The following life story is dedicated to the memory of our pioneer ancestor, Miriam Ann Richins Jones. She was the daughter of William and Charlotte Ann Guy Richins and was born 24 December 1837, at Sheepscomb, Gloucestershire, England, where many of our ancestors came from.

Many stories have been written about the lives of these brave and stalwart men and the courage they had in leaving their homes, loved ones, and friends in England to come to Utah. But we must not forget the faith and support of the good wives and mothers who sacrificed so much to help blaze the trail into the west and made it “blossom as the rose.”

Miriam Ann Richins was one of these faithful women who endured the hardships of pioneering. The town of Sheepscomb where she was born was one of the farming areas where the rolling hills were covered with beautiful green grass for pasturing livestock, some of which produced meat, milk, butter and cheese for family use. Grain and hay also were grown.

The members of the William Richins family were not wealthy but were industrious and self-sustaining. The children were always taught to work, and many of them went out to help support the family at an early age. Miriam apparently was a healthy girl and like many others at nine or ten years of age did household chores or other types of work for a small wage to help provide for the family of seven children; namely, Joseph, Leonard, Absalom, Enoch, Miriam Ann, Peter and Emma.

As years passed by, she grew to be a beautiful young woman with a fair complexion and beautiful dark hair. She was admired by all for the wonderful disposition which she had throughout her lifetime. Everyone was happy to be associated with her. During her teenage years she was very helpful to the family and a great comfort to her mother, she being the only girl to grow to womanhood.

She was about eighteen years old when two Mormon missionaries were there in Sheepscomb teaching the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to all who would listen to them. William and Charlotte and children listened to their message and were very much impressed with it and desirous of joining the Church. William and Charlotte were baptized January 1, 1850 at Caudle Green, Gloucestershire, England. Their two sons, Joseph and Leonard, were baptized at the same time, but Miriam was not baptized until November 3, 1856 by Robert Jones.

After their baptisms their minds were very much enlightened and they felt as though a light from Heaven had come to direct them to a richer and better way of life. The years passed by and during this time the family hoped that someday they could go to America and make their home in Utah with the Latter-day Saints. They realized it would take time and work to get money enough to make the voyage, but with faith and courage they worked to this goal.

Very little is known of their occupation—only that they lived and worked on a farm. During the time of preparation their son Absalom and his younger brothers went to Tredegar, South Wales, to work in the coal mines. These boys came to Utah a few years later.