Last updated 08:10, Friday, 04 July 2008

BRIGHAM Young was the second President of the Church of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormon Church.

Because of his forename, there has been speculation over the years as to whether he was in any way linked to our part of the world. Some people, reportedly, maintained that some of his ancestors came from West Cumbria.

This would seem not to be the case. Unless, of course, you know any different.

It is a fact however that there are many strong links between the North West of England and Salt Lake City, Utah. The various missions organised in the 19th century succeeded in making many converts.

No doubt many readers will know of ancestors of theirs who, having been converted, left these shores, usually sailing from Liverpool, to settle in America.

And what of these settlers’ descendants? Just how much do they know of their ancestors’ birthplaces? Most, in all probability, will be very clued up on this topic.

After all, it was the Mormons who compiled the vast genealogical resource in Salt Lake City which has enabled local historians, genealogists and family historians to carry out their researches.

I shudder to think what life would have been like for family history enthusiasts if they hadn’t had access to this invaluable genealogical resource.

Cumbria has another link with the LDS – John Taylor! Born in Milnthorpe (Old Westmorland) on November 1, 1808, he eventually became, in 1880, the third President of the Church of Latter Day Saints. And, to date, he is the only man to have occupied that post who was not born in the United States.

No space here to do justice to the major achievements of this remarkable man. A brief sketch will have to suffice. If you want to dig deeper, Google will tell you all you want to know.

He was born in Milnthorpe, the son of James and Agnes Taylor, and baptised at Heversham into the Church of England. He left school at 14 and served an apprenticeship with a cooper, eventually becoming a wood turner and cabinet maker.

During this time he became a Methodist and was so involved with the work of that movement that he became a lay preacher.

When his family emigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1829 (or 1832 – accounts differ), he went with them. Once in Canada, he resumed his work as a Methodist lay preacher.

He married Leonora Cannon, his first wife, in 1833. She had been born in the Isle of Man. He was converted to the Mormon faith in 1836. Having been a lay preacher, it seemed a natural progression to channel his energies into furthering the work of his new faith in Canada.

After moving to America in 1838, he undertook missionary work in Ireland and the Isle of Man, where, through his wife’s family, he had connections. The Mormons encountered opposition from the Manx newspapers, including the Manx Liberal.

Here we come across another local connection, because this paper was owned and edited by JR Wallace, who, when he quit the island, set up Distington Museum.

The mission seems to have been successful with some islanders eventually moving to America.

He narrowly escaped death in 1844 when accompanying Joseph Smith and his brother to Carthage, Illinois. The brothers were assassinated by an irate mob. Taylor was also shot, but he survived.

He came to Britain in 1846 on a mission. As to where exactly he visited, I have no information. Did he visit our area? Any information gratefully received.

In 1880 he became president of the church, a post he held until his death in 1887.

He spent the last two years of his life, along with others, out of public view. Laws had been passed in 1882 which made polygamy illegal.

He, and many others, were polygamists and thus were always on the move to avoid being arrested. It was a stressful life and it probably helped bring about his death from heart failure.

Only the briefest sketch of the life of this remarkable Cumbrian.

What I do find amazing is that so few Cumbrians have ever heard about him and his achievements.