George Romney, Sr.

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868

Romney, George

Birth Date: 14 Aug. 1831 Death Date: 2 Feb. 1920 Gender: Male Age: 18 Company: Unidentified Companies (1850)

Pioneer Information: Evidence from census, genealogical and newspaper records proves that the Romney family traveled to Utah in 1850. They may have come with the 1850 Edward Hunter Company, but further research is needed to confirm the name of the company they traveled with.

SOURCE: http://lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneerdetails/1,15791,4018-1-...

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The name of Bishop George Romney is an honored one in Utah and four almost seven decades it has been a synonym for progressiveness and successful accomplishment in the fields of material, intellectual and moral development. A life that measures up to the highest standards of manhood and citizenship has gained Bishop Romney the warm regard and friendship of all with whom he has been brought in contact. He was born in Dalton, Lancashire, England, August 14, 1831, and is the son of Miles and Elizabeth (Gaskell) Romney, who were likewise natives of England, where they became converts to the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1837. Miles Romney was ordained an elder in the church and served as a local preacher in the Preston conference, but wishing to cast in his lot with the Saints living in Utah, he sailed from Liverpool on the 27th of February, 1841, accompanied by his family. They were passengers on the ship Sheffield, which seven weeks later dropped anchor in the harbor of New Orleans, and from the Crescent City they proceeded up the Mississippi river by boat to Nauvoo, Illinois. While there residing Miles Romney acted as foreman of the construction of the Nauvoo Temple, and at the time of the exodus in 1846, he took his family to Burlington, Iowa, where the winter months were passed. In the following spring they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and there made preparations for the long trip across the plains, starting on that arduous and wearisome journey in March, 1850, with ox teams and six wagons. On the 18th of October they reached their destination and through the winter the family camped in their wagon boxes on Temple Block, and while thus living one daughter was born there. In 1856, Mr. Romney was sent on a mission to England, where he remained for two years, and in 1862 was sent to Dixie and had charge of the wood work on the St. George Temple. There he continued to reside until death terminated his labors on the 8th of May, 1877. His wife, Elizabet (Gaskell) Romney, was a native of Lancashire, England, and they had a family of nine children.

This number included Bishop George Romney, whose active identification with the church covers eighty years, for he was baptized in his native land in September, 1839. He accompanied his parents to America and learned the carpenter's trade while at Nauvoo, where he worked on the temple. He continued to engage in carpentering following the removal of the family to Utah in 1850, spending much time on public works of which his father was foreman. In 1854 he became a partner of George Price and others in the contracting and building business and the firm erected many of the early homes and public buildings of Salt Lake. He succeeded his father as foreman in the construction of the wood work on the famous Lion House and Beehive House, when his father was called on a mission to England in 1856 and he also acted as foreman on various other public works, so continuing until 1864.

In the meantime Bishop Romney had had military experience through appointment of Governor Brigham Young as captain in Major Blair's Battalion of the Nauvoo Legion and for several months he was on active duty in the Echo Canyon campaign. With the approach of Johnston's army Salt Lake City was practically deserted, many of its people removing to Provo, and Mr. Romney took his family with others, there remaining until the trouble was over. With his return to the capital he resumed his work on the public buildings and in 1864 entered into partnership with W. H. Folsom, with whom he was associated in the building of the city hall together with many business blocks and residences. He remained in the general contracting business until 1869, when he became a partner in the Taylor, Romney, Armstrong company, his associates in this undertaking being George H. Taylor and Thomas Latimer. The newly organized firm engaged in the lumber and milling business, becoming the pioneers in that branch of industry in Utah. Mr. Romney was made manager of the firm and retained that position until 1903, when he and his son, Orson D. withdrew their interest in the business and organized the George Romney Lumber company, of which Mr. Romney continues as the head. An extensive enterprise of this character has been built up and for many years the name of George Romney has been a synonym for business progressiveness, initiative and forcefulness in the trade circles of Salt Lake city. Various public interests have benefited by the cooperation of Bishop Romney, who for a third of a century has been a director of the Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution, of which he has been vice president for many years. He was also a director and member of the executive committee of the Consolidated Wagon & Machine Company and a director of the Oregon Lumber Company. He was elected to the vice presidency of the Home Fire Insurance Company and in in financial circles is known as a director of the Deseret National Bank and vice president of the Deseret Savings Bank. With keen prescience he recognized something of what the future night have in store for the beet sugar industry and was one of the first to aid in its development in Utah, thus taking an initial step toward the founding of the Utah Sugar Company. during the past decade Bishop Romney has supervised the building of the Deseret News Annex, the Hotel Utah and the Deseret national bank building as well as lesser structures. During the construction of the Hotel Utah he made almost daily inspections of the structure, making his way to all parts of the building. While Mr. Romney has travel life's journey for more than eighty-eight years, his mentality remains keen, his vision clear and his discernment sound. His opinions are of great worth in business circles and in a review of his life one is led to the conclusion that old age need not necessarily suggest idleness nor want of occupation. There is an old age which grows stronger and brighter mentally and morally as the years advance and give out of its rich stores of wisdom and experience for the benefit of others. Such is the record of George Romney.

Throughout his entire life Mr. Romney has remained a most earnest and enthusiastic worker in the church and while on a mission to England in 1869 he presided over the Liverpool and London conferences. In the priesthood he has held the offices of a Seventy, president of the Quorum of Seventy, high priest, counselor to Bishop William C. Basset, and later succeeded him in the bishopric of the twentieth ward in 1888 and continued as bishop until he was released in August, 1912. At present he is president of the high priests quorum of Ensign stake.

In civic affairs, too, Mr. Romney has maintained the keenest interest and for a long period has been one of the active and earnest workers for the Republican party in Utah, being recognized as a leader in the ranks since its organization in this state. For two terms he was a member of the city council of Salt Lake, being first elected in 1882 and again in 1895. In 1890 he was sent as a delegate to the Trans-Mississippi congress at Houston, Texas, and also to the congress at Cripple Creek in 1891, while in 1902 he was a member of the executive committee of the congress which met in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a man of liberal culture who has ever been a keen observer and who has gained a large store of information in travel. He has visited various section of the American continent, traveling in California and Mexico, has also seen the Hawaiian Islands, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Holland and Germany. He takes a deep interest in the events of the world and keeps thoroughly informed on all the vital problems and questions of the age. He is a remarkably well preserved man, retaining his faculties unimpaired, and his position in the public regard is indicated in the fact that he has been termed the "grand old man of Salt Lake." He is a familiar figure on the streets of the city, where for almost seventy years he has made his home, and his career has made the name of Romney an honored one in this country.

Bishop Romney was married three times and became the father of thirty-five children of whom twenty survive and they represent an unusual contribution from one family to the state's best class of citizens.

The first wife was Jane Jamison and their marriage occurred in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1850. Twelve children were born as follows: Barbara, who was born in a wagon box on what is now the Temple block in Salt Lake City, where the family lived during the winter of 1850-1851. She married Hinman D. Folsom and resides in Salt Lake. Elizabeth A. is the widow of Fred C. Anderson and resides in Los Angeles. Jane A. died unmarried. Sarah also died unmarried. Georgiana is the wife of Charles J. Brain of Salt Lke. Evelyn is Mrs. Harry Winn of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Clara is Mrs. Joseph T. Thorup of Salt Lake. ella is Mrs. Joseph V. Brain of Salt Lake. Grace died young. William S. is treasurer of Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution at Salt Lake. George E. is engaged in the real estate business in Salt Lake. Marion died young.

The second marriage of bishop Romney was to Vilate Ellen Douglas, who bore him twelve children as follows: Herber J. who is vice president of the George Romney Lumber company at Salt Lake; Orson D., manager of the George Romney Lumber Company; Miles A. who is a department manager of the Zion's cooperative Mercantile Institution at Salt Lake. Ellen Vilate, wife of Nephi Y. Schofield of Salt Lake. George D. who died when an infant. Mary, wife of George J. Ross of Salt Lake. Albert who was connected with the Taylor Romney Armstrong company and died in Salt Lake. Isabella who married Joseph Swensen and died in Salt Lake. Rosella who married George E. Maycock an d\died in Salt Lake. Royal R. residing in Seattle, Washington. Josephine, who died in infancy. Ethel who died young.

Bishop Romney was married third to Margaret A. Thomas and the eleven children born to them were: George, Jr. who has been a member of the state board of equalization but now United States district census enumerator and resides at Smithfield, Utah. Joseph, Ambrose, Clarence, Charles and Margaret C., all of whom died young. Katherine, wife of Charles B. Stewart of Salt Lake. Walter who is in real estate in Salt Lake. Raymond T. who is connected with Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution at Salt Lake. Reuben a manufacturers' agent in Salt Lake. Ardelle who is wife of Richard S. Ballantyne of Salt Lake.

SOURCE: Utah Since Statehood: Historical and Biographical Illustrated, Volume II, written by Noble Warrum and published in 1919 by The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois, and Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Residence: 14th Ward Gt Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States - 1860
• Residence: Utah, United States - 1870
• Residence: ED 40 Precinct 39 Salt Lake City Ward 4, Salt Lake, Utah, United States - 1900
• Residence: Salt Lake City Ward 4, Salt Lake, Utah, United States - 1910

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Buried: February 5,1920.

Born in Dalton-In-Furness, Lancashire (now Cumbria County), England.

Christening: August 20, 1831 Dalton-In-Furness.

Immigrated to America in 1841 on the Ship SHEFFIELD with 234 other Mormon Immigrants.

Married Jane JAMIESON March 15, 1850 in Salt Lake City.

● Father of Barbara, Elizabeth, Jane, Sarah, Georgiana, Evelyn, Clara, Grace, Ella, William, George, and Marian.

Married Vilate Ellen DOUGLAS February 26, 1857 in Salt Lake City.

● Father of Heber, Orson, Miles, Ellen, George, Mary, Albert, Isabella, Rosella, Richard, Josephine, and Ethel.

Married Margaret Ann THOMAS August 29, 1863 in Salt Lake City.

● Father of George, Joseph, Ambrose, Clarence, Margaret, Charles, Katherine, Walter, Raymond, Ruben, and Ardelle.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 10 2019, 19:33:21 UTC