Microfilm of about seven diaries kept by Samuel Whitney Richards and Mary Richards between 1839 and 1876. Some of the diaries are multiple pieces or are written on loose pages. The first diary was kept by Samuel Richards at Richmond, Massachusetts, from 1839-1840. He writes of going to work for his uncle William Richards, including growing potatoes, putting up fences, plowing, harvesting hay, and other farm work, as well as working in a saw mill. The volume also contains an autobiography which recounts events in Illinois from 1843-1844, particularly regarding the Nauvoo Legion and Joseph Smith, and chronological notes from 1846 recalling departing from Nauvoo and traveling to New York City before sailing to Liverpool. That volume is followed by two diaries kept by Mary Richards at Nauvoo in 1846-1847 and 1848, while Samuel was away serving on a mission to Great Britain. Mary describes her daily and family life as well as events surrounding the Mormon Church. Those diaries are followed by a volume kept by Samuel Richards in 1848, when he was preparing to leave Missouri. It then skips back to his departure from England, a list of Scottish Saints, and an account of traveling up rivers to Winter Quarters. His 1849 diary describes his travels from Iowa to Salt Lake City, and his 1855-1856 and 1876 diaries recall his life in Utah. On the same reel (frames 1-319) with MSS MFILM 00165-00167, which also contain material related to Samuel W. Richards. Microfilm. San Marino, Calif. : Huntington Library Photographic Dept., 1949. 1 microfilm reel : negative 35 mm. Forms part of the Manuscripts Department's Mormon file, c.1805-1995. Samuel Whitney Richards (1824-1909) was born in Richmond, Massachusetts. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838. He later moved with his family to Nauvoo, Illinois, where he worked on the Mormon temple. From 1846-1848 Richards served on a mission to Great Britain, and was temporarily president of the Scottish Conference. On his return he lived in Iowa until emigrating to Utah in 1849. In Utah Richards was a member of the Salt Lake City Council and State of Deseret Constitutional Convention. He served on another British mission from 1851-1854, and spent part of this time as president of the British Mission. In 1855 he was elected to the Utah Territorial Legislature, where he served until 1859. In 1857 he served on another short mission to England, and was president of the Eastern States Mission from 1895-1897. He died in Salt Lake City in 1909.
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