and there he built the first adobe house erected in that town. He moved to Beaver City, Utah in the fall of 1860 where he held many positions of trust. He helped build the tabernacle in Beaver. He resided in Beaver City untilthe time of his death on 30 June 1872 at the age of 63 years, dieing as he lived .... in full faith and fellowship in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. During all these years of hardship his wife lived and labored with him in all things, a faithful and willing helpmate. She survived him by many years, dieing on January 29 1892 in Circleville, Piute County, Utah. She was the mother of nine children.

Offical LDS Church record on Robert Wiley: Birth: Wiley, Robert (Male) Date: November 22, 1809 Place: York, Yorkshire, ENGParents: Wiley, Robert (Male) Father: Wiley, John Mother: Wiley, ElizabethDeath: Wiley, Robert (Male) Date: June 30, 1872 Buried: Beaver, Beaver, UT, USAMarriage Information: Wiley, Robert (Male) Spouse: Darling, Sarah Date: August 28, 1832 Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, ENG Children: Wiley, Robert (Male) Name: Birthdate: Place:1. Wiley, Marion October 3, 1833 Newark, Licking, OH, USA2. Wiley, John Hiram October 24, 1834 Newark, Licking, OH, USA3. Wiley, William November 20, 1837 Newark, Licking, OH, USA4. Wiley, William Darling May 18, 1839 Liverpool, Lancashire, ENG5. Wiley, Ann Darling November 23, 1841 Liverpool, Lancashire, ENG6. Wiley, James Darling January 1, 1844 Liverpool, Lancashire, ENG7. Wiley, John February 14, 1846 Liverpool, Lancashire, ENG8. Wiley, Sarah Jane June 23, 1853 Cedar City, Iron, UT, USA9. Wiley, Heber George February 22, 1858 Cedar City, Iron, UT, USA Church Ordinance Data: Wiley, Robert (Male) Baptism

    Date: April 14, 1843

Temple Ordinance Data: Wiley, Robert (Male) Endowment Date: September 1852 Temple: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Sealed to Spouse     Date: September 15, 1852 Temple: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Vocations: Wiley, Robert (Male) Brick Layer

To the editor of the Times and Seasons. History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.19, p.374 On the 16th of April last, a respectable merchant, by the name of Robert Wiley, commenced digging in a large mound near this place; he excavated to the depth of ten feet and came to rock. About that time the rain began to fall, and he abandoned the work. On the 23rd, he and quite a number of the citizens, with myself, repaired to the mound; and after making ample opening, we found plenty of rock, the most of which appeared as though it had been strongly burned; and after removing full two feet of said rock, we found plenty of charcoal and ashes; also human bones that appeared as though they had been burned; and near the encephalon a bundle was found that consisted of six plates of brass of a bell shape, each having a hole near the small end, and a ring through them all, and clasped with two clasps. The rings and clasps appeared to be iron very much oxydated. The plates appeared first to be copper, and had the appearance of being covered with characters. It was agreed by the company that I should cleanse the plates. Accordingly I took them to my house, washed them with soap and water and a woolen cloth; but, finding them not yet cleansed, I treated them with dilute sulphuric acid, which made them perfectly clean, on which it appeared that they were completely covered with hieroglyphics that none as yet have been able to read.Wishing that the world might know the hidden things as fast as they come to light, I was induced to state the facts, hoping that you would give it an insertion in your excellent paper; for we all feel anxious to know the true meaning of the plates, and publishing the facts might lead to the true translation.They were found, I judged, more than twelve feet below the surface of the top of the mound. I am, most respectfully, a citizen of Kinderhook, W. P. HARRIS, M. D. We, the citizens of Kinderhook, whose names are annexed, do certify and declare that on the 23rd of April, 1843, while excavating a large mound in this vicinity, Mr. R. Wiley took from said mound six brass plates of a bell shape, covered with ancient characters. Said plates were very much oxydated. The bands and rings on said plates mouldered into dust on a slight pressure. ROBERT WILEY, W. LONGNECKER, GEO. DECKENSON, FAYETTE GRUBB, W. FUGATE, W. P. HARRIS, J. R. SHARP, G. W. F. WARD, IRA S. CURTIS, (From the Quincy Whig.)

SINGULAR DISCOVERY.--MATERIAL FOR ANOTHER MORMON BOOK. History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.19, p.377 A Mr. J. Roberts of Pike County, called upon us last Monday with a written description of a discovery which was recently made near Kinderhook, in that county. We have not room for his communication at length, and will give so much of a summary of it, as will enable the reader to form a pretty correct opinion of the discovery made. It appeared that a young man by the name of Wiley, a resident in Kinderhook, dreamed three nights in succession, that in a certain mound In the vicinity, there were treasures concealed. Impressed with the strange occurrence of dreaming the same dream three nights in succession, he came to the conclusion to satisfy his mind by digging into the mound. For fear of being laughed at, if he made others acquainted with his design he went by himself and labored diligently one day in pursuit of the supposed treasure, by sinking a hole in the center of a mound. Finding it quite laborious, he invited others to assist him. A company of ten or twelve repaired to the mound and assisted in digging out the shaft commenced by Wiley. After penetrating the mound about eleven feet, they came to a bed of limestone that had been subjected to the action of fire. They removed the stones, which were small and easy to handle, to the depth of two feet more, when they found six brass plates, secured and fastened together by two iron wires, but which were so decayed that they readily crumbled to dust upon being handled. The plates were so completely covered with rust as almost to obliterate the characters inscribed upon them; but, after undergoing a chemical process, the inscriptions were brought out plain and distinct. There were six plates, four inches in length, one inch and three-quarters wide at the top, and two inches and three-quarters wide at the bottom, flaring out to points. There are four lines of characters or hieroglyphics on each. On one side of the plates are parallel lines running lengthways. By whom these plates were deposited there must ever remain a secret, unless some one skilled in deciphering hieroglyphics may be found to unravel the mystery. Some pretend to say that Smith, the Mormon leader, has the ability to read them. If he has, he will confer a great favor on the public by removing the mystery which hangs over them. A person present when the plates were found remarked that it would go to prove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, which it undoubtedly will. In the place where these plates were deposited were also found human bones in the last stage of decomposition. There were but few bones found; and it is believed that it was but the burial-place of a person or family of distinction in ages long gone by, and that these plates contain the history of the times, or of a people that existed far, far beyond the memory of the present race. But we will not conjecture anything about this wonderful discovery, as it is one which the plates alone can reveal. The plates above alluded to were exhibited in this city last week, and are now, we understand, in Nauvoo, subject to the inspection of the Mormon Prophet. The public curiosity is greatly excited; and if Smith can decipher the hieroglyphics on the plates, he will do more towards throwing light on the early history of this continent than any man now living.

An Enduring Legacy, Volume Ten, p.407: In November 1851, thirty-five men from Parowan settled in the Cedar City area and made a temporary fort of wagons placed in rows, the fronts covered with sagebrush weighed down with dirt to form a wall higher than a man's head and thick enough to stop an arrow. As spring came and the wagons were needed, a better fortification was planned, and work commenced. In 1853 a fort one hundred rods square was built, with walls three feet thick at the base, nine feet high and one foot wide on the top. A city plat of 120 lots was laid out inside the walls. Of the 455 inhabitants of Cedar Fort, approximately 130 were men and boys physically able to help with the construction of 6,600 feet of massive fort wall. On New Year's Day the gates were hung, the entire project having been completed in one year's time. The people had a small band led by James Haslam, and a good choir led by Robert Wiley. Church services were held regularly on Sunday and on Thursday evening, which kept the people in good spirits.

Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 12, p.283: Beaver's first choir was organized in 1858 with John Weston as director. He had been the leader of Cedar City's noted choir in 1854-55. Having studied harmony and composition in England, Weston was a good musician. Quite a number of Cedar City choir members moved to Beaver in 1856-58, among them Thomas Cartwright, Watkin Reese, William P. Smith, David Muir, C. C. Woodhouse, John Stoddard and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wiley, Mr. and Mrs. David Adams, Mrs. Sophia Woodhouse and a number of others, including Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bohn.