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Richard with his second wife Elizabeth.  |
This story is pieced from data found on Family Search and other contemporary records.
Richard James Gilbert was born May 11, 1819 in Phillack, Cornwall, England. Athalia Weight was born July 28, 1822. James and Athalia were married on September 28, 1845 in England. Church records state they were baptized in England on August 4, 1848. James (our ancestor) was born in 1847, the second child of Richard and Athalia. Their firstborn child died at birth.
Records document that the little Gilbert family boarded the ship George Washington* from Liverpool as part of a large group of 817 saints. The crossing was unusually "speedy and prosperous" taking just 23 days as they landed in Boston on April 20th 1857. Of the passage, the captain of the ship wrote to the presiding Elder 'I am free to acknowledge that on no previous voyage have my passengers conducted themselves so orderly and peaceably as those in your charge; cleanliness, morality, sobriety, reciprocation of favors and general good behavior were preeminently conspicuous in their conduct and character.'** Richard was 38, Athalia was 35 and James was 7.
Immediately upon landing in Boston, the company took a train through Albany, New York, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago, Rock Island and to Iowa City, Iowa. According to one writer they "crossed big rivers in boats and the land in [train] cars, part of the way in box cars, comfort stations being by the side of the cars where the train would stop." Iowa City was a very small place at that time and they camped on the outskirts at night where they were rained upon. Some of the company were fitted with oxen and wagons and some with handcarts. The Gilberts became part of the Israel Evans Company, which was the 6th handcart company. Israel Evans was an experienced traveler. He was returning from a four year mission to England and had served in the Mormon Battalion 10 years earlier and had dug gold at Sutter's Mill in California. The company left May 22, 1857 from Iowa City, Iowa, beginning the journey west with 149 individuals and 28 handcarts. They made 15 - 20 miles per day.
The handcart company traveled the 300 miles to Florence, Nebraska where they first heard the rumors of the government sending forth Johnston's Army to Utah. The pioneer companies of the summer of 1857 "traveled in the shadow of an advancing army of supplies and men advancing toward Zion to put down a supposed rebellion". "Strange and wild rumors concerning the intention of the military detachment to exterminate the Mormons furnished no encouragement to the weary travelers."
The handcart company was delayed in Florence for a week due to storms "which swelled the small streams to an impassable depth" and unfinished arrangements, finally pushing out on June 20th. The Company came through safely, and apparently with little difficulty. Wildord Woodruf reported on September 11, 1857: "Brother Israel Evans' hand-cart company arrived [in Salt Lake City] at 2 p.m. in very good condition."
* See links to biography excerpts from others on the ship (Note: the photos of the ship shown in the link are incorrect as they depict a steamship ocean liner, the 'George Washington' that was built in 1908. The Mormon company were on a "three master".) - Click Here
** See Voyage Notes - Click Here
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