I mentioned previously that John Jones Williams changed James Denning’s life.  Before I get into that change, I thought it important to give you a little history on John Williams, since he will become an important player in my ancestry line.  John was born in  Brecknockshire, South Wales, on August 12, 1823.  He was the seventh of eight children born to Daniel and Ruth Williams.  John had a fair complexion, blue eyes and black curly hair.  He stood five feet, seven inches tall.

At 16, he was sent to England as an apprentice to the King’s Farrier (blacksmith) where he remained for seven years.  The man he worked for was one of the King’s Farriers who shod the horses for the fox and deer hunts.  John had to learn to work skillfully and very quickly.  (Note:  at this time it was custom for a tradesman to pay a boys parents a given amount of money for the labor of their son.  The son worked for the tradesman until the money was earned.  During this time he was able to learn the trade.)

John returned to Wales when his apprenticeship was completed around the year 1846.  Shortly after his return, he learned of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and started studying its principles.  He was so convinced of its truthfulness that he was baptized on February 11, 1850.

He would then go with the missionaries and teach others about the church and it was during this time that he met James and Sarah Denning.  It is said that John later baptized James Denning into the LDS Church.  Through his association with James and Sarah, John met and later married Jane Merrifield, Sarah’s sister.   With this marriage and the baptism of James and Sarah into the LDS Church, the Merrifield sisters were disinherited them from their family.