Jemima Seamons Daines

As I write my blog today, it is with a smile on my face. I have fallen in love with Jemima because of what I have come to learn about her.

I only learned about her because of a family history assignment for a Primary Sharing Time presentation I was asked to give at church. It was July so, of course, my thoughts turned to the pioneers. For years I had asked my mother for any stories of our ancestors that had joined the church and crossed the plains, and her response was, "There are some stories and journals in a box somewhere."  Well I had inherited all the boxes at my parents passing, so I dug in and found a full treasure trove of my family's histories. I connected with Jemima and her story right away, so I asked my daughter Cecelia to dress-up and be my great-great grandmother and tell the children about Jemima. Cecelia was great, she came in and in an English accent told her (Jemima's) story. The children were mesmerized, as much as I was, when they learned of this simple woman who loved with a mother's love all she met.

Jemima was born 15 December 1839, in All Saints, South Elmham, Suffolk, England, to Henry Seamons and Mary King. She was the fifth child of eight children. Henry was of the farm labor class, poor but hard-working. Due to the circumstances of their financial situation the children were sent out at young ages to help the family make ends meet. Even though times were difficult Jemima had many fond memories of growing up. Her father was an avid gardener and she remembered all the beautiful flowers, as well as, picking currants from out of her second story bedroom window because her father had trained the vines to grow that way.

Formal education was not an option for the Seamons children, Jemima had only attended school for one week, but their mother Mary had been a school teacher so they were taught by her to read and write.

 Jemima was more frail than some of her siblings and was unable to to do the hard field labor but the work that best suited her was caring for others. She was sent out to work in the homes close by to help with the housework. Her true calling came when a neighbor had lost his wife, leaving a 2 week old baby who needed care. Jemima was asked to go help the house keeper care for the younger children and other household chores. She had been blessed with a mother's love for caring so it was not to long before the house keeper turned the entire care of the infant over to her.

About this same time the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints were laboring in the South Elmham area, this was the same time Robert Daines and his first wife Mary Ann joined the church, and the Seamons family accepted the gospel. Henry, Jemima's brother, was so enthusiastic about his desire to be baptized, when a place for the baptism to take place could not be found, he dug a pit on his father's lot and hauled water by bucket from a half a mile away to fill the pit.

It was the desire of all the new saints to join the body of the church in Utah, but the family was so poor it was believed a near impossible event to hope for. Four years after joining the church the way was made that they could come to America. Mary's (Jemima's mother) aunt died, leaving her a large sum of money. It turned out to be enough to bring the entire family, along with three sons-in-law to America.

Jemima was faced with a true dilemma, the father of the child she had been caring for came to her and pleaded with her to stay. She loved this little girl but knew her place was with her family and the Saints, so she spent her final night in England with her beloved ward and then sailed for America the 14 February 1856.

When the family arrived in New York they had only a few shillings left, so it was necessary to find work. A Mr. Hollenbeck came from New Jersey looking for a girl to do housework, and thinking it was close by Jemima's mother gave her consent.

As it turned out there was a large group of Saints, in the New Jersey area, all working to save up money to join the Saints in Utah. It was here in New Jersey that Robert Daines hired Jemima to care for his ailing wife Mary Ann. Mary Ann and Jemima became fast friends, so when it became evident to Mary Ann that she would not live long she asked Jemima to accept Robert as her husband if he asked. Mary Ann passed away January 1, 1858.

As I ponder on Jemima and her early life, I wonder at her and her love for people and the gospel. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to leave this little girl, that she had mothered from infancy, and her father begging her to stay. To leave all you know and go to America because of a religion. She was truly a woman of faith and love.

Note: This information comes from recollections of her daughter Lucy and her son William Moroni (my great-grandfather). The timing is a little off because of when she joined the church and began to care for the little girl, the little girl was written to be 2 years old when Jemima left for America, but they had joined the church 4 years earlier. It is my hope to find out the name of the little girl because her name is never mentioned.