William David Leigh

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William David Leigh was the eldest son of Samuel Leigh and his first wife Ann David Leigh. Like his brother Henry but unlike his brother John, William lived to old age in Cedar City and left a large family of descendants there. His journal of his LDS mission in Wales during the years 1888-90 is one of our best sources for information on how the Utah Leighs remained in contact with the Leighs who remained in Wales, and it also shows William’s knowledge of the family of his mother’s cousin Morgan David who settled in Spanish Fork, Utah.

William married Elizabeth Wood on 9 July 1876, daughter of George Wood, another early resident of Cedar City. Elizabeth was known as "Lizzie".
 

Home of William David Leigh Photograph courtesy Special Collections, Sherratt Library, SUU

The obituary for William David Leigh summarizes his long life:

William David Leigh, the son of Samuel and Ann David Leigh, was born in the Parish of Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, Great Britain, August 25, 1842. In 1849 he emigrated to America with his parents. They crossed the ocean in a sailing vessel, being eleven weeks on the sea. They landed at New Orleans and proceeded up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Near St. Joseph, Missouri the mother died. The family lived at Council Bluffs, Iowa for three years. In the summer of 1852 Samuel Leigh with his four motherless children crossed the plains to Salt Lake City by ox team, William walking most of the way. They remained in Salt Lake but three weeks then proceeded to Iron county remaining in Parowan the first winter. The following spring, 1853, the family moved to Cedar City where they established themselves permanently.

As a boy William Leigh experienced the hardships common to early life in the old Fort. He served as mail carrier in the early days to Santa Clara, experiencing many thrilling encounters with the Indians. He availed himself of all educational opportunities of the day and after maturity attended high school at St. George after which he taught in the public schools of Southern Utah.

July 9th, 1876 he joined in marriage Elizabeth Wood of this city, and from the union seven children were born, six sons and one daughter, two sons dying in early childhood. In 1912 his second son, Samuel G., died and the loss of this very dear and affectionate son was indeed a great trial. The children living are: W. H. Leigh, Ruby E. Leigh, Elias Leigh, of Cedar City and Dr. Rufus Leigh of Provo.

November 14, 1888 he left Salt Lake City to perform a mission for the church in Great Britain. His time, for the most part, was spent in and around Merthyr and also Llanelly, his birthplace, South Wales.

Elder Joseph T. Wilkinson remarked at the funeral services, William D. Leigh was an all-around citizen. He was an Indian War Veteran, City Councilman for several terms, a faithful member and worker in the church continuing his activities as Ward Teacher until the time of his last illness. Farming and stock raising were his occupation and in this work he enjoyed good health until his final call. By nature he was kind and considerate of others, always anxious to help anyone out of difficulty. As testified by the speakers at his funeral, he was a man of great worth, his word always to be relied upon and his honesty above reproach.

This obituary was copied by Amy VanCott “from a Newspaper Clipping,” probably the Iron County Record which was the only local newspaper of the time. For more information on William David Leigh see the three sections on his father’s life Samuel Leigh, Samuel Leigh and Ann David, and Samuel Leigh and Mary Trehorne