Miles Romney was born in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, England on July 15, 1806 [to George Romney, Jr. and Sarah King of Lancashire, England]. He was a carpenter by trade. In 1837 while he and his wife, Elizabeth were going to the market they heard Orson Hyde preaching on the street. He later attended meetings in the cockpit in Preston, England and was among the first to be baptized in England in September 1837. He was ordained an elder and emigrated to Nauvoo, arriving there April 18, 1841. He labored on the temple from its commencement to its completing and was foreman of all woodwork.
Miles Romney and Elizabeth Gaskell Romney
Miles married Elizabeth Gaskell [born January 8, 1809 in Lancashire, England] [on November 16, 1830, also in Lancashire, England, some say after arriving in Utah, he married eleven polygamist wives.]
Miiles Romney and Elizabeth Gaskell Romney had the following children:
[George Romney 1831-192, md. Jane Jamison, (2) Douglas, (3) Thomas
Elizabeth Romney 1833-1907, md. Thomas Taylor
Sarah Romney 1836-1909, md. Mahonri Moriancumer Cahoon
Joseph Gaskell Romney 1838-1888 , md. Jan Wilson (2) McCauslin (3) Wilson
Ellen Romney 1840-1846, died while living on temple block in Salt Lake City
Miles Park Romney 1843-1904 md.(1) Hannah Hood Hill - May 10, 1862
md. (2) Caroline Lambourne - March 23, 1867
md. (3) Catharine Jane Cottam - September15,1873
md (4) Alice Marie Woodbury - August 1, 1877
md. (5) Emily Henrietta Eyring Snow - February 2, 1987
Hiram Thomas Gaskell Romney 1845-?, md. Annie Wood
Mary Ann Romney 1848-1924, md. Robert Charles Lund
Jane Agnes Romney 1850-1853 ]
When the saints left Nauvoo he was unable to accompany them to the west for lack of means. He moved to Burlington, Iowa, and later to St. Louis, Missouri. While there all of the family had small pox, except himself, wife and George, the eldest son. Miles and son, George, by some means were able to continue working. Being destitute it was the only means of getting something to live on. On March 18, 1850, by persistent toil, they had accumulated enough to start to Utah by ox team where he arrived October 12, 1850. He camped on the temple block. He was foreman of the Publish Work Shop from 1851 to 1856.
On May 15, 1855, a committee by George A. Smith was sent around the temple block to make a survey for the work on the temple. They reported there was on hand 150,000 feet of lumber. They went into the Joiners Shop, which was under the supervision of Miles Romney, was a perfect beehive for industry, every bench being in active occupation and every man intent upon the labor set before him.
Miles Romney, with others on February 22, 1856, was called to go on a mission to England. They left Salt Lake City April 22, 1856 and encountered a storm May 4, which lasted until the 7th. They had to feed their animals bread and cover them with their bedding. They traveled several days in snow and their animals being weak, their progress was slow. Miles Romney had sore feet and was very much fatigued from walking. On July 5, 1856, they embarked for England on the vessel called “New World, departing from New York and landing in Liverpool on August 7, 1856. On January 1, 1857, he was appointed to preside over the Manchester, Liverpool and Preston Conferences.
He returned from England in April 1858, and on May 4th was on the Platt River. On May 7th all bedding and clothing were weighed and an average of 54 pounds were allowed per person. Over all amounts was fifteen cents per pound. He arrived in Provo June 23, 1858. At the fall fair of 1860 he headed a committee to award prizes on furniture and copper ware. He was living in the 14th Ward at the time. On October 8 and 9th he was called to settle in Southern Utah. He went to Dixie in 1862, to a town called Grafton. Afterwards he settled in St. George.
In “Immortal Process” page 91, it states that the corner stone of the tabernacle dimensions 56 x 106. Miles Romney prepared the plans. Architecture and wood work was under the direction of Miles, a master builder, and he was assisted by Edson Barney, William Barnes, Willis Copeland, Hosea Stout, David Rogers, Thomas Cottam, Benjamin Blake, and Warren Hardy. It was in this building that William Blake displayed his artistic skill in plaster paris decoration, the first in St. George, Miles and others, their craftsmanship in the roof cornice and interior decorations, and Edward Parry in his stone cutlery and masonry.
St. George Tabernacle staircase built by Miles Romney
Miles designed and built the staircases in the Tabernacle. When Young came to see it he told Miles that it would have to go. Miles was adamant about it staying so he called 200 men and they lifted the balcony up, the pillars were cut off and the balcony was replaced. Brigham Young came again and said that he finally met a man that was as stubborn as he was. Miles was superintendent of all construction on the temple and also superintendent of public works. He labored zealously in the erection of the temple and tabernacle. Miles also built the back part of President’s home in St. George.
Construction Supervisor Miles Romney seated second from right in front of the St.George Temple
On Saturday evening, October 12, 1874, brother George Romney, received a telegram informing him that his father, Miles Romney, which working on the St. George temple, fell from a ladder breaking one of his arms and one of his legs. He received another dispatch stating that the injuries were very serious, indeed, Brother Romney, age 63 being against him, and being a heavy bodied man, the shock to his system in addition to the breaking of his bones, must have been very great.
His many friends hoped to hear of his favorable progress and recovery. The last dispatch stated that the patient rested better on Saturday night than the previous night.
He recovered from this accident and resumed his activities on the temple and tabernacle. At one time he was president of the 24th quorum of seventies. In the Deseret News, May 9, 1877, there was a notice of his death after a short illness. The illness was caused by a fall from a window while working on the temple. The closing paragraph of the obituary read as follows:
“He was a kind father and a steadfast friend, liberal in his views and charitable in all, without fanaticism but firm in his faith. He died as he has lived in faith and fellowship. He leaves a wife, herself ill, seven children, fifty-seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren and a numerous circle of friends who mourn his departure. He was one of the noblest works of God, an honest man.
Of his grandchildren who were old enough to remember him very well is Mary Romney Farr of St. Johns, Arizona, who was nine at his death and remembers carrying trays and water to him during his illness, and Gaskell who was six and remembers little of his grandfather, except that he was kind, but stern, when we helped ourselves from his favorite pear tree, instead of other fruits which he said we could help ourselves too.
[Miles also married Ann King after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Margaret Romney after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Ellen Slater after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Bridget Gaskill after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Hannah Gaskill after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Mary Gaskill after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England.
Miles also married Dorothy Atkinson after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England ..
Miles also married Bridget Atkinson after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Elizabeth Fisher after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Bridget Fisher after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .
Miles also married Bella Gaskill after 1830, of Dalton, In Furness, Lancs, England .]
[Miles Romney died on May 3, 1877 in St. George, Washington County, Utah]
Sources:
PAF - Archer files = Miles Romney + (1) Elizabeth Gaskill > Miles Park Romney + (2) Caroline Lambourne > Martha Diana Romney + Orson Pratt Brown > Anthony Morelos Brown + Nellie Weiler > Leona Lee Brown Olsen.
Leona Brown Olsen - Many Thanks for contributing this story to our website.
http://www.gledhill.com/Michael%20Gledhill/2/1501.htm lists Miles Romney's eleven marriages/sealings, as does www.familysearch.org
Thank you to Val Garthwiate for her contribution.
[Bracketed], bold, corrections, photos, and additions by Lucy Brown Archer
Copyright 2001 www.OrsonPrattBrown.org
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