Mormon Pioneers | telling family tales

image of the Horizon passenger list

I recently created a Facebook page for the Martin Handcart Company, since there wasn’t one and since my great-great-grandmother was part of that company. I’ve started to gather information about the Martin Company and today I discovered that Mormon Migration website not only has a list of the passengers on the Horizon (the ship that the Martin Handcart Company took from Liverpool, England to Boston, Massachusetts) but they have images of the pages from the ship’s book where all the names where originally record. I’m really excited to take some time and find Mary Taylor and her family.

I love the power of the internet to share images of documents like these. Have you found something similar through the internet in your family history?

From Diary of Samuel Openshaw:

June 5 – Also calm and beautiful day. We promenaded on deck. The captain appears to be a kind hearted man. Also the crew and the mates are an agreeable company. The potatoes began to sprit and spoil. Therefore, this day we carried them all on deck to dry. Mother nearly well. Towards evening a side wind which helped us along pretty smartly. Saw several great fish play in the water.

From the Life History of John Jaques:

Thurs. 5: Calm fine morning. Ship rolled nearly as much last night. Mustard, pepper, salt and tea served out. Two rations of potatoes, vinegar to the 8th and 9th wards. The bedding of the passengers on the top deck carried on the main poop deck to air. Towards midday a light breeze sprang up, which sent us along at about 2 knots per hour. I saw a vessel meet us to our right, another I was told, also met us. We passed a shoal of fish. The breeze increased until night, when it carried us through the foaming waters at the rate of 10 to 12 knots per hour. Had a fellowship meeting in our ward. Quite a good meeting we had.