Thomas Morris

Born in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales; immigrated to U.S. in 1831; after first wife’s death in 1837, married Mercy Crosby at Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1838; left by wife following his baptism in 1844; assumed sole responsibility for the care of their children; moved his family to Nauvoo, Illinois; joined Mormon Battalion in 1846, leaving his two children in the care of friends; reenlisted for additional six months after initial year enlistment expired; at Slap Jack Bar with GQC and called by Charles C. Rich to serve a mission to Hawai‘i in September 1850; counseled by Hiram Clark to accept employment with British consul at Honolulu in December 1850; returned to U.S. in April 1851; subsequently presided over the Latter-day Saints in San Francisco; returned to Utah in 1855; worked as gardener for Brigham Young; committed suicide at his home south of Salt Lake City. (See Morris, “Sketch of Thomas Morris”; Conquerors of the West, 3:1708–10; Larson, Database of the Mormon Battalion, 173–74; Lyman, Payne, and Ellsworth, No Place to Call Home, 565; Owens, Gold Rush Saints, 391; Davies, Mormon Gold, 404; GQC journal, frequent references, Sept. 1850–May 1851.)