Francis Romriell was the son of Francis Romriell who was born in France {?} in 1760 and Jane Hutton also born in France 1770......?????

Very little in known definitely of the early history of the Romriell family but it is stated that the father, Francis Romriell, being a sea captain met his death at sea just previous to the birth of his son Francis who was born at St Johns, Jersey Island August 18. 1999 and died at Lynne, Ogden. Jersey is situated on the coast of France but is a province of England.

At an early age he became a bound apprentice to Joshua Blot a well-to-do shoemaker and dealer. It was customary in those times to bind a young man learning a vocation to his employer until he became twenty-one, at the end of which time he is permitted to continue with his employer to work for wages, or to take up business on his own.

Francis' mother, during this period of his apprenticeship, married a man by the name of Markum.

Francis remained for a time with his employer, he being fascinated with his employer's daughter, Mary, a beautiful and intelligent young lady of strong uncommon character and kind and gentle of spirit.

It is said that the Blots being of high class, high-spirited natures and ambitious that their daughters many wealthy suitors, very much disapproved this union with a poor apprentice shoemaker, but finally yielded to the predominating love which existed between the happy young couple and finally resulted in a splendid grand wedding with many beautiful gifts, especially fine linen, silverware and china, some of which they brought with them to Utah.

Mary Billot was born at St. Laurence, Jersey, April 18, 1801 and was the daughter of Joshua Billot, born in the year 1766, and Elizabeth Gibout, born in the year 1778, and the granddaughter of Abraham Gibout, the owner of the whole valley of St. Laurence at that time, which was a large farm Incidents are told of this early farm life and of a large dog which they called Jersey barber and an old very deep well which is at present one of the old land marks of Jersey. Her brothers and sisters were Betsy, Nancy, Sophie, Margaret, Charles, Philip and one half brother by the name of Joshua by her father's first wife Qane Lesuer). According to the English laws, when her father, Joshua Billot died in 1845, he left two-thirds of the property to his oldest son (Josh) which was soon gone through by his spendthrift ways. The other third was left to Elizabeth to be divided among seven children and herself.

The old Billot residence near Ebenezar Chappel, Trinity, Jersey had remained and been loved in the Gibout family for ages past, was now to go into other hands . Sad indeed were members of the family left to see it go.

Betsy, the oldest sister married Abraham Marriot, from a well-to-do family who owned a large farm himself. They had one daughter who they named Elizabeth. She was very beautiful and was certainly born under a lucky star.

Margaret married Joshua Marriot, Abraham's brother, who owned a large shoe establishment and together they accumulated great means, bought a piece of property from his brother (AM) And built a large stone mansion, soon after which he died, and having no heirs, his property went to his older brother. Margaret being a sufferer of consumption, and the shock of losing all her hard-earned savings, died within a year after her husband. Finally the whole profit fell into the hands of beautiful and lucky Elizabeth. The mother Elizabeth Gibout Billot died int he year 1854. Charles remained with his sister Margaret until her death after which he married a distant relative and a choice of Margaret (a Marriot girl).

Philip, the unfortunate, at the age of 18, was at work in the mills when an explosion occurred which caused him to loose his eyesight. At 28 he married an old maid 32 years old. Fearing to have a family, she afterwards died and he married again and they had 3 children. Nancy married a man by the name of Philip Rennof, who was also well-to-do and owned a farm.

Sophie lived to be a beautiful girl of 18 when she died unmarried.

Now coming back to the Romriells who heard and embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints during the year of 1849.

Mary Billot
Mary Billot Romriell, being in the humblest of circumstances and having the largest family of all her brothers and sisters, consequently was not treated with as much consideration as the others and often times felt rather slighted; as upon one occasion when the Bil1ots were to entertain at a large party and the members of the families were to be present It was asked that Mary's children be sent to the kitchen to eat with the servants. Betsy and Nancy were so afraid their manners would not be fitting for so fine a company to which Mary objected and said, " No, if the children be sent to the kitchen so will I" This shows the character of Mary Billot.

The names of the children of Francis and Mary Romriell are as follows:

Mary (Marie Marguerite) Romriell
Mary was born in May 1824 at St. Johns, Jersey and married Richard Cornish in the year 1854 and made their home in the Dominion of Canada where their descendants live at present Mary was very high spirited and like those of her uncles and aunts on the Billot side, opposed. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints which the other members of the family had embraced. She died in March 1889, was baptized at...

John
John was born at St Johns, Jersey, Mary 1826 and at 23 years old heard and embraced the gospel. Soon after this, he left home for Australia and was never heard of after. His fate is unknown.

Mary Ann
Mary Ann was born at Trinity, St Johns, Jersey 1836 and died at the same place in the year 1856. She was much loved and the petted sister of the whole family -- gentle and loveable in nature. She was one of the first in her family to embrace the gospel. She, with her mother, was baptized in the year 1849 by John Taylor. [This is incorrect according to the records of Gorey Branch.] who was the president of the European Mission at that time and who afterward became the president of the Church.

She was greatly enthused for her religion and worked faithfully for the church as long as she lived. She married Philip Tasener (?)., a young man who was greatly in love with her and whose entreaties she could not resist to remain in Jersey while the rest of the members of her family left for Utah. Sad was she to see them go without her where she had so longed to go. She only lived one year after their departure.

While she lived, she never wearied of singing the sweet songs of Zion especially "Come Come Ye Saints". After her death Philip Tasener (?) dwindled away in unbelief and finally died a drunkard In the year, (?) she was sealed by proxy to John Taylor whom it was always believed she loved more than any man.

Francis Jr.
Francis Romriell Jr. was the next in line. He was born at St. Johns, Jersey July 21, 1829. He joined the church in the year 1850 and emigrated to Utah with most of the family in 1855.

George
George was bom October 14, 1832 at St Johns, Jersey and with his father was first to embrace the gospel and they two were also baptized by John Taylor, who then baptized the whole family. [Gorey Branch records show that most members of the family were baptized by Elder Richard Treseder. Mary Bi71ot was baptized by Elder Dunbar, Fanny and Ann were baptized by Elder Hyde and Charles Abraham was baptized by Elder De la Mothe]. He emigrated to American in the year 1851. He afterwards married and had two children but this marriage proved fated. One of the children....

He married Patience Swingewood in the year and ten children blessed their union. He lived a faithful and upright life and raised a noble family, all of whom are faithful Latter-Day Saints. Many are the splendid traits of character which he possessed, on of which is the stalwart example he set for his family in the strict way in which he lived his religion. It was always first and foremost in his life. Greatly was he blessed with long life and prosperity. His death came like the change spoken of as the "twinkling of an eye," on the first day of January 1914.

Jane
Jane was born on the 23 February 1838 at St Johns, Jersey. During the early part of her life with her sister, Fannie Mary Ann, they attended a school at Trinity, Jersey where they were taught in both French and English. They received a pretty god education but it being a church school, they received more or less teachings of the Church of England other sources say it was Methodist].

She, with Fannie, John and Frank, joined the church in the year 1850. After arriving in Utah in the year 1856, she married Joseph Hammond and had two children. After his death, she remained a widow for 8 years. She married George Pierce in September 1864. Eight children came to them. She was a good wife and mother. Saving carefully, they accumulated means and when she died in January 1908, left her heirs in favorable condition.

Fannie Mary Ann
Fannie Mary Ann was born at Groville, Jersey, April 26, 1840. Her life in Jersey was similar to that already told of her former brothers and sisters. When she was six pears old, she went to live with her Aunt Margret who owned a large stone house and was in well to do circumstances. She wished to make Fannie her heir, having no children of her own, but when the other members of the family joined the church, she received the glad tidings as readily as the others. After arriving in Utah, she was married to Maurice DuCloux in August 1859, and the next year went back across the plains with her husband to Mt. Vernon, Alabama. They were blessed with eight children. They were in the southern states fourteen years. Maurice died 18 December 1873. During the time she was there, she buried four children. She returned to Utah in March 1874 and the following year, 1875, her other daughter died.

On August 18, 1874, she was married to Charles Singleton, a resident of Plain City. Five children were born to them. During the rest of her life she lived as a staunch and faithful Latter-Day Saint. She was privileged to go to the temple and perform the work or her dead ancestors. Many an effort and many a sacrifice she made in order to procure names and dates of her people. She died on August 19, 1903.

Charles Abraham
Abram Romriell was born at Jersey in the year 1842 on 18 May. He is last of all the boys in the Romriell family of the honored pioneer band, but not the least by any means for he is here today with us and for us to give honor to in life in person, and let us, while we may, show our appreciation to the remnant of our beloved pioneer uncles and aunts. Let us praise the brave deeds he has done in his homebuilding, in helping to protect his people from hostile Indians and the wilds of a new country, his progression in the tilling of the soil and helping the desert to blossom as a rose. Let us give honor and praise to him for the noble and large family who calls him father and grandfather, and whom he has raised up to bless him in his declining years. Let us love and respect him as did his father and mother and brothers and sisters who have already gone to their rewards, for his noble and benevolent nature.

The many hardships and trials and cares he has passed through during his life with the cheerful smiling disposition which is his own but shows the courageous stalwart character he has obtained. Through the rest of his days during this sojourn may the many thorns which have been his lot to battle with during his past, be changed for beautiful flowers to mark his path and may his life be prolonged according to his desire.

Sophia
Sophia the youngest of the family was born in Jersey in the year 1846, being the baby, she was the petted and loved child of the family. She was but nine years old when the family took the long and tedious journey across the sea and plains. She married very young and endured many trials and hardships in the new world. She also was married twice, the first time being a failure. She was a widow with two children when she married Miland Russell, after which one child was born to them. She lived a faithful Later Day Saint all her life and worked diligently for the Relief Society of the Twelfth Ward in Salt Lake City for many years. She died in September 1906.

Emmigration
Much more might be told of the lives of Grandfather and Grandmother Romriell conceming their making ready to leave their Jersey home after joining the church, for like others, after receiving the great truth , the spirit fell upon them to leave their home and gather to Zion. So great were their preparations and many were their sacrifices in disposing of their property and belonging. (His sister and her family, Langlow ?)

They left Jersey in the spring of 1855 and crossed on the ship called the "Knowfear" (?) and were one month on the water. They journeyed via. Newfoundland and came by Canada to visit Mary and Richard Cornish, their oldest daughter and her husband. Arriving at the headquarters of the Saints, they obtained an ox team and wagon and proceeded to cross the plains with Captain James Harper's Company, arriving at Mormon Grove July 22, 1855.

Arriving so late in the year in a new country, the folks found it very hard in preparing for the coming winter and at this time Grandfather paid $10 for a single sack of flour and it was necessary for Grandmother to ration the members of the family to one tablespoonful of flour each, made in a small cake for each meal. Should you have happened along on an early morning, you would have seen some very happy young maidens, somewhat humiliated emerging from the fields with aprons full of roots to prepare for their breakfast.

Many were the hardships they endured and trying were the many scenes they witnessed, but true and faithful hearted pioneers and stalwart Latter Day Saints did they remain until the call came for the Saints to move south in the year 148 when they moved to Cottonwood and remained until peace was settled with Johnston's changed for beautiful flowers to mark his path and may his life be prolonged according to his desire.