David Eames was my Grandma Esther Nelson's grandfather (Dale Nelson's great-grandfather). He was born on November 16, 1823 at Llanffrothan, Marioneth, Wales. He was the son of Nathanial Griffith Eames. His mother died and his father married again and had a young family. His father had sixteen children in all. This history of David was written by my Grandma Nelson.
" Sometime during the 1840's, David Eames, his father and his stepmother heard the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and were converted and baptized into the church. As nearly as we know, none of David's own brothers and sisters were baptized. Up until 1845, there had been very few Welsh converts to the church, but in 1845, Dan Jones was sent to Wales, his native land, to do missionary work. From 1845 to 1848 he was instrumental in converting and baptizing three thousand, six hundred and three souls. The last prophecy made by Joseph Smith was when he was in Carthage jail and Dan Jones was protecting him. He asked the Prophet if his time had come. The Prophet said, 'You will yet see Wales and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die.' The Eames family became converts along with others in the fulfillment of this prophecy. In 1849 the first Welsh converts sailed with Dan Jones from Liverpool, England. There were two hundred and forty-nine emigrating Saints on board a ship which was utterly not seaworthy. It is not known for sure whether the Eames family were among the number on this ship, but the circumstances were very similar and they emigrated in 1849.
David's father and stepmother and five children decided to emigrate. It was a heart-breaking task for David to make up his mind whether or not to go. None of his own brothers and sisters belonged to the church, nor did the young woman whom he loved. The decision was taken out of his hands when he was called to stay and do missionary work in Wales. He bade farewell to his father, stepmother, and young brother and sisters and became engrossed in his missionary work. We know that he had two married sisters named Margaret and Gwen. He was anxious that those he loved would embrace the new religion.
Nothing was heard from his father until one year after he left. A missionary arriving from Utah brought the sad news. The ship in which they had sailed, after a difficult voyage, finally landed at New Orleans. They sailed up the Mississippi River. Cholera broke out and death rode with them and claimed many lives; and among them were Nathaniel Eames, his wife, and four of the five children. They were buried in graves along the Mississippi River. The surviving child, a boy by the name of Nathaniel or Nathan, was taken by members of the company on to Utah.
When David Eames heard this tragic news he knew at once that he must go to Utah and see to his young brother. He sold all his earthly goods and put his money in an emigration fund which enabled himself and eighteen others to come to Utah. He sailed from England as a sad and lonely man. After he had been on the ship for sometime he chanced to meet a beautiful young English girl by the name of Esther Cullen. She was nineteen years old and all alone crossing the ocean. She was not a member of the church. Her great desire was to come to the new world to find her father and brothers who had gone to Canada. Her mother had died when she was quite young and she had lived with aunts. They were probably at first drawn to each other by their mutual loneliness and before the voyage was over, they had fallen in love. Many years later their children asked how a Welshman could make an English girl understand. Grandfather would wink and say there were ways of doing it, and grandmother would be indignant.
As the voyage came near to the end, David persuaded Esther to cast her lot with him, which she decided to do. They had been nine weeks crossing the Atlantic Ocean. They jouneyed on the Council Bluffs, where they were married on May 30, 1850. They then began their preparations for crossing the plains. They purchased a yoke of oxen and a large horse, wagon and other supplies. They were in the Heber C. Kimball Company. They were sixteen weeks crossing the plains. They encountered the usual hardships; one of which was a terrible buffalo stampede which caused the death of one man in their company. They arrived in Utah in September, 1850.
They obtained property in the west part of Salt Lake. The little brother was found and taken to their home, but he died a few years later. Esther was baptized into the church. Their first child, a son, David C., was born in 1851.
When Johnson's army came to Utah, David Eames was a guard in Echo Canyon to help keep them out of Salt Lake. The saints would try to burn or destroy the government supplies sent to the soldiers. They were so successful that the soldiers were extremely hungry. David traded some food to a soldier for his army overcoat. It was long and had a cape over the shoulders. It was warm and David enjoyed it for many years. It was probably the only coat he ever owned. On several occasions, David was sent out to meet and render assistance to emigrant trains coming into Salt Lake City. He was among those who met one of the hard pressed handcart companies.
In 1859, Cache Valley, up in Northern Utah, was being settled. David went up to investigate. After doing so he decided to move his family up there the following year. They now had four children; three sons and a daughter. When they came to Logan in 1860, the main street was one long stretch of mud. They built a little log cabin at 360 North Main Street, where the new Chamber of Commerce now stands. The cabin had a dirt floor and dirt and willow roof. It contained a large fireplace. It was several years before they owned a stove. In this log cabin on February 10, 1870, their son, Ezra, my father, was born. Later this small dirt-floored cabin was remondeled for a chicken coop and a very nice house (for those days) was built in front of the cabin. It was in that house that I, Esther Theresa Eames, was also born. I was named Esther for my grandmother.
David Eames by occupation was a wheelwright and carpenter. He had worked at this trade in Salt Lake and continued to do the same in Logan, although they also obtained quite a lot of land and livestock. In these early days there was Indian trouble and the settlers had to be constantly on guard and ready. David was a minute man and had to help in these troubles.
David Eames was a good carpenter and cabinet maker, and also made coffins. George Lindquist, Logan's first mortician, would call on David Eames whenever someone passed away to make the casket. This was done for many years and he was always ready to do this service.
In the summertime, Grandmother (Esther), would take the youngest boys including Ezra, my father, and go over to the ranch which was then called Black Rock, near Cache Junction, where they would herd the cows and milk them. Grandmother made cheese and churned butter, and then they would walk to the Junction and sell it for a good price, 25 cents a pound. This was top price for butter. Grandfather had built a dugout cabin there with a strong bar and chain to lock the door. Many times the Indians came there for food or tried to chase off one of the cattle, but Grandmother always managed to make a trade of some kind.
Being a good carpenter and cabinet maker, David was able to give a great deal of assistance along these lines in pioneer days. He spent a great deal of time doing carpentry work on church buildings, first in Salt Lake and later in Logan. He helped build roads, irrigation ditches, bridges, etc., also.
Grandfather had a good sense of humor as one can see by the following story, told by a real elderly lady and friend of the family, Lizzie Edwards:
When the boys were growing up, his son Nathaniel one evening went for the cows. He chanced to meet a company of men on a work outfit leaving for quite a distance to work on a job. They said they could use another hand, but they were leaving right then and would be gone a long time. Nathaniel said he would go along. It was one year before he returned. It was night, he went home and upstairs to bed and crawled in with his sleeping brothers. The next morning he went down and joined the others at the b reakfast table. After the blessing his father looked up and said, "Well, Nathaniel, did you get the cows?"
In 1880, a great sorrow came to David and Esther when their second son, Joseph was killed in Logan Canyon. He had gone to the canyon to obtain wood. He did not return so his brother, David, and Arthur, went to look for him. They found the wagon tipped over so they knew the team had run away. Searching further they found their brother lying in the road dead. Apparently he had been dragged for some distance as his head and face were fearfully mangled. They brought his body back to Logan.
David Eames remained a faithful member of the church. He always had a strong testimony of the gospel. My Uncle Roland told me this story: He said he was working with his father in their field north of Logan on the main road, when a tall man came walking along. He stopped and talked to David Eames and shook hands with his son Roland. David told his son, "Never forget that you have just shaken hands with Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon."
David Eames passed away in Logan, Utah, Novemer 25, 1885, leaving his wife Esther, seven sons and one daughter. His sons, Joseph and Henry had preceded him in death."
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