Elijah Parsons Immigration

Information on Elijah Parsons' immigration from England to the United States

from the Immigrant Ancestors Project:

Age: 15
Origin: England
Occupation: Labourer
Departure: 28 March
City: Liverpool, England
Voyage Name: George Washington
Church Leaders: James P. Park
Number of Passenger 817

“NINETY-NINTH COMPANY – George Washington.  817 souls.  The fine ship George Washington, Captain Cummings, sailed from Liverpool on the twenty-eighth of March, 1857, with eight hundred and seventeen of the Saints on board, including fourteen returning elders… James P. Park was appointed president of the company with Jesse B. Martin and C.R. Dana as counselors; A.M. Musser, secretary.  The ship had an unusually speedy and prosperous voyage, reaching Boston in twenty-three sailing days from Liverpool.  Four deaths occurred on board, and one child was born.  Captain Cummings, in reply to a complimentary note from President Park and counselors, and secretary of the company, stated, ‘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.’  On Monday, April 20^th, the George Washington arrived in Boston harbor, and on the following Thursday (April 23^rd), the emigrants disembarked and most of them left Boston by rail the same day in the afternoon.  A few proceeded to New York, and perhaps other places, in search of employment, not having means to continue the journey straight to Utah, while the bulk of the company traveled westward via Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago and Rock Island to Iowa city, where they arrived on the thirtieth.  Here they were met by Elder James A. Little, the emigration agent who had arrived at the outfitting place the day before.  With considerable exertion he and the brethren of the company succeeded in getting the tents, wagon covers, and other commodities which he had purchased for the emigrants on the camp ground, and, considering that the luggage of the company had not yet arrived, except what little they had brought along for immediate or daily use, they were made quite comfortable for the night.  On the first of May a supply of provisions was got on the ground, and the tents were more permanently arraigned.  The bulk of the emigrants’ luggage also arrived in the evening of that day, after which everybody set busily to work preparing for the journey across the plains.  (Millennial Star, Vol. XIX, pp. 223, 334, 363, 377, 379; Deseret News, Vol. VII, p. 141.” <Cont., 14:7 (May 1893), p. 342>  

Elijah Parsons

ELIJAH PARSONS

A brief sketch of the life of Elijah parsons, prepared by Della Parsons Ware and given by her at the first reunion of the Parsons family, held on the Monroe City Park, August 7, 1957.

Elijah Parsons, my grandfather, was born March 12, 1842 in Bromley, Kent, England.  His father, Williams Parsons, was born in the adjoining county of Buxted, Sussex, England.  His father was a master bricklayer in Bromley, Kent, England.  The 1851 census in England lists the older sons, William and Thomas, as apprentice bricklayers; the two younger sons Matthew and Elijah, as scholars, all born in Bromley.

Elijah’s mother, Sarah Francis, was born in Swansez, Glamorgan, Wales.

Records of LDS baptisms from the Bromley Branch show that Grandfather Elijah was baptized at the age of 14, March 4, 1856.  His mother was baptized September 10, 1848 by Elder Roberts.  Thomas was baptized March 31, 1850 by Elder Savage, who no doubt this was my great grandfather on my mother’s line (Henry Savage), as he was laboring in the area at that time.

According to records in the Church Historian’s office, Elijah and his mother sailed from Liverpool, England, March 28, 1857 on the ship “George Washington.”  They crossed the plains to Utah in separate companies, Elijah with Horton D. Haight’s ox-train company; his mother with Captain James Brown’s company, arriving in Utah three days earlier than her son, on August 29^th, and September 1^st, 1859.

Grandfather attended school in England and after his arrival in Utah was a schoolteacher.  In a letter from the Rector of Uckfield, who did genealogical research for Uncle George Parsons, he said “Your Parsons forebears were all literate, that is, wherever, from 1745, names had to be signed, they all signed for themselves and not by a mark.”  Grandfather was an exceptionally fine penman.

Grandfather also followed the mason trade for a number of years, working on the Lehi Sugar factory, the Manti Temple, the Salina meetinghouse, and early buildings in Richfield.  In his young manhood, he hauled freight across the plains.

His kindness of heart was shown when he befriended a young crippled girl, Mary Johnson, who had lost both legs at the knees while crossing the plains with the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company (Walker Company).  Grandmother has told my mother than when on picnics with groups of lively young people he would take time to lend her a helping hand and help her keep up with the group, showing great consideration for her.  They fell in love with each other and were married in the Endowment House, January 11, 1869.

They moved south to Richfield some time before 1876, where they lived for about 6 years.  Then moved to Grass Valley along with Jeppe and Catherine Sorensen.  Catherine was grandmother’s sister, a mid-wife, and gave valuable assistance in waiting on the family when there was illness.

Grandfather had always been able to find employment in the larger communities, so he became very discouraged as he was not suited to farming and ranching.  His desire was to move back to Salt Lake, but the family was settled in their home and for various reasons it was not practical for the whole family to move.  With the idea that his family might be better provided for, he went to Salt Lake alone.  As years passed his visits were farther apart, and until he was about 70 years old, he lived in Salt Lake.  In his later years he worked for the Salt Air resort.  Grandfather was always a student having in his possession works of the best writers.  He made many visits to the Mormon Tabernacle, where he especially enjoyed the choir.

In about 1912, he came home to Koosharem where he lived for several years with his son George.  Then he lived for a time in a little house near his son Will.  When he was too feeble to live alone, his eldest daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, James Anderson took him to live with them in their home in Salina, where he passed away at age 88, December 20, 1930, and is buried in the Koosharem cemetery.