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| Samuel Harris Hawkins 1804 - 1852 |
I am honored to claim as my Great, Great, Great Grandfather
Samuel Harris Hawkins.
In
the 1840’s Samuel Hawkins and his wife Charlotte were raising their young
family in a London house they had leased for 99 years. With a steady income from
Samuel’s career as a steel engraver, the family was settled and secure.
However, as a deeply religious man, Samuel had a great desire to gather with
the Lord’s people.
By 1848, he had decided to give up his job and home and was preparing
to take his family to Jerusalem. During his preparations to close his affairs in London, everything changed
when he gained a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ taught by the
Mormon Elders and decided that joining with the Lord’s people would require a
voyage across the sea.
The family was baptized in 1848, and boarded the ship
Zetland in Liverpool on a journey to New Orleans in 1849. Included on the
manifest for the November, 1849, sailing of the Zetland are Samuel, his wife
Charlotte, and seven children: Aurelia, Conalbert, Creighton, Lavinia, Leo,
Mary Ann, and Reigo, who was only an infant at the time.
The
Zetland was a large (1283 ton), new and splendid British ship which had transported
another company of Saints earlier that same year. The fare, including provisions,
was £3 7 shillings 6 d for adults (the parents and
three of the children qualified for this rate), £2 10 shillings for children
under fourteen (four of the children were in this category); and Reigo, being
an infant, traveled for free. As one who counts pennies, I wanted to know the
price in today’s dollars. As near as I can tell, according to various
historical currency convertors and calculations, the family traveled for the
equivalent to $3054.85 US dollars (2015).
Samuel was named the President of the immigrant branch of the
church and checked off lists as the families began boarding the ship November
1, 1849. With difficulty families found suitable places to sleep, one journal noting
that they were “not very comfortable because we had not room enough, but was
thankful …”
Before the ship had even left dock, President Hawkins was called
upon to administer to the sick, including a young girl, an aged person and a
woman who fell down a hatchway and “appeared dead” and was said to “derive much
good from it”. Throughout the voyage, many journals record his Priesthood
blessings to the sick and afflicted.
Situated in their quarters, the passengers and crew waited for the weather to be best
for launching. Still in harbor, on November 9th inspectors
discovered several Irish stowaways that had “secreted themselves” on the vessel.
Finally, on November 10th, ten days after boarding, with two hundred and fifty-eight passengers, almost all of whom were latter-day saints, the Zetland was tugged by a steamer14 miles, the sails were spread and the wind wafted them on their way.
Orson Spencer, the leader of the previous
immigrant group sailing aboard the Zetland had written in a letter: “Future
emigrants should not forget that the first part of a sea voyage especially has
an astringent effect upon the bowels, for which they should be prepared . . .”
His
warning, though prophetic, did little to alleviate the suffering of the
passengers. The sails were furled at nine and by six o’clock several began to
be sick. The next morning reported, “Very much sickness on board, rather
increased than diminished.”
After a few days the sickness decreased, as did the winds, which slowed their
progress. Passenger journals noted that when the winds returned, so did illness
and discord: “Very windy and rough, the vessel rocked about very much which
caused fresh eruptions to break out amongst us. There were a few spirits who
desired to create a little dissatisfaction, but through the wisdom and prudence
of President Hawkins, things appeared to be set right.” The next day: “The
vessel rolled about very much, some things were upset … Called on God to still
the wind and in the name of the Lord rebuked the raging of the sea and wind,
which to our joy did so early on Friday the 16th which caused us to
rejoice and give thanks to our God.”
As
with life for all of us, the journey continued with alternating periods of wind
and calm, sickness and health, discord and peace, discouragement and gratitude,
fear and faith.
Journals
tell us that the trip was very cold, which one would expect in November and
December. Children were bathed in the salty sea water in barrels and tubs which
they “did not fancy”.
There
was at least one marriage performed by President Hawkins (Brother Thomas
Meacock to Sister Selina R Peaton), one death and burial at sea, numerous
worship services, hymn singing, and as on all ships in the 1800’s … plenty of
prayers, including many administrations of healing.
There were rains and water
in the hold of the ship which had to be pumped once or twice daily. On December
12th, one of the stunsails broke loose, but the mate was able to
repair it. The
oceanic voyage would take six weeks and two days, averaging around 6 or 7 knots.
Eventually
the Zetland reached the mouth of the Mississippi River and following joyous
prayers of thanks and journey’s end celebrations, promptly got stuck on a sand
bar.
On
Sunday, December 23rd, the church services normally held on deck were
moved due to the confusion of the crew attempting to get the ship off the bar.
Prayer and singing were held down below.
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| New Orleans as pictured in 1841 |
At
long last, the steam tugs “The Conqueror” and “Mary Kingsland” rescued them
from the sand bar on Christmas Eve at 9 p.m.
The Captain gave his crew a holiday on Christmas Day, while the families
anxiously waited to transfer their belonging off the ship.
A unanimous vote of thanks was given to President Samuel H.
Hawkins for the able and efficient manner in which he presided over the branch and
for the patience and forbearance which he displayed under various trying circumstances.
Another unanimous vote of thanks was given to Brothers Charles Ashton and John
Martin for their untiring services in the cooking galley. Brother Martin had
suffered a severe and painful accident during his volunteered cooking services
and those on board took up a contribution to furnish him with a pair of
trousers.
Upon disembarking, the saints were received by the church agent,
Elder Thomas McKenzie, who arranged transportation with a number of the
emigrants to St. Louis, while others tried to get employment in New Orleans, in
order to earn means to continue the journey.
