RUTH NEPHEWSON WRIGHT

1800-1889

Written by Mary Lou Shaw

Ruth Nephewson was the 9th and last child of John Nevinson and Margaret Dunbobine, born 2
Aug 1800, Chr., at the Preston Patrick Parish, Crooklands Westmoreland, England. (Bob and I visited this
parish in 1976) (This beautiful county is where Pres. John Taylor was born, also.)

Ruth's father was a Slater. Her brother, Daniel, whose lineage and descendents have been
researched for the Bountiful Temple ordinances, was a flax dresser. John Nevinson has been listed in
church, family and L.D.S. records as Nephewson, Nepherson, Neveson, Nevison and Nevinson.

Ruth married Henry Wright, 6 Mar 1836, at St. Peters Church, Liverpool Lancaster, England. On
Dec 25, 1845, Ruth was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in a river
near Crewe, Cheshire, England.

It was March 1st, 1849, when she and her husband, (45) her daughter, Ann (12) and son, Henry
James (7) set sail from Liverpool, for America on the "Hartley". Henry James died of cholera aboard ship
and was buried at Choctaw Island on the Mississippi River, 7 May 1849. The Wright family settled in St.
Louis, Missouri. The tragedy of deadly cholera struck the Wright family again August 26, 1849, when her
husband, Henry Wright died west of St. Louis. (Had they started out on the Western trek?)

In 1853, Ruth and her daughter, Ann, arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the Claudius Spencer
Company. (My mother told me Annie Wright and William Naylor fell in love while crossing the plains.)
The Naylor brothers were wheelwrights and I have found records of William Naylor, driver,
accompanying Brigham Young on his journeys to St. George, Utah. Perhaps William Naylor helped
parties coming west, also.

Ann Wright married William Naylor, 10 Jan 1855, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ruth lived with the
Naylors the rest of her life. William sent remembrances to Ruth and his daughter, Mary Ann, included in
his letters to his wife. He was on a mission in the Hawaiian Islands (Sandwich, then called) Oct 1856 to
27 Mar 1858. (He was called home early because of the threat of Johnston's Army.) William was also a
member of the Old Folks Central Committee in 1879.

Ruth was sealed to her deceased husband, Henry Wright, 15 Nov 1861, at the Endowment
House, proxy, Daniel H. Wells, Witnesses, Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff. When she was 70 years
old she was baptized for her deceased sister, Sarah Nephewson Swift at the E.H. (30 Nov 1870)

The 21st of Feb 1880, her grandson, Frank Sefton Naylor was born. (He is the father of Ruth
Venetta Naylor, my mother). Frank was nine years old when Ruth Nephewson Wright died, 19 March
1889. She had written a poem in 1884 to be published after her demise.

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 THOUGH IN THE GRAVE HER BODY LIES,

IN CALMNESS NOW AND REST,

IMMORTAL SHE WILL SHORTLY RISE

AND STAND AMONG THE BLEST

Written by Mary Lou Shaw, 5370 Nugget Road, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 September 1995

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