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When I originally started this blog it was for Family History, I've kind of gotten away from that but while doing some filing of research notes I've got a new ancestor for all of you to meet!

William Wilcock, my great grandfather, also my immigrant ancestor. There are a lot of fun stories about William. He was born 10 October 1830 in Ince, Lancanshire, England - he died 5 September 1906 in Parowan, Iron, Utah. Any of you that go to Parowan, can check out the old rock church now owned by the DUP in Parowan and I'm told that his picture is there. William was one of the first to be sent to Parowan and he raised his family there.

William had two wife's (not at the same time) the first was Elizabeth Sharp, and together they had 5 sons.

His second wife (my great grandmother) was Elizabeth Brown, they had 4 sons. Elizabeth B. had a daughter before she immigrated to Utah. The daughter was born out of wed lock and died in England. William had that little girl sealed to him and Elizabeth.

There are many fun stories about William: He was a member of the Parowan Choir and many years served as its leader. The choir went to conference in Salt Lake in a wagon. One time while they were camped near American Fork, people from the town joined them, and a jolly time ensued. A comic song contest was sponsored. Wilcock and a man by the name of Laycock were the singers. First one then another would make his contribution. Finally Laycock sang a song that set the whole crowd roaring with laughter. Wilcock follow up with the song "I couldn't help laughing it tickled me so" It was such a fitting climax that all agreed Wilcock was the winner.

Due to his heavy work on the turning lathes and large machines in the machine shops. William leaned to one side as he walked, however, as a young man his five foot and eleven inches was admired by the young girls. Before he left England a piece of metal flew up and hit one eye, he was blind in that one eye. Later in life he caught another piece of metal or wood in the other eye and was totally blind for many years. He would carry peppermint candy in his pocket to bribe the children of the town to guide him where he needed to go.

He and his sons had a saw mill "up the canyon", after William became blind he turned the mill over to the boys. One time the mill was not working right, the boys took their father up to the mill to see if he could advise them what was wrong. He sat and listened to the mill and told the boys what was wrong and how to fix it.

That Saw Mill stayed in the family for many years, I remember my Dad talking about his dad working up there and my Uncle Alma recently wondered if we could find it again.

William for his own amusements made an all brass locomotive. So small that it set in the palm of your hand. It was a perfect model of locomotives used on the railroad at the time and would run around on the floor by its own power. It generated its own steam and use a cylinder. This locomotive is in the museum at the St. Louis, MO. he also made a tiny up and down cylinder, stationary steam steam engine it would set on a 50 cent piece, but it would still produce power.

There are many more fun stories about William, if you look in any books on Parowan and/or Iron County, you will find William mentioned. He was a very prominent man in Iron County, Utah

Here is an older William: