John Kay

In and Out

John Kay 1839-1896

“There is a big wall around Utah and once you go in you will never be allowed to get out again.” That was the untruth circulating around the town of Darwin England in the 1880’s.

John and Esther endured the ridicule from others in Darwen England as they lived the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and did everything to support the missionaries. The Blackburn Branch records state that on June 1, 1883 the elders (missionaries) met with much opposition in holding outdoor meetings. “One man threatened to have Elder William Smith Tanner poisoned to see if he was an imposter.”

John and Esther Kay’s daughter Betsy left for Ut in 1884.  John and Esther did not emigrate until 1890. It is said that John made a trip to Utah before he brought his family, to see what kind of a place it was and to prove to his friends back in England that you didn't have to stay in Utah once you were there, as the people in Darwen had said. He liked it very much so returned and brought the rest of the family. 

John was the youngest of 13 children.  His mother died at age 40 just three months after his birth.  

John married Esther Howarth when he was 22 and she was 21. (1861) They were the parents of 5 children.

His wife, Esther accepted the gospel and was baptized in Sept. 1868. John was baptized 71/2 years later in 1876.  In April of the same year 2 of their children were baptized.  Esther and John’s family were the only ones of their extended families to accept the church and the only members in that vicinity.  They had to walk quite a way to attend meetings in the Blackburn branch where John was ordained an Elder. 

At age 32 John was listed as a cotton weaver and at age 42 he was listed as a general laborer.  John had a large dog that he used to take with him on his rounds as night watchman at the cotton factory.  One night in some way while making his rounds the dog was locked in one of the rooms.  He soon missed him and went back to find him; as he opened the door, the dog sprang on him and he had quite a time saving his life.  So, although he loved the dog and the children did too, he had it killed as he said he wouldn't have a dog that would attack its master.

In 1890 after his parents and most of his brothers and sisters had passed away John come to UT with his wife and their children Jane and John. Kitty 18, had just passed away. Their daughter Betsy was already in UT, married with a couple of children.  

Their only son John Thomas died very soon after arriving in UT.  This was a hard blow for John to loose his only son.  John Kay got work in the woolen mills at Provo, where their daughter, Betsy Ann, and her husband Henry Goddard had lived since their marriage. They bought a lot south of the tracks on University Avenue and built a home.  Jane was soon married to Hugh Clayton and they built a house on the same lot.

Utah was made the 45^thstate Jan. 4, 1896 and just seven days later, on January 11, 1896, John Kay passed away at age 57 in Betsy's home.  Grandmother Esther never got over this and in 1898 she also passed to the great beyond.  They were both buried in the Provo City Cemetery.  They had been faithful L. D. S. to the very last.