James and Sophia Humphries Bush

Bush/Stradling/Haws/Hodgkinson

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Sophia Ann Bush Stradling

James Bush, (sorry no picture) was born on August 7, 1809 in Bitton, Gloucestershire, England. When the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came preaching in the vicinity of James and his wife Sophia Humphries home, the Bushes were converted. Their daughter, Sophia Ann was baptized a member of the Church  in 1850 along with her parents. She was 12 years old and was baptized by Elder Cyrus H. Wheelcock and confirmed by Bishop Wooley. As was usual with the converts, as soon as they were baptized they desired to emigrate to America-- to the Church headquarters in Utah. Accordingly early in the spring of 1855 the family of four, James, Sophia, Sophia Ann (age 16) and baby Joseph. set sail for America on Feb. 27, 1855, from Liverpool, England, for Philadelphia, arriving there on 21 April 1855. There were 430 LDS passengers on the Ship "Siddons"**.

A ship similar to the Siddons

Many of the ships crossing the Atlantic in the 1850s were driven by steam engines rather than by sails. But sailing ships were still used in the 1850s because they were cheaper.  The Siddons was a three masted, square rigged wooden sailing ship built 1837.  On this voyage it struggled against westerly “contrary” winds that slowed it down taking nearly two months to arrive in Philadelphia***.  From Philadelphia the group took a railway ride across the state of Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh.  Then, "The Saints from the ship Siddons took a steamboat from Pittsburgh to St. Louis, arriving there May 7.... [ This was a  very winding1200 mile river trip, westerly on the Ohio River, across the states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, to the Mississippi River] The next day ... the emigrants continued on [up the Missouri River, 400 miles across the state of Missouri, through Kansas City and on] to Atchison, Kansas, on a side-wheeler [steamboat]...“  The emigrants from the Siddons gathered early in the summer with many other Mormons in the outfitting point known as Mormon Grove, Kansas where they where organized into several wagon train companies, Supplies were purchased to get them started on their way to the Salt Lake Valley.

Typical river steamboat of the 1850s

During the eleven week Atlantic voyage. The Bushes suffered great hardships. The baby Joseph, then eighteen months old, became very sick on the ship. They prayed earnestly that he might live to get across the sea, which he did.  The baby never fully recovered. On account of not having proper food and nourishment he died while crossing the plains. He was buried in a place called the "Garden of Eden." James and Sophia Humphries Bush settled in Pleasant Grove where they remained the rest of their lives.  It was a very hard life.

James and Sophia Ann Stradling

The Bushes met or became reacquainted with William Stradling (the subject of last week's post who had arrived in Provo about the same time in 1855).  William married their daughter Sophia Ann on 1 Oct. 1856 in Provo.   William was 32 and Sophia Ann was 17 years old.   William and Sophia Ann settled in Provo and had 11 children.

Sophia Bush Stradling center front with Sarah Ann Stradling (Haws) behind her.   Sarah Ann is Melvin Hodgkinson's maternal grandmother.  

** Extra Resource - Siddons.  (Click on link.  Scroll down list of passengers and find 4 Bushes listed.  Click on the name and see the actual registry.) 
** General Voyage Documents 
*** Compare the Bushes 11 week voyage Feb.- April, 1855 to the Stradlings (see last week) who sailed  from Liverpool April 1855 to NewYork in 31 days.