Most records give the birthdate and place for Edward Francis Mailon Guest, as 24 May 1830 in Queenstown, Cork, Ireland. This is the date given in the Sunderland Branch Records at the time of his baptism into the LDS Church and also the date given in his grandson, William James Guest's, genealogical records. However, some family records give his birth date as 5 May. The birthplace is generally given as Queenstown (or Queensbury), County Cork, Ireland. However, here again, there are discrepancies. William James Guest's records show his birthplace as Northumberland, England. This would be the area he was from at the time of his baptism. But at the time of his baptism, in 1848 he gave his birthplace as #13 Havant Street, Portsmouth, Hants, England. Thus far, there is no explanation for such a detailed address being given, as no record of the family ever being in Portsmouth has been found, even though it is believed his father was a sailor.
His father is recorded as Francis Guest and his mother as Johanna Mailon. The story is told that at the age of 12 his father had died [though no record of this death can be found in the St. Catherine's indexes for England] and so he left his home, his mother, two sisters and one brother and signed up for twelve years on a boat. In this way his mother would not have the burden of supporting him as well as his younger sisters and brother. After the 12 years were up (which would be about 1854) he returned home, knocked on the door and the people who answered the door did not even know anyone by the name of Guest. As he walked down the street he recognized a young man who had been his best friend years before. He then asked what had happened to his mother and family. His friend invited him to dinner and told him he would tell all he knew as soon as he had eaten his dinner. He said that his brother, John, had died and his mother had died and that one sister had married and gone to America and the other one to Wales. [Again, no records of these two deaths have been found in the St. Catherine's Index.]
The story continues that he was very unhappy about this news so he went back to his ship and signed up for another twelve years. He got his apprenticeship on Her Majesty's ship "The Eurydice," which sank years later in 1874, March 24. During this time he happened to see the Mormon missionaries preaching to some people on the boat and they all seemed so interested that he edged up enough to hear what they were saying. That night he asked them if they would tell him the whole story. They took him to their quarters and stayed up all night long telling him of the Gospel. He knew that this was what he wanted. He wanted to believe that there was a hereafter and that families would be together again so the Gospel appealed to him very much.
Some time later, he deserted the ship, an offence which could have cost him his life if they ever had found him. He worked his way to Utah and joined the Church. He met and married Jane Walton in Millcreek. Prior to his marriage he lived with a Brother and Sister Miller. Edward and Jane Guest had twelve children. At the birth of his last daughter, Jane, his wife died, leaving him with a huge family of twelve children.
During his life he was noted for his exceptional memory and for the many poems and songs he wrote.
The main discrepancy is in the story of his conversion to the Church. Edward Francis Mailon Guest was first baptized long before he came to Utah. In the Sunderland Branch Records [GS F#087,035] he is recorded as being baptized opposite the New Docks Ltd. on 23 April 1848, by W. Knox and confirmed by him. So at the age of 18, well before his first 12 years at sea was up he was baptized a member of the Church. Later Sunderland records show that he was "cut off" (excommunicated) on 22 Jan 1853, but the reason for this is not given. A year later it is recorded that he was rebaptized in the "River Where" (Wear) on 23 Feb 1854 by John Hare and confirmed by James Robson. An additional entry then shows that he emigrated on 26 Feb 1854.
Additional searches have been made in the ship registers for the Eurydice from 1844-46, and 1850-55, with no record of Edward F.M. Guest on the lists. However, research in the Merchant Seaman records (1853-57) at the Public Record Office, Kew, London did result in one entry of note [BT116/40 f158 p314]. An Edmund Guest, with "ward" written in above the name to indicate name was Edward, although the "mund" is not crossed out, is listed as being born in Queenstown and age 18 in 1853. [The age is a little young, Edward would have been closer to 25 in 1853.] The film quality was very poor, and the ship entries are very difficult to read. There are voyages listed for him in 1853 and 1854. The Home voyage in 1854 was on the Sarah Huntly or Hardy [?] to Sunderland. There is another Edward Guests two lines above this Edward on the record who was born in Cork, age 37, whose home voyage in 1854 was to Southampton[?]. There are other Guest entries on the page: Peveril Guest, Sunderland; John Guest, Australia; Thomas Henry Guest, Durham; James Guest, Thorne; Robert Guest, Acton; James Guest, Westminster; and Samuel Guest, London.
Some searching was also done in the 1851 Census of Sunderland. Many Irish families were noticed and one family of Guests; Thomas Guest age 32 born in Houghton, Durham; wife Emily and two children, Thomas and William.
The truth of his life before coming to Utah may never be known. And as it appears he did no temple work for his family after coming to America, little can be added to the information given above.
Edward Francis Mailon Guest is said to have been the first constable/deputy-sheriff of Salt Lake. He was away from home quite a bit and when the Indians would come to their home on South West Temple Street, his wife, Jane, would run outside and yell, "Smallpox, smallpox!" and the Indians, who were hungry, would ride away. The Indians were very frightened of that disease, because in those days, it was so deadly.
After his wife died, the day of the last baby's birth, he found a dear sister a few blocks away from his home, who had a new baby and she agreed to nurse his baby. However, this little girl lived only a few months. He was so griefstricken with these two losses and the responsibility of such a large family, that he seems to have had a nervous breakdown before he died some 14 years later on 4 Aug 1896. His son, Edward Francis Guest, is said to have cried when recounting his father's condition.
Maureen Bryson, Sep 1987, updated Apr 2000
In 1993, Elden and Vivian Ball went to Ireland to the Cobh (Queenstown) Catholic Cathedral. Father Friedy helped them review the old records. Church records show a christening on 25 May 1828 for Edward Guess, son of Francis Guess and Johanna Mullane. Given that names were often recorded more phonetically than today, he felt that this was the same family as Francis Guest and Johanna Mailon. There were also christenings for a daughter Johanna on 25 Sep 1825 and Ellen on 20 Feb 1831. [The Ancestral File also lists children Anna, Mary, and John.]
There were some "Guess" headstones in what is described by Elden Ball as a "family grave plot." The transcriptions of the headstones follow:
"Erected by John Guess in memory of his father, William Guess, who departed this life 2 July 1817 aged 55 years and to the memory of his Uncle James, grandfather and grandmother, May they rest in peace, Amen."
"This stone was erected by Richard Guess for himself and his family. Here lies the body of Edmond Guess who died 15 Jun 1756, aged 2 years."
While I am excited by the discovery of records which I feel does identify the actual birth record of Edward Francis Mailon Guest in Cobh, the assumption made on the pedigree on the Ancestral File that John Guess is the father of Francis Guest, and his lineage then through William Guess and Richard Guess requires further research. Unfortunately, Irish records are not the best. I did find that Cobh or Queenstown in in the Irish civil parish of Clonmel, and the church Diocese of Cloyne. Two marriages were found in "Marriages in Diocese of Cloyne to Apr 1845" [941.95 K25e FHL]: Hannah Guess and Stephen Dilbras? 14 Jan 1829 Cobh, and Joseph Guess and Johanna Lynch, 28 Mar 1823 Cobh. However no information was found in the following sources: 1766 Census Diocese of Cloyne [101,781 it 2, FHL]; Marriage License Bonds, Cloyne Diocese 1630-1800 [941.95 K29gr FHL]; Diocese of Cloyne Wills Index [100,913 it 2 FHL]; Diocese of Cloyne Admons [100959 FHL].
More research is needed to conclusively identify the parents and lineage of Francis Guess/Guest.