From information in the records of the Parish of Dudley, Worcestershire, England. My grandfather James Atkins a crate maker in glass works of Dudley was born about 1790 and my grandmother Elizabeth Atkins 1792. They had five sons and two daughters as follows.

My father Thomas Atkins son of James Atkins and Elizebeth Atkins was born 21 Jan 1821 at Dudley, Worcestershire, England, married to Eliza Chapman at Rowley Church near Dudley, Eng. 23 May 1842. My mother Eliza Chapman was the daughter of John Chapman and Mary Fisher.

Parents
My father Thomas Atkins	born: 1st Jan 1821
Mother Eliza Chapman Atkins	born: 27 July 1814
Children
Sarah Atkins	Born: abt 1844 - died: 1845
Edward Atkins (Me)	Born: 11 Feb 1846
Sarah Ann Atkins	Born: 6 Feb 1848
John Atkins	Born: 15 June 1850

My parents moved from Dudley to Birmingham when I was about ten years old. Father died 3 April 1859 of blood poisoning caused by a wound in left thum. He died in the general Hospital at Birmingham and was buried at Birmingham. I was then 13 years old. I worked at a Silver Smiths factory as an Erand Boy, afterwards I went to work at the Walker Manufactory of Chandelers and gas fittings and all articles of brass, worked their 7 years till I left England after the death of my father My uncle George Collings came to Birmingham with his family and lived near us for some time. He married my mother's sister Ann Chapman and they had three daughters Ellen, Sarah and I think Eliza. He has a Rail Road tunnel contractor. He was a member of the Laterday Saints Church in Dudley. Sone years previous but had left the church for some reason and was not a member at this time. He still firmly believed in the principles and persuaded me to go hear them. He told me where I could find them. So in company with my cousin his Eldest daughter we found a Branch of the Church in Oxford Street Birmingham about four miles from where we were living. On the following Sunday I found another branch of the Church. The Hockley Branch on Farm St two miles nearer. So I continued to go to the meetings and on the 6th of February 1862 I was baptized by Elder William Gregg and was confirmed by Elder Howard the Presindt of the Branch. My mother told me that when we were living in Dudley that the Laterday Saints were persecuted and mobed. That my Father used to go out and defend them. & helped to disperse the mob and used to talk to my uncle George Callings and my uncle joined the church, but my father did not. I was now about 16 years old. About a year later my Mother joined the church 27 April 1863. Later on my Sister & Brother was Baptised. I was ordained a deacon by Elder Abram Hatch and on the 4th June 1865 was ordained a Priest by Elder John Burrows and was ordained an Elder by Elder Francis Platt President of the Birmingham conference and the Lord Blessed me & our family, and we saved enough to emigrate. On the 9th of June 1867 I married Miss Mary Ann Neal at All Saints Church, daughter of Job & Harriet Smith Neal. We were also married by Elder Francis Platt, President of the Birmingham conference and on the 21st of June 1867 I left England with my wife and Mother, Sister, & Brother on the Steam ship Manaton [Manhattan]. We arrived at New York 4 of July 1867. Two years later 1869 My Mother & Sister & Brother came on to Salt Lake City Utah. We settled down in Williamsburgh. I may hear say that my wifes sister Dinah and her husband William Phillips came with us from England and between her sent for my wifes parents & three younger boys and they came on the Utah. On the 8th of June 1868 our first baby boy was born and was blessed & given the name of Charles by Eider W.H. Miles 5 July 1868—on the 19th of July 1870 our second boy Albert Edward was born and blessed 29 Aug 1870 by Elder George Bunn. We had a large branch of the church in Williamsburgh New York. We had good meetings and good times and we used to have choir practice at our house. I officiated in Sunday School and as teacher among the Saints and President of one of the districts. On the 25 of February 1872 our first baby girl was born. Their was an epidemic of small pox broke out in Williamsburgh. and our two boys got it very severe. They were sending them over to the island. Our baby was only about 3 weeks old but by the kindness of our neibors and the doctor & the inspector, they alowed us to be quarentined at home. The doctor vacinated the baby. She was taken very ill and the doctor said she could not live. We called in George Bunn one of our Elders and he blessed her and gave her the name Mary Ellen and administerd to her and she began to recover, and the boys recovered and no person caught it from us although their was a large family on the floor above us. In June following we left Williamsburgh, New York and came on to Utah, arriving 4th July 1872. We were five years in New York and I took out my full citizen pappers, having three years before taken out my first pappers. We setled down on North Temple St, bet. West Temple & first West and not finding anythink to do at my trade I worked around at anythink I could get, gardening and labouring at diferant places. I worked on the Amelia Preace Residence for President Brigham Young and on the farm for about two months. I was hired by Wm Roseter. I went out to Bingham in company with John & William England. Thier was no Railroad so we walked with our blankets. It was a hard walk not having been used to walking very much. We got their at night fall and next day had to get work at the mines, but could not, so we started toward Sandy, But we did not get their that night. So we laid down by an hay stack for the night, having pd the privelege by the owner of the place. Next day we walked to Sandy and we got a job to dig a cellar for a foundation, but we had no tools se we borrowed some picks and shovels around the neibourhood. We bought some provisions and got the priviledge to cook it in a blacksmiths shop near by and we slept in a coral at night and we received 18 dollars for our work, then we started for Little Cotonwood Canyon to go to the Emma Mine. It was a hot day and a hard walk, 17 miles, up the canyon but when we got there it was dark and snowing. We were hungry and tired and glad to lay down on the floor in a bunk house. We got work their but in a few weeks John England was taken sick and William came home with him. I stayed their about 3 months and came home. While I was at the mines my wife and children stayed with her parents in Ogden. I then went to work at Parsae Smelter north of the warm springs and worked their for one year. I got leaded and was very sick indeed. I got medicine from Dr. Hamiton at St Marks Hospital, but it did not help me. My brother John then got me some medicine from an old sister Mc Kenzia and I soon began to recover, and I went out to Tooely and stayed with and old friend Robert McHendrick. He had a contract for hauling the ore from the Chicargo mine in dry canyon down to the smelters at Stockton. So I went up the canyon with him and stayed with him about a month. That was in the spring of 1874. That year I went to work at the Townsend House Hotel and worked their about 4 years and learned the cooking business. This has been a very sad year for us having been very sick in the early part of the year and out of employment and our eldest son Charles was taken sick with inflamation of the bowels and died 1st of September aged 6 years 2 months 21 days. This was a very hard blow for us. On the 10th of January 1875 our second daughter Amelia was born and on the 26th of August 1877 Bertha Olive was born. We were still living on North Temple Street. Ralf John our third son was born 7th of March 1880. My wife was very sick indeed having taken a severe chill and our baby died at the age of 3 weeks, 28th March 1880. He was blessed by Elder Hadley. After my wife recovered we moved from the 17 Ward to the cor. first South and 3rd East, Renting from John Winder. We lived hear two years. While living hear our son William Horace was Born 3rd of Nov 1881. he was blessed by Bishop (?)ingie of the 17 ward. In June 1882 We Bought our home, a house and lot Sixte by ten rods from Thomas Macintyer 29 I Street 21st ward. I was then working at the Walker House Hotel, having Left the Tonwsend House in 1878. We were again blessed with another son, Thomas Job, Born 18th April 1884. In May 1882 our head cook the chef Died. he was a native of Hanover Germany. He was a very fine man. I succeeded him as cheff. During the year \84 or 5 I left the Walker House and worked at the White House, Continental, & Templeton Hotels for about a year or more. I then went to work at the Walker House again for G. S. Herb and again took Cheffs Place for 120 per month and worked their about 5 or 6 years, alltogether at the Walker about 12 years. Nov 1900 [date is as was written in the book] our children were taken down with Diphtheria and our two boys William Horace & Thomas Job Died of the disease Thomas on the 17 5 William Horace on the 18 of November 1890 and they were bouth burried together the next day. One year previous to that my dear mother died aged 75 years, these were sad years and trying times for us and filled our souls with greif & sorrow, in Oct. 1891 having received our recomends from Bishop W.L.N. Allen we went to the Logan Temple and had our endowments and were sealed by Elder M.W. Merril. We also had all our children sealed to us, Albert acting as proxy for those that were dead. We also did the work for by father and mother. See Temple Records

in Jan 1894 I went to work at the Cullen Hotel as cheff for Mr S.C. Ewing. I worked their over 12 years Steady Sundays and hollidays alike only having one week off in that time until the 18th of April 1906 and this was the day of the great earthquake in Sanfrancisco Calfornia.

I was suffering with blood poisen in my sidle finger of my right hand. Dr Richards had to amputate my finger to save my hand and arm. I suffered a great deal and was very sick and the Brethern came and administered to me. I was home about seven months. When I recovered I did not go back to the Cullen Hotel. But went to work to cook at the LDS Hospital and worked their four years until the later part of the year 1910. when I resigned.

In going back a little, on the 5th of December 1897 My Sister Sarah Ann Western died at St. Marks Hospital of Hernia & Dropsey. My Brother John died of Pneumonia at the County Hospital 27 Feb 1906.

About year 1910 We sold half of our lot to JC Jacklin for $3500. We also sold a lot on the bench 10 x 10 rods for $2000. We have invested our means so I have not done any work at the hotels or any manual labour for 10 years. It is now 1920. and at this writing Nov 11th 1920 this was a very hapy day our son Albert Edward and his wife Alice S Adams went to the Temple and were endowed and sealed and their three sons sealed to them and my self and were to the Temple with them. and done the work for Henry Eggerson and his wife Ellen Neal and had them sealed and their childrem to them. Their were over 200 in the company at the Temple It was Truly a day of Rejoicing.