This is an overview of Thomas Hewlett Wilde and the life of his families
Thomas was born at Crowd Hill, Fairoak, Hampshire, England, the first child of Henry and Sarah Wild. He was christened in Bishopstoke parish church [Birth Certificate (I)]. Thomas had blue eyes and light brown hair. While he was young, the family moved to Portswood. He was converted to the church and baptised along with his mother on 20 Jul 1849 by Elder Thomas B. H. Stenhouse. His father had been baptised the week earlier on 12 Jul 1849. Thomas was age 8 and living in Portswood with his family when they joined the church. (Recorded in the Southampton Branch records, Film 0087032). They were the first three in their family to join the church. Later in the year, several other of Henry's sisters and brothers were baptised: Mary Wild Snelgrove, Sarah Wild Martin and her husband Martin, and William Wild and his wife Eliza. Later, the family moved again to Southampton.
Henry and Sarah emmigrated from Southampton, Hampshire, England to Utah in 1851 and 1852. They emmigrated with 3 children, Thomas, age 10; Henry, age 7; and Emma, age 6; along with Henry's aged mother, Jane Wilde, age 81, and Martha Sparks (the children's nurse), age 67. They set sail 29 Jan 1851 from Liverpool, England to New Orleans on the ship Ellen Marie. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a fourth child was born, and named Ellen Marie Martha Wilde, after the ship and the nurse. Later along the way, Jane Wilde, Henry's mother, died of illness while traveling up the Mississippi river. While crossing the plains to Utah, Thomas' younger brother, Henry was killed by falling from a tree. On arrival to the Salt Lake valley in 1852, Henry and his young family settled in the Sugar House Ward, Granite Stake, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Thomas spent his teenage years in the Sugar House ward, Granite Stake, in Salt Lake City. In the 1860 census, Thomas was 18 years old and was working as a farm laborer on the farm of Albert B. Griffin.
He married Martha Elmina Norton, a girl who also lived in the Sugar House Ward, on 5 Jun 1862, in the Endowment House.
After they were married, Thomas and Martha moved to join Thomas' father and mother in Coalville, Utah. They had two children in Coalville in 1862 and 1865, before moving to Brigham City in 1867.
Thomas and Martha had their third child, which died shortly after birth.
In the 1870 census, Thomas was a farmer, age 27, living in Brigham City with his wife Martha, age 24, and sons Thomas, age 3, and Albert, age under 1.
In Brigham City, he married a second time, to Louisa Jane Carter, 5 Jul 1870 in the Endowment House. While at Brigham City, Thomas was a school teacher and he exercised a wonderful influence among the young people all of whom respected him most highly. Thomas was also employed at the Brigham Woolen Mills. While working at the woolen mills, Thomas met Sarah Jensen, a young woman working as a weaver at the mill. They were married on 1 Sep 1873 in the Endowment House. While living in Brigham City, three children were born to Thomas and Sarah: Wilford Hewlett, Nettie Maren, and Leo Junius.
At church, Thomas served as Sunday School superintendent and president of the Box Elder Stake Y.M.M.I.A. When Brigham City Ward was divided into four wards, Thomas was selected as second counselor to Bishop Welch, which position he held until he moved to Idaho.
Thomas moved to Mink Creek, Idaho with his three wives. Sarah's fourth child, Zina Sarah was born. This child lived only three weeks. His first wife, Martha, died the 15 Jun 1885 and was buried in Mint Creek [Gravestone (II)]. Emma, the youngest daughter of Martha, was taken into Sarah's home, where she was raised. Sarah's fifth child, Florence Rebecca, was born. The government was trying to stamp out polygomy, and as Sarah was the third wife, it seemed best that she take her children and return to Brigham City to live. Sarah, returned to Brigham City in 1887 where she had her last child, Zera, a couple of years later, and lived until her death in November 1933. Thomas was sent to prison in Detroit, Michigan, where he was held for nine months.
After moving to Blackfoot, he acted as ward clerk in the Blackfoot First ward. Sugar House ??? - Oct 1917
13 Dec 1920 Thomas died in Blackfoot of kidney failure (dropsy) 13 Dec 1920 [Death Certificate (III); [Obituary (IV)] and was buried in Grove City Cemetery in Blackfoot, Idaho [Gravestone (V) ].
18 Nov 1933 Sarah, Thomas' third wife, died in Brigham City [Death Certificate (III)] and was buried four days later in the Brigham City Cemetery [Gravestone (V) ].
31 May 1937 Louise died in Salt Lake City [Death Certificate (III)] and was buried the next day next to her husband in Grove City Cemetery in Blackfoot, Idaho [Gravestone (VI) ].
What does one remember most about a great man - his success, his many accomplishments? What really goes into the making of great man? Through the eyes of his fellow-men it is often the mark he makes in life, but through the eyes of a daughter, it is much, much more. It is his kindness, his consideration, his love and tenderness. It is the twinkle in his eyes, his pleasant smile, the memory of a song, heartfelt and loving, which he sang. It is the touch of his hand, the memory of his advice, his voice gentle and blended with love and compassion. It is his unfailing wisdom, the comfort for which he provided. It is, also, pride in his success and accomplishments. All of these wonderful, glorious things I remember about a great man, for he was also my father.
Thomas Hewlett Wilde my Father, was a man of culture, of intellectual refinement. His was the ability to win the admiration of all with whom he dealt, as well as the admiration and the love of his loved ones and friends, and to hold that love and admiration. His was the greatness that is recognized by our Heavenly Father. To obey His command, and to love Him more each day of his life, constantly serving Him, was my Father's greatest joy. Because he was so close to our Heavenly Father, he was a man of great wisdom and abiding faith. Being an educated man, he was a school teacher in the early days, and had the privilege of being the first school teacher for a number of his children.
Father was born on the 20th day of June, 1841, in Southampton, Hampshire, England, the eldest child of Henry Brown Wilde and Sarah Hewlett Wilde. His parents were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while in England, and, as a consequence came to America. Before leaving England, however, in the year of 1851, my Father was baptized, and thus he became a member of that church.
When crossing the Atlantic Ocean on their way to America, a child was born. They named her Ellen Maria, after the name of the ship. This was my Father's third sister. While crossing the plains on their way west, his small brother, Henry, was accidentally killed, and they buried him there. Grandmother often said this was her greatest trial the leaving of her little one there and going on.
The Henry Brown Wilde family were among the first settlers in the Salt Lake Valley, living at what is now known as Sugar House. Grandfather had a ten-acre farm there, and Father remembers herding cows over that uninhabited area. While there, a son, my Father's brother Joseph, was born, making three boys and three girls, including Father, in their family. There were many hardships in those days. It is little wonder then that Father was a pioneer of courage and farsightedness, giving wise and gentle assurance to others. Integrity was his great virtue.
In the year of 1859 the family moved to Coalville, Utah, to make their permanent home. Grandfather, Henry Brown Wilde, was the first Bishop of the church in Coalville, and Grandmother, Sarah Hewlett Wilde, taught the first school there. Grandfather had helped in getting out the rock for the Salt Lake Temple, and now he helped to build the railroad through Echo Canyon. Each of these wonderful experiences went into the building of my Father's strong and courageous character, and formed for him a special, faith-promoting background.
Because I am the youngest in our family, there are many incidents in the early years of my Father's married life which are not wholly familiar to me, and which I do not feel qualified to relate. The first years of his married life were spent in Brigham City, Utah, which was the birthplace of some of his children, but later moved to Mink Creek, Oneida County, Idaho, where he helped erect a sawmill in the mountains near Mink Creek. While there the remainder of his children were born, of which I am the youngest. I have always greatly admired and loved my Father for his constant loyalty, and for having the faculty and wisdom of holding us in oneness, and not as separate families, and of impressing us with the glorious purity of purpose. Joined by my Mother, they taught us love, respect, and honor for each, and thus we grew up knowing and remembering the place of each one in our great family circle, and, for the most part, their children. Distance was a barrier in those days, but this did not separate us in love and principle. In this great family circle were twenty (20) children, and one hundred and four (104) grandchildren, and each brother and sister, Aunt Sarah and Aunt Martha, I have loved and remembered, some like names in a sweet story, which, today as I write this tribute, have taken their exact places in the corridors of time and life in reality, because it has been my great pleasure to seek each one out and present them with my book of poems, "Wilde Flowers". I am sure no other joy has been greater.
While living in Mink Creek, my Father was chosen as Superintendent of the Sunday School of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This was to be his great calling in the Church. He loved the youth, and they, in turn, loved him dearly. It is said the children loved him so much, they cried when he was not able to be in attendance, which was infrequent.
While I was yet very small, our family moved from Mink Creek. My first recollection is of moving to Grays Lake, Bannock County, Idaho. In this very beautiful valley, in the shadow of the great Caribou Mountain, with its rolling, green hills, blue lakes, and meadows covered with wild flowers, its bright, glowing autumns and its immense quantities of snow covering everything with glistening whiteness in winter, he made for us a wonderful home. The valley was noted for its wild-hay ranches, and his was one of the largest. The rich soil produced fine vegetables in the gardens, and the mountains, not far away, afforded many kinds of berries. I remember, especially, the huckleberries which we, as a family, would gather. Yes, this was free and happy living.
We made our home in the small settlement called Wayan, which was in the Grays Lake Valley. Here, also my Father was chosen as superintendent of the Sunday School, which position he capably held for a total of thirty-five years, and until we moved away from Wayan. Also, he was Superintendent of the school at Wayan, was appointed Postmaster at Wayan, and our home boasted the first telephone in the valley. Soon many had telephones, and thus the small communities were linked closer together.
Father had a great sense of humor. He had pet-names for each of his daughters. These he formed into a song, and arising early in the morning he sang this song to awaken us. It was so musical, however, that it often put us to sleep, instead. I can still hear his chuckle as he went by the bedrooms, singing his happy song. One special song I remember which he no often sang, or hummed, was the dearly beloved church hymn, "Oh My Father". I remember this hymn was sung at his funeral, and I feel he was very pleased.
In years to follow, Father moved the family to Blackfoot, Bingham County, Idaho. The years spent here were very happy ones. In January 1914 we moved to Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah. This living, while affording many happy times, was so different from the past, and I often wondered if Father did not long for the open country, its freedom and its innate beauty, but he was growing old, and not able to cope with the requirements of such. In the last years of his life, however, he returned to Blackfoot, with my Mother, and there he passed away, on the 13th day of December, 1920, and on December 18, 1920, he was laid to rest in the Blackfoot City Cemetery, Blackfoot, Idaho. A poem, "A Father’s Fame," written by me paid tribute to his blessed worth. This is contained in my book of poems, "Wilde-Flowers", and was published in a Relief Society Magazine. Later, when the General Board of Relief Society published "Our Legacy, Relief Society Centennial Anthology of Verse" which contained the poems chosen by them as the beat for the first 100 years Relief Society, from both the Woman's Exponent and the Relief Society Magazine, my poem, "A Father’s Fame", was chosen, and consequently is contained therein.
These, then, are only a very few of the glorious and precious memories I hold of my Father. Yea, he is e great man. I am sure he dwells with the great in our Heavenly Father's Kingdom. How I wish I might be privileged to hear his sweet voice again, singing his happy song, see the twinkle in his bright, blue eyes, and feel the touch of his blessed hand, bringing joy to my heart through his loving and tender caress. Would I that I might tell of all of the glorious accomplishments, the wisdom, and the wonderful qualities which bring back such happy and precious memories, and which made of him a GREAT MAN and a wonderful father.
All family group sheets and historical records have been written with the surname being spelled Wilde; however, all the early records of the family in England, and for some time after arriving in Utah, the name was spelled Wild. We have not been able to establish when or why the change in the spelling of our family name but are continuing research to establish why the change took place.
I. Great Britain. Civil Registration.
II. Mink Creek, Idaho. Photo taken by Doran Wilde.
III. Utah. Department of Health. Bureau of Vital Records. Utah death certificates, 1904-1951. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2001.
IV. Obituary found in the journal of his son, Wilford Hewlett Wilde
V. Grove City Cemetery, Blackfoot, Idaho. Photo taken by Cameron Wilde.
VI. Brigham City Cemetery, Brigham City, Idaho. Photo taken by Cameron Wilde.