Mary Ann Weston

Mary Ann Weston was born 10 March 1817 in Corse Lawn, Gloucestershire, England and reared a Methodist near Gloucester, England. She was the daughter of a prosperous realtor, Thomas Halford Weston, and often travelled with her father to purchase and sell houses and land. Seeking an apprenticeship as a dressmaker in 1839, Mary Ann took up residence with Mr. and Mrs. William Jenkins, through whom she heard of the Latter-day Saints. Mary Ann was baptised by Wilford Woodruff at midnight on 2 April 1840 because of the extent of persecution at daytime baptisms. She married John Davis. He was attacked by mobs, whilst at a church meeting and died on 6 April 1841.

From Her Autobiography –

“The next day I left my home a sad lonely widow, where less than four months before I had been taken a happy bride. I did not go home for I felt that my parents would try to stop me from gathering with the Saints. I had many homes offered to me, by friends, but I went to board with Mr & Mrs Hill of Turkey Hall. They were getting ready to go to Nauvoo. I prayed for strength to settle our business and then I would gather with his Saints. I had no debts to pay and the Lord blessed me with success in collecting the money due my husband and myself or the most of it. My health continued very poor, but I joined with a Company that was getting ready to go to Nauvoo.”

Mary Ann emigrated to America, sailing on the “Harmony” from Bristol on 12 May 1841. She had to disguise herself to escape men sent by her father to bring her back from Bristol.

From Her Autobiography –

“Oh, the grief and sorrow of this time I can never forget, thus on the 4th of May 1841 I left all that was near and dear to me to travel some thousands [of] miles alone, and cast my lot with the people of God. We hired teams to take us to Gloucester and some of us started to walk a little way, when we came to the place where we would lose sight of fathers House. I sat down and I might have staid there if some of the Company had not came back for me. I was sick and quite over come with the grief and sorrow I had passed through in the last three months.”

On 2 November 1841, she married Peter Maughan in Nauvoo who was a widower with 5 children. They crossed the plains to Salt Lake City in 1850.

The family was sent to settle Tooele, where Mary Ann became the first Relief Society President and midwife. The Maughans eventually settled in Cache valley in northern Utah, and Mary Ann noted with pride that Weston, Idaho, just north of Cache Valley, was named after her.

She died 15 February 1901 in Logan Utah – Age 83.