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A history of Mormons in Colwall

In 1840, Herefordshire and the adjoining areas of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire became the focus of a mission undertaken by Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, who travelled here from America. An estimated 1,800 people in the Three counties where baptised into the church, which was about a quarter of the UK membership in 1841. [1: page 124]

One of American missionaries was called Wilford Woodruff and he kept a detailed journal of his travels, which can be found at https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org [2][3]. He visited the Colwall area in April and May 1840 and again on March 1841. Many of the converts were originally members of a non-conformist sect called the United Brethren which had been founded in Herefordshire in 1832 by Thomas Kington. A Preaching Plan for the United Brethren for April to June 1840 still exists and shows that there was a weekly service in Colwall at 10.am The northern region which was called the Froomes Hill Conference had 20 branches and included Colwall.

1849: William Woodruff (Church History Library of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints)

1840: William Woodruff Baptismal Records (Church History Library of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints)

Amongst the preachers for Colwall was J. Lucy who features prominently in the history of Mormons in Colwall. Most of the United Brethren were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint and the preaching districts stayed the same.

Preachers Plan for United Brethren: Frooms Hill Circuit

Wilford Woodruff recorded on Saturday 9th May [4]

I walked to Colwall & spent the night at Johnathan Lucy during this days walk I had a grand survey of the works of nature & the power of God while standing upon the top of Marlver[n] Hill elevated from 12 to 1500 feet in the air whare I had a view of all the surrounging country for many miles the City of Worcester is in plain view in the North & Gloster in the South with several large villages between & Ledbury with other villages in the wes[t] with a fine beautiful cultivated vale upon evry hand, & while standing upon this eminance & beholding this grand prospect or survey to add to the solemnity of the scenery the thunders began to roll & lightnings flash beneath my feet while the rain desended in torrents in the vale beneath while I was in the midst or above the clouds to behold the scene.

And on Sunday 10th May:

I met a company at Colwall at Jonathan Lucy's at 9 o'clok in the morning & Baptized 4 two were Preachers. I confirmed 12 persons I then preached at Brother Lucys at Collwall, dined at Mr Holmes, then walked over the top &across Malvern Hill & preached at the Pale House, from thence back again across Malvern Hill & Preached at Benjamin Holand on the North Side of Malvern Hill from there, I walked to Colwall & spent the night which closed the scenes of the day.

On the 10th May Jonathan Lucy was baptised and confirmed in the Church. [5]

Jonathan Lucy became a priest in the new religion and influenced others. Thomas Steed was 14 years old when his family was converted in Malvern. Later in his life he recorded a gathering of Saints at the home of Jonathan Lucy in Colwall [7][1:Page 99]

All at once a power put me on my feet, the Spirit of prophecy rested upon me. . . . The house was filled with the Spirit and the power of God, and every one present was thrilled with the convincing power of the Holy Spirit and which I could feel through my whole system like fire shut up in my bones. It was then plainly made known unto me that God lives, that Jesus is the Redeemer and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Most High God. Of the truth of this a doubt has never crossed my mind from that day to this.

The missionaries were not always welcome. For example in Dymock:

I opened meeting by Singing & Prayer & no sooner had we commenced than the mob armed themselves with eggs, Bricks, rocks, & evry thing els they could lay their hands upon & began to throw them upon the house like a shower of hail Stones for nearly an hour they dashed in the windows scattered Stones, Brick, & glass, through the rooms, broke the tile on the rooff & continued such depredations untill the close of the meeting.

Wilford Woodruff was accompanied to England by Brigham Young and William Richards. All three missionaries criss-crossed the three counties on foot, often covering 12 miles a day – preaching and baptising converts. Their paths would occasionally cross and on the 20th May they held a council on top of Herefordshire Beacon where they decided to publish the Book of Mormon in England.

Wednesday 20th May 1840 [7]

We walked to Wind Point & Elders Young Richards & myself walked onto the top of the part of Malvern Hill called Herefordshire B[e]acon. here we united in prayer & held a council & unitedly felt that it was the will of God that Elder Young should go immediately to Manchester to assist in Publishing a collection of Hymns of 3000 copies & also to immediately print & finish 3000 copies of the Book of Mormon.

The Preachers and Members of the Fromes Hill Circuit of the United Brethren met at the house of Elder John Cheese, on Stanley Hill, Herefordshire on June 21st 1840 [8]. It was agreed that the meeting be hereafter known by the name of the "Fromes Hill Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Jonathan Lucy is listed in the report as being the priest with the care of the church at Colwall. Another meeting on the 21st September 1840 [9] lists the Colwall branch as having 17 members.

Wilford Woodruff was back in Colwall on Wednesday 17th March 1841 when Mary Foxall ( who had been baptised at Brands Lodge the previous year) told him:

Said she saw an angel stand [illegible] me clothed in a white robe} I conversed with many Saints upon the subject of gathering. I walked to Wind Point, while on the way I went into the Gients Cave on Marlvern Hills it was dug out of a solid Rock ... After taking a view of this I went down the Hill visited the Saints at wind point from thence to Colwall met with a large congregation of Saints & preached to them ... the Saints Donated £0.6 shillings to help me on my Journey on my return home I spent the night at Br Johnathan Lucy

In addition to Wilford Woodruff journal the Church started issuing a Newsletter called the Millennial Star 1940, which includes short reports of conferences held around England. By 1847 the Millennial Star Church Member report on the "First Division of Mars Hill Conference" shows that there were 37 members and Jonathan Lucy was still the elder of the branch [10]

The Colwall branch is listed as having closed by 1852[Mormon Map], but a report in the 1854 news section of the Millennial Star Church Newspaper suggests it was still going in 1854 [11]. There was also a branch at "Wind Point" (Wynds Point) which is listed as having a membership of 31 in 1840 and 23 in 1841. Locally there were also "The Malvern Hill Branch" and "Moor-end Cross Branch".

Nearly half of the 1,800 converts from the Three Counties are likely to have left England, and set of on long migrations across America following Brigham Young. [1:Page 152] Thomas Steed emigrated in 1844[1:Page 148].

However, Jonathan Lucy and his family remained in Herefordshire. According to the 1841 census he was an Agricultural Labourer, but elsewhere he is described as a thatcher. In 1841 he was recorded living in Upper Colwall at a place described as "Woods". The 1842 Tithe map shows he owned a house and a field in Chase Road. It is marked in yellow on the plan and is now called Grove Cottage. Jonathan Lucy died in 1869 and is buried in St James’ Church in Colwall along with his first wife Anne who died in 1853 and his second wife Sarah who died in 1861. However, his connection to the Mormons lives on to the 21st century with Mormon Missionaries wanting to see Grove Cottage because Brigham Young stayed there.

Two reminders of this time remain. The Church of the Later Days Saints have bought the pond near Castle Frome where many baptisms took place and in 2004 they bought and restored the chapel at Gadfield Elm near Pendock in Gloucestershire. The Gadfield Chapel originally belonged to the United Bretheren, was deeded to the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who in turn sold it to provide funds for emigrations to America. Today it is the oldest Latter-day Saint chapel in the world still standing and the last surviving memorial to the United Brethren. [13]

A history of Mormons in Colwall

Sources and Further Reading: