Home
My Family !
Photo Album
Family History Services
My Family History Corner
Privacy Policy
My Mother
Contact Me
Links
Site Map
|
 |
 |
John Workman - born 1590
JOHN WORKMAN, son of William Workman and Elizabeth Cocks; born in 1590 probably in Las-borough, Gloucester, England; buried in St. Nicholas churchyard, City of Gloucester, England, 12 Jan. 1640/1; married ESTHER WOOD of BrookThorpe, Cam, Gloucester.
(Note: The date 1640/1 is used here to show the variance in dates of the different calendars in use at that time. The tombstone date is 1640, but in terms of the present calendar the year is 1641. This is true of other dates written in this manner and occurs only during the months of January, February, and March, the first of the year formerly having been considered to be the first of March.)
At the time of John’s birth, the family owned property and were living in Lasborough; and, although they continued to own property there, they eventually expanded their holdings and moved to a larger home in Newington Bagpath where the younger children were born. Although rated as commoners (not being of the titled gentry), the family position was such that, on 3 June 1608 at the age of 18, John Workman was able to matriculate in St. Albans Hall, Oxford. There he received his B.A. degree on 27 May 1611 and his M.A. on 8 July 1614. Very soon thereafter he seems to have been ordained to the ministry and was lecturing in and around the city of Gloucester, the Cathedral city of his home diocese.
Either during his school years or during the first part of his ministry, John became affiliated with the Puritan movement which was instituted by members and leaders of the Anglican church to resist the trend of certain leaders towards the tenets and practices of Catholicism. By the year 1619, he had attained such favor that the city council of Gloucester, looking for a minister to serve the spiritual needs of the Puritans of the city, appointed him lecturer for that group, lectures to be given twice a week with one of them to be at 9 a.m. Thursday morning in the parish church of St. Michaels and the other to be held on Sunday afternoon and to alternate between St. Michaels and St. Nicholas parishes. The city of Gloucester had become a stronghold of the Puritans; the city council under the mayorship of John Brewster had Puritan leanings, and even the Bishop of the diocese was lenient.
A powerful preacher and well liked by the people of the community, John was appointed to the ministry of St. Nicholas in the year 1622, which position he held with distinction in addition to the lectureship. The wave of favor was so strong that eventually the council, wishing to extend the sphere of John’s influence, endeavored to gain an appointment for him to preach at the Cathedral college on Sunday. But this was not to be. The old Bishop was no longer there and a new one Bishop Godfrey Goodman, was not so favorable, Moreover, Dean Laud working under Bishop Goodman, had taken a strong dislike to Mr. Workman and led the movement to counteract his influence. Two strong factions developed, one headed by Goodman and the other by John Workman. John contended that the church was now too “popish” in its learning and teachings, while Goodman and Laud contended that John was a heretic and traitor to his country. It was an unequal battle, and by 1627 Bishop Goodman had John Workman suspended from St. Nicholas.
In spite of this action, the city council continued to support John Workman and as late as 26 Sept. 1633 voted to give John his stipend whether “he preach or not.” By this time Dean Laud had become the Archbishop of Canterbury and could have forgotten the local dispute; but his hatred was so intense that, aided by Bishop Goodman, the city council was arrested and tried for supporting John and the Puritan movement. A heavy fine was imposed and to avoid further reprimand they were forced to withdraw from the contest. In the meantime, John Workman had been summoned to appear before the Bishop “for the scandalous matter of some of his sermons.” The Bishop complained that Workman had delivered in open pulpit that pictures, ornaments,
and images had no place in a church and they tended too much to idolatry; that ministers were not chosen properly; and that John had ‘usually prayed for the States of Holland and the King of Sweden before the King’s Majesty.” Archbishop Laud contended that the latter as the usual garb of the men of this party (Puritans) and as such they were traitors to the country as well as to the church.
Very soon after Laud became archbishop, John was summoned to Canterbury to stand trial. John admitted the content of his sermons d never wavered in support of the things which he believed. He was ordered repeatedly to produce notes or copies of his sermons showing these things. He was imprisoned and eventually excommunicated from the church, being ordered to make public denial of the things he had taught. This he refused to do saying that to do so would force him acknowledge something which he had formerly denied on his oath. He begged them to study and rephrase the proposition.
Weary, broken in health from the long trial and imprisonment and divested of his priesthood, John Workman was allowed to return to Gloucester. There he opened a school for boys; but the Bishop forced him to close it saying that, if he was not fit to preach, neither should teach. John then attempted to practice medicine, an art in which he
was proficient; but that too was denied him. A number of years ~, when Archbishop Laud was being tried for heresy to the Protestant faith, he was charged with undue persecution of John Workman. He replied that he had nothing against John practicing his arts in any other place but it was not possible to allow him to do anything in this where he was so well known and had such a large following.
In the last months of his life, the city council again voted a sum of money to aid John Workman and an annuity was also voted to care for his widow. He died at age 50.
Historians of the next century, notably Neal in his “History of Puritanism and Stratford in “Great and Good Men of Gloucester,” state that at the age of 43, during his trials, John Workman was allowed to go home to care for his “Large Family”.” No record of children has yet been found, however. He does not mention them in his will, and his nephew in 1681 says that John died “sine prole”. Could it be that, out of love and compassion for his valiant minister, Mayor John Brewster and the city council found asylum for the family with that other Brewster and the Puritans who fled to Holland?
It is interesting to note that in the decade following John Workman’s death both Bishop Godfrey Goodman and Archbishop Laud were tried and condemned by the Ecclesiastical courts for the very charges which John Workman had made against them. And it is certainly the story of John Workman that has colored the legends of the American Workmans when they say their people were connected with the Puritan movement in England and they went to Holland for religious freedom.
John Workman - born 1789 - died 1845
JOHN WORKMAN, son of Jacob Workman (Abraham1) and Elizabeth Wyckoff; born 8 Oct. 1789 in Allegany Co., Md; died 21 April 1855 in Salt Lake City, Ut; married 11 March 1809 in Overton Co., Tenn., to LYDIA BILYEU” (born 18 Aug. 1793 in Green Co.,Ky. died 30 Sept. 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Ill; dau of John Bilyeu and Tryntje ______.
As a young man of 19, unattached and looking for new worlds to conquer, John left the Maryland home of his father, going first to the Kentucky country but soon continuing on to Overton Co., Tenn., where he became attached to the Bilyeu family. That he had known this family before coming to Tennessee is certain. They had gone through the same migratory stages as had the Workman family and shortly before this John’s elder brother, Benjamin, had married Hannah Bilyeu. While in Overton Co., Tenn., Peter Bilyeu and John Workman were among the signers of a petition of 27 Sept. 1813 for a militia to protect the settlers from the Indians. (See American Historical Magazine v. VII p. 217 of 1902.)
In 1814 John and his family moved to Kentucky and bought land in Nicholas Co., just ten miles north of where his father, Jacob, had settled in Bourbon Co., two years previously. By industry and economy the Workmans soon found themselves in good circumstances both in land and money and John built a fine home in Carlisle. The Workmans were very sincere in their religious beliefs belonging to the Tunkers or German Baptist Church (like their cousins who were settling further up the Ohio river in Belmont and Knox Counties, Ohio.)
“John, having studied the Bible and classified its scriptures into subjects, had a very comprehensive understanding of the teachings of Christ. He tried to show the other members of the church the better understanding of the scriptures. This led to arguments and contention among them, bringing the hatred and envy of the members of the church upon John and his family. For this reason John left Carlisle and went I back to Overton County, Tennessee. Because of the bitterness in the
community towards them over religious disputes it was impossible for John to sell
his fine holdings in Carlisle so he abandoned them. When I was in Carlisle, Kentucky, in 1932 I found that four of the best city lots were still deeded to John Workman. The only certificate of title the present occupants had was based on ‘long continued, uninterrupted possession’. These holders were very much afraid that I was going to start action against them.
“Back in Overton County, Tenn., again, John bought much land and had slaves to work it. He laid his farm out in sections for the different kinds of farm crops; has his own grist mill, grocery store and flocks & herds. He attended but could not accept the popular interpretation so in due time he quit the church altogether. After that he carried on a distillery of whisky and brandy and got into drinking moderately himself.
“In 1839 two Mormon Elders came to Overton County, Tennessee. They had a hard time finding lodgings. They came to John Workman’s door. As John had never turned a traveler from his door without food and rest these elders found a welcome in his home. The message they brought struck a familiar chord in the heart of John Workman. He brought out his compendium and found his classification of scriptures to be similar to the one the elders used. Their explanations were those he had tried to convey to the church members and for which they had cast him out and abused him and his family. On the 22 day of July 1840 John and his wife Lydia and several of his children were baptized by Abram Owen Smoot and Julian Moses and confirmed 30 July that year as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“This step increased the hatred and persecutions by the local church and community. In 1843 he abandoned his vast holdings in Tennessee and emigrated to Nauvoo, Illinois, where he could associate with those who had the same religious convictions that he cherished. Here he bought a farm four miles east of Nauvoo where he lived most of the time. Two of his sons had previously located in the City of Nauvoo.
“In the summer or 1845 John had harvested a good wheat crop and threshed some of it. One day in early evening he saw some of the farm homes of other Saints in flames. He knew at once that this was the work of mobs whose fury had raged unabated since the Nauvoo Charter had been repealed. He had a wagon there with boards across the running gears. John put what he could of the sacked wheat on this wagon and his family on top of the wheat and drove to Nauvoo for protection. The severe persecutions the saints suffered at this time proved too much for John’s wife, Lydia, and she succumbed to the trials, dying in Nauvoo, 30 Sept. 1845, and was buried in the Nauvoo cemetery.
“John passed through the trials incident to the expulsion of the Saints from Nauvoo. This was the third time he had abandoned his earthly possessions for his spiritual convictions. He remained in the city of Nauvoo until the late spring of 1846 when he was driven into the wilderness with the Saints. He joined his son, Jacob L. at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa, where he had a temporary cabin. John remained there until 1851 when he emigrated to the Great Salt Lake. In Salt Lake he lived part of the time with his children and part of the time in the small home that Jacob L. had built for him on the lot Jacob had drawn at the time the city was laid out. John had left some of his family in Illinois, they having elected to stay there, but others had followed the course of the church and were with him in his devotion to the cause he had espoused. He labored with his own hands for a living and because of his beautiful penmanship had been given the assignment of being scribe to the Church, spending most of his time transcribing patriarchal blessings and family histories....
“Jacob L. Workman, writing about his father’s death, said: ‘He continued his labor of transcribing blessings and family records until the spring of 1855 when his health became very poor. His affliction increasing upon him in spite of all our faith and prayers and all we could do. On the 14th of April I could see that his days were numbered. I asked him if he wanted to die. He said that he would rather live, but if it was the Lord’s will to take him he was ready. We had frequent talks upon the Gospel of Salvation. He remained in his rational mind until the evening of April 20th when he went to sleep but still continuing to breathe until 20 minutes to 5 A.M. the morning of April 21 he passed away surrounded by his family and friends.’”
By Mary E. C. Workman.
Andrew Jackson Workman - Ivin's Grandfather
Andrew Jackson Workman
Drawn off the old book, February 1875.
A short history of the life of Andrew Jackson Workman who was the son of John and Lydia Workman. John was the son of Jacob and I was born in the state of Kentucky, Bourbon County, July 15, 1824, and at the age of three or four years my father moved to Tennessee, Overton County and settled there followed farming, for a living. About the year, 1839, the first Mormon Elders came to our country to preach. My father and mother, and most of my brothers and sisters were baptized into the Mormon church in the year, 1841, was baptized by Dwiqht Webster, and confirmed by A. O. Smoot. In 1842, I left home with A.0. Smoot. We traveled into South Carolina and returned home the same year.
In the spring of 1843, started with my father and family for Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, where the Mormons were settling. In the fall of the same year, my brothers, Salmon, and Stephen, died, and in the fall of 1845, my mother died, also. In the spring of 1846 we were called to go west with the Church. Previous to this, Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum, our Prophet, and patriarch were murdered by a mob in Carthage jail, June 27, 1844. And Brigham Young, by voice of the people was chosen to lead the church. He was President of the Twelve Apostles, and the spirit of Joseph rested upon him… He called on all who wished to flee with him to the mountains and in February we commenced to cross the Mississippi River, and traveled west to the Missouri river, I driving a team for John D. Lee and K.T. Benson, to the place called Mt. Pisgah. There I stopped a while with my brother, Jacob, until my father came up, which was in June sometime. I lived with him until the 1st of July. Then I was called to go with a pioneer company Farther west. I started and went to the Council Bluffs, on the Missouri River and then I was called to enlist with 500 others, in the United States Army, to go to California, to fight the Spaniards and take the country. So we were mustered into the service, under the command of Col. Allen, July 16, 1846, and in a few days took up the line of march for Fort Leavenworth. On the way there, I was taken sick, and came near dying.
We arrived at the fort, stayed there about two weeks, and got our arms, and started for California. After leaving there I got well and was able to stand guard in a few days. We traveled west for three months and arrived at Santa Fe, a Mexican town. We stayed there a few days and started our march again, for California, all this time having to carry our muskets and equipage, and clothing, and on short rations, without water, sometimes for two or three days at a time, and not having enough to eat, any of the time. We were glad to get rawhide, roast it on the fire, and eat it as we marched along. I have, more than once, picked up the grains of corn, that the officers horses slobbered out, and ate them, and could not get enough to satisfy my appetite. So we traveled until we got through this way the last few days we had almost nothing to eat, but we did get through alive and that was all. We was not only almost started but we was almost naked. We arrived on the Pacific Coast, sometime in January 1847. I will say here that a small company of the battalion stopped near Santa Fe some being sick, and not able to travel, as was decided by the doctor.
When we arrived on the Coast, we were quartered at San Diego a while, then we went to St. Louis Mission and had ourselves in readiness to fight the Spaniards. But they did not have the pluck to attack us, so we stayed on the Coast until our year was up, which was in July 1847. Some being quartered at San Diego and some of Los Angeles. I was with a small company stationed at St. Louis Mission under the command of Lieut. Barnes. At the time we were to be discharged we all came to Los Angeles or Pueblo and recieved our discharges. After we were discharged Col. Stevenson wished a company of 100 of us to enlist again for six or eight months for the safety of the country; for peace and not been declared yet. So I with 99 others enlisted again under Capt. Davis, one of the captains of the Mormon Battalion. We enlisted about the 1st of August 1847 and in a few days marched to San Diego were myself and 25 for 30 others were called to march to San Luis Mission under the command of Lt. Barnes to hold that fort from the Spaniards. We stayed there until the time of our discharged in the march to San Diego were we were honorably discharged which was in April 1848 having served the Army of United States for one year and nine months in what is called the Mormon Battalion. After our discharged, myself and 16 others went to the ranch of Col. Williams an American which was about 80 or 90 miles west. We took a job of building fans for Col. Williams. The fence we made was called Adobe fence, and we was to make four miles of it. When we had about three and a half-miles done some of boys from the battalion came and showed us some gold dust they found up in the mountains so we quit our jobs and went up into the gold mines with them. We started in August sometime in the got there in 25 for 30 days. We found some working in the mines and it was a few days until we got to work. I did not make much for three or four weeks nor did anything and in the company make much in that time. We dug out a lot of gold but it took a lot to board us when he had to give a dollar a pound for flour and meat and other things in proportion. I did not only make $200 or $300 the first three or four weeks, so I thought I would change my place and try to find better diggings as we called it. My brother Cornelius and 8 or 10 others went over north of what is called Mormon Island on the American River about 30 miles on the North Fork of the American River. We pitched our tents and went to work. The first few days in a little more than our board that as luck would have my partner and I found the rich pocket of gold. He dug up the dirt with pick and shovel and I washed out in the pan that would hold about eight quarts and in two days I washed at about $5000 in gold dust.
We then divided the money and I started for home. In November 1848 we traveled about 50 miles on our journey and a while before we got to where we was going to camp and Edwin Corkins (one of our party) decided to the take a shortcut by following an old Indian trail and he was never seen again. But we saw an Indian riding his horse, so we killed him and took the horse. Our company consisted of myself, my brother, C.C. Workman, Philander Hutchins, Jerome Zabrinski, Lot Smith, Harold McBride, Edward Walker, Philo Carter and Hiram Fellows. We stopped and hunted for Corkin's for two or three days, and then went down to what was then called Mormon Island and bought a few good rifles and other weapons and ammunition and started for lower California some five or six hundred miles down the coast. But we stopped at Williams Ranch to fit up to go to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. We stayed there a few weeks then Ebenezer Hanks came in from Utah and told us the word to small company to go. We would not be safe on account of the Indians so we stopped a while to get more company.
I, and my brother, Cornelius, and the two Fellows, Williams and Hiram, went to work on Col. Williams Ranch. And while we were there someone stole about $5000 worth of gold dust from my brother and myself. And since they did not like to go home without any money the left Williams farm that we had rented and went back to the gold mines. In the spring of 1849 worked about six months and did well making about 8 or 9 hundred dollars in good mules, with which we were packing goods into the mountains for the miners. But one morning the Indians got up too early for us in got off with our mules. About 40 head belonging to Mr. Peacock my brother and myself and with about as many belonging to some Texans who were camped near us. They followed the Indians but did not get back our animals. I was sick at the time and could not go after them myself.
So that left me broke again so I went to San Francisco and worked there were some five or six months in the spring of 1850 and did not get any pay yet. I went to the mines again. I stayed there, with about the same luck, until the spring of 1852. Then I took a steamer to lower California, about 600 miles down the coast, to a place called San Bernardino, where the Mormons were settling, and I stayed there until the spring and 1856. Then in company with George Wilson, John H. Hollings, Elmer Taylor, and others, left for Salt Lake City. Arrived there on May 24th and in June got married to Rebecca Dack and started back to San Bernardino in September. I arrived there in November 1855, stayed there until December 1857, and started for Utah again. Arrived at Cedar City, Iron County in February 1858. Stayed there until October, then moved to fort harmony in Kane County. Stayed there until January 1859, then moved to Virgin City, Kane County, Utah Territory, on the Rio Virgin River Valley for the purpose of raising cotton and fruit.
In March I had the misfortune of getting shot in the foot by an Indian carelessly set down his gun. I was made up for five or six months. January 1st 1861 found me on my feet again ready for work. This year quite a lot of families came in from one of the northern settlements and settled with us. And 1864 I worked on the water ditch and until June then I rented my place and started with my wife and children for Salt Lake City for a visit. Stopped for a while Provo and worked then it onto the city worked there until October then started home arriving at home all right. In 1863 worked on the water ditch and farm and in a little while my wife Rebecca had a fine son born June 19 and we called his name William Manti up after the city of Manti in the book of Mormon. In 1864 worked on the ditch and raised some cotton, wheat, and started to build a house. Burned brick and hauled them onto the ground.
In 1865 I laid partner walls of my house, and on Christmas Day I was called to part with my wife, Rebecca. She died in childbirth, taking cold three or four days after the child was born, and died in two or three days more. The child, a fine boy, we called his name Joseph James. He lived until October then died, the very him beside his mother. That left me with three children: Louise, Evelyn, and Manti.
In 1856 I thought I would get married again, so I made a bargain with Mrs. Sarah Anna Johnson Eager, the widow of John Eager, who died two years before. We started for Salt Lake City to get married on March 3rd. Got married March 17 by W. Woodruff, started home, arrived there, all well in April and moved into our new home before it was finished, but I managed to get the roof on in a few months. And I raised a small, crop of cotton and wheat, and then in December, the 18th my wife Sariah had a fine boy. We called his name Amos Jackson. In 1867 I stayed home and worked on the water ditch, and also farmed a little. Had plenty of fruit, apples, peaches, and nothing much interest happened in 1868. We were bothered very much with our ditches, trying to get water to stay in, but we managed to raise a tolerable good crop. My wife had another fine son, called his name Nephi Johnson, born July 9, 1868. We had any bishop named John Parker, ordained under the hands of the Erastus Snow.
In 1869 I rented my farm to my brother Jacob L. And took my wife and part of the family on a visit to the northern part of the Territory. We got our visit out and arrived home in June of the same year. All well, but we found plenty of grasshoppers. They had eaten up all the wheat and some of our corn, though we still had plenty of fruit, so we ate well. In this year the great railroad across the continent was finished. In May 1870 I sold my farm and bought one down the river, move my home and farmed it myself, but the grasshoppers done us some damage, but we had a tolerably good crop of wheat, and my wife had another fine son, born September 3rd 1870. We called his name Charles Adelbert. I erected my arbor and built a small addition to my house, but in some five kinds of apples to my orchard. In 1871 I went to my farm to A. L. Stratton and did not raise much, lost all our cotton to the grasshoppers, and they damaged the fruit some. This year, President Brigham Young came down from Salt Lake and stayed in St. George a month or so to see the country and preach to us. I made some more additions to my house and improved my lot a little, and got the timber together for my barn, for most of it. We, also this year, commenced to cooperate with our stock on Kolob, and also commenced with a cheese factory, with John Parker, president of the land, George Spillsbury, vice president, and N. Black, secretary. We done tolerably well, for beginning.
In 1872 I built a small house on my farm, and moved down there and put in my crop. Stayed there about two months, then moved back to town. On the second day of July, my wife had another fine son. We called his name Edwin Monroe, and in September my wife started to Salt Lake City with your two sons, John and Joel. Was gone one month, got back all well. But in brought back a load of goods for our cooperative store. I stayed home and tended the farm and orchard, and raised the crop of grain, cotton and fruit, molasses, and put the frame of my barn.
In the fall I also made my first wine of any amount. In 1873, in the spring, I commenced to improve my farm. May defense on the east, and open a lane between William Haslam's farm and my own. Put in a crop on my field and the city lot. I also butted some mortgage fruit, and made some improvements on my lot by setting out some fruit trees and vines, and also commenced to make me a cellar and a grainery on top of it. I've done out the seller and laid up part of the walls. I also boarded-up and put on the roof of my barn and gathered in the crop of hay, cotton, and wheat. Our fruit was all killed off in the spring, by frost, all but a few apples, wild plums and currents.
Click Here to return to Ivin Workman.
Site Navigation Bar:
Home My Family Photo Album Family History Services
My Family Corner Privacy Policy
My Mother Contact Me Links Site Map
|
Muirhouse Family History Services
Orem, Utah 84097
USA
Phone: (801) 319-2539
Relocated from Springville, Utah in Sept 2006, then from West Jordan, Utah in April 2007.
© Copyright 2008 - Muirhouse Family History Services
Privacy Policy
|
|
