Catherine Jones

Brief Life History of Catherine

Catherine Jones was born in 1792 in Northrop, Flintshire, England. It is said that she was a lovely young girl with dark hair. She married a hardy fisherman named Benjamin Bennett, on New Year's Eve in 1818. This couple were deeply religious and taught their children to have faith in the Divine Power and to live uprightly. They had six children, all born in Connahs Quay, Flint, Wales. Sometime prior to the year of 1840, Catherine Jones’s father, John Jones had a vision or a dream, in which he saw some men coming to them with a book, and bringing a new gospel. John Jones told his son-in-law, Benjamin Bennett about this dream or vision and promised Benjamin Bennett that when these men did come that he and his family would join with them and go to a new land and see a copper colored people. On the last day of October, 1840, two Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, took a short trip to Hawarden, Wales. As they preached, John Jones recognized these men and told his family that these were the men he saw in his dream and this was the true church of our Lord Jesus Christ. John was then an old man of 80 years and sick in bed, but he insisted they take him to be baptized at night. Several members of the family were baptized at that time, 20 August 1841. Both Benjamin and Catherine were among this group of individuals who chose to accept the Restored Gospel that day. They had faith in their leaders and were willing to do all they could for the new church, and it became a great dream for the family to come to America. One by one over the next ten years, many of the other family members joined the church as well. (John and Jane Roberts Bennett, whom we are descended from, were baptized in 1849 and 1847.) For many years, the Bennett family taught and lived the teachings of the gospel. Their home was used as a meeting place for members in the area. John Jones died in 1859, never fulfilling his dream of going to Utah. Shortly after his death, his daughter, Catherine Jones Bennett, her husband Benjamin Bennett and their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, started for America with the Saints. Because of a railroad being built on their property, Benjamin was able to sell the property to obtain funds for the journey. They packed their belongings taking only so much poundage that was to be shipped with them to the new world. It had been decided that other family members would follow later as they earned the money necessary for the trip. They boarded the ship “William Tapscott” on April 25, 1860. With nearly 730 converted LDS passengers on board, the ship departed from Liverpool, England on May 11, 1860. After arriving in New York, and then traveling by train westward, they arrived in Florence, Nebraska on July 1, 1860. They left towards Salt Lake City with the “William Budge” company. The trip was long and hard, and at this time Benjamin was sixty-three years old with Catherine approaching the age of sixty-eight. Soon after passing into Utah territory on September 26th Catherine Jones Bennett passed away to the next life. The journey had been just too much for her. She was laid to rest near a stream called "The Little Muddy" in Wyoming, about one hundred miles east of Salt Lake Valley. Notably, a commemorative monument was dedicated near this site, by her descendants in 1998 (see memories section). (Monument Location 41°16'20.6"N 110°36'17.5"W) Eight days after Catherine’s death, Benjamin and his daughter Elizabeth arrived at the Public Square of Salt Lake City, their promised Zion. The following year on February 16, 1861 they were in the Endowment House to have their ordinances done. They soon moved to Fillmore in Millard County, Utah. Catherine's oldest son, John Bennett and his wife, Jane Roberts were determined to come to America and settle with his parents, so on the 30th May 1863 they left Liverpool on the ship "Cynosure", with D.M. Stuart as their leader and 754 Souls aboard. This couple with their family suffered many hardships and finally they reached Utah in late August or early September of 1863, just three years after John Bennett's parents had made the same trip. Immediately John Bennett and his family, began to search for his parents, Catherine Jones Bennett, her husband, and their daughter, Elizabeth. John had not heard from his parents in the three years that they had been in America. When his parents were finally located, John learned that his mother, Catherine Jones Bennett had passed away while crossing the plains. It has been said that the Bennetts all seem to possess leadership ability and have followed the examples of their good ancestors in giving service to the Church and their fellowmen.

Photos and Memories (60)

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Family Time Line

Benjamin Bennett II
1796–1880
Catherine Jones
1792–1860
Marriage: 26 November 1818
John Bennett
1822–1870
Benjamin Bennett III
1827–1873
Edward Bennett
1829–1830
Jonathan Bennett
1831–1866
Catherine Bennett
1833–1902
Edward Bennett
1836–1892
Elizabeth Bennett
1839–1921

Sources (46)

  • Catharine Bennett in household of Benjamin Bennett, "United States Census, 1860"
  • Wales, Select Births and Baptisms, 1541-1907
  • Flint Marriages Image | findmypast.co.uk

Parents and Siblings

World Events (8)

1794 · Creating the Eleventh Amendment

The Eleventh Amendment restricts the ability of any people to start a lawsuit against the states in federal court.

1800 · Movement to Washington D.C.

While the growth of the new nation was exponential, the United States didn’t have permanent location to house the Government. The First capital was temporary in New York City but by the second term of George Washington the Capital moved to Philadelphia for the following 10 years. Ultimately during the Presidency of John Adams, the Capital found a permanent home in the District of Columbia.

1812

War of 1812. U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion.

Name Meaning

English and Welsh: from the Middle English personal name Jon(e) (see John ), with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. The surname is especially common in Wales and southern central England. It began to be adopted as a non-hereditary surname in some parts of Wales from the 16th century onward, but did not become a widespread hereditary surname there until the 18th and 19th centuries. In North America, this surname has absorbed various cognate and like-sounding surnames from other languages. It is (including in the sense 2 below) the fifth most frequent surname in the US. It is also very common among African Americans and Native Americans.

English: habitational or occupational name for someone who lived or worked ‘at John's (house)’.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

Story Highlight

Catherine Jones

Name: Catherine Jones Bennett Born: About 1800, in Wales Died: 1860 Married: About 1820 Utah Pioneer: 1860 Company: Daniel Robinson or Oscar O. Stoddard History Written by: Alta B. Fisher Year: 1970 …

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