VALLEY FEATURE ncove k 8 -«A.v-v.^»^irjt.V


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The historic hamietof


Walker Fold, which has


links with the founding of


the Mormcn church.


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results. Householders in Walker Fold have


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John Richards seryed as School Master and Minister ' from 1801-1843 i >.


Janneta Richafds ‘his daughter, became the first person in the Brinsii isles to be confirmed^ member of the Church of Jesus Christ of


Latter-day Saints on 4 August 1837. She iparried Willard Richards, an early LDS missionary and leader, in September 1839 and


.emigrated vyith many other British converts to the American West


.fl.S!’?t'^;5^:‘nabalf, one:of,:th!:,origmal.LDS'missionarie5, arrived at “ ;J-'y?rppn'on 20July 1837. From there the gospel message quickly .


. spread to Preston and the Ribble River valley. Elder Kimball was’’ ■ -- ,, rcquestcd to preach here on several occasions - ■


1, . BrUish ISOtb Annivemr/ Cumniilfs.. Churth.ofjnur Cknst c/ Ltntr-^jySatms


not yet completed their work to re­ search the history of the area which surrounds their homes. But from what they have discov­


ered so far it appears there is more to Walker Fold and Its eight houses than meets the eye....


Following a chance conversation at a New Year party, local resident Gil-


, lie Thompson learnt of Walker Fold's long standing connection with the Mormons.


And as a result of her interest a guest speaker was invited to provide


; a further insight into this relation­ ship.


, Since then a group of residents


; have continued to meet on a regular : basis to try and find out more about


, the people who preceded them in the hamlet in a bid to discover its social,


. community and historical past. ‘ Gillie said; "We have had a number


of people come to talk to us about life in Walker Fold when they were


■ growing up here and how the area has changed. = ■ ; "They have provided us with some fascinating recollections and a great


insight into the local history of our hamlet. The social history of the area


The plaque in Walker Fold detailing the link between the hamlet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


has been the main focus, including Walker Fold School, which closed in 1960."


' '; Many of these oral histories have Jennetta Richards


been recorded by the North West Sound Archive. One moving story which has come


to light since the group started its research occurred during a diptheria epidemic when 11 coffins carrying children's bodies left Walker Fold on


their journey to the undertaker's in Chipping. As a result of the many hours' work which residents have already put into


their research an amazing amount of material has been gathered, includ­ ing records, articles, handwritten records of school staff meetings and photographs.


One image shows the school teach­


ers with a dozen of their pupils who ■ are all named, except for one child


known only as "orphan". Staff at Clitheroe Library have


helped by providing resources relat­ ing to Chaigley, while Stonyhurst archivist David Knight has also been


Brigham Young


able to produce back copies of the college's annual magazine, which- has provided articles dating back hundreds of years about the Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley parish. Brian Sanders, another member of


the residents' group, said: "We found articles about events in Chaigley and one in particular relating to a mystery bush that flowers very rarely that we are still looking for!" Perhaps the most surprising story


to unfold has been the connection with the Mormons, which dates back to the 1830s when missionaries came from America to Preston. They then travelled out on foot across the region including the Ribble Valley. Gillie takes up the story: "At that


time the minister of the Congrega­ tional chapel in Walker Fold was the Rev. John Richards. "His daughter, Jennetta, was intro­ duced to one of the Mormons called


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By Natalie Cox


esidents of a tiny hamlet in Chaigley are piecing


together the area's past - and with some fascinating


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Willard Richards. They fell in love and became engaged, a fact which they kept secret from her parents. "A lot of the Walker Fold congre­


gation left with the missionaries to go to America after the Mormons preached in the chapel, so after welcoming them to the Valley the relationship became less cordial." Jennetta was the first person in


the British Isles to be confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on August 4th, 1837. Together with her husband and their child, Jennetta left her Lan­ cashire roots to travel to America, but, sadly, she never made it to Salt Lake City, as she died in Nauvoo at the age of just 29. Willard, however, did make it to


Utah and became an important figure in Mormon history. "He was one of - the foremost elders and one of those who arrived with Brigham Young to form the settlement which was to become Salt Lake City," said Gillie. While on holiday in Arherica Gillie


visited Salt Lake City. "We went to the Church Library and within five minutes met a direct descendant of William Kay, who also came from Chaigley and arrived in Utah with Wil­ lard in 1848. William Kay's descend­ ant had visited Walker Fold and was familiar with the area," she said. Although the group has already


achieved so much, Liz Goodall said the work is ongoing. "There is always something that comes up every time we meet so we keep going. The more we unlock the more there is to find," shesaid. ■ Anyone who has information


about the history of Walker Fold which they feel may be of interest to the group can contact Liz on 01254 826746.


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AND FINALLY name


Members of the history group. Left to right, Barbara Debney, Jennnifer Sanders, Pamela Gornall, Brian


Sanders, John Haworth, Alice Haworth and Gillie Thompson.


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