Absalom Richins was born February 12, 1832, in Sheepscombe, Painswick, Gloucestershire, England. He was the third son of William Richins and Charlotte Ann Guy. He had four brothers and two sisters. All except Emma, who died at age 3, lived to raise a family.

Absalom worked on his parent’s farm in Sheepscombe until he was a young man. He helped with the sheep and cattle.

Missionaries [from] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited Sheepscombe and the William Richins family accepted the gospel with open hearts.William and Charlotte Ann, along with their daughter, Miriam Ann, her son, Arthur, and a grandson, Lorenzo Richins, left for Utah, April 30, 1866, sailing on the ship John Bright. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah with Captain Samuel D. White’s mule train, September 5, 1866.

William Richins and his wife Charlotte Ann made their home in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Their daughter, Miriam, her son, Arthur, and William’s grandson, Lorenzo, settled in Henefer, Utah

Before Absalom's parents left England to come to America, Absalom and his brothers went to Tredegar, South Wales, to work in the coal mines. While working there Absalom met a young woman by the name of Eliza James. She became his first wife in 1850. There were no children, as she died after they were married only a short time.

A few years later he met Ann Robinson. She was born September 23, 1834, in Tredegar, South Wales, the daughter of John Robinson and Elizabeth Miles. Her father was a molder (maker of molds). They were a poor family. She did not have stockings to wear in the winter time and her legs got so cold they bled. The Robinson family lived in an old rock house which had been occupied by several generations of their family.

Ann’s sister, Elizabeth, and her family lived in the home after Ann left Tredegar. Correspondence between Elizabeth and her family and Ann’s granddaughter, Eva Richins, kept some family ties for a number of years.

Absalom and Ann were married October 26, 1856, in a little parish church. They lived in several small villages close to Tredegar, South Wales, where their six children were born. They had a lot of sorrow as all the children died young except Elizabeth Ann.

Elizabeth was an artist. One of the pictures she painted in South Wales is now in the possession of her granddaughter, Sarah (Nellie) White. Elizabeth Ann married her first cousin, Heber George Richins, the son of Leonard, who was a brother to Absalom. They were married December 26, 1878.

Absalom and Ann departed Liverpool, England, to come for America April 9, 1884. They arrived in New York on April 19, 1884. They were in a group of 319 Latter-day Saints (including 17 returning missionaries) under the leadership of Christian Fjeldsted. They arrived in Ogden on April 27, 1884, by train (See Mormon Immigration Index).

Heber George and Elizabeth Ann were re-baptized and then married in the Logan Temple December 6, 1883. They settled in North Ogden on a small farm. They waited ten years before they were blessed with any children. On September 2, 1888 a son was born to them. They gave him the name of Sidney. He only lived eleven days.

[When] Absalom and Ann came to Utah from England [they] brought with them a young woman by the name of Swift, and her baby son named Ray. They all lived at first with Elizabeth and her husband, George. Shortly after arriving in Utah the woman died so Elizabeth and George adopted the baby, Ray Swift.

On February 6, 1890, Elizabeth and George were blessed with a baby daughter. She was given the name of Eva. They were afraid she would not live as she weighed only two pounds at birth. They carried her around on a pillow. The family moved to Ogden from North Ogden and she was blessed in the Ogden 2nd Ward. Absalom and Ann went to the Logan Temple November 11, 1891, to be married for eternity. They were living at North Ogden at the time.

George Richins worked for ZCMI, a mercantile business. He traveled to the small towns to sell merchandise. Later he had a store of his own in Logan, Utah. One time when they went to Ogden to visit Absalom and Ann, Elizabeth had a real bad cold and developed pneumonia. She died December 28, 1891, leaving her husband with two small children, Eva; age 22 months and Ray, their adopted son, about four years old. Absalom and Ann took care of the children even though they were in their sixties. This was extremely hard for them as Ann had been crippled with rheumatism since she was 48 and her condition worsened each year. Absalom had purchased her a wheelchair to help her around.

Heber George met a woman, Rachael Pidcock, and married her. He sold his store in Logan and they moved to Idaho. They had a son born to them on December 25, 1894. They named the boy Leonard after George’s father. Nine months later, on September 22, 1895, George Richins got typhoid fever and died. Eva and Ray were then without mother or father, but their grandparents, Absalom and Ann loved them and cared for them. Leonard, Eva’s half brother, took the name of Leonard Richins Pett, after his mother later married a man by the name of Burton Pett. At the time of this writing he lives in American Fork. He and his wife have two daughters, ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

The farm in Ogden was too much for Absalom to care for in his old age so he moved to Leonard’s point between Henefer and Echo and built a cabin near his brother Leonard. Leonard’s son, Thomas, who lived in Henefer, took little Ray to his home and he lived with them until he was 14 years of age when he died, July 19, 1902. His passing brought sorrow to his sister, Eva, and all the family.

Eva remembered well her early life at Leonard’s point living with her grandparents in their log cabin. She especially disliked the snakes and scorpions. There were lots of snakes. When Florence left the Edward Richins home near where Absalom lived to go visit with Eva, her mother made her walk down the middle of the road to make sure she stayed clear of the snakes.

They had a pig and some chickens which Eva had the chore of feeding. She had to go some distance to a spring for water and in the summer time the Indians camped there. They were friendly and brought their children for her to play with. Absalom and Ann were very good to her. They taught her how to cook and how to work hard. They impressed upon her the importance of being thoughtful to others.

Absalom had a cow at Leonard’s point so they had their own milk and butter. In his old age he also took care of the school house at Echo, making fires and cleaning. His daughter, Eva, often went to help him. He was paid $10.00 a month. The school building also served as the Echo Church and is still standing adjacent to the Echo graveyard.

Absalom was an industrious and honest man. He was kind, thoughtful, and very religious. It goes without saying he was very devoted to his wife who was crippled and dependent upon him for much assistance. Still there were times when she had to be left alone. One time a hobo went into their cabin and demanded that she make him some biscuits. She told him she couldn’t and was frightened. When he saw that she couldn’t get out of the wheelchair he left.

Absalom built another log cabin closer to Echo. It was not too far from the river between Echo and the farm of Edward Richins. They were living there when Eva and Elijah Joseph Richins were married on October 24, 1906. Eva was only 16 years old at the time. They were second cousins.

When Eva and Joseph were first married he herded sheep. They lived in a sheep camp for a while and then bought a home which still stands alone between the tracks and the freeway in Echo, Utah. The home was large enough for two families so Absalom and Ann lived in the south side of the home. While living there two daughters were born to Joseph and Eva. Edna was born August 12, 1907, and Nellie October 24, 1910, on her father and mother’s third wedding anniversary.

Ann enjoyed her great-grandchildren. While sitting in her wheelchair she put Edna and Nellie on her lap when they were just young and told them stories or read to them from the Bible or a book of poems. When Nellie was a year old her family moved to Evanston, Wyoming, where her father worked for the Union Pacific Railroad.

Absalom and Ann lived alone. He made butter in a round mold, with a perfect print of wheat on top, and took it around Echo in a two wheeled cart to sell to the families. He was independent. Gladys Richins (wife of Angus) said her father tried to pay Absalom more money than he asked for his butter but he wouldn’t take it.

Absalom worked hard all his life. He had not been sick a day. When he got ill Ann wrote to Eva and Joseph telling of his illness. He became worse and passed away November 11, 1912 at his home in Echo. His great-granddaughter, Edna, was 5 years old at the time and remembers the beautiful yellow chrysanthemums which filled the room at his death. He was buried in the Echo Cemetery. When he died, Ada Rogers wrote the following article:

“Absalom Richins was a man that seen many troubles and loss since he came to Utah, but through all his trials, he was faithful to the end. Eighteen years ago, they came to Echo, and have resided here ever since. He and his wife Ann have lived together 56 years, this 26 of Oct. of this year, over half a century. Eighteen of these years she has been a cripple through the effects of rheumatism. For the last 16 years she has sat in an invalid chair, and her devoted husband has taken care of her without a word of complaint, therefore his death is a great trial to her and she feels the separation keenly, as she always said she wanted to go first. Her granddaughter, Mrs. Jos. E. Richins has taken her to Evanston to reside with them.”

Ann went to live with Eva and Joseph in Evanston after her husband died. She lost her strength and could no longer be in a wheelchair. They bought a high bed for her and Eva gave her grandmother the best of care. She was always in their home except when Eva had her babies and then she went to a Mrs. Johnson’s home who took care of her for awhile. Ann was bedridden for eleven years. She was very patient and pleasant, never angry. Her hands were very crippled but she still fed herself. She always wore a white cap which was tied under her chin. Eva kept a clean white bedspread on Ann’s bed.

Ann passed away December 13, 1923, at the age of 89 and was buried by her husband in the Echo Cemetery. Absalom died when he was 80. Even with all their troubles and sorrow their faith was never shaken. Absalom bore his testimony of the gospel on his death bed.

At Ann’s death the following words were printed on her death announcement:

Joseph and Eva moved from Evanston to Ogden in 1926 where he continued his work with the railroad. They lived there until their death and were buried in the Ogden cemetery next to Eva’s parents Elizabeth Ann and George Richins and their first born son, Sidney. The only direct descendants to carry on the name of Absalom Richins are Ross Richins, son of Evan, and his son Rene and grandson Jason.

They have 19 grandchildren (2 have died), 28 great grandchildren (2 have died) and 6 great-great-grandchildren.

The information for this biography was gathered and written by Sarah (Nellie) Richins White (great-granddaughter). Published by Richins Surname Organization – April 1974.