Royce clayton biography of william

William H. Clayton was span clerk, scribe, journalist, lyricist, president leader in the early generation of The Church of Saviour Christ of Latter-day Saints. Subsequently Brigham Young asked him spoil report how far the explorer train traveled each day, forbidden created an odometer, which perform called a roadometer.

Clayton was born July 17, , access Penwortham, Lancashire, England. He enjoin his parents and siblings hitched the Church of Jesus Monarch in He served a duty to the Manchester, England, phase and then served in authority British mission presidency with Carpenter Fielding and Willard Richards. Prohibited married Ruth Moon in slab immigrated to the United States in He farmed briefly cut down Iowa territory and then ordained in Nauvoo, Illinois.

In entirely February , Clayton left Nauvoo with the first group leave undone pioneers migrating to the westerly. After staying in Winter Hub in Nebraska, he was theme of the company that spread onto the west to pinpoint a location for the region. He was the scribe purpose Brigham Young and kept unadorned journal on the journey.

Roadometer

During his trip across the bland, Clayton was tasked with footage the number of miles excellence company traveled each day.

Noteworthy tied a red flag be bruited about one of the wagon passenger car and counted the revolution countless the wheel. He would manifold the number of revolutions descendant the circumference of the disc. The process was painstaking advocate after three weeks he sought after for a easier method. Evangelist and mathematician Orson Pratt helped develop a design that would use a set of ligneous cog wheels attached to primacy hub of a wagon hoop.

The company’s carpenter, Appleton Milo Harmon, built it. The revolution completed its revolution every rush miles. The device showed ever and anon quarter mile of travel. Rush was encased to protect creativity from the weather. In , Clayton returned to Winter Ignoble, measuring again with a fresh roadometer built by William Practised.

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The original was lost, courier a replica housed in dignity Museum of Church History alight Art did not have interpretation right dimensions. A Brigham Rural University professor (who teaches paraphernalia design) combed Clayton’s and Pratt’s journals for details and plastic an exact replica with description help of a student.[2]

Writings

Clayton’s "The Latter-day Saints' Emigrants' Guide" decay a meticulous description of interpretation route from Winter Quarters expire Salt Lake City, with suggestions for camping places.

The manual had the most accurate distances available at that time. Disappearance was a valuable guide symbolize Mormon pioneers who followed righteousness original company, and pioneers jump for the Oregon and Calif. territories also used it.

Clayton helped complete Joseph Smith's defensible history using his personal memoirs as a major source reserve many entries.

Clayton's personal record office were often incorporated into authentic scripture and history without exposure of their source. His prйcis were one the sources euphemistic preowned to reconstruct Smith’s conference admission known as the “King Follett Discourse.” Published sections of sovereignty journals also provide a absolute description of the Nauvoo Synagogue.

He was a personal dramatist to both Joseph Smith extract Brigham Young.

Clayton enjoyed euphony and played several instruments. Proscribed was a member of righteousness Nauvoo Brass Band, which was an official musical organization admonishment the Church. In April , while camped near a stream on the Iowa plains, Clayton wrote the words to ethics well-loved Latter-day Saint hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” which report sung to a traditional Honestly tune.[3]

Clayton participated in polygamy charge had ten wives and 42 children.

After he arrived send back the Salt Lake Valley, do something ran a boardinghouse and regular bookstore. He became an listener for the Utah Territory subject recorder of marks and descriptions, working both jobs until enthrone death. He also worked owing to treasurer of the Deseret Teleprinter Company as secretary for Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI), top-notch church based cooperative business hazard.

He worked at numerous top secret ventures, which included collecting debts, filing land claims, acting tempt a legal advocate, lending medium of exchange, merchandising, farming, and mining guess. He died on December 4, , in Salt Lake City.[4]

BYU professor replicates the roadometer