A Tennant Family

I, Charles Housley, was born 11th May, l833 at Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, Old England. In the year I839 about the fall of the year my mother left father, sister, and me at Sutton-in- Ashfield and she went to Hull and took brother George with her and after a few weeks had elapsed father took me and sister as far as Retford telling us he was taking us to mother. But we did not get far on the road before he turned back and took us to Sutton-In-Ashfield again and left us on the Street in the deed of night telling us to go to Uncle Joseph Simms while he went home and made the bed and then he would come and fetch us. We went to uncles house, but he and family had gone to bed. We waited about the street for awhile, but no father came to fetch us, then we did not know what to do.

Mother had left father and us on account of fathers behavior to her and he had left us on the street in the dead of night without father or mother or home to go to. Then we concluded to call uncle and tell him all about things we did do and when uncle and aunt got, up we went into the house and told them how father had used us. One of us stayed at uncles and the other went and called another man up by the name of Allen Morley and stayed all night at the house and in the morning we inquired after father. But he was gone out of the town and where he was gone we did not know and what was to become of us we did not knew unless Uncle Joseph would take us. However, uncle told aunt to take us to the relieving officer and see what they would allow with us. He told her two shillings per week. She told him they could not keep us for so little as that. He said they will have to go into the workhouse unless you choose to keep them for two shillings per week. So we had to go into the workhouse, and when we had been in the workhouse a few weeks, mother came from Hull and gave orders for us to come out of the workhouse. So they let us go end we went with mother and the parish allowed mother two shillings per week with us. We were glad to have a home to go to once more to be with our mother for truly a mother she was to us. By and by father came again to mother and promised her he would send her some money if she would not go to the parish again. She took him at his word, but he did not send any. So mother went to Ilkeson-In-Derbyshire where father was living to see what was the reason he had not sent her any money and when got there she found that he had got a house ready for her to live with him again promising her that if she would live with him again that he would behave better to her than he hod done before. So she consented to live with him again and after she had consented to live with him again she came to Sutton-In-Ashfield and fetched all the family and so we all got together and very happy we were for a few months then father began to abuse mother again so she left him and took sister Charlotte with her and left brother George and me with father and after a few months had elapsed, father took brother George and sent him over to mother and come back again to Ilkeston and in about two years after father took me and turned me into the street at Sutton where mother was living and so father got shut of all and we were all with mother and did rejoice together.

In the year of our Lord 1849 I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Elder Tum Mansfield In Nottinghamshire and I obeyed it on the 23rd March 1849. Yes, Thank God, I and my sister Charlotte were baptized for the remission of our sins by Elder Clause Rogers and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the day following by Elder Rogers at Sutton-in-Ashfield in the county of Nottingham.

10 August 1851, I was ordained to the office of a Priest in the Sutton-in-Ashfield Branch in the Sheffield conference of the Church under the hands of Elder James Stones the president of the branch, and was sent out to South Normanton in the county of Derby to preach in company with George Cutts and Henry Marriott the same day and we had a good meeting and the Lord was with us.

For several days they held meetings and each night they would return to their homes. The Lord was with us by the Power of His Spirit which caused our hearts to rejoice very much in the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and I hope to continue to rejoice in the principles of the gospel that we may prove ourselves worthy to be a Savior in the Kingdom of God.

11 January 1852, I, Charles Housley, was ordained to the office of an Elder under the hands Joseph Wilson, the president of the Sutton-In-Ashfield Branch of the Nottingham conference it being separated from the Sheffield conference.

During the year he did missionary work in Simmercoats-in-Skegby with William Bennett as companion, in Swanwick with George Cutt and held some meeting at the home of John Hill. Most of the meetings were held in the open air at Portland Row with John Balls.

January 1853, sometime in the beginning of this month I was appointed the President of the Ironville Branch. In the middle of this month Rubin Brinkworth, a young man who was once deaf and dumb received his speech and hearing through the ordinance of Baptism for the remission of his sins, was sent to assist me in the Presidency of the Ironvllle branch. We had good times together. I attended Ironville every Sunday until I removed to take the charge of the Portland Row Branch. This was sometime in February of the same year. I labored there for a few weeks and then I was removed and Elder William Bennett took my place. I reunited myself with Sutton-In-Ashfield Branch again.

About this time there was false reports going about against me and I was brought into council by Joseph Wilson. I was not allowed to stand in my own defense and so I continued to stay away from meetings until I was summoned to council. Then I knew that I should be allowed to vindicate myself. It so happened the President Henry Savage was present at the council appointed for me to attend. I stood up and told all to President Savage. I was received into full fellowship with the Saints while he who brought the charge against me and could not prove it was disfellowshiped until he made full restitution which he refused to do. So for that and other transgressions he was cut off the Church after standing disfellowshiped for about six months.

I worked in Sutton-in-Ashfield under Elder Joseph Stapelton, in Mansfield under John Hill, with George Hollis and Abraham Hanford. At Calverton he stayed with William Wright and Brother Monk and in Nottingham with Brother Slaney.

John Frost, George Strtngfeilow and Charles Housley were set apart as traveling Elders by Syrus H. Welock and James Cargering. I went home and prepared myself for traveling.

Sunday morning 1 July I left my home for Nottingham and went to the conference house. When I got there President James Stones called me up the stairs and gave me some instruction, after which I was re-baptized and confirmed by Elder Aaron Nelson. The instructions which I received were to labor at Calverton and in surrounding villages.

I would go around in the daytime and give out some old stars and inform the people of the meeting to be held in the evening, telling them the time and place. I went to Southwell and to Axton.

According to appointment I opened the meeting at seven o'clock and I soon got a crowd around me. But I had not been speaking long before some of the professing Christians began to cry out, "What has become of all those who have died since the day of the apostles if we can't be saved without baptism?" I told them that where there was no law there was no transgression, but they still kept bawling along until I was obliged to close the meeting and so I went to Calverton.

At Eppeston, Sister Hudson her husband were very kind to me. Some of the places people would lodge me and feed me and some places I had to go to a public house.

At Woodbury I could not hold a meeting on account of people being so busy preparing for the feast so I went to Nottingham as President Stones had told me to get there on the 6th. There I found a letter from my mother informing me of Priest William Machats death.

Then I preached at Farnsfield, Eakring, Cierton there I began to feel low in spirit. So I sat down and began to read a journal of discourses and it cheered me up. Then I went home and was glad to see my mother, get home and rest for I was truly tired.

I held meetings at Lowdam, Lamble, Hucknell Torkard where he stayed with Francis White, Cholder Mutton, Mansfield Woodhouse, stayed with John Smith, New Bedford, Arnold, Ilkeston with William Baker, Pineston with George Clerk, Eanor with William Singleton, New Brinsley, Codner, Laseer, Birchwood with William Starkey, Cotmannay, South Mormenton, Worksop with Wardley. Adkins, John Wallis, Sheffield, Chesterfield, with Joseph Wilson, Jacksons.

While in Fornsfield I commenced speaking but before I had been speaking long some of the crowd began to throw stones and eggs at me so I was obliged to quit speaking and they followed me on the road a little way throwing stones at me. None, of them hit me for which I feel thankful to God my Heavenly Father. The next day in Lambley, I met Elder Stringfellow and we commenced speaking in the open air. While I was speaking up came a policeman and told me that I must walk away as it was not allowed to speak there. I walked away and spoke as I was walking the people followed me. It caused the policemen to get vexed at me and so he came up to me again and asked my name and where I was from. I answered him and went on with my speaking and took no more notice of him.

Sunday November 25, we left Chesterfield for Sheffield and arrived at about 10 oclock. We attended meeting three times and in the evening we had addressed many of the brethren from the valley. We had a first rate time of rejoicing that I never before witnessed.

December 22, went to Sutton. Frosty weather. It froze so as to cause the roads to be slippery so that it was with great difficulty that people could walk to attend their business.

Some could not stand upon their feet. They fell down and broke some of their limbs. Sunday 23. The roads were very slippery so I did not get any farther on my way to Worksop than Manfield. I attended meetings and spake in the evening. The spirit of God was with the Saints which buoys us up. We did enjoy ourselves first rate.

The last day of December 1855 went to Worksop. Found the saints well and rejoicing in the truths of the Gospel. Slept at Brother Wardleys. May God bless him and family with his Holy Spirit to guide them into the way of salvation and may the Lord bless me with more of His Spirit in the year 1856 so that I may be more able to attend to my duty in the future then I have in days gone by so that I may be able to build up the Kingdom of God and do my best to promote the principles of Truth that I may be prepared for my every duty in the cause of Truth. May God bless and prosper His work is my prayer.

I held meetings at Stapleford stayed with Edward Powell, Eastwood, Cadnerpark, with Walker Lewis, Sandlacker with John Newbold, Newbedford, Breeston with Abraham Reeve, Giltbrook with Brother Fouk.

Sunday, 18 May 1856, I went very early in the morning with mother and brother George some little way on the road as they were leaving for Salt Lake City, Utah in fulfillment of Gods commandments to the children of men in the last days. I took my leave of them early in the morning. I pray God to give them a speedy passage over the sea and give them power to preform their Journey to Zion safely.

Monday, June 9th went to Sandiacre. Held meeting in the open air. While speaking I was interrupted with two men, one a professed preacher by the name of Gower belonging to the Methodist Church. I was asked by them,"What become of the thief on the cross whether he did not go to heaven without being baptized for the remission of sins."

I called their attention to the First Epistle of Peter, 3rd Chapter, verse 18 to the end, which is as follows:

"For Christ also hath once suffered far sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit; by which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Also Chapter 4, verse 6:

"For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that ore dead, that they might be Judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."

Also Mathew 28 Chapter and vers 9, 10. But all my labors were in vain. They still felt to say that baptism was not required of the children of men. It no longer was needed, was their continual cry.

Whenever I went back to Sutton after my mother left I stayed with Elder Marriot. At Catmannay with William Barker and Calton. At the meeting in Calton I was opposed by the minister of the parish, but I bore testimony to the truth of the Gospel and the Prophet Joseph Smith. At Worksop in company with Elder George Hollis of Mansfield, we held a meeting in the open air in the evening. While I was speaking a man belonging to the Teatoatle Society came and wished me to leave off speaking and let his party have the place. I told him it was just as free for me as it was for them. He said if I did not quit there was a party standing by that would enter into a discussion with me. I told him to be patient and I should soon leave the standing and then his party could have the place. So they kept quiet until I had finished my discourse.