James ELLISON

                   Historical information included in notes.



James & Alice Ellison were a young couple living in Lancashire, England in 1850 when they read a book which changed the whole course of their lives. It was the Book of Mormon. They were baptized into the LDS Church on 8 March 1851. With some financial assistance from one of Mr. Ellison's sisters they were able to get passage on the ship "Elvira Owen" on 15 Feb 1853 & arrived in New Orleans, 23 March 1853. There had been an outbreak of small pox on board but the Ellisons were spared They had 5 children: Ellen 11 yrs, George 9, John 6, Jane 4 & Mary 3, when they started their journey by covered wagon towards the Valley of the Great Salt Lake on 3 May 1853. At Keokule, Iowa another daughter was born (Alice) their last child.An interesting side light of the journey was that Mrs. Ellison ownedsome flat irons which she was determined to bring with her. They wereheavy & the family was sharing the wagon of another family. Everytimethey would come to a hard pull, the father of the other family would say, "Sister Ellison, you must get rid of those flat irons." So Grandma Ellison would take them out of the wagon & give one to each of the girls to carry--then after they were over the hump she'd smuggle them into the wagon again. Needless to say, the irons got to Utah & were almost the only ones in Nephi when the Ellisons settled there. The irons were borrowed by all the neighbors. One of these irons is on exhibit at the DUP Memorial Building at the head of Main Street in Salt Lake City Two of the daughters, Ellen & Mary married brothers, John & James Bennett. The other 2 daughters, Jane & Alice also married brothers Andrew & David Park, so there are as many Parks & Bennetts among the descendents as there are Elisons.There were 57 grandchildren--11 of them are still living. We've found the Ellisons are surely are a wonderful bunch of fine friendly people. You might be interested in knowing that we have a strong Catholic branch onthe family tree, also a branch with some Indian blood in it. The Ellisons were never rich or famous, but they worked hard, raisedlarge families and like others of their time who helped to build America, they were strong and good.Copied from the ancestral files of Joyce Brownlow.

James was baptized in 1851 . He and his wife, having a great desire to join the saints in America but not the means, prayed for a way to open up. Finally his sister and her husband, who were well off, offered to pay their way. So they came together. A little girl was born to them in Keokuk, Iowa . Sometime after their arrival in the Valley, they went to live in Kaysville, Utah . They went south with the other saints and stopped in Nephi where they built a home. James , being a stone mason, helped build the wall around the settlement. 


Ship: Elvira OwenDate of Departure: 15 Feb 1853 Port of Departure: Liverpool, EnglandLDS Immigrants: 345 Church Leader: Joseph W. YoungDate of Arrival: 31 Mar 1853 Port of Arrival: New Orleans, LouisianaSource(s): BMR, Book #1044, pp. 104-119 (FHL #025,690); Customs (FHL #200,173)Notes: "DEPARTURES. -- Elder Joseph W. Young, late president of the Preston Conference, and Elder Jonathan Midgley, late president of the Manchester Conference, with a company of 345 souls, under the presidency of Elder Young, sailed on board the Elvira Owen, for New Orleans, on the 15th of February. These two brethren have labored faithfully in this land as ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ; now they have the privilege of going home to Zion, to help still further to roll on the work of the Lord, and build up and establish his kingdom. By letter, from Elder Young, we learn that, when the steam-tug left the vessel, the Saints appeared comfortable and in harmony, having a good prospect of a pleasant voyage. One birth and two marriages had occurred on board, since their embarkation. . . .""SIXTY-FOURTH COMPANY. -- Elvira Owen. -- 345 Saints. Under the direction of Joseph W. Young, who had presided over the Preston Conference, a company of three hundred and forty-five Saints sailed from Liverpool on the fifteenth of February, 1853, on board the ship Elvira Owen. Among the emigrating Saints was Jonathan Midgley who had presided over the Manchester Conference. On the twenty-third of March, 1853, after a most speedy voyage lasting only thirty-six days, the Elvira Owen arrived at the bar at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Three births, three marriages and three deaths occurred during the voyage. There were a few cases of small-pox, which, however, did not prove fatal, and the disease did not spread to any great extent. Captain Owen treated the Saints with much kindness, especially the sick, and a memorial, expressive of their gratitude for his fatherly conduct to all, was presented to him by the passengers. After being detained at the bar several days the Elvira Owen was towed up the river, and the emigrants landed in New Orleans on the thirty-first of March. Proceeding up the Mississippi River the emigrants arrived in Keokuk on the thirteenth of April, being two days short of two months from Liverpool, which was considered an extraordinarily rapid journey. (Millennial Star, Vol. XV, pp.154, 288 and 361)."