George Linoel Farrell
Bishop of Smithfield, Cache County, Utah, from 1880 to 1890, is the third son of William Farrell and Alice Sadler Bird, and was born February 16th, 1829, in Hewelsfield, Gloucestershire, England. His opportunities for gaining a scholastic education were very limited, as he at the age of about nine and a half years had to help support the family, and was apprenticed to learn to learn the tailor's trade. After seven years in the tailor shop, finding the work too confining, he found employment as a gardener and nurseryman.
Having herd the gospel, was baptized March 1st, 1850, by Elder James Edmonds, and in September following he was ordained to the Priesthood and sent out to work as a missionary. In January, 1853, he was ordained an Elder by Jon Van Cott and in February he set sail for America on board the ship International. Owing to sickness and other causes Brother Farrell was unable to proceed to the Valley at once, on his arrival in America, in consequence of which he secured employment for his mother, his sister (who had accompanied him from England) and himself in Iowa.
While yet in the east a sad event occurred in Brother Farrell's life: Jane Williams, his affianced wife, died in March 1854. In the spring of 1859 he was able to emigrate to Zion with his relatives. On arriving in Utah he settled in Farmington, Davis County, where he remained one year and then moved to Logan, Cache County, where he proceeded to build himself a home. Apostles Ezra T. Benson and Orson Hyde came to Logan in November, and on the 9th of the month ordained and set apart Wm. B. Preston as Bishop, and George L. Farrell as Ward Clerk. In December, 1859, Elder Farrell was chosen to be tithing clerk in Cache Valley. In 1874-1876 he filled a mission to England, where he baptized nearly one hundred souls, and organized a number of branches and Sunday schools. He labored in the Nottingham conference, first as a traveling Elder and later as conference president.
On his return from this mission (in 1876) he was ordained a High Priest and set apart to preside over the High Priests' quorum of Cache Stake, and he was also called to preside over the Y. M. M. I. A. in the Cache stake of Zion; this latter position he held for four years. He was ordained a Bishop and set apart to preside over the Smithfield Ward, Cache County in May, 1880, which position he filled till April 30th, 1890, when he resigned and was ordained a Patriarch by Apostle Francis M. Lyman, in which capacity he is still laboring. In military affairs Elder Farrell served for many years in the Nauvoo Legion, and rose from one rank to another till he became lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. In 1860 he was elected county recorder of Cache County and held that office until 1874. He became a life member of the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society July 1st, 1864. He was appointed postmaster of Logan January 4th, 1867, and held that position till 1874. By the foregoing it will be seen that Bishop Farrell's life has been a most active and interesting one, both ecclesiastically, civilly, as well as in a military capacity.1
1. Andrew Jenson, Compiler, L.D.S. Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Andrew Jenson History Company, Salt Lake City, 1901, page 765.