Son of Abner Morrill and Mary Carpenter

Married Esther Loraine Brown, 20 Mar 1836, Geauga, Portage, Ohio. Died at Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. Children - Abner Morrill, Robert D. Morrill, Esther A. Morrill, all died in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.

Married Permelia Handmore Drury, 22 Feb 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. Children - Horatio Morrill, John Morrill, Laban Drury Morrill, Joseph Morrill (1853), Charles Morrill, Hyrum Morrill, George Drury Morrill, Sarah Permelia Morrill, Horace Morrill, Joseph Morrill (1865).

Married Lydia Davis, 17 Oct 1854, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Children - Calvin Morrill, Edgar Morrill, Alexander Morrill, Emily Frances Morrill, Mary Morrill, Edward Davis Morrill, Henry Chancey Morrill, Lydia Ann Morrill, Luther Llewellyn Morrill, Jonathan Davis Morrill.

Married Mary Elizabeth Lemmon, 21 June 1869, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Daughter - Esther Lorraine Morrill.

Biography - Laban Morrill a resident of Kirtland 1837-1838. Came to Utah 1852, Daniel D. McArthur company. Member of city council Cedar City, Utah. Blacksmith, farmer, and stock raiser.

Obituary - Deseret News, 13 December 1900: Junction. Death of Laban Morrill. A Veteran of the Early Days Passes Away on His Birthday. Junction, Piute Co., Dec. 9. —

Early yesterday morning, on his eighty-sixth birthday, Laban Morrill passed away, after a long life of ? and usefulness in the Church, with which he had been actively identified since July, 1833, unflinchingly enduring the trials and persecutions of Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. He was born in Wheelock, Caldwell county, Vt., on December 8, 1814, and was the son of Abner and Mary Carpenter Morrill. He learned the blacksmith trade, while young, under Martin H. Peck.

In March 1836, he married Esther Loraine Brown, who, after giving birth to three children, two boys and a girl, died in Illinois in 1843. He married Permelia Drury in 1844, and in 1852 they moved to Utah, settling in Springville. But in 1853 he was called to move to Iron county, being one of the early settlers, and assisted in building Cedar Fort. He was then called to take charge of the people's cattle in that vicinity, and built a fort at Johnson's springs; here for several years he assisted in protecting the cattle from Indian raids, which were quite frequent at that time.

In 1850 he returned to Springville, but subsequently moved to Santaquin; he resided in Santaquin and Payson for three or four years, and then moved back to Iron county, living at Johnson's fort, Iron county, and Springdale, Kane county, until 1877, when he moved over the Sevier river and located on City Creek, now known as Junction, and the county seat of Piute county.

Six years ago his eyesight failed him, and up to last June wherever he went he had to have a guide. At that time his eyesight was restored, and until his recent illness, about a month ago, he could go unaided to any place he desired.

Last Monday and Tuesday he was up and around and felt better than for some time past. At noon Tuesday he fainted away, since which time he gradually sank, until he breathed his last yesterday morning. He was probably one of the most widely known men in southern Utah. His sterling worth, energy and progressive character have made him many friends. He leaves a large host of honorable children to revere his memory.

History - Laban Morrill was an early Mormon settler of Utah. Brigham Young asked him to help colonize and build Johnson's Fort. Over the years, Morrill was a resident of several of the nearby townships. Laban Morrill was present at a meeting of the high council in Cedar City to discuss a wagon train of emigrants passing through Utah on the way to California. The council favored attacking the emigrants, though Laban Morrill was against it, and persuaded the group to wait until they could obtain the consent of Brigham Young. Ultimately, the attack took place without consent, and became known as the Mountain Meadow Massacre. Laban Morrill testified against John D. Lee, the only man tried and convicted of crimes. Much of what is known today about the massacre comes from the record of his testimony.

His Testimony at the John Doyle Lee Trial

Second Trial of John D. Lee

Sources:

*Death of Laban Morrill, Deseret Evening News, 13 Dec. 1900, 7.
*Death of Laban Morrill, Journal History, 8 Dec. 1900, 4.
*Events of the Month, Improvement Era, Jan. 1901, vol. 4, no. 3, 238.
*Pioneer Resident of Junction Passes, Piute County Papers, 25 Aug. 1939.
*Registry of Names of Persons Residing in the Various Wards as to Bishops' Reports, Great Salt Lake City, Dec. 28th, A.D. 1852. In Wright, Norman Edgar, ed., Key to Migration Sources Great Britain and North America.
*The life of Laban Morrill. Book / Sudweeks, Joseph 16 p., English, Available for Use in Special Collections BX 8670 .A1a no.285. Harold B. Lee Library.