Caroline Romney

Biographical Summary:

"...Caroline "Carrie" Lambourne Romney was born May 14, 1846, at Chievely, Berkshire, England. She was the second daughter born to William Lambourne and Diana Simms Lambourne. She had one sister Isabella Ann Lambourne born April 13, 1845 and a brother, William Lambourne born April 26, 1844 in Chievely, Berkshire, England. He died in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 12, 1915 at the age of seventy-one. William married Martha Wernham and they had ten children. The family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England in the year 1853, when the spirit of "gathering" came over them. As soon as they could save sufficient means they embarked for America.

Ancestral Heritage

Carrie's father, William Lambourne [Jr.], was born February 17, 1823 in Chievely, Berkshire, England. He joined the church in England and was baptized in October 1853. He received his endowments in February 29, 1868 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. William died in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 3, 1887 at the age of sixty-four. His parents were William Lambourne [Sr.] christened December 6, 1801 in Chievely, Berkshire, England and Rachel Bryant born October 22, 1802 in Chievely Berkshire, England.

Carrie's mother, Diana Simms, was born April 19, 1809 in Chievely, Berkshire, England. She joined the church with her husband in October 1853 in England. Leaving England they made there home in St. Louis, Missouri before coming to the Salt Lake Valley. She received her endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on February 29, 1868. She died in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 11, 1894, just prior to her 85th birthday. Her parents were Jonathan Simms born about 1783 in England and Martha Wernham Simms born about 1787.

Arriving in America

Carrie's family made their home in St. Louis after arriving in America. In 1866, in the company of John D. Holladay, the family was on their way to the Salt Lake Valley. At this time the Lambourne family consisted of the parents and seven children. In the company were 350 emigrants, eight of whom died on the way to the Valley of Salt Lake. It was reported that on the way the company was attached by a band of Sioux Indians while making its way along the banks of the LaBonte River. Two girls had dropped behind the caravan a short distance when the savages rushed upon them, seized one of the girls and carried her away, never more to be seen by her relatives and friends. The girl who made her escape was Carrie Lambourne the mother of Martha Dianna Romney, the first wife of O.P. Brown.

Carrie's Marriage to Miles Park Romney

Miles P. Romney was born August 18 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois to Miles Romney and Elizabeth Gaskell. Miles was born July 13, 1806 in Dalton-In-Furness, Lancaster, England. He died in St. George, Utah on May 3, 1877. Miles was a master builder having worked on the Nauvoo Temple, built the staircase in the St. George Tabernacle and did work on the Brigham Young home in St. George. He died as a result of a fall while working on the St. George Temple. Elizabeth was born January 8, 1809 in Dalton-In-Furness, Lancaster, England. She died October 11, 1884 in St. George, Utah.

After Elder Miles P. Romney returned from his mission in England he built a home in the Seventeenth Ward in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scarcely had it been completed when he, at the request of President Brigham Young, was to take a second wife. The marriage occurred in March 23, 1867, and the bride was Carrie Lambourne, a very beautiful young woman.

Nothing short of a firm belief in the divine origin of the Revelation of plural marriage could have induced Miles to take a second wife, and certain it is that Hannah Hood Hill Romney [md. May 10, 1862] ,the first wife of Miles, would never have permitted such a heartbreaking thing to come into her life had it not been for the testimony she had of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Leaving for St. George, Utah

During the time the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City was under construction, at the General Conference in October 1867, Miles P. Romney along with 157 heads of other families were asked by President Young to remove their families to the Southland for the purpose of strengthening the settlements on the Muddy River in what is now southeastern Nevada. The Miles P. Romney family, along with a few others, was asked to make their home in St. George to assist in building the tabernacle, which had been in the course of construction.
In St. George, Utah two beautiful children were born to Miles and Carrie. William George Romney born February 14, 1868 and Martha Dianna Romney born February 25, 1870.

The trials incident to plural marriage and hardships encountered while in St. George proved to be too great for Carrie and after the birth of her two children, she left her husband and returned to Salt Lake City to make her home. She later married a man by the name of Abraham Meekings by whom she had four or five children. Upon her death on September 11, 1879, her two children, William "Willie" George Romney age eleven and Martha "Mattie" Diana Romney age nine, were returned to St. George to live with their father and the family of Hannah Hood Hill Romney. It was said by Hannah that Martha "Mattie" was a dutiful and obedient child ever willing to do her share of the work about the home.

Children of Caroline "Carrie" Lambourne and Abraham Meekings

• Anna Bell "Annie" Meekings born 12 Oct 1873 in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Abraham Meekings born 8 Aug 1875 in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Carrie Meekings born 10 Aug 1877 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Harriet Meekings born 1879 in Salt Lake City, Utah..."

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