John BLACKHAM

                   SOURCES:
    1. Ashton-under-lyne Branch film #1356 Pt 2
    2. Marriage Certificate
    3. Blackham Family Bible
    4. Moroni Ward film #026198
    5. 1900 Cansus of Utah film #124913
    6. New.FamilySearch.org Jun 2010

HISTORICAL NOTES:
    Biographical information included in notes


HISTORY: John Blackham Sr.
1827-1900

          John Blackham, Sr., the first child of Samuel and Martha Robinson Blackham, was born in the town of Heaton Norris, Lancashire, England on November 14, 1827.  Heaton Norris is a small town in the parish of Manchester.
          Lancashire County in the 1800s was known for its large cotton mills and many inhabitants were connected with the cotton industry.  John was a cotton spinner by trade but his father was a "Smith" and nail maker.
          Brother John Taylor and Cyrus Wheelock were among the missionaries that came to England and converted the Blackham family.  John Blackham was baptized by T.J. Schofield on April 4, 1849, and confirmed by John Albiston April 29, 1949.  His mother had joined in 1847, and most of his brothers and sisters joined but there is no record of his father ever being baptized.
          John married Susannah Lees April 20, 1851, John was 23 and Susannah was 20.  At this time neither one could read or write because they signed their wedding certificate with an "X" mark.  Both families were living on George Street in Ashton Under Lyne when they married. Plus both families were members of the Ashton Under Lyne Branch of the Church.  Susannah had been baptized several years earlier in July of 1848.
          They made their home at 47 Victoria Street in Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England, where they had two girls.  Elizabeth was born March 5, 1852 and Martha on the 8th of September 1853.
          John and Susannah decided to emigrate to Zion and were registered to leave on the ship "Elvira Owens" in 1853 with John's brother, James and Susannah's parents, John and Betty, and two younger brothers, George (13) and Josiah (11).  But for some reason John and Susannah and children waited two years and came on the ship "Samuel Curling" that departed from Liverpool the 22nd of April 1855.  Susannah's two brother's Joseph (26), and John (22), and John's wife, Martha Needham, were also on the ship with them.
          They were very poor and came with the help of the Perpetual Emigration Fund.  The P.E.F., as it was known, was set up by the Church to fund the emigration of the poor.   Everyone was expected to pay back the money they had borrowed so others could also come to Zion.
          In a meeting at Liverpool before they left, Brother D. Spencer and Franklin D. Richards both prophesied that if the Saints would do right on board the S. Curling they would have a good voyage and not a soul would die, but if we would not do right it would prove the unhappy reverse to them.
          There were 581 members of the Church on board, with Elder Israel Barlow (the half-brother of Julia Ann Lockwood) a returning missionary was their leader.  The Saints were divided into seven Wards.  During the voyage there were several storms, with one that was quite severe.  Elder Barlow afterwards told some of the Saints that while the storm was raging he saw the ship surrounded by scores of angels, who stood in a circle around it with joined hands.  This was a testimony to the Saints that the Lord was watching over the ship, and that there was no danger.  There were no deaths on this journey.
          They arrived in New York on May 22, 1855.  The emigrants continued by rail to Pittsburgh, then by steamboat on the Missouri River to Atchison, Kansas.  They were outfitted at Mormon Grove, Kansas on 4 August 1855.

HISTORY:         John and Susannah joined the 8th and last wagon train company of the year 1855, with Captain Milo Andrus.  There were 461 people with this company, and this was a Perpetual Emigration Fund Train.
          As they traveled westward from Mormon Grove, the sound of the bugler aroused the Saints at six o'clock.  Families would then attend prayers, prepare breakfast and make everything ready to start the day's journey by eight o'clock.  En route, each teamster walked by the side of his wagon.  All able-bodied immigrants walked most of the way, and according to Captain Andrus they "rejoiced to be on their way to Zion."
         They were late in the season and while crossing the South Pass ran into some snow for several days and lost some cattle.  Many men, women and children were almost barefoot and very destitute of clothing.  Thankfully it warmed up in a few days and they did not have any more snow.  By the time Milo's company reached Green River, they were so depleted of animals that they were unable "to roll."  From there, the Captain dispatched two men to Fort Bridger in quest of animals to help them in their travels.
          Word reached President Brigham Young of the destitute condition of Captain Andrus' train and supplies and oxen were sent to help.  Despite their problems the companuy arrived in the valley on 24 October 1855.
          John and Susannah settled in Salt Lake City on what is known as 5th West Street.  While living in Salt Lake they had their first son and third child, William, born October 31, 1856.
          At the October Conference of 1856, President Brigham Young asked for volunteers to go and relieve the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company.  John Blackham was the first man to respond, because he knew that in the company were his mother, sister Sarah, and brothers Samuel and Thomas.  President Brigham Young then dismissed the conference, and promised protection to them by the U. S. government.  At this time, John Blackham as working for Heber C. Kimball.  He happened to meet him, as he was on his way with what provisions he had gathered.  He said, Brother John, where are you going?  He answered that he was going to relieve the handcart company.  Well then, come with me.  They went to the tithing office where Brother Kimball supplied him with clothes, food, two oxen and a couple more men.  One was Cyrus Wheelock, an old sea captain, who with President John Taylor had converted the Blackham's to the Gospel in England.
          The men placed their quilts, clothing, corn and food in the old government wagon and started on their errand of mercy.  The snow was 18 inches deep.  Brother Wheelock rode a horse.  When they reached the summit of Big Little Mountain, they saw smoke issuing from a distant grove of trees.  At first sight they thought it was Indians, but upon going nearer they saw it was the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company.  Brother Wheelock on his horse reached there first and heard Thomas cry out, Here comes our Jack.  Never had there been a more happy reunion.  Tears would flow from his eyes, as he would relate the story.  He said, Never have I received a more welcome greeting.  When this help came they had no food except four pounds of flour for each person left in camp.  They had cooked rawhide to obtain some nourishment.  At one time they had buried 17 persons in a snow bank.  The survivors were so thin they almost looked like skeletons.  Little Billy Wareworth lost his father and mother.  But Johns mother, Martha, took him to her heart.  He rode with his little feet hanging over the side of the wagon and they froze, causing his death after they reached Salt Lake City.  All rode in the wagons, as they were too weak to walk.  President Brigham Young along with many others met them outside the city and tears of joy rolled down his face when he saw they were rescued.

          John and his family settled in Salt Lake and obtained work at Kaysworth, now Kaysville.  He walked to and from work each day and received for his wages one pound of flour a day.  Then he went to Fillmore with Charlie Kemp, a millwright, who later married his sister Sarah.  While working there on a millrace, he earned a yoke of oxen and a cow.  Later, when John returned to Salt Lake, he carried a flapjack to his family, knowing that they were in such destitute circumstances.

HISTORY:         The seven Blackham families moved to Nephi, but not long after that, they were called by Brigham Young to settle Moroni under the leadership of George Bradley and his family.  They built a dugout on the bottom of the Sanpitch River, but later, upon the advice of President Young, they moved North upon higher land.

HISTORY:         A son, John Blackham, Jr., was born to John and Susannah on August 8, 1859.  He was the first child born in the new settlement of Moroni.  They had seven more children in Moroni: Josiah, Samuel, Susannah, Alma, Betsy, Benjamin and Mary Jane.  Susannah and Benjamin died as children.

          The land was divided up into five-acre lots and he kept that land until his death.  In his later years, he planted potatoes in part of it; then gathered his grandchildren to help him harvest them.  It was a happy day for the children.  His grandchildren can well remember his voice calling to them, Shift up, shift up, when they became slack in their work.  Almost every day he would call, in his buggy and old gray horse, and take them riding often through the fields and in the hills to gather wild flowers.  He was a great lover of children.

          He, with his three sons, were among the first to work on the Manti Temple, and he took an active part in the Black Hawk War, holding the rank of 2nd Lt..  He was in the Salina Canyon Engagement.  He was a stockholder and director in the Co-op Store and Land Company, and also Chairman of the Committee of the town cowherd, and hay meadow committee.  His duty was to see that all the hay was watered.  He was a member of the High Priests Quorum and served with Brother Lars Swenson for many years as head Ward Teacher of the Moroni Ward.  For 18 years he held the position of Sunday School Superintendent, also teaching the Primary Class.  It is told he had wonderful discipline and it became very quiet the moment he came in to the classroom.  He will always be remembered for his singing in the Sunday School.  He made one trip to St. George with provisions for the temple workers.

HISTORY:         He went on a mission to Michigan, but after 6 months was forced to return because of illness.  At one town, he and his companion were warned to leave the place or they would be tarred and feathered.  They left the next day for another small town.  While they were walking along the street a little girl come running and asked them if they were Mormon Missionaries.  When she was told that they were, she said, Mother wants to see you.  It developed that they had been Mormons for sixteen years and had not dared to let it be known.

HISTORY:         John Blackham, Sr. married a second time to Elizabeth Catrine Nielsen in July of 1863, after more than 20 years they were divorced.  They had two children, John W. and Annie.

HISTORY:         John died May 14, 1900 at the age of 78 in Moroni, Sanpete County, Utah.


HISTORY: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Utah census John appears twice, once with his wife Susannah and once with his other wife Elizabeth.

HISTORY: BLACKHAM, John	<1828>	S.Curling	1855
	Gender:	M	Age:	27	Origin:	Asthon Under Lyne	Occ:	Cotton Spinner
	Note:	BMR, p.169; "Ordered from Great Salt Lake City" (BMR).
BLACKHAM, Susannah	<1831>	S.Curling	1855
	Gender:	F	Age:	24	Origin:	Asthon Under Lyne
BLACKHAM, Elizabeth	<1853>	S.Curling	1855
	Gender:	F	Age:	2	Origin:	Asthon Under Lyne
BLACKHAM, Martha	<1854>	S.Curling	1855
	Gender:	F	Age:	1	Origin:	Asthon Under Lyne
Ship:	S.Curling
	Date of Departure:	22 Apr 1855
          Port of Departure:	Liverpool, England
	LDS Immigrants:	581	Church Leader:	Israel Barlow
	Date of Arrival:	22 May 1855	Port of Arrival:	New York, New York
	Source(s):	BMR, Book #1040, pp. 169-191 (FHL #025,690); Customs #376 (FHL #419,652)
	Notes:	"DEPARTURE OF THE S. CURLING. -- The ship S. Curling cleared on the 21st ultimo, and put to sea on the 22nd, with 581 souls of the Saints on board, of whom 385 were P. [Perpetual] E. [Emgration] Fund emigrants, all under the presidency of Elder Israel Barlow, formerly pastor of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Conferences.  He is accompanied by Elder John Barker, late pastor; Elders John Robinson, Matthew Rowan, George W. Bramwell, Joseph Westwood, Thomas Caffall, Joseph Boath, John Perry, formerly presidents of conferences; Moses Thurston, travelling elder; also Elder William W. Willes, who is on his way home from an arduous mission in the East Indies; and Elder G. W. Burridge from Malta.  These brethren leave these lands with our confidence and faith that they will live to realize the blessings in Zion which they so fondly anticipate.   The sailing of the S. Curling closes up the through emigration from hence to Utah this season."


HISTORY: "EMIGRATION. . . . The ship S. Curling, S. Curling, master, arrived at this port on the 22nd ultimo; Elder Israel Barlow, president.  She had when she left Liverpool 581 passengers on board, and had an increase of three on the passage, and no deaths; thus she had a net increase of three.  Most of the passengers left on the 24th by way of Philadelphia, en route for the Valley; the remainder of those who were going forward, went on the 25th.  All in good health and spirits."


HISTORY: "EIGHTY-SEVENTH COMPANY. -- Samuel Curling, 581 souls.  On the twenty-second of April, 1855, the ship, Samuel Curling, sailed from Liverpool with five hundred and eighty-one Saints on board, of whom three hundred and eighty-five were P. [Perpetual] E. [Emigration] Fund emigrants, all under the presidency of Elder Israel Barlow, who had acted as pastor of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Conferences.  William Willis, on his return from a mission to India, and other prominent elders embarked on the Samuel Curling, which, after a safe and pleasant passage, arrived in New York on Tuesday, the twenty-second of May.  During the voyage three children were born, and as there were no deaths on board the net increase was that number.  Elder Peter Reid, who emigrated to America as a passenger in the Samuel Curling, in 1855, and who now resides in the Sixteenth Ward, Salt Lake City, told the writer some time ago that the ship encountered several storms in her passage across the Atlantic, but that she passed safely through them all.  In the midst of one of these storms the captain got somewhat disheartened, and declared to Brother Barlow, the president of the company of emigrants, that he, in his long experience as a seafaring man, had never encountered a worse one; he then added that the tempest had not reached its highest point yet, but that the next half hour would be worse still.  Brother Barlow, in reply, told the captain that the storm was nearly over, and would not increase in violence.  This bold remark of Brother Barlow made the captain angry, as he thought he knew more about the weather and the sea than anyone else on board; but on going into his cabin to examine his barometer and other nautical instruments, he found that Brother Barlow was right; the storm abated almost immediately.  Elder Barlow afterwards told some of the Saints that while the storm was raging he saw the ship surrounded by scores of angels, who stood in a circle around it with joined hands.  This was a testimony to the Saints that the Lord was watching over the ship, and that there was no danger.  Most of the passengers left New York en route for the Valley on the twenty-fourth, going by steamboat via Amboy to Philadelphia, where the emigrants were placed on the railway train, and left Philadelphia on Friday the 25th, about noon, arriving in Pittsburgh on the morning of the twenty-seventh, (Sunday.)  The same day the P. [Perpetual] E. [Emigration] Fund emigrants of the Samuel Curling joined the like passengers who had crossed the Atlantic in the Chimborazo, and on the steamship Amazon they continued the journey to St. Louis, whence they proceeded to Atchison, Kansas.  Some of the Samuel Curling passengers remained in New York