Sunday, February 26, 2017

Michael J. Austin's Ancestry

My maternal grandmother, Jane Maria Brain, was born in the village of Neithrop in the Parish of Banbury Oxfordshire, England, on December 2, 1845. Neithrop is a hamlet joining Banbury very close. Banbury is situated on the Oxford Canal and the Cherwell River which flows south to Oxford, 23 miles south of Banbury. Banbury is a cross roads as the nursery rhyme says. There are 6 main highways coming into the village. My grandmother's father was born October 15, •1813 in the parish of Fritwell, about 10 miles southeast of Banbury. His name was Thomas Benjamin Brain and his wife was Maria Hunt, who was born in Coventry Warwickshire, England on February 8, 1817. They were married about 1837 in Coventry War, England. They had nine children; 3 of them died in infancy. The oldest child, a daughter, joined the church in about •1857 and emigrated to Lehi, Utah, USA in 1860. My grandmother joined the church in the same year, and she also emigrated to Lehi, Utah where she married my grandfather, Michael Vaughan, in 1863 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Gospel found Thomas Benjamin Brain and his wife and family living in Banbury in the year 1857. They accepted the Gospel, and all who were old enough, were baptized members of the church. Thomas Brain was ordained an Elder, and he being faithful in the church helped to baptize the others. His four living sons, George Henry, Thomas, Eli, and Solomon Benjamin, later married and emigrated to America. George and Thomas settled in California, and Solomon in New Jersey. Their wives did not belong to the church and never did join.
Eliza, who was the oldest child, emigrated to Utah in the year 1860 and settled in Lehi, Utah where she met and married Isaac Wilson Fox. My grandmother, Jane Maria, emigrated to Utah in 1862 and moved in with her sister, Eliza in Lehi, Utah. Maria met Michael Vaughan of Lehi, Utah and married him on June 6, 1863. My mother, Maria Brain Vaughan, was born to them on January 19, 1865. She was the oldest of six children, born to her mother and father (twogirls and four boys). Three of Grandmother Jane Maria Brain Vaughan's brothers marriedgirls in England who were not members of the Mormon Church. They then emigrated to America in about the year 1869. Solomon Benjamin settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. George and his brother, Thomas E. settled in Oakland, California. George later left his wife in California and went to Alaska and was never heard from after that. These three brothers had left the church and did not want to have anything to do with it. Their wives pushed them away from the Church and none of their children were members. My great grandmother, Maria Hunt Brain, made a trip to America to visit her sons and daughter in about the year 1875-80. She arrived at her son, Solomon B. Brain's home in Jersey City, New Jersey and visited there for a time. Then she was put on a train to come west to Utah and California; she never arrived at either place and was never heard of again. She just seemed to have disappeared completely. They tried to find out what happened but could not. My maternal grandfather, Michael Vaughan, was born in a place called Dingestow, Monmouthshire, Wales on Oct. 11, 1823. He was the eldest son of William and Eliza Vaughan •of Dmgestow, Manmouthshire, Wales. The Mormon missionaries found him and he was converted and baptized on the 11th of June in 1850. His father, William, immediately disowned him and disinherited him. Michael was the only member of his family who ever joined the church so far as we know. He married Jane Mitchell and they emigrated to Lehi, Utah. After my grandfather, Michael Vaughan, married my grandmother they settled in •Lehi, Utah. She was his second wife. His first wife bore no children. My mother was the oldest child of 6 children born to this union. They named her Maria Brain Vaughan after her grandmother. She was born on January 19, 1865 in Lehi, Utah. She grew to womanhood • Lehi and met and married Mark Austin of Lehi, Utah on March 30, 1887 in the Logan Temple. To this marriage were born 7 lovely children: 4 girls and 3 boys. I was the 6th child born to them on May 22, 1901 in Lehi, Utah.
My father, Mark Austin, came from a large family of 17 children. His father's name was John Austin and his mother's maiden name was Emma Grace. They were emigrants from Studham, Bedforshire, England. The early missionaries contacted them in Studham, and they were converted and baptized into the church. Grandmother joined the church first and was baptized on January 5, 1848. Two years later my grandfather, John Austin, was baptized on January 5, 1850. By this time they had four children, with one set of twin boys who died soon after birth. My father was the thirteenth child born to my grandparents in Studham, Bedfords, England on the third of October, 1864. They had two more children born to them in Studham and then two more in Lehi, Utah. Of their 17 children, 5 died in their infancy; the other 12 lived to maturity and married and had families. Soon after their conversion, my grandparents had a strong desire to emigrate to Utah. They started to work and save towards this end. This was very difficult with the low wages of England and this large family. They finally established a small business and managed to save enough to send their two oldest children (Harriet and George) to Utah. Two years later the father decided to emigrate, so they came over in 1868 and settled in Lehi, Utah where Harriet and George were located. My father, Mark Austin, was almost 4 years old when they arrived in Lehi. He was reared in a new country of great freedom and opportunity. He attended school in Lehi and helped his father on their farm, which they finally were able to purchase.


My grandmother, Emma Grace Austin, was very faithful in her new church and had a strong testimony of the Gospel as revealed to Joseph Smith the first prophet of this dispensation and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Her husband, John Austin, was also very devoted and faithful in his new found religion. It meant everything to both of them. So my father was born in the Church and was taught the true principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was baptized when he was eight years old in the Lehi Ward, Lehi, Utah. After my father was married and had three living children, the Bishop of the Lehi Ward asked him to go on a Mission to England, where he was born. He accepted the call and was ordained a Seventy and set apart as a missionary. This was in 1896. He made arrangements for his wife and family to move into a better home closer in town by her folks. Father left for his mission in October 1896 with the feeling and faith that the Lord would take care of his wife and three children. This did take a lot of faith. Mother milked cows and tended the pigs, picked the fruit and sacked the grain when it was harvested. She was a wonderful and faithful wife, and encouraged him in every way. Father filled a wonderful mission without fear of anyone. Father was 6'2" tall, a very striking, distinguished looking man. He had some important experiences that helped him throughout his life. While there, he and his sister, Harriet, were able to obtain the genealogy of many of their ancestors, through divine help. The records were prepared by a friend of the family living in Studham, Bedford, England and given to Harriet to bring to Utah.
Father did his best to preach the gospel to all of his relatives and friends who would listen to his message. He never told me how many he helped to bring into the church. He was always humble and never wanted to take credit for anything he did. After he had been in England about 20 months, he wrote and asked mother to come over and visit with him until his mission was finished, and then travel home with him. Mother made arrangements with her mother to take care of the children and left for England in 1898 with a group of missionaries, arriving there safely.
Thomas Benjamin Brain was born October 15, 1813 in Fritwell, England. About 1837 he married Maria Hunt, who was born February 8, 1818 in Coventry War, England. They had nine children so far as we know, five boys and four girls. One died as an infant. My grandmother was their daughter and was named Jane Maria Brain. The missionaries contacted them about 1857 and they were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints along with all of the children except Mary Ann, who was too young to be baptized.

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