Titus Davis was the son of David Lazarus and Dina Thomas Davis. He was born on the 1st of August 1806, in Llandysul, Cardiganshire, Wales, in the Teifi River Valley. This is a very beautiful valley, with green rolling hills.
Titus, for some reason, was raised by his grandfather on a farm. It is unfortunate that we do not know whether on his father’s or his mother’s side. He was probably needed on the farm to help his grandfather.
Dinah, the mother of Titus, married the second time and raised a son by the name of Timothy, who emigrated to America at an early age, but all traces of him have been lost.
The complete family record is not at present known, but it is known that Titus had two brothers, David & Evan. At the time of Napoleon, Titus must have been a good-sized lad, for he said he remembered his uncles discussing the possibility of Napoleon conquering the British.
Titus was a very musically inclined young man as most Welsh people are. He was the ChoirMaster at the local Church. A member of his choir was a lovely girl by the name of Mary Gwenllian Bowen. She had a beautiful voice and it was easy for Titus to fall in love with her. She was 21 and he was 34.
They were married in the beautiful Llanwenog Church, which is a famous old church in that area. Carved on the end of the pew is a tribute to their ChoirMaster. “David Bowen, our beloved ChoirMaster”. He was the Father of Mary Gwenllian, with the date of 1869.
Mary Gwenllian was the daughter of David & Gwenllian Evans Bowen and was born on the 6th of January 1819. She came from a very successful and distinguished family. They had a Woolen Mill at Maesyfelin, which means “Mill Field”, where they manufactured the famous Welsh flannen (flannel). The Bowen home sat on a low rolling hill. It was a lovely home, especially for that day. It was built of stone and plastered over and then painted white. At the bottom of the hill was the Woolen Mill with a little stream of water running through, furnishing power for the mill. The farms in this lovely valley are marked off with hedge rows. These are trimmed hedges, climbing roses or stone walls covered with vines and greenery. The homes are mostly stone or plastered over and painted white. It makes them very picturesque and a quaint setting for this peaceful little valley.
Mary Gwenllian was the only living daughter of eleven children and her parents saw that she had everything a young girl would desire, including her own riding pony and saddle, which was a note of social prestige in that day. She was naturally a good horsewoman and attended all the social events and went to Church on her horse. Mostly, people had to walk to such events, especially the young girls, but this was not the case with Mary Gwenllian. They had what is called “Mounted Weddings” Where the bride and the invited guests all came on their horses. It was a very elegant affair, all those attending, riding up the path to a village wedding.
Davis – Family Origin and Coat of Arms
Motto: “We tentes, out perfica” (Do not attempt, or else accomplish)
Arms: Gules a chevron ermine in chief two mounts or, in base a talbot passant if the last.
Crest: Two arms embowed, habited ermine cuffs azure, hands proper supporting a mount, as in
the arms.
(Picture of the coat of arms.)
Of legendary beginnings, this family name can be traced back several centuries B.C., Constantine the Great, being one of its members.
When surnames were adopted during the time of William the Conqueror in 1066, many were derived from baptismal names such as in this case, David. The original family of Davis seems to have lived in the south of Wales in the shire of Carmarthen.
Among the early pioneers to the New World were Dolor Davis who came from Kent in 1634 and Barnabas Davis who came from Gloucestershire in 1635, both who settled in Massachusetts. One of the most noted descendents of this family was Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, whose ancestor was Morgan Davis who had settled in Pennsylvania about 1686.
American history records indicate that many persons bearing this old family name were constructive in the development of our country. Members of this distinguished family can be found throughout our nation prominent in the social, political, and economic affairs of our nation.
The Bowen family consisted of eleven children, six boys and five girls, four dying in infancy. The children are Elizabeth, John, David, Elizabeth (again) David (again), Mary, Jenkin, Mary Gwenllian, John (again), Elizabeth (again), and Thomas. It was the custom in that day when a baby died, the name was given to another child born into the family later. Thus, several have the same name.
Mary Gwenllian’s parents did not approve of the marriage of their daughter to a man thirteen years her senior and they also felt he did not meet their social standards. But Titus was a good man and he did the best he could for his wife and children. He was a “corvisor” by trade, which in Wales, is a man who makes or mends shoes.
Often the family moved from place to place so that Titus could follow his trade. It seems from what family records are available,they never owned a house, but only rented. Generally they rented small farms where they would be able to keep cows and the usual farm animals.
They had eleven children, some dying in infancy, for infant mortality was very high at that time. This was probably due to the lack of medical care and their humble living conditions.
Their children were Josiah Bowen, David Lazarus, Timothy Bowen, Gwennie, Evan Thomas, Thomas “A”, Daniel John, John Henry, Jenkin, Hanah, and Henry John.
One little village they lived in was Drefach. Here their son, Thomas, was born. This home was a large two-story stone house on a little farm. The older boys would help with the chores and the mother would churn butter and gather eggs to take to the village four miles away to sell and supplement their income.
It was here that Titus tried to persuade Mary to go to America. It was here that the twins were born, Jenkin and Hannah. The little girl, Hannah, was still-born.
From there they moved to a home near Llandilo where Henry was born and then again they moved to a little village called Cumdu (Black Meadow). At this place they were closer to a school and the Baptist Church of which they were all members. This was also the village where in later years, Mary Gwenllian died on the 29th of January at 60 years of age.
In 1858, Titus was working in Dowlais with his eldest son, David. L., who was working there also. He worked at the Mercantile House. They both became acquainted with the missionaries of the Mormon Church and they soon were baptized and became devout members.
Mary Gwenllian was a very strong Baptist and was very much opposed to this new religion. She was dedicated to her own church which also believed in baptism by immersion. Titus was also sure that his new church was true and he constantly expressed his desire to have his family join his new church and then go to America. This became a very serious problem between them. Mary sought counsel from her own minister and talked to her relatives and friends. They, too, were opposed to her joining this new church and then leaving her relatives and friends. They did not want her to leave her homeland. She had also heard of the many trials and the difficult journey for the emigrants. She heard the stories of those who had died while enroute to the New World. She was also told about the Mormons practicing polygamy and that this new religion was a mockery. Titus tried to explain to her that he felt he was right in this decision and had no doubt about his new church. Thus, a very serious division of the family resulted.
However, in due time, other members of the family joined the new church, namely, David, Timothy and Gwennie. Plans were made for the family to go to America. Titus has said that he did not put pressure on any of the children to emigrate with him and felt that it was their decision to make on their own.
When the older children decided to go with their father to America, it was decided between the two smaller sons, Jenkin and Henry John, that Jenkin should stay with his mother as he was eight years old and would be of more help to her. Also, Jenkin did not want to leave his mother and was reported to have run away and hid until they had all left. This is disputed by Thomas’ written narrative included in this family history. He wrote, “She submitted to be bereft of her children and even walked them to the railroad station and quietly bade them goodbye, took little Jenkin by the hand and walked home.”
David, the oldest son, had been called on a mission for the Mormon Church in Wales and so he was to stay and not emigrate with the family, but would come to Utah a year later. It was hoped that in the meantime, the mother would join the Mormon Church. Also wanting to be with her children, she would agree to come with her son, David. But she never did.
It is almost unbelievable how a mother could see her husband and all children except one, leave her and never to see her again in their life. Her own parents, family and friends became very bitter towards Titus for leaving his wife, but his religious convictions were so strong and he wanted to go to America. He felt his decision was right. He also hoped that his wife would join him in the coming year when David would follow them to America.
They left in early May of 1863 from London on an American ship called the Amazon. Many tears were shed as over one thousand people said goodbye to their loved ones and their beloved homeland. Titus was especially sad because he had many difficult decisions to make. He had the responsibility of bringing his family of four boys and a girl, Timothy, Thomas, John Henry and Gwennie. This was to be a courageous task. He walked the wharf many hours by himself, while waiting the four days for the ship to sail. He was constantly questioning himself and wondered if he was doing right. He finally boarded the ship and prepared to leave.
They arrived in New York, the 18th day of July 1863, after the usual difficult experiences of emigrants coming to a new country. They continued by railroad to St. Joseph, Missouri and then caught a boat to Florence, Nebraska (Winter Quarters). This was the place where the Mormon people gathered and where many spent the winter before going west to Utah.
The wagons numbered about 100. They were on half rations and little food such as fish from the streams or buffalo was secured along the way. Titus and the children were overjoyed at meeting several people from Wales whom they knew. They were fortunate in being assigned to the company headed by John L. Edwards, whom they all knew and who had emigrated from Llanwenog near the same area where Titus and his family had lived. John Edwards had been sent back to Missouri to bring emigrants back to Utah.
Timothy, who had contacted Typhoid Fever on board the ship, was still in a very weakened condition. It was a miracle he survived at all. A more detailed history of the trip west is written by Thomas, one of Titus’ sons. They arrived in the Salt Lake valley on October 8, 1863.
After staying several days at Emigration Square in Salt Lake City, they set out for Willard in Box Elder County where other Welsh people had already settled. This trip took them three days. Willard was a natural place for them to go with other Welsh settlers. It was a charming little village, reminiscent of their villages in Wales.
About two months later, on the 21st day of November, 1863, Gwennie became the bride of John Lodwick Edwards, who had brought them across the plains. It made the difficult trip much more pleasant for Gwennie, to fall in love along the way. They first lived in a little home on about First West and Third South in Willard. Each of his boys were very industrious and ambitious and established themselves well.
Several years before leaving Wales, Titus and Mary Gwenllian were walking through Cumdu (Black Hollow) with a hive of bees. To make the trail shorter, they took a path leading through the cemetery. They stopped to rest and Titus told Mary that if he died first, he wanted her to bring his body there to rest and he promised Mary that if she died first, he would carry her there for burial.
It is a lovely cemetery near an ancient old castle. A lush green meadow with a small lake of the bluest water is nearby with sheep quietly grazing in the meadow. But with the years and separation of family, they never were buried together as they had wished.
Mary Gwenllian went against her family’s wishes by marrying Titus. They were not tolerant of her. They turned against her and she was left alone in Wales. She was truly alone and destitute.
At this point, it is pertinent to quote directly from Thomas Davis’ own handwritten narrative of his thoughts on leaving his mother behind:
“I must state here, that my mother must have possessed a rare balance of mind, or she would have torn the universe to shreds before giving up her baby to be taken, that she, perhaps never would see again! She could have raised the neighborhood, and in an hour’s time could have had a mob of farmers there to protect her two children. But, no–she submitted to be bereft of her children. She was surely one woman in ten thousand.
“I do not propose to discuss the right and wrong of the matter, but it seems to me that someone or more will be held responsible for the manner in which Mother was robbed of her children, and for the heartaches she endured in her lonely home. It is gratifying here to say, that no doubt her rest is along with the little fellow that comforted her in her isolation, in sight of the Old Cathedral at Talley. Let us leave them here now.”
Despondent and ill, she ended up tragically alone, assigned to the “Poor House” where she died seven years later. Some of her friends, remembering her last wish that she wanted to be buried at Talley, carried her body to this little cemetery in the Llanddeusant Parish, where she is buried.
She rests alone with a stone, which possibly her son, Jenkin, who stayed in Wales with his mother, had erected. It simply says, “In remembrance of Mary Davis, Blaennantllwyd, Tally, in the parish of Llanddeussant, who died 29 January 1867 – 60 years old. Then you will return and see more between the good and the bad, those who worship God and those who don’t.”
Through the years, Titus, now living in Willard alone, very often would remark that he longed and wished it was possible for him to go back and be buried in Talley, with his Mary, as they had promised they would do so many years before.
Later as he grew older and his family were gone, it was unwise for him (Thomas) to be alone. A little room was provided for him in a small brick building next to the home of his daughter, Gwennie. He was comfortable and his daughter gave him good care in a loving, attentive way.
One of Gwennie’s sons who was named after Titus went on a mission for the Mormon Church in 1896. Even though he was very old, Titus clung to life until David Titus came home from his mission. He passed away at the age of 92 on April 21, 1898.