They were the parents of Ann Cowley, who married Edward Callister. They had a son named Edward Callister who had a daughter named Irene Callister, who married Raymond Verne McCullough. They are the parents of Beth Maurine McCullough Henderson.
Mathias Cowley was born in 1794 on the Isle of Man. His wife, Ann Quayle was born in 1799 also on the Isle of Man. They were married in 1817. They had six children while living on the Isle of Man. This is a picture of Peele, Isle of Man where most of their children were born.
In 1840, John Taylor, then one of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Clark came to the Isle of Man and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Cowleys heard them and were convinced that the principles they taught were true. In November, 1840 they were baptized and immediately made plans to come to Illinois.
Mathias sold his small farm "The Glen Ellen" and herds of sheep to raise money to make the journey. They had been well off and had enjoyed many luxuries, but there was great persecution of those that followed the "dippers" (Mormon Missionaries) and so they left their homeland forever.
They went to Liverpool, England and set sail April 2, 1841 on the ship Rochester. Ann's brother John Quayle, his wife Catherine and their children also came on the ship at this time. Additionally, the ship carried Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff and other church leaders returning from their first mission to England and about 200 new church members on their way to Illinois.
The Cowley's purchased a farm about four miles from the city of Nauvoo. Unfortunately, their baby, Eleanor, died in August. Another baby girl came in May 1843. They named her Ellen...probably after their homestead on the Isle of Man..."The Glen Ellen".
At one time, Mathias paid a hundred dollar fine so that the Prophet Joseph Smith could be released from jail after false charges had been brought against him.
On another occasion, Mathias Cowley was asked by the prophet to give to the Church six hundred dollars he had in the bank as the Church was in dire need of money. Mathias quickly obliged the Prophet's request and was subsequently given a blessing by Joseph Smith, and a promise was passed down to the Cowley posterity, that "as long as his posterity remained faithful to the Gospel they would never want for bread."
As persecutions grew, men would take turns protecting the Prophet Joseph Smith and his family. Ann Cowley Callister, one of Mathias & Ann Cowley's children, remembers one night, Mathias hid his family in a corn field for the night, while he went out to help protect the Prophet.
During the persecutions that followed the martyrdom of Joseph & Hyrum Smith, a cannon fired on the city tore out one wall of the Cowley home. The Cowley's watched the exodus of friends and family in the years that followed. Not being able to afford to go west they moved to St. Louis where Mathias worked in a packing house. Here their youngest daughter, Ellen, died in 1849. A few years later in 1853, Mathias died at the age of 59 years old (most likely in one of the cholera epidemics).
In April 1854, Ann, at age 58, and her children left St. Louis. They were part of the William Field Company. They had trouble with Indians, bad water, and many died along the way.
You can read more about their journey at: http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/source/0,18016,4976-2680,00.html
Many in the company didn't care for the way Captain William Field led the company. Isaac Groo said, "All who will follow me, come now, I will lead you." Nineteen wagons followed his lead including the Cowleys. They arrived in Salt Lake on September 19, 1854, the first company of the season, and two weeks before those arrived who remained with Captain Fields.
Ann lived in the 7th Ward in Salt Lake City the rest of her life and died at the home of her son John, May 9, 1877 at the age of 81 years old. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, I_19_10_1W.
I would love to know more about Mathias and Ann personally. From the tiny Isle of Man, to Nauvoo, to St. Louis, they traveled far. And then Ann went on across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to Salt Lake. I have yet to find any of their own words, but I assume that like many others they went quietly forward in faith through the trials they faced and they were true to their testimony of Jesus Christ.
Mathias and Ann Cowley...pioneers, generous and brave, my grandparents, I am grateful for them.
Sources include: Life History of Beth Maurine McCullough, "Our Pioneer Heritage" Vol. 16, http://isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/mormon/mcowley2.htm Please contact me if you would like more specifics.
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