| Mathew Henry Farnes |  |
| Born: | May 17, 1840; Dagenham, England |
| Married: | Mary Ann French |
| Died: | December 29, 1932; Logan, Cache, Utah |
| Immigration Date: | Fall 1860 on the "Underwriter" |
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Mathew Henry Farnes
Mathew Henry Farnes was born on 17 May 1840, in Dagenham, England. He was the son of John Burnside Farnes and Ann Isacke. John was a bookbinder by trade and after their marriage Ann assisted him in his trade. By this means he earned a meager living. At one time he separated himself from this trade to become a policeman. He was fired from this position, however, because he would not tell an untruth about some man who was in trouble.
The children of John and Ann inherited the traits of honesty and industry from their parents. The family's poverty made it necessary for the children to work away from home as early as eight years of age. Mathew served a tinsmith apprenticeship. The children received very little schooling, I suppose because of having to go to work at such a young age.
When Mathew was a young child an angered dog bit him on the chin inflicting a long gash on each side of his face. When he was older, to hide the scars, he wore a beard.
In 1847, the family moved to London. They resided in several different locations in the heart of London. They were at Globe Road in 1850. By September of 185 1, the Farnes family was living a 5 North Street, Cambridge Heath, Clockney, London. Their last residence in London was at White Cottage, East Mile End Road. At one residence they lived near a place where nuts were discarded. Young Mathew liked to spend a great deal of time picking out the good ones from the bad. At his father's whistle he would hurry home knowing trouble was in store because he had neglected his chores.
The children became quite familiar with the large city of London. Mathew learned all the important streets, parks, and buildings.
Ann was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by her youngest brother, Sutton Isacke. Her visits to the Mormon meetings gave her the same convictions as her brother and on I April 1850 she was baptized. Mary Ann joined the church next in August 1850. George was baptized in 1851 and Mathew and Ebenezer in 1852 by John F. Reed, who later married their sister, Francis.
It was necessary for George and Mathew to earn enough money to pay their expenses to Utah. One day while Mathew was looking for work, he became discouraged and said to himself,, "This won't do--what shall I do?" A voice replied, "You go to Mr. Stevens on Old Street Road and you will get work." He turned around, expecting to see someone; but there was no one. He announced aloud, "Alright, I'll go." He reported directly to this man who gave him a job. After a period his wages were raised. Several times this was repeated. He was able to save enough money to pay his own expenses and to assist George.
Some time before he emigrated, Mathew took a young lady, with whom he had been keeping company, to a party. Because she flirted with another fellow all evening, he refused to take her home. He had no more to do with her and decided to go to Zion a free man. There was a young lady who came to their home often to see his sisters, but he had no special interest in her. Her name was Mary Ann French.
After arriving in Utah, he received a letter from his parents in England informing him that the day he left London, Mary Ann French had walked three miles to see him off. She had brought her picture to give to him, but got there just as the train pulled off. Mathew declared, "I had no idea she cared for me. I wrote to her and we corresponded. Finally I made her a proposition and she accepted."
After earning sufficient money to pay their expenses to Utah, George, age 2 1, and Mathew, age 19, sailed for America on 30 March 1860, on the ship "Underwriter". On May Ist the ship arrived in New York. From there the emigrants continued on, going to St. Louis, Missouri, then to Florence, Nebraska, where they made arrangements for the journey across the plains. George and Mathew, who had the necessary fare, had planned to travel with a handcart company, but changed their plans. While waiting for it to depart, Mathew acquired a job repairing wagons for a Church train (his written life story reports it was the Horton Haight Freight Company). This company gave him the job of cooking for some men and driving four head of oxen across the plains. Mathew's written life story relates the following: "While bargaining for his job he was he asked if he though a tinsmith could learn to drive an ox team and wagon. He replied, 'A fellow who had enough under his hat to become a tinsmith surely ought to be able to learn to drive oxen.' Mathew had five or six men to cook for; and it was understood that if he did the cooking, the other fellows were to keep him in wood and water. One evening after a long, hard drive the men refused to get the cook wood and water. So when breakfast time came around there was no breakfast; after that he always had plenty of wood and water. There was one fellow in the company who was quite a bully, large and mean and always picking on someone. He whipped a man with a black-snake whip; and Mathew passed the remark, he hadn't better try that on him or he would get something he wasn't looking for. Someone told the fellow what Mathew had said; so he approached him with a big whip and wanted to know what he would do. The fellow made a pass at him with the butt end of the whip; he ducked. Then he made another pass; and Mathew picked up a rock and threw it, hitting him on the head and laying him out. Everyone around thought he was dead. But he finally came to, much to Mathew's joy, because he didn't want to kill him, and he had only wanted to teach him his place. The captain told the fellow afterwards it would have served him right if Farnes had killed him. After that he minded his own business and left the men alone." Most likely George was similarly employed. Upon their arrival in the valley the fall of 1860, Mathew was free from debt and had money in his pocket.
They settled in Logan. After arriving in Utah, George and Mathew moved in with their sister Mary Ann House in Grantsville. Church leaders encouraged the two brothers to settle in Logan, Utah. Apostle Benson felt Mathew would do well in Cache Valley because there was no tinsmith in that area. During the early part of 1861 George and Mathew visited Cache Valley and found it was indeed very promising. They immediately busied themselves with securing a place to live. George's first home was a dugout which is believed they built at that time. It was the fifth dugout built in Logan and was located on the bench in the present Fifth Ward area. Mathew provided himself with a two-room log house with a dirt floor and a dirt roof. Attached to the house was a wheat bin. This home was located on First North between Third and Fourth West. Most likely that home was built at a later date. For light in their homes George and Mathew used candles make out of mutton tallow. As the years went by each of the two brothers provided themselves with better homes.
In 1862, Ebenezer departed for America. After spending four days in Salt Lake City, he placed all his belongings on his back and started, tired and hungry, for Grantsville, where he was welcomed by his sister Mary Ann and her husband, Samuel House. His brothers came from Logan the next week to see their younger brother. Ebenezer described this as a joyful reunion.
Together they discussed ways and means of bringing their parents and sisters to Zion. 'the Church blacksmith shop was in need of charcoal, so they contracted with the authorities to furnish the shop with a thousand bushels. In return for the charcoal the Church agreed to bring the rest of the Farnes family from England to Florence, Nebraska. From there the Church would bring them on to Utah through the Perpetual Emigration Fund, and they were to pay the balance as they could.
Accordingly, John and Ann Farnes and their daughters, Matilda, age 18, and Jane, age 14, made preparations to depart for America. Going in company with them was John Lyons, age 3, Mary Ann Barham and Mary Ann French, sweethearts of George and Mathew, Sutton Isacke (Ann's brother), his wife, Martha, and Ellen Shackleton, a spinster niece.
On August 6, 1863, the Farnes group resumed their journey numbered among the five hundred members of the Daniel McArthur Co. The trek across the plains was a very difficult one. On 15 September 1863, John Burnside Farnes died at Three Crossing, Wyoming.
Mathew came from Logan with a wagon and team to meet the Farnes group. Before leaving he had a dream in which his father came to him and told him that he was dead. When he met the company at Echo Canyon, the first thing he heard was that his father, indeed, had died and was buried on the plains.
Mathew returned to Logan taking with him his sweetheart, Mary Ann French, his sister Jane and his little brother John Lyons. Two weeks after their arrival in Logan, in October of 1863, Mathew and Mary Ann were married.
The early settlers of Logan had organized a company of minute men with the best men and horses in the area. They selected George and Mathew to be military or minute men, and as such they helped guard the settlement. The settlers were pestered a great deal by the Indians, who prior to 1864 were considered very dangerous.
Although Logan held considerable promise for the Farnes family, it was obtained only through wise planning and hard work. Mathew at first traveled through Cache Valley with a wagon and yoke of oxen practicing his trade as a tinsmith. For pay he would take meat, potatoes, furniture, clothing, and even old tin ware. By the early 1880's Mathew and Ebenezer had established themselves as prosperous business men in Logan. By then Mathew had a fine tinsmith shop. From shiny strips of tin he made tin cups, dippers, steamers, and stove pipes. These he sold along with stoves, ranges, and other articles. For awhile he also ran a hardware store in Logan.
In Mathew's two-room house four of the earliest births in Logan took place. Mathew's wife gave birth to a baby girl on December 13, 1864. In 1866 both Mathew's wife and George's wife were expecting at the same time. Because of this they agreed to help each other. Mary Ann Barham Farnes lived with her sister-in-law long enough to give and receive assistance. On March 15, 1866, Mary Ann French Farnes gave birth to twin boys. Twelve days later, on March 27, 1866, Mary Ann Barham Farnes gave birth to her first child.
Mary Ann died on 18 April, 1912 at the age of 72 years, in Logan. Mathew died 29 December 1932, at the age of 92 years, in Logan.
Compiled by Geri Zollinger from the following sources:
Return to Five-Generation Chart of Lillias Tanner Farnes