Ann Jewell Rowley

Ann Jewell was born 5 Dec 1807, in Leigh, Worcestershire, England, to William and Sarah Hyde Jewell. In 1836, she married William Rowley, a widower with several children, who lived at Mars Hill Farm, Suckley, Worcestershire, and bore him seven children. Ann was baptised by Wilford Woodruff at The Nightingale Bower near Storridge on 6 May 1840. Her biography tells of their faith and reasons for leaving their home in England. “We had a beautiful home in the parish of Suckley, Worcestershire, and were members of a religious body called the United Brethren. We had only to hear him (Wilford Woodruff) once and William and I knew with all our hearts that he was offering us a priceless treasure. We accepted his offer and were baptised into the church. We dreamed of going to Zion, where we could be with the main body of the saints but money was a problem.”

The Rowleys planned to emigrate to the United States and settle in Utah, but William died in 1848. Ann remained committed to their goal, and in 1856, she set forth with her seven children and one stepdaughter, sailing from Liverpool to New York on the ship "Thornton." The family travelled by rail to Iowa and became members of the ill-fated Willie handcart company. The arduous trek to Utah, on foot, took the life of Ann's stepdaughter, Eliza, who was buried along the trail in a shallow grave. Barely surviving the harsh conditions of an early winter, the desperate group was finally rescued by wagon teams from the Salt Lake Valley on the Sweetwater River in Wyoming. Ann Jewell Rowley and her family finally arrived in Utah.

The Ship’s Biscuits

There came a time when there seemed to be no food at all. Ann asked God’s help as she always did, and remembered two hard sea biscuits left over from the sea voyage. Surely this was not enough to feed her large family. But 5 loves and 2 fishes were not enough to feed 5000, either. She placed the biscuits in a pan with water and put the lid on and placed it on the coals. When she took the lid off later, the pan was filled with food. The Lord had answered her prayers. This is portrayed as one of the miracles in the film “17 Miracles”.

In the Spring of 1857, a man from Iron County, Andrew Bastion, came to Nephi. He asked the bishop if there was a woman in his ward that would make him a good wife. The bishop introduced him to Ann. She married him and he paid her emigration fee and provided a good home for her and her children. After living in several locations, she eventually settled in Emery County to be near some of her children.

She recalled in later years, “I learned to read and write, after I came to Utah.”

Ann died 17 March 1888 at Huntington, Emery County, Utah - Age 81.