William Pitt

William Pitt was born 16 August 1813 in Dymock, Herefordshire. In March 1840, he would have heard of Wilford Woodruff and his preaching in the area and was baptised by his brother-in-law, Thomas Kington, 13 June 1840. By October 1840, William was travelling around the Dymock area preaching the gospel. By November, he was a missionary in Ipswich. By February 1841, he reported that the Ipswich branch had 12 members.

In April 1841, William married Caroline Smith. She had been a lady’s maid at Ipswich, but William and Caroline probably knew each other from growing up in the Herefordshire Area. After their marriage, they emigrated to America in May 1841 on the ship “Harmony”.  William took his music and instruments with him, but his early days in Nauvoo were hard for him. His sister, Hannah Kington, died, and her husband, Thomas Kington, was very sick. William and Caroline and Williams’s sister, Mary, were also very ill. Eventually they recovered and were able to take part in Nauvoo life.

In 1842, Joseph Smith organised the Nauvoo Brass Band, with William Pitt as leader. This band became famous when the Nauvoo Legion paraded to their music, and they held public concerts, and played for private parties. William was also hired as a painter to work on the Nauvoo Temple. William Pitt’s Brass Band was prominent in the ceremony of laying the Temple capstone 24 May 1845 playing the “The Capstone March”, which was specially written by William Pitt. When the saints were forced to leave Nauvoo in 1846, the Brass Band went with them, not only to cheer up and encourage the walkers, but also to earn money from the Settlements nearby.

William had much tragedy in his life. His wife, Caroline, died shortly after giving birth to their second child in February 1844, and the baby died in March. In December 1844, William married Cornelia Devine. He had 6 children with Cornelia and after she died, he married Mary Jane Dyer in 1861, and they also had 6 children. William worked as a painter in Salt Lake City, where he painted the Beehive House and the Lion House. He was also very involved with music and drama there. He came back to England on a Mission, and when he returned his band went out to meet him and escorted him home.

At his funeral, Daniel H. Wells, 2nd Counsellor to Brigham Young, said, “I have never seen that man when he was not cheerful and full of life. No matter what blast blew of difficulty or persecution, Brother Pitt was there on hand at a moment’s notice full of life and music, ready to cheer the hearts of the people.” 

William died 23 February 1873 after falling from a ladder during his work – Age 59.