Joseph was the first of their children to marry. He married Jane Morse on March 5, 1848 at Sheepscombe by the Reverend Joseph Osterham. Jane was born on August 20, 1824 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. Joseph and Jane were blessed with six children: George Henry, Lorenzo, Emma, Albert Francis, William and Arthur Joseph.

Joseph first heard the Gospel preached by Charles Shill and Charles Blackwell in his native town of Sheepscombe. He became interested in their teachings and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Charles Shill on January 1, 1850. His wife Jane followed him and was baptized a month later on February 3, 1850 by Elder William Nichols.

Joseph was ordained a Priest April 27, 1854. At that time Priests did missionary work, so he accompanied Elder Nichols on preaching missions. He shared his testimony about the truthfulness of the Gospel and the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith He had the privilege of baptizing a lady by the name of Showell.

Joseph and his wife longed to go to Utah (Zion). One of their sons (Lorenzo) had gone ahead of them with his grandfather, William Richins. Joseph and Jane wanted to be reunited with their family, so in 1872 they prepared to sail for the United States. On September 4, 1872 Joseph, Jane and four of their children bid farewell to their son and brother, George Henry Richins, who remained in England, and boarded the steamship Minnesota. George W. Wilkins was in charge of the 602 Saints that were in the company on the Minnesota. They landed at New York City on September 17, 1872.

After arriving in Utah, Joseph and his family settled in Henefer, Summit County, Utah. They lived in a little log house over by the foothills, or in the local vernacular, “over the meadow.” Joseph was a hardworking man. He and his sons cleared the land of sagebrush and trees, so they could till the soil and provide for their family. Joseph was also a good butcher and always went by the signs of the moon to tell him when it was time to kill the animals so the meat wouldn’t spoil so quickly.

Joseph Richins became a United States citizen on April 5, 1881. He was ordained an Elder in October 1876, which enabled him and Jane to receive their endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were sealed together by Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church.

Jane Morse Richins was a faithful Latter-day Saint who loved her family dearly. In October 1885 she became ill and suffered greatly for about three weeks. She had the best care available, but it seemed as though her mission on earth was fulfilled and she was needed elsewhere. She passed away November 3, 1885. She was laid to rest in the Henefer Cemetery.

On April 21, 1866 Joseph married Hannah Harrop in the Logan Temple, with President Merrill officiating. During their stay in Logan they performed temple work several friends and family members who had died. In November 1886 they returned to the Logan Temple to do the temple work for Joseph’s parents, Henry and Sarah Haines Richins, as well as many other people. He also had Elizabeth Morse, who had died and was the sister of his first wife Jane, sealed to him.

Joseph became very ill during the winter 0f 1886, but through the blessings of the Priesthood and the kind attention of his wife and family, he was restored to his former health. On July 6, 1892 Joseph and Hannah received their second anointing in the Salt Lake Temple, where they also performed additional temple work for Joseph’s wives who had died.

Joseph was ordained a High Priest on March 4, 1887 at Hoytsville, Utah by President Andrew Peterson. He fulfilled a calling as a stake missionary in the Summit Stake, beginning in 1896. He supported his forth son, William, on a mission to the Northwestern States. Joseph loved his family and helped them when and how he could. He died March 14, 1898 at the age of 72 and was buried in the Henefer (Utah) Cemetery.

Leonard Richins married Susan Jaynes on October 10, 1852 at Sheepscombe. They were the parents of four children born who were born in Redmarley, Worcestershire, England, with the exception of Charlotte (second child), who was born in Painswick. Both Leonard and Susan were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before they were married. Leonard was baptized on July 7, 1850. The date given for Susan’s baptism on her Temple Index Bureau Card is 1839. This may be an error, since it was before January 11, 1840 when Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor and Elder Turley arrived in England for missionary work. Even so, she may have been among the first groups of converts in England. She was unable to write and gave her baptismal date from memory. She could have misstated the year, or there may have been missionaries in England before the Apostles arrived in 1840. Regardless of the circumstances, Susan was rebaptized on October 3, 1880.

Their daughter Charlotte became ill with scarlet fever in January 1865. Scarlet fever was often fatal in those times without our modern “miracle drugs.” The Bishop’s Transcripts records of Redmarley lists the private christening of Charlotte’s brothers and sisters, Heber George (11), Mary Jane (6) and Leonard (2) on January 13, 1865. Charlotte died that same day, apparently before she could be christened. Her death certificate gave her burial as January 16, 1865. [6]

The Richins families could not afford for all their family members to emigrate to Utah at the same time. Leonard went first and earned the money he needed to send for the rest of his family by working as a farm laborer and repairing watches and clocks.

Absalom Richins lived with his grandmother Charlotte Guy until her death when he was 10 years old. Later he went to Wales to work in the iron mines. He married Eliza James on October 12, 1850 in Llangynidr, Wales at the Church of St. George. The ceremony was performed by the minister Eleazer William. Absalom could write his name, but Eliza signed hers with an X. No children were born to them and after Eliza’s death Absalom married Ann Robinson on October 26, 1856. They were the parents of four children, but only one daughter, Elizabeth Ann, survived to adulthood. They emigrated to Utah and settled in Echo, Utah next to his brother Leonard.

Enoch Richins emigrated to Utah before 1865. He settled in Provo, Utah and began hauling freight for a living. Most of his trips were out to the Uintah Basin. He also ventured into a shingle mill in Wasatch County with William Nutall, John Parcell and Elijah Davis. He bought land from John McFee and began selling land in Charleston, Wasatch County, Utah.

He married Fanny Boardman in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 24, 1865. Heber C. Kimball performed the ceremony. Fanny was the daughter of Robert and Mary Boardman. Enoch and fanny were never blessed with any children, which was a great disappointment to them. Enoch married a second wife, Susanna Bird, the daughter of Frederick Bird and Mary Fenor. They were married December 15, 1866 in the Endowment House by George Q. Cannon. They were the parents of four children: Mary Jane, Sarah Ann, William Frederick and Joseph Henry. Susanna was expecting her fifth child when she was injured during a family fishing trip. She died five days later on March 31, 1877 and was buried in Charleston, Utah April 3, 1877.

Susannah’s children went to live with Fanny, but according to the family, she was jealous of Susanna and did not treat the children well. Enoch was a freighter, which required him to be away from home much of the time. As soon as the children were able to find employment elsewhere they left Fanny’s home. LDS membership records indicate Enoch was active in the church. He baptized his children and performed ordinances for many relatives and Church members. He was a High Priest and was a counselor in the Charleston Ward bishopric when the first permanent chapel was built there in 1873.

A short family history states Enoch had four wives and that one of them, named Ford, left him. The only thing it says about her is that one day she and Enoch were playing around and he dunked her head in a swill barrel. However, we have found no records to date to support Enoch having four wives. If the swill barrel incident did take place, it might have been with his first wife, Fanny Broadman. Fanny did divorce him and married Howard Winterton, whom Enoch had hired to help him on his Charleston farm. In 1923, at the request of the Winterton family, President Heber J. Grant allowed the cancellation of Fanny’s sealing to Enoch and also allowed her to be sealed to Howard Winterton.

Enoch and Sarah Ann Keeler, widow of Solomon Joseph Keeler, were married on March 27, 1890 in the Manti (Utah) Temple by Daniel H. Wells. Enoch was 54 years old and Sarah was 42. They moved to Vernal, Utah and then to Maeser, Utah. Enoch’s son Joseph lived in the Uintah Basin. The marriage license for Joseph and Lola Pickup listed them as being from Ashley, Utah. They were married by William O’Neil on December 25, 1895. Enoch and Sarah seemed to lose contacts with the rest of the Richins Clan after they moved to the Uintah Basin. Enoch died February 10, 1905 at Maeser, Utah and was buried February 12, 1905. Sarah died January 24, 1920 at Maeser, Utah. Enoch’s daughter Sarah Ann married Louis Mechem and his son William Frederick married Amanda Carter.

William and Charlotte’s only surviving daughter, Miriam, and her son Arthur emigrated to Utah with her parents in 1866. She lived in Provo, Utah for several years with her parents and then moved to Henefer, Utah to get work. According to Arthur’s patriarchal blessing he was adopted by his grandparents and stayed with them in Provo. He spent some time with his Uncle Enoch, with whom he had a close relationship. When Miriam married Robert Jones of Henefer, Arthur went to Henefer and worked for different farmers. He married Lucy Booth and they lived with Robert Jones and his mother until they could finish building their own home. Miriam and Robert were the parents of six children: Alfred, Emma, John, Amelia, Clara and Charles.

Not much is known about Peter Richins. He was baptized by Charles Richins in England when he was ten years old. He married Matilda Barnfield on December 10, 1865 at the Independent Church at Painswick. Like all the sons of William and Charlotte he had an opportunity for some schooling and could read and write. Matilda, like most girls of the time, did not receive and education and had to sign her name with an X. The marriage was witnessed by E. Hopkins and M. Richins. This would most likely have been Peter’s sister Miriam. They were parents of four children: Charlotte Ann, born April 6, 1867 at Cockshoot in Painswick; Louisa, born February 10, 1870 at Cockshead; and Ann [9], born May 20 1875 at Sheepscombe.

When Peter and Matilda’s family emigrated to Utah is uncertain, but their oldest daughter Charlotte married Peter Bertz on May 22, 1887 at Echo, Summit County, Utah. E. Bromley, Justice of the Peace, performed the ceremony. They lived in Park City, Utah and had six children. Peter Bertz died at Park City and Charlotte married a Mr. Becon and then John Byrne of Portland, Oregon. They had a son Vincent Byrne. He said that Charlotte’s parents and one sister returned to England and the other sister went to Chile in South America.

There was a hand-me-down story that Peter became unhappy with the people and the Church and returned to England where he died from heart disease at Brockward September 5, 1892 at the age of 52.