John Rowe Moyle and Phillipa Beer were married on Guernsey ... I am still shocked !!!! Divine Design?

(Before I start, note that I did not correct grammar or spelling error from the original documents. They are just as they were written)

When we were sent here we knew nothing about Guernsey. I knew that there were Guernsey cows, and I am not sure how I knew that, but it was tucked away in some recess of my mind. I had never learned about Guernsey, or any of the other Channel Islands or never knew I had, and certainly would never have suspected any ancestral tie to Guernsey. My brother Len told me about the German occupation of the Channel Islands, but we obviously weren't prepared with any Guernsey historical data. We have a new appreciation for the Island of Guernsey. When we were in England for the Senior Zone Conference, the beginning of September, we had some additional time to spend in South Devon. We had not explored Steve's Cornwall and Plymouth Moyle ancestors, so I thought I would give them some time. It is hard to give families other than my South Devon family time, but we have always had a great respect for John Rowe Moyle and the Moyle family, so it was an opportunity for me to reread Moyle history and see if we could pinpoint a few places. Please note, Steve did not read or reread any of his history, it was me that did the reading, although in a hotel one night I strongly gave him information to read so he would appreciate what we were going to see. What I came upon the first day, I had never known before, or never paid any attention to before because I had no idea about Guernsey or the Channel Islands. I couldn't believe it;

My mother and father were married on one of the Channel Islands, I believe it was the Island of Gurnsey in the year 1834. My father was employed as stone cutteron the improvements being made then on the sea wall. He then went to Plymouth and from there to St. Blazey, where my mother soon followed him, and where I was soon after born. (Reminiscenses of James Moyle, June 8, 1886, written in solitude)

And as was often custumary with the young people when getting married, they went of over to one of the Channel Ilands & was married on the Iland of Gurnzy. (Remininiscenses o f Henry Moyle).

John Rowe Moyle and Phillapa Beer were married on the Island of Guernsey!! We live on the Island of Guernsey. At that time we had lived here for five months. This man and this couple that we have heard so much about and revere were married on Guernsey ...... We have a connection to Guernsey. Is it Divine Design that we are here on Guernsey? We were both shocked. I went to familysearch and yes, there it was ... they were married, on Guernsey. Two different records and two

Town Church in Guernsey where John Rowe Moyle and
Phillipa Beer were married.

different theories, but they were married in St. Peter Port, Guernsey. We live in St. Peter Port, Guernsey. I know I have been repetitive, but we were stunned! Since then I have gone to the Prilaux Library on Guernsey and obtained a copy of their marriage certificate (above). I almost missed it because I couldn't find "Moyle" and it was written as "Moile," so I searched for Phillipa's name and found it.

We were staying in Exeter for the conference and visiting various sites, mostly outside of Exeter. We did tour Exeter Cathedral the first day and then branched out to Buckfast Abbey, Cockington Village and Dartmoor, all preceded by a zone meeting and dinner at the church in Exeter Thursday night. There were some other tourist sights that we didn't have time to get to on Saturday, because we had to get back to London to catch our flight. We only made that because the office elders met us at the airport to pick up the car. (We left them money for ice cream and brought them rice krispie treats the next time we were there). But we did have short pieces of time for family history in South Devon for both of our families.

I remember when two of the latterday Saints elders come to our home at Mellbrok Cottages & ask the privelege to hold meeting in one of our roomes, & my father gave his consent. Our house was No 12 a first or sacond cousin Simon Moyle lived in No. ??? me & I believe the Elders names ware James Caffall, &Chares Phelps. And I remember the meeting they heald I belive it was On Sunday, & although I could not have been more than seven yearss of age, yet I verly belived what they said was the truth. & I remember father & mothers was convinced that what the Elders Preached was the truth. and my Father was baptized by James Caffoll 13th Aug 1851 My Mother allso was Baptized Soon after in the same year. MyBrother James was allso Baptized by Elder Caffal in Feb 1852.We the Family next moved back to Keyham for a short time & then Jubelle Street Plymouth.

"I well remember Mill Brook Cottage, about one mile from Davenport and the same distance from Plymouth, which was a very pleasant location. I was taken ill from dropsy when I was five years old and I was not expected to live and my mother took me to Grandmother‘Beers home at the head of Mount Street in Davenport. Here I received treatment for a month from a very prominent doctor by the name of Rowe. I then remember about two years later that two D.L.S. Elders came to our home and asked the privelege of holding a meeting in one of our rooms. My father gave his consent a after hearing their message my father and mother were convinced that what they said was true. My parents and my brother James were baptized some time late. At Christmas time 1853 some Elders were at our home and promised to do what they could in getting my brother James to Utah by the next spring as he was a proficient stone-cutter and would be a great help on this temple and in so doing could help the rest of the family in getting to Zion.

Millbrook Cottages on the left. Note that there is not much
around them at the time

Upper Millbrook Cottages

Lower Millbrook Cottages

Steve in front of Millbrook Cottages

I searched at the Exeter Historical Archives for maps that would help us find these homes. We were able to find one that showed where Millbrook Cottages were, although they were much farther out than I thought they would be. The man in the archives told me that these were old buildings and would have been the Victorian ones that were here when the Moyles lived there, so I knew we weren't looking for a building that had been torn down and rebuilt. We also found an old map that would be able to help us find the home on Waterloo Street near the Stoke Church, where the family also lived. This home was either built by or owned by William Beer, the father of Phillipa Beer Moyle. We were running out of time, as we needed to be back in Exeter for our meeting and meal, but we did get to Millbrook Cottages and tried to find the Waterloo Street house, but didn't even come close. My phone doesn't get google maps in England and I was so frustrated. Two days later we returned with better directions and found the Waterloo Street house, we think. Maybe another trip we will find even more.

"I see from my Brother James, writing that my parents shortly after their marriage wen from Devonport, to Plymouth, for a short time & from thare to St Blasdale, Cornwall & while in Cornwall my eldest Bro. James was Born Oct 31th 1837. & my sister Elizabeth was Born Jan 12th 1837. Booth Born at a place called Rosemelin, in Cornwall.From here they moved Back to Devonport, & lived in a house of GrandfatherBeers, at the bottom of Watterloo Street ...

"I have been told that he (William Beers) built the house on what is now or was then called Waterloo street where I lived. A street that runs west from Old Stake Church Devonport. Grandmother Beers maiden name was Elizabeth Cook. I have heard that her father made lots of money by smuggling ..." (Reminiscenses of James Moyle, June 8, 1886, written in solitude)

"Soon after this they moved to Devonport and lived in a house of my grandfather’s. It was the first house at the bottom of Waterloo Street on the right hand side as you commence to go up from Stake (Stoke) Church and it was a two story house with a garden at the back. It was while living in this house that my first brother Henry was born and the first thing that I can remember was at the time of his birth, when Grandmother sent me down stairs and would not let me see my mother. I could not have been much over three years. (Reminiscenses of James Moyle, June 8, 1886, written in solitude)

Actually the second house as you go up Waterloo Street from Stoke Church, but an old map said the building next doorwas a pub, so I think this was probably it.

Old Stoke Church
(now Stoke Damarel Church)

First house up Waterloo Street, but an old map said that this was a pub and it doesn't face Waterloo Street.

The lane (that was probably a road) that led from Stoke Church to Waterloo Street.

John Rowe Moyle and his family were members of the first Mormon Handcart Company that crossed the barren plains of the United States. He eventually settled in Alpine, Utah and worked as a stonecutter, under his son James on the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City. When a collision with a cow caused the amputation of his leg he fashioned himself a wooden leg and made the trip to Salt Lake City each week, walking on his wooden leg. At the end of the week he would walk home.

John Rowe Moyle and Phillipa Beer were married in the Town Church on Guernsey! John worked on the seawall here. I pass it many times a week, even in a day, and I have a new appreciation for it .... a family appreciation!