We know very little about the early life of Charles. We do know he was born August 17, 1828, in Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire, England. Charles was the seventh of eleven children of Richard Richins, and Charlotte Priscilla Wager. Their children in order of birth were: Hannah, John Edward, Mary Ann, George Thomas, Thomas, Charlotte Priscilla, Charles, Edwin, John, Edward, and William.

His mother, Charlotte Priscilla Wager, died at the age of 43, just a little over two years after William was born. When she died Richard was left with seven sons between the ages of two and seventeen. Richard’s sister Hannah helped care for the family. Six years later, at age 48, Richard died, leaving his family on their own and with relatives. No doubt Charles and his brothers got well acquainted with their relatives. When the census of 1850 was taken, Charles was residing with a cousin, Joseph Richins. When he obtained passage to immigrate to Utah, he listed his address in care of William Richins, his uncle. When he and Louisa were married, his cousin Leonard was one of the witnesses.

Gloucestershire, England, was noted for its agricultural and dairy farming. The area of Painswich and Sheepscombe, where the Richins families lived, was beautiful with green grass and rolling hills. The family was poor and Charles, like his brothers, learned to work as a laborer at an early age. He had limited educational opportunities, but still learned to read and write and was exceptionally good in mathematics. He told his son Jesse that he only attended school six weeks. He knew the value of a good education, and according to his son Parley, wanted his children to take advantage of all their educational opportunities.

Louisa in Syde

About three miles from Sheepscombe was Syde, the birth place of Louisa Shill. She was born June 22, 1829, to Robert Chapel Shill and Prudence Golding. She was the youngest in a family of twelve. Her brothers and sisters were Richard, Robert, Mary, Elizabeth Prudence, Susanna, Rachel, John, Charles Golding, William, Ann and George. Unlike most families at that period of time none of the twelve Shill children died young. They all lived long enough to marry.

Early Converts to the Gospel

In 1837 the first missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left Kirtland, Ohio, to do missionary work in England. It is not known for sure when the first Mormon missionaries labored in Gloucestershire, but Louisa's brother, Charles Golding Shill, said there was a religious revival in their area the latter part of 1845 and early 1846.

The Latter-day Saint missionaries set up a branch of the Church at Caudle Green, which was less than two miles from Syde and two miles from Sheepscombe. Charles Golding Shill set out immediately to share the good news with family and friends. Charles Golding then became a full-fledged missionary bringing persecution to him from the ministers of the area. They made it impossible for him to find work, so he ended up in the poor house, but he was expelled from there for preaching the gospel. We have no record of how Louisa Shill and Charles Richins first met, but we do know that Louisa introduced Charles to her brother Charles Golding, who helped teach him the gospel and then baptized him on December 26, 1849. He was confirmed a member of the Church that same day by Brother C. Blackwell.

Charles Richins was ordained a priest June 16, 1850, and soon after became a missionary. Prudence Shill, Louisa's mother, wrote a letter in 1850 to her son, Charles Golding Shill who was in London.4 In the letter she stated that she had attended church services in Sheepscombe, and that they had a full house every Sunday. She then said Charles Richins had baptized twenty three people since he was made a priest. Charles was ordained an elder, seventy, and high priest while at Sheepscombe. He worked in numerous church positions, including Presiding Elder of the Sheepscombe Branch.

Years later Parley T. Richins, son of Charles and Esther, related that one day while he was in Salt Lake as an insurance agent for Beneficial Life he was introduced to Charles W. Penrose by President Joseph F. Smith. After shaking hands Brother Penrose asked, “What did you say your name was?” When I repeated my name, he said, “Richins, Richins, what was your father’s name?” I told him Charles Richins, the first bishop of Henefer. He took my hand again and said, “I’m happy to meet the son of such a fine man. Your father was one of my presiding elders when I was on my mission in England.” 5

Charles, Louisa and Hannah Louisa

Charles and Louisa were married at Syde, Gloucestershire, England on January 27, 1851, a little over a year after she had introduced him to the gospel. A baby girl was born to this young couple at Fastons Ash, Granham, Gloucestershire, England on September 9, 1852. They named her Hannah Louisa. The spirit of the gathering to Zion must have weighed heavily upon Charles and Louisa because Charles left for Zion five months after his daughter was born.