Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

John Williams Berry

Male 1822 - 1890  (67 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name John Williams Berry 
    Born 17 Dec 1822  Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 12 Apr 1890  Kanarraville, Iron, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Kanarraville Cemetery, Kanarraville, Iron, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I1790  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Jesse Woods Berry,   b. 9 Jan 1792, of, Albemarle, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 6 Aug 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 52 years) 
    Mother Armela or Millie Shanks,   b. 24 Jan 1804, Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Jan 1893, Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years) 
    Married 24 Feb 1820  Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F442  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Nancy Jane Bass,   b. 19 Jun 1828, Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Dec 1892, , Weakley, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years) 
    Married 4 Apr 1842  Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F441  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Jane Elizabeth Thomas,   b. 14 Jan 1831, , Dallas, Alabama, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Sep 1897, Kanarraville, Iron, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 66 years) 
    Married 8 May 1851  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Mary Jane Berry,   b. 24 Aug 1855, Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Aug 1934, Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years)
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F440  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 Julia Ardena or Ardence Hales,   b. 17 Jul 1842, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Nov 1919, Cedar City, Iron, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years) 
    Married 28 Dec 1858  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Sarah Isabelle Hales,   b. 2 Jul 1868, Gunnison, Sanpete, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Jan 1927, Kanarraville, Iron, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 58 years)  [guardian]
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F140  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Censuses:
      1870 US: Kanarah, Kane, Utah, 18 Jul 1870:
      Family 4, (note that John Berry was polygamous with two wives - Julia being the second. Also note that the girl with Julia is actually Julia's niece from her brother Charles Henry Hales):
      John Berry, 47, farmer, TN.
      Jane, 39, MS.
      John M., 16, UT.
      Mary I., 14, UT.
      William W., 12, UT.
      Nancy A., 10, UT.
      James F., 9, UT.
      Cynthia L., 7, UT.
      Eliza E., 5, UT.
      Robert A., 3, UT.
      Joseph S., 1, UT.
      Family #5:
      Julia Berry, 27, keeping house, IL.
      Sarah I. Berry, 2, UT.

      1880 US: Kanara, Kane, Utah, NA film T9-1336, p. 424d (Sarah I. is Sarah Isabelle Hales, the daughter of Charles Henry Hales and Sarah Ellen Hunt making her the niece of Julia Ardence (Hales) Berry, Charles Hales sister. Apparently, when Sarah's mother Sarah Hunt died in 1868, the several month old Sarah Isabelle was adopted by her aunt Julia and her husband John Berry. This also explains how Sarah Isabelle met her husband George Davis in Kanara whereas Charles Henry Hales and his family lived elsewhere in southern Utah.]
      John W. Berry, farmer, M, 58, TN, VA, - .
      Jane E., keeping house, wife, M, 49, IN, - , - .
      John M., stock raiser, son, S, 26, UT, TN, IN.
      Nancy A., At home, dau, S, 21, UT, TN, IN.
      James T., Works on farm, S, 19, UT, TN, IN.
      Thurza E., At home, dau., 15, UT, TN, IN.
      Joseph S., Works on farm, S, 10, UT, TN, IN.
      George A., S, 6, UT, TN, IN.
      Julia A., At home, wife, M, 37, IL, Eng, NY.
      Sarah I., At home, dau, S, 11, UT, Eng, IN.

      2. In speaking of his first wife, Nancy Jane Bass: Ancestry.com 7 Dec 2002 database ":1901176" indicates they had one child: Jesse David Berry b. 25 Sep 1843 in Weakly Co., TN and d. 9 Oct 1843; also cited are records of Emily Brown Barnes with the following note: "After the baby's death John and Nancy went to Nauvoo, IL with his people. Nancy's people did not join the church, and were very hostile to it. After the Prophet's death when the Saints were getting ready to come west, Nancy asked John to let her return to Tennessee to see her baby's grave once again, she could make the trip with friends, and return to Nauvoo in few weeks. John consented. Her folks talked her into staying with them, for which she was always sorry. She always loved John, and she never married again." [It appears she never came back from Tennessee.] Database ":ag143b" also mentions that she refused to come to Utah with him and they never met again.

      3. Reviewed Rootsweb.com Worldconnect 7 Dec 2002.

      4. Per Rosemary Cundiff at the Research Center of the Utah State Archives : "Early boundaries for Washington, Kane, and Iron counties were fairly unstable during Utah's territorial period. Today Kanarraville is just north of the Washington County border in Iron county. Based on maps showing county boundary changes, it looks like Kanarra was in Washington County when first settled in 1862, and that it had become part of Kane County by 1870. The Kane/Washington/Iron boundary was altered again in 1885, and at that time Kanarra probably became part of Iron County. Although, Kanara is not on the historical maps I am using, it could possibly have been once more in Washington County for a while. The county boundaries as currently established were in place by 1896." Kerry's note: Kanarra's name was changed to Kanarraville when the city incorporated in 1934. The first white settlers came from Fort harmony when heavy rains washed out the fort in 1862. Several Toquerville families also relocated there, and the community was further fortified in the late 1860's by the arrival of Long Valley settlers fleeing Indian problems.

      5. Mentioned in the book "Grafton, Ghost Town on the Rio Virgin" ISBN 0-939771-11x, by Lyman D. Platt: "At a conference in St. George in May 1865 ... John W. Berry was President Elder of Berryville, all of these dependent branches on the Grafton Ward at that time ... and John W. Berry stated that there were 28 families at Berryville or Long Valley. (Journal History of the Church, May 7, 1865, pg. 4.)"

      6. Mentioned in the book "George Q. Cannon, His Missionary Years," Lawrence Flake, author, as one on nine missionaries of which Cannon was a part called to Hawaii by Charles Rich from the California gold fields. He subsequently didn't go as Apostle Rich had given him his own discretion whether he would go or not.

      7. Per "Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah": Pioneers of 1847, Jedediah M. Grant company. Residents of Spanish Fork, Utah.

      8. See quotation from the book "Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude" by the daughters of Utah Pioneers with mother's notes on the life of the Berry family.

      9. Polygamous court case papers of the U.S. District Courts for the Territory of Utah 1870-1896; National Archives, FHL film 1,616,338. The microfilm starts with this background paper: "The system of territorial government established by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was a model for later legislation of the same kind, including the act establishing the territorial government of Utah, passed Sep. 9, 1850 (9 Stat. 455). But the balance between federally appointed territorial governors and judges on the one hand and territorial legislatures on the other, which worked well enough for the rest of the U.S. territories, did not work in Utah. There the Mormon community had already established its own 'State of Deseret' in 1849, and the federal attempt to graft its own authority onto the existing structure was a failure. The territorial government in Utah retained the character of its Mormon predecessor for some two decades, its members looking to Brigham Young for leadership. Federal appointees had to work within the existing polity because there was very little, short of a full-scale war, that Congress or the Executive in Washington could do to protect and support them. After the Union victory in the Civil War and the coming of the transcontinental railroad to Salt Lake City, federal authority began to assert itself, nowhere more emphatically than in the courts. Crusading federal Judge James B. McKean, appointed in 1870, attacked the 'probate' courts for usurping judicial powers properly belonging to the federal courts in the territory. These local probate courts had been recognized along with the federal courts by the 1850 establishment law, and the territorial legislature had, by an act passed on Feb. 4, 1852, given them the same powers as the federal courts, reducing the latter to judging the few cases that locals were willing to take before them. McKean managed to change this situation somewhat, succeeding in convening grand juries to investigate persons suspected of plural marriage and obtaining hundreds of indictments and convictions for adultery and bigamy. Some of these cases reached the Supreme Court, which promptly threw them out on grounds that the federal judge in Utah had no authority to try such cases. Congress took the hint and also its first real step toward righting the balance of authority in Utah in 1874 by passing the Poland Laws (18 Stat. 255), which officially returned the probate courts to their original status as administrators of wills and estates. In addition, the offices of territorial marshal and attorney general, which had overlapped similar federal offices, were abolished. On Mar. 22, 1882, Congress took an even more decisive step: the Edmund-Tucker Act (22 Stat. 30) made polygamy a crime punishable by fine or imprisonment. It also disqualified persons who believed in or practiced polygamy from holding public office or participating in jury duty. The passage of this act sent many prominent Mormons into hiding and intimidated the rest of the community. Between 1888 and 1893 more than 1,000 verdicts in cases of unlawful cohabitation were secured. Undoubtedly federal court actions played a significant role in the church's decision in 1890 to end its approval of plural marriage. This action signaled the beginning of the accommodation of the church to the national system. After five unsuccessful attempts by the territorial government, Utah was finally granted statehood on Jan. 4, 1896 (28 Stat. 111)."
      Files for case No. 561, 2nd District Court, Utah Territory, for John W. Berry include the following documents:
      a. Indictment for Unlawful Cohabitation, May 13, 1889. Grand jury witnesses: Riley G. Williams, George A. Davis, Cynthia L. Brown, John W. Ford, George Williams, Orillia Williams. Partial text: "The Grand Jurors of the United States of America, within and for the district aforesaid, at the term and in the Territory aforesaid, being duly empanelled, sworn and charged, on their oaths do find and present that John W. Berry late of said district, heretofore, to-wit: on the first day of July in the year of our Lord 1886, in the said district, Territory aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this court, and on divers days thereafter, and continuously between the day last aforesaid and the first day May in the year of our Lord 1889 then and there did unlayfully claim, live and cohabit with more than one woman as his wives, to-wit: with one Jane Berry and one Ardena Berry, sometimes known as Ardena Hales against the form of the statute of the said United States, in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the same."
      b. Subpoena, County of Beaver, May 12, 1889: US Marshal subpoenas the Grand Jury witnesses to the Beaver courthouse on May 15, 1889.
      c. Warrant for Arrest, May 13, 1889, Beaver City, for unlawful cohabitation, bail of $1500.
      d. Minute Book Entry of May 17, 1889: Lists the Jurors and renders a verdict of "guilty as charged."
      e. Judgment, May 21, 1889, partial text: "The United States District Attorney, with the defendant and his counsel, Presly Dewy came into court. The defendant was duly informed by the Court of the nature of the indictment found against him for the crime of unlawful cohabitation with more than one woman and continuously therefrom until May 1st, 1889 committed on the 1st day of July 1886 (of his trial of May 17, 1889 and the verdict of the jury guilty as charged) of his arraignment and plea of not guilty as charged in said indictment. The defendant was then asked if he had any legal cause to show why judgment should not be pronounced against him, to which he replied that he had none. And no sufficient cause being shown or appearing to the Court, thereupon the Court rendered its judgment: That whereas the said John W. Berry having been convicted in this Court of the crime of unlawful cohabitation with more than one woman. It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the said John W. Berry is guilty of the crime of unlawful cohabitation with more than one woman and that he be punished by being required to pay a fine of $300 and the cash herein taxed at $130, and that the same be paid into the clerk's office of this Court, and that he standed committed until the said fine and costs be paid. The defendant was then remanded to the custody of the United States Marshall of said Territory, to be by him delivered into the custody of the proper officers of said Penitentiary."

      10. From the book "Our Pioneer Heritage," Lesson for Nov. 1964, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, SLC, compiled by Kate B. Carter, chapter "Blackhawk Indian War," pp. 204-206: "Massacre of the Berrys. Robert Madison Berry was born February 3, 1841, and Joseph Smith Berry was born December 9, 1843, at Dresden, Weekly County, Tennessee, the sons of Jesse and Armelia Shanks Berry. About the year 1842 the Gospel message was being preached in their locality and Elders Amasa Lyman, Benjamin Cluff and Lyman Wight converted the Berry family, who left soon afterwards for Nauvoo, where Jesse Berry died. The mother and children were pioneers to Utah in 1849, settling in Spanish Fork a few years later. In 1862 John W., William, Robert and Joseph Berry with their families, were called to help colonize the St. George area. In the spring of 1866, Joseph and Robert Berry with Isabelle Hales Berry, the latter's wife, were returning from a trip to Salt Lake City. They stopped at Kanarraville and while there the two-year-old baby girl of Robert and Isabelle died. The Berrys resumed their journey, traveling in a light wagon, camping for noon, April 2, 1866, at Short Creek, where they were attacked by Piutes, who it is claimed had been following them from Corn Creek in Millard County. Their dead bodies were found several days later by John and William Berry. The details of the tragedy will never be known. It appears that they attempted to escape by running their horses across the country and finding they could not do so, fought desperately for their lives, but in vain. One dead Indian was found nearby. Joseph was found lying face down in the wagon box; his leg had been bandaged, no doubt, while they were fleeing as fast as they cold from the Indians. Isabelle had been shot through the head with a six-shooter and was lying on the ground, while Robert's body was astride the wagon tongue with the head leaning into the wagon. The Indians said afterward that Robert was a "heap brave fighter." Robert and Joseph were large men, tall of stature. The burial of these pioneers took place at Grafton, Utah. In "Church Chronology" it is recorded that this massacre occurred four miles from Maxfield's Ranch on Short Creek, Kane County, Utah. There is a small knoll between Short Creek and Kane Beds which marks the place and is called Berry Knoll. When President Young heard of this outrage on the part of the Indians, he sent word to Cedar City for the men of that place to form a company of militia and go to Berryville and escort the people back to Dixie. The late John Parry of Cedar City was a member of that escort, and furnished the writer much of the information for this sketch. Coal Creek John, Indian chief of the Cedar band of Indians who were Piutes, was one of those who killed the Berry brothers. He was large of stature, tall and commanding, with long braids hanging down and decorated with many colors. He and his braves again appeared on the scene just as the settlers were ready to leave with the escort. He was wearing a shirt which William Berry recognized as his brother's, awakening in him the spirit of revenge. He determined to kill the chief. The other settlers knew that they would all be killed if William were allowed to do as he felt, so they reasoned with him to see the result of such action. He refused to be consoled and was locked up until his anger subsided. The settlers, although very frightened that the Indians would attack them, talked peace and the red men did not cause further trouble at this time. The road through the valley ran on the west side of the creek. When the company reached a ravine in the mountains called the Calf Pasture, a small son of George Spencer wanted to ride on the mules and his father granted his wish, but he had not ridden far when he fell off and was run over and killed. The company halted and made a coffin from one of the wagon boxes and buried him at the mouth of Calf Pasture. It was near this place that a Piute Indian, Old Mose, came up to the company. When he saw how frightened the people were, he said, 'Ti-wiga Ti-ca-boo' meaning he was friendly and extended his hand for a handshake. Long after this when settlers returned, he visited among the people and often related this incident. Before he closed his visit, he would ask for flour and it was usually given to him. The hostile band again appeared when the company reached Short Creek. The settlers talked peaceably with them and any trouble that might have occurred was averted. But the people knew that the band was following them and kept a vigilant watch. The men took turns standing guard. It was June and the nights were cool. Joseph Hopkins, who stood guard toward the cool part of the early morning, wore his wife's flannel petticoat over his shoulders because he did not have a coat. They arrived at their destination in safety. When they reached Long Valley they found their crops growing nicely and unmolested. Some of the men stayed there during the summer and fall to care for the crops and finish the harvesting, while others returned with loads of provisions for their families at home. When they reached the Elephant seven miles below Mount Carmel, the Indians attacked them and there was a skirmish in which one Indian was killed. Hyrum Stevens was shot through the breast by an Indian named Humpie, but the wound was not fatal. The Indians rode off with five of their horses, so the white men were unable to haul their provisions any further. The others received orders from Major Russell of Dixie to leave their crops on the ground and return to Dixie. They left the valley where the Zion-Carmel Highway now takes off, going over Bernt Flat, thence to Blue Springs on Kolob and from there to Virgin and Rockville. Hyrum Stevens rode a horse the whole distance as it was less painful than to ride in a wagon. He had been shot with a musket army gun, and it was three days before the bullet was removed. Then it was cut out with a dull knife. His wife, hearing of the accident, had come to meet them with a wagon and team, but he preferred riding the horse. He was 26 years old at the time and recovered, raised a large family and lived to the age of 83 years. In passing over the area at Elephant afterwards, the settlers found large holes where the Indians had buried the corn and potatoes that had been left lying on the ground, and which had later been dug up and used by the Indians. The next spring the settlers came into Long Valley again and took back grain and potatoes which they had stored the fall before. - Hattie Esplin."

      BIRTH:
      1. Per endowment citation below.

      2. Per obituary.

      DEATH:
      1. Per obituary.

      OBITUARY:
      1. "Berry. - At his home in Kanarra, Iron County, Utah, April 12th, 1890, after an illness of four months and a half, John Williams Berry. He was the son of Jesse and Amelia Berry, and was born in Wilson County, Tenn., December 17th, 1822, making his age 67 years, 6 months and 20 days. Brother Berry was baptized in the year 1843, by Elder Benjamin L. Clapp, in Tennessee. He gathered with the Saints at Nauvoo in 1844, and has been through the trials and persecutions of the Saints since he joined the Church. He died as he lived, firm in the faith of the gospel of Christ. He leaves an aged mother, who is very feeble, two wives, six sons, three daughters and fifteen grandchildren to mourn his loss. - (com.)" Deseret Evening News, Fri., April 18, 1890, p. 3.