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Daines, Robert, Bishop of Hyde Park. Cache county, Utah, from 1874 to 1892, was born Aug. 3, 1829, in the parish of St. Cross, Suffolk. England. His father was a farmer, which occupation was also followed by his son Robert during his life. The family owned no land in England, but the subject of this sketch, through his faithfulness to his employers, usually held positions of trust, where prudence was required, and management of affairs fell largely to his lot. At the age of nineteen he enlisted in the Queen's Guards, but being one-fourth of an inch short of the required height (six feet), he was not accepted in that division of the English army. He was so situated that he received but very little school instruction, but through his efforts, with the love for knowledge as an incentive, he gained a fair education. He married Mary Ann Barker Oct. 11, 1851, by whom he had four children, all of whom died in their infancy. When the gospel was brought to that district of country where they resided, Robert Daines and wife were among the first to embrace it; both were baptized by Elder William Smith, Dec. 17, 1851. Bro. Daines was ordained a Priest April 20, 1853, and an Elder July 18, 1854. With his wife he emigrated together with many other Saints, leaving Liverpool Nov. 30, 1855, on the ship "Emerald Isle," which arrived in New York Dec. 29, 1855. Not having means to continue the journey to Utah, Elder Daines found employment in New York and New Jersey, the ensuing three years. Here he lost his devoted wife by death and buried her in New Jersey. He emigrated with the entire branch of the Church from Monmouth county, New Jersey, in the spring of 1859, going as far as Omaha, Neb. At this place he married Miss Jemima Seamons, May 1, 1859, by whom he had twelve children, ten of whom are surviving at the present writing. Elder Daines and wife worked their way across the plains by driving a Church team of mules. He stayed in Winter Quarters (Florence) three months, working for the Church, breaking cattle and fitting up wagons, etc., for the long journey before them. For this work Bro. Daines received only passage for himself and wife, notwithstanding he was offered $40 per month by other parties to manage their team over the same distance. They began their trip July 21, 1859, in Feramorz Little's company. His wife did the cooking for the company, and they arrived in Salt Lake City Oct. 8, 1859. Early in the spring of 1860, after spending the winter of 1859-60 in Brigham City, Elder Daines started, in company with four others, to find a home in Cache valley. On arriving at Logan, he was advised by Bishop Wm. B. Preston to go north about five miles and locate. This he did, and arrived on the present site of Hyde Park. April 13, 1860. There he built the first habitation, which was a dug-out. When the militia of Cache valley was organized, he was elected captain of company E, third battalion of infantry, first regiment, first brigade of the Nauvoo Legion. He received his appointment Aug. 5, 1865, from Gov. Chas. Durkee. Afterwards (Oct. 1, 1867,) he was promoted to captain of company C, of the same regiment. He took a company of men to Franklin, Idaho, to quell a disturbance caused by the uprising of Bear Hunter's band of Indians, but the people were so quick in response, when the knowledge of the outbreak reached them, that the Indians were outnumbered, and they scattered. Bro. Daines was ordained a Seventy April 30, 1864. Dec. 28, 1868, he married Mary G. Ashcroft, by whom he had four children; two of them are now alive. After the death of Bishop Wm. Hyde, in 1874, he was chosen and ordained Bishop of Hyde Park by Apostle Charles C. Rich, which position he held until his death. April 5, 1875, he married Sarah Bates, by whom he had two children; both of these are still alive. In 1885, at the time of the crusade against those who had obeyed the principle of plural marriage, Bishop Daines went to his native land. In this he attained a three-fold purpose: He filled a mission, obtained a good genealogy, and escaped prosecution. He was assigned to labor in the Norwich conference. After his return home, he accompanied Charles O. Card, John Woolf and others to Alberta, Canada, to find a suitable location for exiled Saints. One of his families followed him in the following spring. In his traveling and exposure his constitution and health was severely undermined, and he never fully recovered from its effects. He returned, however, to his Ward, gave himself up to the officers, underwent a hearing, paid a fine, and went back to his duties in the Bishopric, which he continued until his death which occurred at his home in Hyde Park, Nov. 16, 1892. He passed away surrounded by his family and friends. Bishop Daines was well beloved by the faithful Saint of his Ward, and by his friends and family. He was a man of sterling worth as a pioneer, honest in his dealings and anxious to sustain and obey those in authority over him. He was a firm believer in the hand-dealings of God through his constituted authorities on earth. He was a zealous laborer in the Lord's vineyard, in temporal as well as in spiritual affairs, and devoted the best efforts of his life to the upbuilding of Zion. He was also a natural leader of men. His life's journey was fraught with many trials: and by drinking of sorrow's cup, and passing through varied and multiple experiences and conditions, he developed a manhood and character of priceless value.
Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4 vols. Salt Lake City 1:426. |
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