TITLE PIONEER (full name) BIR TH (date and place) DEA TH (date and place) PARENTS . MARRIED {who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote ) (date written) (who submitted) (address) ·· · PAGE William H emming 8 June 1827 - Hooknort o n , Ox fordshir e , Eng ~ 1 0 J anua r y 1 9 16 - M orga n , Utah John tf emming Sar ah E m bra Emma Sanford - 31 Aug ust 185 1 r 27 Aug ust 186 0 Daniel Robison Handcart Company Cl ara B eth Peter son R ich 1225 S. Morgan Valley Dr . , Mor g an , Utah CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTING S o _u_th M_o_rg;;.._an_ ________ Cam p M_or g a _n ___________ C ount y . ( Camp Historian & address )_ ___L.. .o.;_l_a_D_.a;...w.;.....s;;;..o;..;n;.;.P__e.=..t;..e;:;.:r.s;;...o;;;.:n:::;_ ______ P.O. B ox 13 , M o r gan, Utah 84050 County Historian & address )_ __V_ e_lo y.__T_onks_D_ic...;k._so_n _________ P . 0 . Box 203, Mor g an , Uta h 84050 SOUR CE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: Re c eiv ed this i nformation at a Famil y R e uni on fr o m family r ecords , etc . WILLIAM AND EMMA HEMMING Handcart Pioneers William Hemming was born 8 June 1827 in Hooknorton, Oxfordshire, England, to John and Sarah Embra Hemming. When only a boy he went as an apprentice for a carriage painter . Later he moved to Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Here he became acquaint-ed with a young lady by the name of Emma Sanford and they were married 31 August 1851. Emma Sanford was the daughter of James Sanford and Elizabeth Powell Sanford and was born 26 September 1830 in Warwickshire, England. Her mot her died when she was three and one half years old, and later her father married a g ain. They didn't treat her very well, so she went to live with her g randmother. It was in Stratford-on-Avon, William Hemming heard the Latter-day Saint Missionaries preach the gospel and became interested in their church, which he joined on 16 November 1852. Like ~any others, he was anxious to come t o America, so 27 November 1855 he and his wife and two daughters left Liverpool with a group of Saints for America, sailing on the ship II Emerald Isle." They landed in N ew York two months lat er on the 2 January 18 56 . They s t ayed t here until 6 May 186 0. After arriving in New York h e took the vocation of painter and glazier. The two daughters, who accompanied their parents from England, were Fanny, born 9 June 1852, and Harriett, born 5 June 1854. Both born at Burford, Stratfor d- on-A v on, Oxfordshire, E ngland. Harriet d i ed 24 Feb r uar y 1856 at W'illiamsburg , New Yor k . H er m othe r ne v er k n ew wh ere she wa s bu ri ed. William H e mming , Jr . w as bo r n at W illiam s bu r g , N ew Y o r k, 16 Ap ril 1856 , and died 17 Oct ob e r 1857 at Willi amsb u r g , N ew Yo r k . -2- Emma Elizabeth was born 10 June 18 59 a t 26 N ort h Third Street, Williams bu r g , New York. It was she and Fanny who traveled across the plains with their parents . On 6 May 1860, they left New York by rail for St. Joseph, Missouri, and from there to Florence, Nebraska, by boat. Then joined the Daniel Robison Handcart Company for the long walk across the plains. The following is taken from the account given by William Hemming of t he trip: The company were prepared to commence t h e ir j ou rney 6 J une 186 0, b ut a thunder storm came up and stopped them, so t hey left the next day, with 43 hand-carts and 4 wagons loaded with provisions. Aft er traveling for 100 miles, t he Pawnee river was reached where the Pawnee rndians lived. The Indians ferried t h em a c re s s the riv er a n d w h en a short dist anc e away t hey camped. Brother J os eph Yo un g c ame with 50 w ag ons a n d teams. While g etting ready for the evening meal there came a thousand Indians of another tribe on horseback to fight the Pawnee Indians. The next day t h ey traveled until the Lacorn Riv er was rea ched. A bad rain storm came mak i ng the r oads very m u ddy a n d h ard t o pull the cart s. After it dried up, t rav eling w as fairl y g oo d. When Wood Riv er was rea ched, they w ere fortunat e to hav e b u ffalo meat. After many days travel, they arrived at Chimney Rock in Nebraska. It was known as one of nature's sign posts which helped guide pioneer saints along the trail. It is near Bayard, Nebraska, and a most striking work of natu re which can b e S':! e n fo r many miles. L eaving Chi1nne y Rock , t rav el thr ough s a n d 2 or 3 inc hes deep made pulling the c arts v er y difficult . T r avel w a s fa ir ly good aft er getti ng out of th e sand , and finally th e Platt R i ve r wa s rea che d . They saw a great many buffalo , -3- deer and antelope. Had to wade all of the creek s aft er t hat until they arrived at Fort Laramie. Here they bought corn meal to help out with the provisions. Later on as they were traveling, they came upon many grasshoppers as large as a person's thumb. Finally they arrived at South Pass where the water ran both ways. This is the highest point on the continent. They traveled another S7 fifty miles and reached Green River and were ferried over that. The next day they passed Devil ' s Gate, Wyom ing, and came t o Fort Bridg er. Here t h ey camped for the night. The Handcart song would be s u ng t o cheer them up. Men from Salt Lake arrived and helped them over the Bear River and down through Echo Canyon until they reached Henefer, Utah. They camped there one d ay . Brother He n efer gave t hem s ome n ew potat o es whi ch were m u ch e njoyed by the weary travelers. The next day they traveled up the divide to Canyon Creek and camped for the night. The following morning they commenced to ascend II Big Mountain. 11 After the decent, a camp was made at the bottom of t he mo u ntain. To help t hem climb the mountain, a man who was living on t op sent an Indian down with seven yok e of oxen and pulled t he car t s up. The n ext morning th ey c ommenc ed t o ascen d " L ittle Mountain, 11 and reached the bottom the next day. They arrived in Salt Lake on 27 August 1860, all well and only one child was buried during the entire journey. It was one of the last of the companies, and one of the most successful in its journey. The family of William Hemming lived with Colonel Jesse C. Little's family in Salt Lake for one yeaY , then moved to Morgan County whe r e the y lived on Colonel J e sse C . Little's farm for two years . A daughte r, Mary Ann, was born l Febr ua ry 186 2 . They moved to Richville or Monday Town as it was c alled then. -4- e Monday Town was so named because it was Monday when the first settlers moved there. They lived in Monday Town for about three years . Mary Ann died, 5 November 1863, and was buried there. They th~n came to South Morgan where they lived the remainder of their lives. Four children were born after they moved to South Morgan. Fredrick William, born 23 April 1864, Sarah Jane, born 5 September 1866, Alfred John, born 1 January 1869. and Charlott e Matilda, born 18 March 1872. · William Hemming bought a farm and by hard work became a successful farmer and gardne r. He always had a fine garden, raising his own watermelon and tomato plants . He and his wife were a lover of flowers, always had flower plants indoors and in the yard. Before a grist mill was built in Morgan, he would walk over the mountains at a place called the 11 Hog• s Back" carrying a sack of grain on his shoulder and bring flour back. He also worked at painting, masonary and carpenter work. William Hemming held the office of City Councilman for two terms. He was a diligent church worker. Was ordained a High Priest on 10 January 18 70, and in 1900 became President of the Quorum. Ordained a Patriarch by Apostle Or sen F. Whitney on the 2 June 1912, which office he still held at the time of his death. William Hemming died 10 January 1916, at the age of 89, and is buried in the Morgan City Cemetery. William and Emma Hemming endured many hardships for their religion. The walk across the plains must have t aken a g reat deal of courage and faith, az1d th en establishing a home after arriving without much to do with. Emma H emming was a t eacher in th e Relief Soci ety fo r a g reat numb er of sg -5 - years. She died 2 July 1 91 8, at the age of 88 years, and was buried beside her husband in the Morgan City Cemetery. * * * * * Following is a copy of the resolution of condolence given to the family of William Hemming by the High Priest Quorum at the time of his death. RESOLUTION OF CONDOLENCE TO THE WIFE AND FAMILY AND RELATIVES OF WILLIAM HEMMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE HIGH PRIEST QUORUM OF THE MORGAN STAKE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LA TT ER-DAY SAINTS WHEREAS, It has pleased almighty God to remove from thi-s Sphere of Action our worthy and beloved President of the High Priests Quorum; YOUR HUSBAND and FATHER William Hemming, and WHEREAS, we feel we have lost a most valuable and staunch member and officer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint s whose example in life we feel it would be well for u s to follow: and WHEREAS, we feel that Pres i dent Hemming was a faithful, true and honest man , and that the wife and children have sustained a great los s in his departure from this mortal life, therefore be it resolved, That we the un dersigne d, having been appointed a Committee by th e Hi gh Priests Quorum. of this the Morgan Stake in meeting assembled ~o draft thes e Resolutions do by the se presents tender to the wife and sons and daughters of o u r departed Br other , Friend and President our h ear t felt sympathy and condolence, -6- and we pray that our Heavenly Father may bless you and help you to live t hat you may meet and mingle with your beloved husband and father in the Eternal World. And in Duty bound we will every Pray: Thomas Rich, First Councilor to President Wm. Hemming D. Cool bear, Secretary Respectfully submitted, James Tucker Joseph Durrant O . B . A n de rson Committee on Resolutions by the High Priest Quorum of Morgan Stak e