Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Are you a descendent of one of these missionaries?

Below I have listed a handful of missionaries I know served in or near Cane Creek between 1878 and 1884. They are in roughly chronological order. Some of these I have located and made copies of their journal. A few I have located and read but was not allowed to make copies. Many I haven't even started to look for yet. I know that there is a wealth of information about the people living at Cane Creek that is hidden only because we don't know about it. If your ancestor is here, I'd love to talk with you about any mission stories they might have passed down.

Edward Stevenson Jr. (Yes, the pioneer. His journals are publicly available at CHL)

Thomas S. Higham

Joseph Argyle (His journal is at the CHL. I got a copy from a member of the Argyle family)

Martin Garn - Sugar House,Salt Lake, Utah (Available at CHL but only to descendants)

Franklin Spencer - Richfield Sevier, Utah

George H Carver - Plane City, Utah (Available at CHL but only to descendants)

Lorenzo Hunsaker - Honeyville, Box Elder, Utah

Daniel R Bateman - (Does anyone know if this is this the same Daniel R. Bateman named in some of the FLDS documents?)

Hyrum Belnap - Hooper, (I have this from Belnap family Website)

George Bartholomew

Brigham Henry Roberts (I have much of what he wrote, but not his mission journal. He didn't keep one for the year 1884, but may have written about the people when he was there in 1883. Still looking around.)

Richard C. Camp

John R. Murdock

James W. Eardley

Robert S. Spence

Reynold Alexander Crump - Fort Herriman, Utah

Joshua Hawks

Joshua Taylor

William Oxley Beesley - of Provo, Utah

Joseph W. Thatcher

Joseph Ford

Alphonzo Snow

James T. Hammond

missing gap - I'm sure there are a few missionaries in 1882-83 I have not yet identified]

Thomas Hazen Merrill - Richmond, Utah

Edwin Ruthven Miles - Smithfield, Utah

Willard H Robinson

Willis Eugene Robison (online at MMD)

Henry Bronson Thompson (his mission journals for his second mission to Scotland are at U of U, I haven't found anything for his first mission)

John Henry Gibbs (4 of the 5 are online at MMD, last one at BYU)

William Shanks Berry (I have this from CHL)

William Howell Jones

9 comments:

Ardis Parshall said...

One of James Walter Eardley's descendants is a reader of Keepa. I'll contact him to see if he knows of a diary, or if there's someone else in his family that you should talk to about it. That's the only one on your list that rings any bells as far as knowing a family member at all.

Bill West said...

I'm the descendant of James Walter Eardley that Ardis mentioned. Sorry I don't have or know of anything. I sent an email to my aunts that might have something, but I kind of doubt it. If they have anything, I'll let you know.
williamowest [at] yahoo dot com

Susan W H said...

Daniel Rapalyea Bateman was born 21 Feb 1857, son of Samuel Bateman and Marinda Allen. Samuel was one of Taylor's bodyguards when he was on the underground. Daniel was one of those who would not accept the Manifesto and was excommunicated. Daniel was first cousin to my grandmother. I don't remember seeing a mention of his keeping a diary. I have a copy of Samuel's edited diary during that era and a couple of Bateman family histories. I'll look through them later for a mention of mission or a diary.

Bruce said...

Ardis & Bill,
Thanks for speaking up. James was one of those missionaries who comes close enough to my missing gap to be help. Bill, I hope your aunts do indeed have something.

Bruce said...

Susan,

I thought Daniel would have a very interesting story to tell. I will be anxious to hear if you can find something from his mission. When I try to search for documents about him, all I get is the rejection of the Manifesto. I hope there is more out there.

Jonathan Ensign said...

John Riggs Murdock is the Son of John Murdock who is mentioned in D&C 99. John Murdock was the one who gave the twins to Joseph and Emma. Joseph and Emma had lost their twins and John gave them his twins (Joseph and Julia) when his wife died giving birth. John R Murdock was part of the Mormon Battalion and was also a Captain of many wagon companies who brought Saints into the Salt Lake Valley. He settled w/ his family in Beaver Utah (Southern Utah). In 1880 he received a mission call upon the recommendation of John Morgan to preach the gospel in the Southern States. In the experiences of his mission in Tennessee he mentions the acquaintances he made and refers to the work of B.H. Roberts and James T. Hammond in that Mission. He went from Tennessee up to Nauvoo to take care of his sister Julia who was dying of cancer. Emma had passed away earlier and John R stayed about a month and left her with sufficient means to provide for her welfare. After Nauvoo he returned to Tennessee and continued to travel among the people there until the year 1881 when he was released and returned home.
John R Murdock is my Great Great Grandfather. I live in Georgia and have property in Sevierville, Sevier County. I didn’t realize that my ancestor had worked in the South and have enjoyed learning about the Saints here in the South. I appreciate the information on this Blog! Many Thanks…..Jonathan Ensign ensign5@bellsouth.net

Bruce said...

Thanks Jonathan. For a while I have struggled over whether this was the John Riggs Murdock you describe or his son, John Riggs Murdock II. Most of the evidence was pointing at the father, but you have confirmed it for me.

Are you aware of any writings he might have left about his missionary service? In particular I am looking for his interactions with members and perhaps ordinance he performed. The official record is sketchy at the time he served.

Melynda Christiansen said...

I am a descendant of George M Bartholomew, a missionary to the Southern States, 1881-1882. I have a transcript of his mission journal. I am attempting to type it up and put it on FamilySearch.org under George M Bartholomew (KWZB-841).

Bruce said...

Thanks for commenting, Melynda. I look forward to reading it on Family Search.