Benjamin Laws' parents and early years

The following is an excerpt from A Story of William Hart and Jennie Ann Johnson Laws by Donna Laws Hemingway, a granddaughter. Clink on “Donna Laws Hemingway” in the labels links to read more about Donna and this now out-of-print book.

William (Hart Laws)'s father Benjamin, was the son of Edward or Edmund Laws christened 12 August 1782 in Feltwell, Norfolk, England. His Mother was Mary Bowers christened 17 October 1788, Elsworth, Cambridgshire, England. They had seven children three boys and four girls, Benjamin being the sixth child and youngest boy.

Benjamin had a very rough life. When he was eight years of age he said his mother kissed him good night and sent him to bed. When he awoke the next morning she was dead and buried. There was a cholera epidemic in the town and many died of this very dreaded disease. His mother and two sisters died with cholera within two weeks time, the other two girls had died earlier, leaving his father and the three boys John, Robert and Benjamin. This was August 30, 1832. There were 14 burials recorded in Hockwold and 35 burials in Wilton for the year of 1832 in the little village of 946 people.

They remained in Hockwold cum Wilton and worked for land owners. John the oldest Brother married 18 November 1843 and lived in Mildenhall, Suffolk, England. By 1851 Robert was married and had two children and he went to Australia to find better living conditions.

After the marriage of Benjamin Laws and Mary Hart, October 24, 1851, they lived as a family and attended the Brandon, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Branch and took an active part. They must have still lived in Weeting with Broomhill and probably worked for the same land owner. March 10, 1853 they had another son, Robert. He was given a name and a blessing in the Brandon Branch, 24 April 1853.