James Clark Owens, Sr.
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James Clark Owens was born 1797 - some say he was born in Canada and that the family moved into the state of New York just before his birth and that his father's name was Jas. C. Owens, however, none of this is sure; however they were in Canada and originally came from Wales.
James left home when a boy. He may have been apprenticed out, but anyway he lost tract of his people, and so have we to our sorrow. He was married to Abigail Cordelia Burr in 1816. Their second child, Horace Burr Owens, is our ancestor. The family was living in Portage Co., Ohio in the township of Nelson. It was here that they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ from Lyman Wright and John Whitmer. James and Abigail joined the church in June, 1831 (Horace Burr baptized in February). About four years before that, Sydney Ridgon had preached in the settlement as a Campbellite preacher. The Church, now was only a little more than one year old, but persecution and opposition made life so miserable for the young converts that the Lord revealed to the Prophet, Joseph Smith, a gathering place in Jackson County, Missouri where the Saints could flee. The first Saints to go there as a body, where the Colesville branch who left Colesville August 1831 and settled in a body on the Big Blue River near Independence, Jackson County, Missouri. Following winter the family moved into Independence, Missouri. James Clark Owens was a mason by trade. He helped build the barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This was a U.S. Military Fort and reservation where the Mormon Battalion reported to receive provisions for their march to the Pacific Coast. In Independence, James Clark built his family a large rick house near the Printing press. It was the first of five homes he built for his family which were destroyed by a mob. In July 1833, when the hostile mob fell upon the saints, destroyed the press, tarred and feathered Partridge and Allen, beat an old man until he died from the effects, James Clark's children, Caroline and Horace witnessed these outrages from the top of the houses where they had climbed up a scaffold to the roof. They took the word to the Authorities. During the riots, mobocrats came to the home to get James Clark. He barred the door against them while his wife skipped out the back door to tell the neighbors, who hurriedly to his assistance. The mob forced themselves in and a scuffle ensured at which time James Clark was badly hurt. Twice, in other riots, the mob stopped in front o the Owens' house and threatened to kill all the family, but for some reason they passed on. Later, they leaned that it was because one of the mobocrats wanted James Clark to do some mason work for him-- to build a brick store and house. Consequently, when the other Saints, after many outrages and severe suffer were driven, by the mob, from the county, James Clark was forced to stay in Independence and do this work for them. The mob pledged their life and property that his family would not be molested, but their bit promises were disregarded when the work was done, and James Clark had to hide out to keep from being abused. The next summer after the Saints had been driven across the river into Clay County, Zion's Camp arrived to help the Saints return to their homes in Independence. When the mob fount it out they became very excited and prepared to oppose them. They tried to bribe James Clark with big money and high office if he would betray "Old Joe Smith" but James Clark, who could do very efficient swearing, was staunch and true to the Prophet and told them so in very strong language. James Clark Jr. remembered of going with this father to visit the Prophet Joseph Smith, and said that the Prophet held him on his lap. He learned to love the Prophet, he said, because of the things his father said about him. In his last days when talking about those terrible times, told of the sacrifices his father had made for the Saints, how he always divided with the needy and, at the peril of his own life, did all in his power to help the imprisoned Saints to escape. For this he was arrested and abused and threatened with death. He testified that his father, James Clark Owens Sr. was willing to give, even his life, for the Prophet. One night the mobocrats came to the house hunting the father when both he and Horace Burr were away from home. When the mob began throwing rocks at the house, the mother bolted the door with a big plank and locked it, but the mob crashed it in. The mother ran to the cradle to protect the baby and the door was falling knocked her down unconscious. Persecutions and abuses continued until, finally, the family were driven from the town. James Clark received a note saying that if he did not leave the county in one week they would kill him and burn his property. In preparing to leave, while he was walking to the river to make arrangements to be ferried across, he was overtaken by one of the mob, a horseman who compelled him to go back with him. Three different times the man met other mobocrats and stopped to talk with them. Each time James Clark would walk on ahead and try to escape by dodging into the bushes. The third time he succeeded in making his escape. When the Owens family were driven from Independence, they joined the Saints in Liberty, Clay County in March 1835. James Clark built his family a home here but, because of mob violence, he, with the other Saints, was compelled to leave it and seek a place to live in Caldwell County. In Far West, Caldwell County, he built his third home and helped to make this place a thriving village. But, again, persecution began, church leaders were imprisoned, the Saints were persecuted and robbed and finally, in 1839, the Saints there, under the exterminating orders of Governor Boggs, left Far West and went to Illinois, almost destitute. On their journey the Owens' family overtook a man by the name of Powel who had been knocked down by the mob and had his head smashed in with a gun until a teacup of his brains had oozed out. This man was carrying a child and his wife was leading a cow with a sack of clothes tied on it's back. James Clark took this family in his wagon until another man came along who had more room for them and the family went on with him. In the spring of 1842, the Owens family moved to Nauvoo and settled about four miles below there on the river Cluff. The Owens family were among the first Saints to settle this country and passed through all the drivings and mobbings and other hardships endured by them in Missouri, Illinois and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Because of these hardships the parents lost some of their children and in January 1847, the father died. In following his trade, James Clark had to go away from home to wrok. This winter he was returning home after finishing a job and got lost in the woods during a big snow storm. After wandering about for fourteen or fifteen days, he was found by some men who were out feeding some hogs in the woods. He was alive but his arms and legs were frozen. The men gave him some coffee but he was unable to eat and he could talk only enough to tell them who he was and who his folks were. He died through the night. One of the men took his word to his wife and she paid him to bring the body home. He returned without the body and said that they could not find were they had buried him. Since the mobocrats had felt bitter towards him some wondered if there had been foul play about his death. James Clark Owens was a large man and rather brisk and he sometimes swore but he had the courage to stay with the church during bitter persecutions when to renounce it could have meant rest from mob violence and peace for his family. taken from the life sketch of James Clark Owens, Sr.
written by Medora O. Trueblood recopied by Alice Jo Cluff Ellsworth: 1997 Ancestry.com Message Board
James OWENS (b. abt 1775) and Mary CLARK Owens died during an epidemic of some type, leaving their children orphaned. Unknown how many children -- one of them was James Clark OWENS. (b abt 1798) It is
believed that the brother of James (Benjamin OWENS) took the children and raised them, but did not formally adopt them. James Clark Owens died in Ohiio during a blizzard. His wife (Abigail Cordelia BURR) paid $200 to have his body returned, but the men who made the offer, took the money and never returned. user: wesblair66
posted: 9 Dec 1998 |