Worcestershire - A land I love

Happy Anniversary to Melissa and Scott - 
15 Years on Tuesday May 10th.

Sister Leppard, Elder Devoz, Elder Aua, Sister Jampapan, President Leppard

Transfers and Departures
This week we had transfers and departures with three of our missionaries returning home.

This coming week will be arrivals with seven new missionaries coming on Tuesday.  Elder Willmore and I are also going to take a new arriving Sister Missionary to London to the US Embassy.



A Day I Have Been Anxiously Waiting For - Our return to Worcestershire.  I love to go explore this beautiful land of my ancestors.

On Saturday, a beautiful spring day with vibrant green countrysides, we drove to Worcestershire to spend the day with Elder and Sister Haw, who are service missionaries at Gadfield Elm.  I met them last October, but we were waiting for spring to spend the day with them and have them show us around the areas where the Oakeys and Collettes lived. It was an amazing day!  I truly love these ancestors and feel that I know them.  I have a longing to spend time in this beautiful place where they lived and learned about the gospel.  I have no doubt that these ancestors are responsible for our call to serve in the England Birmingham Mission.

Elder and Sister Haw have done so much research and have many records of the Oakey and Collett families.  Even though they are not related to the Oakey's and Collett's, they love them because of all they have learned about them as they have served at Gadfield Elm.  What a blessing they are in my life and I give thanks for all the time they have spent researching and learning about them and sharing this information with me. Elder and Sister Haw have lived in England all of their lives.

Sister Willmore at Gadfield Elm

We started out at Gadfield Elm where Thomas Oakey was the Branch President after he joined the church.  He was taught and baptized by Wilford Woodruff.  Many of the converts who were baptized by Wilford Woodruff left for America in 1840, but the Oakey's stayed until 1856.  They could not afford to come to America until the Perpetual Immigration Fund was put in place by the church.

Pulpit and pews in Gadfield Elm Chapel

We then went a few miles down the road from Gadfield Elm to the village of Eldersfield where the Oakey's lived.  We are not sure where they lived in Eldersfield, he was a labor farmer.  Like many of the Englishman, he labored on the fields and farm of the wealthy landowners.  The Eldersfield Church is still standing and we talked to some very friendly residence that were doing yard work at the church.  They took time to talk to us about the history and showed us inside the church.  The Church belongs to the Church of England.

Eldersfield Church were Thomas Oakey and Sarah Pritchard were married
on December 12, 1801.

This is the place that Thomas Oakey's parents were married.  His parent's were Thomas Oakey and Sarah Pritchard.  They were married on December 12, 1801.  The church was built in the 12th century.
All of Thomas and Sarah's children were christened in this church.  Many of the Oakey family are buried in Eldersfield, but we could not find their headstones.  Many of the headstones are weathered and cannot be read anymore.
Charles Oakey (Thomas and Ann's son) who is my great great grandfather was born in Eldersfield but there is no record of him being christened, I believe it was because Thomas and Ann had left the Church of England and joined the United Brethern.  Ann, Charle's older sister was christened but none of the children after Ann were christened.  Charles was born in Eldersfield on 25 May 1837.

Elizabeth Bromage (Ann Collett's mother) was also born and christened in Eldersfield.  Ann Collett is the wife of Thomas Oakey.

Eldersfield Church

Christening Font

Thomas Oakey's(1813) Christening Font at Eldersfield Church
(His brothers and sisters were also christened here)

Village of Eldersfield

Next we went to see the church in Pendock where Ann Collett was christened.  The church was not open so we walked around the outside.  Many of the churches and cathedrals are not attended anymore so it is very difficult to keep them up and even pay the utilities on them.  So sad that many do not find the need to worship our Heavenly Father.

Pendock Church

Pendock Church

Pendock Church

Pendock

Pendock is where Ann Collett was born and christened.  It is only a few miles from Eldersfield

Gate to Turley Church

Turley Church

Our next stop was TURLEY, where William Collett and Elizabeth Bromage were married. They are Ann Collette's parents.  They were married in this church on 7 October 1805.  Ann's sister, Elizabeth was christened in this church on 22 December 1805.

Sister Willmore, Sister Haw
Elder Haw

We took a lunch break with the Haws at a restaurant near the River Severn.  A little too chilly to eat outside, but warm and cozy inside!

River Severn

Leigh Pond

Next Stop - Probable pond where Thomas and Ann Oakey were baptized in Leigh.  There is a story that Wilford Woodruff tells about the baptisms that day. Mobs tried to stop the baptisms.
  Thomas was a preacher with the United Brethren and was baptized by Wilford Woodruff on April 5th 1840 in Leigh in a pond.  (He was not baptized in Benbow Pond).
This account was taken from Wilford Woodruff's journal: (Thomas was one of the preachers and Ann was baptized in this account also.)
"Sunday I met for a prayer meeting in Leigh.  After meeting we went to Brother Daniel Browetts for the purpose of baptizing 10 persons.  Got ready, But before we got ready or closed praying and singing a desperate mob gathered together about 100 in number and the owner of the pond would not let us baptize while their was such a mob present fearing that serious consequence would ensue.
I went in search of water in other places for about an hour with the mob following me and calling out you American where are you going to wash your sheep?  But as I could not find water we had to omit until afternoon.  The mob commenced fighting among themselves and the people sent for constables to clear the ground.
I went to Norton and preached and then returned to Leigh immediately and the man gave his consent for me to baptize in his pool.  We went immediately to the water and as I commenced to baptize the mob began to gather, but I baptized 9 persons 3 of which were preachers while surrounded by the rabble, but I performed the ordinance without any insult or injury accepting the tongue o slander and throwing a dog into the pool where I was baptizing."

Family of Thomas Oakey (1813) and Ann Collett (1812)
Ann Collett Oakey (1833)
Charles Oakey*** (1837)(Our line) (Grandma Hilda Lewis' grandfather)
Jane Oakey (1839)
Heber Thomas Oakey (1841)
Joseph Lorenzo Oakey (1843) ran away from the Willey Company and stayed in Nebraska
Rhoda Rebecca Oakey (1845) died with the Willey Company
Reuben Hyrum Oakey (1847)
James William Oakey (1849)
Sarah Ann Oakey (1852)
Walter John Oakey (1854) Died 1 month later

Parents of Thomas (Thomas Oakey (1770 chr.) and Sarah Pritchard (1768 chr.)
Parents of Ann Collett (William Collett (1781) and Elizabeth Bromage (1770)  William Collett also joined the church in 1840.  Elizabeth was not baptized before she died in 1841.