Church history of the emigration of Mormon pioneers from Europe to Utah usually picks up the pioneers as they join wagon companies on the American frontier, and follows them across the Plains and into the Salt Lake Valley – you can follow the progress of individuals and whole companies on the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel database. Other researchers have specialized in the ocean-travel segment of emigration: You can follow the progress of individuals and ships on the Mormon Migration database.

But those databases, incredible as they are, don’t capture the full story of the emigrant experience. There are very few published glimpses of emigrants as they left Liverpool (or the ports in Scandinavia or Germany) – Charles Dickens provides us one glimpse of one company aboard the Amazon of 1863 (here – the link takes you to mid-chapter; you can scroll upwards to the beginning); this link takes you to an article that briefly follows that company from the Liverpool docks to the Salt Lake Valley. And there has been some study of Mormon emigrant ships arriving in New York and elsewhere, but nothing too systematic.

Here are some glimpses of other parts of the emigrant experience, located in English newspapers.

The Enoch Train emigration of 1856 carried a large Mormon company (551 passengers listed) across the ocean from Liverpool to Boston. Many of the emigrants aboard that ship crossed the plains with the handcart companies; thus, many of them never arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. Their travel began on a much more cheerful note, though, as some of them set off from the train station in Birmingham, England, to the strains of a band, and in the company of hundreds of friends and family members left behind. From the Liverpool Mercury, quoting from the Birmingham Journal:

The Mormon Exodus

On Wednesday last, an extraordinary scene was witnessed at the New-street railway station, Birmingham. A fine ship, the Enoch Train, having been chartered to convey a cargo of Mormons to the United States, en route to their settlement in Utah territory, 300 men and women, boys and girls, formed the contingent supply by the Birmingham district. They left by the half-past ten train. All seemed to belong to the working classes, and the proportion of the sexes was about equal. Many hundreds of their relatives and fellow saints assembled at the station to bid them farewell; and in spite of the efforts of an instrumental band to cheer the spirits of the females, some very affecting scenes were witnessed. They sail to-day from Liverpool. There will be 900 on board.

The British newspapers give us a very detailed report of an extraordinary occurrence as the ship Enoch Train left port – these newspaper articles are more fuller than the only accounts I’ve found of this incident in Mormon sources. Emily Hodgetts (later Lowder), a 15-year-old girl who boarded the Enoch Train with other members of her family, later wrote:

We went to Liverpool, expecting to sail on Wednesday on the steamer but the elders advised mother to wait and go on the sailing vessel. We stayed there from Wednesday until Saturday morning, then crossed the Mersey River. We stayed at a wonderful hotel. From there we were taken at twelve o’clock at night in a lifeboat to the vessel. The sailors carried us from the boat aboard the Enoch Train, March 18, 1856. There were six hundred and ninety Latter-day Saints aboard this vessel, among them were three girls whose transportation to Utah, mother had paid. I also remember Mrs. Catherine Bell. When father received the news he hastened to Liverpool with officers. He followed us, and we were still in the Irish Channel and not yet on the open sea. Father paid the captain of the vessel one hundred sovereigns to cast anchor for one hour. We all hid. His time was about expired when mother finally gave herself up. He did not force mother to go back but, through kind persuasion, telling her that he would sell out and come to Utah, she went home with him. I was fifteen and my sister, Maria, was seventeen. We came on alone to Boston.

There are two or three other accounts of similar brevity left by others. From John D.T. McAllister:

Sunday 23rd, A.M. At 6 o’clock the horn was blown, the decks were cleaned and at a past 7, the different wards assembled for prayers. About 8, we weighed anchor. Wind north, northeast, weather fair, was towed down river by the steamtug “Independence.” At half past 9, all the company was mustered to see if there were any stowaways found none. While the inspection was going on, a steamer came alongside with a Mr. Hodgetts and some detective officers to search the ship for the former’s family. Mrs. Hodgetts did not wish to go back although Mr. Hodgetts promised to sell his property and go to Zion with them, but by the persuasion of Elder Wheelock, Ferguson, and others, she consented to do so. Took three of her children with her and left two behind, age 17 and 15.

And from Andrew Smith:

Sunday, 23rd – Weighed anchor about 8 a.m. Wind north northeast. Weather fair. Was towed down the river by the steamtug “Independence.” About 9 a.m. a muster took place to seek for stowaways. While the inspection was going on a steamer came alongside with a Mr. Hodgetts and some detective officers to search the ship for the former’s family. Mrs. Hodgetts did not wish to go back, although Mr. H. [Hodges] promised to sell his property, and go to Zion with them. But by the persuasion of Elder Wheelock, [James] Ferguson, and others she was persuaded to do so, taking with her 2 girls and a boy and left 2 girls to proceed on their journey. After this things were settled we all passed the inspection with our tickets.

This account, from the Leeds Mercury (quoting from the Worcestershire Chronicle, and republished in abbreviated form in several other English newspapers), is far more graphic. Perhaps it doesn’t tell the entire story, at least not from the point of view of the Mormon members of the Hodgetts family, but I find little reason to question the details, and except for a little inevitable snark (“villainy” and “deluded” and “wicked passions of the priests” are relatively mild for journalistic reports of Mormon activities), even the tone, while negative isn’t too bad, or at least isn’t as bad as that of much mid-19th century journalism.

Latest Illustration of the Villainy of Mormonism

A few days ago the departure of a body of deluded persons from the Midland counties for the United States was briefly announced; but the public did not know (though those acquainted with the system might well enough imagine) the mischief which such a movement involved. The breaking up of one happy home (and such cases are numerous), the robbery of a hard working man, and the sacrifice of some of the family to the wicked passions of the priests of that “nest of unclean birds,” the Salt Lake community, are thus described by our respectable contemporary, the Worcestershire Chronicle: –

We have this week to tell a tale which will serve to expose the infatuation of the followers of Mormonism, and the villainy of its ‘apostles.’

On Spring-hill, Tallow-hill, in this city, lives Mr. Joseph Hodgetts, a coal dealer, who by industry and perseverance has accumulated considerable property. His wife, an active managing woman, supplied his lack of scholarship, and conducted his business at home, while he was engaged in voyages up the canal, with both thrift and shrewdness. They were blessed with several children, all well favoured, and they felt well enough off to adopt and bring up the child of a relative.

This picture of prosperity and domestic happiness was unmarred, till in an evil hour, an emissary of Mormonism darkened their door. The eldest son became enamoured of the picture drawn of present indulgence and future bliss which the ‘apostles’ of this detestable superstition know so well how to pain, and started off to America. By and by he came back, having attained to high office in the Mormon community, charged with the errand of inveigling others – ‘eligible parties’ who had plenty of money – to the Mormon settlements. He succeeded in inoculating is mother and sisters with the Mormon faith – they believed with all their hearts the wildest of Joe Smith’s stories, and every thought was turned to the far west.

Last week the signal was given by the leaders for a general Exodus, and the ‘saints’ from every part were ordered to embark in vessels chartered at Liverpool. The scene at New-street Station, Birmingham, where some three hundred persons from the Midland Counties set off for the northern port on this fool’s errand, is said to have been extraordinary enough. Amongst that crowd were Mrs. Hodgetts and her family.

Mr. Hodgetts had started on one of his usual voyages into the coal country. He left his home just as years of quiet and habit and domestic pleasure had endeared it to him, but when he returned on Saturday morning, he found it stripped and deserted; there was no welcome, and no voice to answer him as he stepped across the threshold. His wife had not only left him, but had induced all the children to accompany her, had taken away much ready cash which she had diligently collected from the customers, had drawn £314 by cheque out of the bank on the previous day, and had carried off everything portable – even the bred linen – from the house.

The poor man’s agony and distraction of mind can scarcely be imagined; he implored the aid of the police in recovering his wife and children, and Superintendent Chipp started with him on Saturday night to Liverpool on this almost hopeless errand.

They got to that town about three next morning, and of course immediately procured aid at the police-office there, but at such an hour it was very difficult to learn anything of the fugitives. After some hours’ inquiry, they ascertained that 400 Mormons had just set sail in the Enoch Trail [sic], a fine American ship, and it was reasonably supposed – but only supposed – that Mr. Hodgetts’ family were of the number.

It was to have sailed at four that morning, but had fortunately been detained till about seven. It was now between nine and ten, and with some difficulty, Mr. Chipp struck a bargain with the captain of a steam-tug, named the Great Conquest (a new tug-boat) and one of the fastest on the river,) to go in pursuit. The fires were fortunately alight, and steam was soon got up, but the little party were not much encouraged by the captain to hope that they would have any chance of overhauling the Enoch Trail, for she had been taken out to sea by a strong tug, and had all her sails set to a favouring breeze. They saw nothing of her till they had crossed the bar at the mouth of the Mersey, but the captain of the Great Conquest then made her out with his glass, and screwed down his safety-valves.

For two or three hours the chase continued; but it was clear that they gained fast on the big ship, and when within hailing distance, the captain fo the Enoch Trail slackened sail, supposing that her pursuers were Custom-house officers, and who had scented something wrong. As soon as the two vessels were lashed alongside, Superintendent Chipp and Mr. Hodgetts, with the Liverpool officer who had accompanied them, jumped aboard, and when they announced their errand the excitement amongst the Mormon emigrants was intense.

The captain took them into his cabin and asked to see the warrants under which they were acting. They had none, but that a husband should be robbed of his household and goods at once was felt by the captain, who had avowed himself no Mormon, to be an unendurable rascality, and he was evidently willing enough to render Hodgetts what assistance he could. The woman and children were, however, kept carefully out of sight between decks, and poor Hodgetts, who was more than half distracted, rendered the position which Mr. Chipp had taken up untenable by declaring that he did not wish to punish the runaways.

For an hour and a half did the officers and the captain and the Mormon leaders wrangle, the vessel all this time going further and further out to sea, and it was only by the firmness of Mr. Chipp, who declared that rather than fail in his mission he would accompany the vessel to Boston and denounce the whole party to the British authorities there, that the Mormon slave drivers consented to produce the woman, and let her have an interview with her husband.

The upshot of the matter was that the wife and youngest child were first of all handed into the tug, and when the husband still knelt on the bulwarks, the very picture of paternal distress, praying that yet more of his offspring might be restored to him, even the emigrants themselves began to murmur, and say that it was a shame to part a father and his children. The Mormon elders hereupon peremptorily ordered their insubordinate victims to go below; but the captain, finding now that he could do so safely, ordered the other two children, girls, about seven years of age, to be handed to their delighted parent, and the tug then cast herself loose to return to Liverpool.

The two eldest daughters, aged sixteen and eighteen, the latter a very fine young woman, obstinately refused to go back, and we shudder to think of the fate that is in store for them.

The errand of the Great Conquest had got wind in Liverpool, and numbers of people were anxiously waiting her return upon the quays.

Mr. Hodgetts is once more safely housed at home with his wife, but we understand she still positively declares that she will go to the Salt Lake some time or other. She has brought back with her a great part of the money she took, but not the whole.

To show the agitation into which the poor man was thrown, we may state that, from the time when he discovered his loss to the moment when he first caught sight of the vessel bearing away his treasures, he refused to taste a morsel of food, and repeatedly told Mr. Chipp that if he did not recover his wife and bairns he should throw himself into the sea. The tact, firmness, and promptitude of Superintendent Chipp throughout the whole affair cannot be too highly spoken of.

Did the two teenage girls reach Salt Lake City? Did their mother and the younger children emigrate later? I’ll leave those answers for a reader to discover, using FamilySearch Family Tree, and the two databases linked at the beginning of this post.