Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us 'Together History of Mary Ann Barnard Coolbear Mary Ann Barnard, daughter of John Barnard and Ellen Reynolds Barnard, was bom May 4,1805 or 1806 in Tollesbury, Essex, England. On September 24,1832, Mary Ann married John Coolbear from Purleigh, Essex, England. They lived in Mundon about three miles away from his hometown. All six of their children, Ellen, Caroline, John Jr., Emily, David and Sarah were born there, Christenings took place in the Church of England at Mundon. During, or prior to, the year 1854, Mary Ann and John came in contact with Elders Joseph Silver, C. W. Penrose, and Henry Squires, missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mary Ann was baptized June 15, 1854, by Elder Henry Squires. John was baptized March 19, 1855; their twenty year old daughter Caroline's baptism date is May 24,1855, and their son David was eleven and a half when he was baptized April 19,1855. Their daughter Ellen never embraced the gospel, being married and away from home when the missionaries came. Their son John Jr. was thought to be in South America. He died in Rio de Janeiro in 1878. Emily and Sarah died in infancy. Elder Squires, with instructions from Church Headquarters, advised the Saints to emigrate to America. The Essex Conference Report of Wm. H. Kimball states, "The fire of emigration blazes throughout the Essex Conference to such an extent that the folks are willing to part with all their effects, and toddle off with a few things in a pocket-handkerchief. People who once felt they would rather die than leave "Happy England" sing with joyful hearts: "There is a land beyond the sea Where I should like to be; And dearer far 'Than All the Rest' Is that bright land to me." Though John had joined the church, he did not leave England. He had allowed himself to become angered with the church because he objected to the late hours the missionaries held meetings. Mary Ann and son David decided to come to America. This was the last John saw of his wife and son. On May 14,1862, Mary and her nineteen year old son boarded the ship William Tapscott for Zion. Her daughter, Caroline, had sailed to America on April 11, 1859, about three years earlier. Brothers F. M. Lyman and William Gibson had been sustained by the assembly to lead this company from Liverpool to Florence, Nebraska - the outfitting station for the Great Salt Lake trek. Mary Ann and her son had taken steerage passage which meant that the women were housed in one large, crowded compartment with the men in another. The berths were described as being "about six feet by four feet, six inches, and made of rough boards to hold two persons each. They were two tiers in height, nailed up along the sides of the vessel. Preparing food for 850 people was one of the problems because of the cramped quarters and the limited facilities aboard ship. Ship's rations included salt pork, salt beef, sea biscuit, flour, rice, oatmeal, peas, sugar, condiments and water." The long, tedious ocean voyage of forty-two days in a sailing vessel that depended entirely on wind and sail, was interrupted when they became at the mercy of rough winds. The worst storm that the Captain had ever witnessed - although he had made many trips across the ocean - finally left them in safety, but a very travel worn people. There were three or four deaths during the voyage. At five o'clock on the June 24, at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York, the ship's anchor was finally dropped. From here straight passage through the United States would be impossible as the fighting of the Civil War required that they travel by railroad in a roundabout way, going even up to the St. Lawrence River, into Canada, finally down to St. Joseph, Missouri; then by steamboat up the Missouri River to Florence, Nebraska (Winter Quarters). The last part of the journey, Mary Ann and her son accompanied Captain John R. Murdock's ox team of sixty-five wagons which left Florence, Nebraska with 700 people on July 28,1862. They had been gone from England a little more than four months. They reached Centerville, Utah, on September 27,1862. Mary Ann was on hand to help, or was greeted with the news, of the birth that very day of a granddaughter, Mary Ellen Ager, her daughter Caroline's baby. Their stay in Centerville was only a few months, for in February of 1863, Mary Ann, son David, daughter Caroline, her husband John Ager, and their baby settled in Morgan, Utah. Mary Ann Barnard Coolbear lived in Morgan just five and a half years before her death August 12,1868. She is buried in the South Morgan Cemetery. ©19- 50