William Lockton Riley was born November 18, 1827 (November 13, 1829) in New Radford, England. He was the son of Jonathon and Frances Mary Johnson Riley. While attending meetings of Mormon missionaries he met Mary Ann Clark of Nottingham and their friendship ended in matrimony. They were baptized into the L.D.S. Church October 5, 1848 and married on May 15, 1851.
William Lockton was ordained to the office of a Deacon on Jan. 22, 1854 by Josiah Homes. On July 18, 1855 he was ordained a Priest by William Mathews, and advanced to Elder Jan. 31, 1857 by George Taylor. William worked as a glazier and lace salesman. Mary Ann also worked at home expertly mending flaws in the lace that was manufactured in the factory where her husband was employed. On May 30, 1863, with their three children Arthur, Frances, and Emma they set sail from Liverpool, England on the ship Cynosure. There were 754 saints on the ship, all under the direction of David M. Stewart.
On July 19, 1863 they arrived in New York. The family crossed the plains by ox team in Captain Rosel Hyde's party and arrived in Salt Lake on October 13, 1863. Like all other pioneers they endured many hardships on the way. Soon after arriving in the valley the family moved to Bountiful. On February 10, 1864 during their first winter in Bountiful, there was a very severe wind from the North East with a heavy frost. Several women and children froze to death, as well as many cattle. For awhile William worked for Anson Call Making brooms or working at almost anything to make a living. Anson's third wife, Margretta, was Mary Ann's sister.
An incident that shows his trustworthiness occurred while he was working at a lime kiln located on First East and First North. It was during the winter and an east wind was blowing. William's job was to keep the fire going while Jim Davids chopped the wood. Although he worked with all his might William was unable to keep the flames from blowing out. When they were entirely gone, instead of seeking shelter from the storm, he tried to rekindle the fire and nearly froze to death. Jim Davids found him on the ground almost frozen. Being an unusually strong man he carried William with one arm and his axe buried in a log with the other, across the creek east to Brother Asslett's. There he built a fire and revived William. No doubt he would have died rather than be unfaithful to his trust.
By careful planning and saving, William and Mary Ann were able to build a one room log house with a dirt roof. Later, William enlarged the home by building on a brick room and a rock room. Five more children were born to the couple in bountiful. They were Eliza, Elizabeth, William, Clara, and Frederick. In 1869 when Elizabeth was five and young William two, the children became ill with diphtheria. On June 26, Elizabeth died, and two days later while the folks were at the cemetery burying her, young William died. William was very fond of children and devoted much time to their welfare. Many of his grandchildren remember how he'd enter their house with a bag of peanuts to throw on the floor for the children to pick up. At family parties he would even stand on his head to entertain them. Nevertheless he was a strict disciplinarian. He called for Arthur at school one day and found he was playing hooky. William found him and took him home. Although not a word was said, Arthur was never permitted to go to school again.
After several years in Bountiful, the family moved to Salt Lake and lived in the Seventeenth Ward, two blocks north and one half block west of the Temple Block. William worked at the Valley House for awhile, then for the Dinwoody Furniture company as a painter, wood finisher and polisher. He continued in this work for 21 years.
After living in Salt Lake City, the family returned to Bountiful where William bought a rock house located on the corner of Center Street and First East. It has since been remodeled by his granddaughter, Alice Riley and her husband, David Bryson.
William's wife, Mary Ann Clark, who was sealed to him in the Old Endowment house by Wilford Woodruff Jan. 10, 1868, died October 27, 1887 when Frederick, the youngest child, was 12. (Mary Ann Clark was born at Nottingham, England on Jan. 4, 1830.)
On December 21, 1887 William married Jane Osborn. They were married in the Logan Temple by President Merrill. She was the daughter of William and Mary George Osborn from Ikeston, Derbyshire, England and was born November 18, 1848. This second wife had one daughter born January 10, 1889. She was named Mary Ann and died soon after birth.
That same year William began working as a janitor of the East Bountiful church and continued until just a week before his death on April 1, 1919. He enjoyed his work because he believed in cleanliness being next to Godliness, and liked to see things well kept. He lacked just 7 months of being 90 years old and was self supporting to the last. He was not a public man but was a good citizen and faithful member of the church, always paying an honest tithing.
His second wife, Jane Osborn died March 22, 1935.
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