Susannah Stone: Mormon Pioneer

Our ancestor, Thomas Stone (1796-1862) had an Aunty called Anna Maria Stone (Abt 1744- ) who married Edmund Stone (Abt 1751-1786) in Bristol on 24 December 1776. As far as I know Edmund was not related in any other way to our family. They had a great-granddaughter called Susannah Stone (1830-1920) who was therefore the Third Cousin of my Grandfather, Alfred Withers Stone (1867-1929). Susannah was born on 24 December 1830 in Bristol to William Stone (1805-1886) and his wife Dianna nee Grant (1805-1873). We have Susannah’s own account of her journey from Liverpool to Salt Lake City in Utah, copied by her Great Granddaughter—Mary Anne Hogan Yorgason in 2006.

I, Susannah Stone Lloyd, being impressed to make a sketch of my life, will endeavor to do so. I was the first of eight children born to honest parents, in the town of Bristol, England, December 24, 1830. My father was William Stone, a master painter, born in London. My mother, Diana Grant Stone, was born in Glostershire, England. My grandmother’s maiden name was Sherman. She married a Mr. Hall. After becoming a widow, she married my grandfather Grant, who came to America in the early days.

My father’s people belonged to the Church of England, mother’s people to the Wesleyan. I attended the Wesleyan Sunday School. I used to read the scriptures and wish that I had lived in the days of Apostles and Prophets, not knowing then that the Everlasting Gospel had been restored to the earth. When I heard it preached by the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it caused my heart to rejoice and I hailed it with joy! I was baptized about 1848, when I was seventeen. At that time, I went out to service and was employed by a retired gentleman, making it possible for me to save my money to go to America. I had the usual experience of young converts in those days opposition and advice to stay away from Mormons. Even though my parents, relatives and friends did all in their power to keep me from going to America, I was absolutely converted. I had the spirit of gathering and the Lord opened up my way and I came to Utah in 1856 with the Hand Cart Company. Brother Willey was our captain, Millen Atwood his counselor. I have seen that the hand of the Lord has been over me for good from my earliest childhood and I know that His Holy Spirit has been my constant guide and companion. I shall never forget the many manifestations of the Lord’s goodness and blessings unto me and mine.

We (764 converts under the direction of James Willie) left Liverpool on the ship Thornton, May; 2. The first part of the journey was good. While crossing the Atlantic, the people’s gallery or cook house took fire and burned down, this caused a great excitement but through the blessings of the Lord, we were saved. We landed in New York, the latter part of June

After we landed we came up to the Hudson River in a steam boats and continued by railroad cars until we came to the frontier which we called Iowa Camp Grounds. We stayed there several weeks while our hand carts and tents were being finished. Oxen drew the wagons that brought our provisions, tents and clothing to last the journey. This was brought over one thousand miles on our hand carts. The rest was brought the next season by the Walker Brothers.

After we had proceeded quite a distance on our journey, we lost quite a number of our cattle which drew the provisions. Some supposed that they were stampeded by Indians or buffalo. On account of the loss of cattle, it became necessary for each hand cart to take an additional load, but each taking a share of the provisions that were left. We met several tribes of Indians going east to war. It was in the year 1856, when Colonel Babbitt was doing business with the United States Government. Babbitt and his teamsters were massacred. They were a day or two ahead of us with a train of goods which was seized by the Indians. We met a tribe with an interpreter who told us all about the circumstances but we were not discouraged. We traveled on and felt that the Lord would protect His saints, and so He did. Although we passed through many trying scenes, His protecting care was over us. After we left Iowa, we traveled about one hundred miles and came to Florence, Nebraska. We left there sometime in August 1856. By this time we had grown accustomed to traveling and made better headway. Due to our loosing our cattle and having to camp on the plains for several weeks, it threw us late in the season and made our provisions short the latter part of the journey.

All our earthly possessions in the beginning were placed on the frail handcarts which became worn and rickety until it was impossible to carry the load further. Many of our articles of clothing had to be discarded at the time they would be needed the most. Traveling as we were with scant clothing and lack of sufficient food, we suffered greatly from the severe cold and walking in the deep snow. I often think of the song we used to sing to encourage us on our toilsome journey. It was hard to endure but the Lord gave us strength and courage. Yes, the Lord has multiplied blessings upon my head and I praise His Holy Name and pray that I may be worthy of the many blessings that are promised to the faithful. After we had traveled about seven hundred miles, our provisions became short so our captain bought up all the biscuits and flour that he could get in Laramie. We had to live on short rations. One bitter cold night in the mountains, a number of our older people died, sixteen being buried at one time.

We waded through the cold streams many times but we murmured not for our faith in God and our testimony of His work were supreme. In the blizzards and falling snow, we sat under our hand cart and sang, “Come, come, ye, saints, no toil nor labor fear, but with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day and etc. Only once did my courage fail. One cold dreary afternoon, my feet having been frosted, I felt I could go no further and withdrew from the little company and sat down to wait the end, being somewhat in a stupor. After a time, I was aroused by a voice which seemed as audible as anything could be and which spoke to my very soul of the promises and blessing I had received and which should surely be fulfilled and that I had a mission to perform in Zion. I received strength and was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and arose and traveled on with a light heart. I received strength and was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and arose and traveled on with a light heart. As I reached camp, I found a searching party ready to go back to find me, dead or alive. I had no relatives but many dear and devoted friends and we did al we could to aid and encourage each other. My frosted feet gave me considerable trouble for many years but this was forgotten in the contemplation of the many blessings the Gospel has brought to me and mine.

I had many chances to marry in England but we were advised to wait until we got to Zion. A young man (Cox) whom I had kept company with in England but would not promise to marry, as I wanted to be free, died en route and was buried on the plains with many others. I inherited his shoes and walked into the valley wearing them.

While we were traveling through the United States, the people tried to discourage us by telling us there was famine in Utah, that the grasshoppers had eaten up everything and that there had been a grasshopper war, etc., but we traveled on, trusting in God.

When we were within about a hundred miles from Sale Lake, our captain had a dream that a company was coming from Salt Lake to meet us. Brigham Young got a lot of our brethren to come with provisions, buffalo robes and blankets. You may guess the joy that was in camp the day they arrived. We were near Fort Bridger when they met us and we rode in the wagons the rest of the way but we had walked over one thousand miles. When we got near the City, we tried to make ourselves as presentable as we could to meet our friends. I had sold my little looking glass to the Indians for buffalo meat, so I borrowed one and I shall never forget how I looked. Some of my old friends did not know me; we were so weather beaten and tanned. When we got near Salt Lake Valley, President Young with a company of our brethren and sisters came out to meet us and bade us welcome. When we got into the city, Wednesday November 5, 1856, we were made very comfortable until we met our friends and relatives.

Among others who came to meet their friends, was a handsome young man, Thomas Lloyd, who had immigrated the previous year, 1855, from Wover Hampton, England. Having been here a year, he was curious about who was in the belated handcart company and made a trip from Farmington to satisfy his curiosity. He saw me sitting on a wagon tongue holding a baby in my arms. He thought I looked rather lonely; he spoke to the child first and then to me and found that I had no relatives who were expecting me, so he offered to take me to his humble home until I could find a place to live. He had settled in Farmington, Davis, County, and had already a small cabin which served as home and workshop; a large room he used as a harness shop and a lean where he slept and ate. That night Thomas slept at the home of a neighbor and I slept in his bed. He had proved his integrity to his newly found faith by renouncing everything offered by a wealthy maiden aunt who had raised him, his parents having died when he was but two years old, and he would have fallen heir to her fortune, but was cut off because he did not renounce Mormonism. He had learned a trade, however, that of saddle making, which proved a great blessing in the new country. We were both favorably impressed at our first meeting. Thomas who had no difficulty in providing his character was as good as his looks, sought a satisfactory recommendation from his Bishop (Hess) and on advice of President Young, we decided to get married that next day, Thursday November 6, 1856. Thomas was looking for a ring and Bishop Hess suggested that the blacksmith would take care of that. At that time, Thomas gave me the yoke he had left over after having driven the ox-team across the plains.

The fulfillment of the blessings which had been pronounced upon my head concerning my numerous posterity began to be realized and in the following year our first son, Thomas W. Lloyd was born. The following year, Johnson’s Army came to Utah and we had to move South under very trying circumstances. After this scare was over we were glad to get back to our homes again. We remained in Farmington until about 1864, when it became necessary for us to procure more land to take care of our growing family. We lived in forts, when Wellsville was first settled, to protect us from the Indians. The grasshoppers and crickets were very troublesome and ate up many of our crops but we managed with the help of the Lord to take care of our growing and by this time, numerous family. We were blessed with ten sons and four daughters, all of them healthy and all members of the faith for which their parents had sacrificed and this is a joy to me in my declining years.

As Cache Valley became more settled and the Lord blessed the land for our sakes, and although we have suffered many hardships, we have never murmured or felt to regret the sacrifice we made.

After my companion died, I sold my home in Wellsville and moved to Logan, where several of my children were living and I have lived to realize the promises made by the patriarch that my age should be renewed ten years, and that my last days should be my best.