The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 10–21 January 1844

Source Note

, , Lancashire, England, to JS and the , [, Hancock Co., IL], 10–21 Jan. 1844; handwriting of ; twenty-four pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes docket.
Originally six bifolia measuring 9⅞ × 8 inches (25 × 20 cm). The pages are hand paginated, usually in the upper outside corners. The letter was apparently trifolded twice in letter style and later folded in various ways. The central folds of the first and third bifolia are completely separated, resulting in four individual leaves. The document has undergone conservation. There is some loss of text from holes and tears along folds.
The document was docketed by , who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1853 to 1859. The letter was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early docket, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “Obituary of Leo Hawkins,” Millennial Star, 30 July 1859, 21:496–497.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  2. [2]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [3], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  3. [3]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

From 10 to 21 January 1844, , president of the ’s British mission, drafted a letter to JS and the in , Illinois, to report on happenings within the mission. Missionaries first arrived in Great Britain in 1837, and Hedlock had previously served there from 1840 to 1841. In May 1843, Hedlock was appointed to preside over the British mission with and as counselors. Clark had been in Great Britain as a missionary since 1842, and Ward, a native Englishman, had helped publish the church newspaper there. Ward also presided over the mission from late 1842 until Hedlock replaced him. After Hedlock reached , England, in September 1843, he estimated that church membership in the British Isles had grown to between eight and nine thousand.
began his letter to JS and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 10 January 1844, writing from the mission office in . In this letter, Hedlock recounted his activities since arriving in Great Britain, starting with his attendance at regional church in Glasgow and Edinburgh in November 1843 and a trip to . While in London, Hedlock learned of two separate drowning incidents that took place during the performance of in November 1843. The victims were Sarah Cartwright, who was swept into a brook near Coppenhall, England, after her baptism, and a Latter-day Saint who was administering baptisms in Sheffield, England. Hedlock stated that the drownings stirred up negative perceptions of the church, and he recounted the criminal trial held for Jonathan Pugmire, the who baptized Cartwright, and her husband, Thomas Cartwright, who tried to rescue his wife. Pugmire and Thomas Cartwright were ultimately acquitted for want of available witnesses for the prosecution and substantial evidence.
As the of the British mission, oversaw the use of church funds and facilitated the migration of British Saints to via passage across the Atlantic Ocean. In his letter to JS and the apostles, Hedlock detailed some recent expenditures of church funds, including the payment of taxes and fare for British converts traveling to Nauvoo, and asked for more direction from church leaders on how to sustain the church’s finances in Great Britain. The previous year, church leaders had instructed mission leaders to halt publication of the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, the church’s newspaper printed in . During his travels among the British Saints, Hedlock learned that many members had been confused by the shutdown of the paper, and he planned to circulate the Millennial Star again, in part to advertise upcoming ship departures to the .
finished the letter on 21 January and sent it to JS and the apostles in by way of Latter-day Saint William Kay, who left for the on 23 January with over two hundred Saints aboard the Fanny. Kay reached in early March and then boarded the Maid of Iowa, which arrived in Nauvoo on 13 April 1844. JS greeted these immigrants in person, but it is not known when or to whom Kay delivered the letter. As the letter was addressed to JS first, he presumably read it sometime in mid-April. In addition to also addressing the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the letter singled out president and apostle . The response to Hedlock’s letter, possibly assigned by JS, was written by Young and Richards on 3 May 1844. Young and Richards counseled Hedlock to raise as much money as he could through publishing church materials. They also advised him not to use the church’s resources to fund any more emigration expenses. Hedlock’s original letter is featured here.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Historical Introduction to Recommendation for Heber C. Kimball, between 2 and 13 June 1837.

  2. [2]

    “Extracts from the Record of the Twelve, for the Use and Benefit of Elder Reuben Hedlock, and through Him to the Parties Concerned,” ca. 28 June 1843, pp. 1–3, copy, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; see also Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 11 and 23 May 1843; and “Editorial,” Millennial Star, Oct. 1843, 4:94.

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  3. [3]

    “Extract from Elder Hiram Clark’s Journal, and Address to the Saints in the British Islands,” Millennial Star, Feb. 1844, 4:147–148; Church of England, Parish Church of Ludlow, Shropshire, England, Bishop’s Transcripts, 1661–1853, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1754–1817, microfilm 1,593,872, British Isles Record Collection, FHL; Masthead, Millennial Star, Jan. 1844, 4:144; Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843; “Ward, Thomas,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 4:320.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

    British Isles Record Collection. FHL.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

  4. [4]

    Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843. Hedlock departed New York City aboard the Columbus and arrived in Liverpool on 30 September 1843.

  5. [5]

    “Extracts from the Record of the Twelve, for the Use and Benefit of Elder Reuben Hedlock, and through Him to the Parties Concerned,” ca. 28 June 1843, p. 3, copy, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; see also Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 23 May 1843.

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

  6. [6]

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 23 May 1843; see also Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 3 Oct. 1843; and Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843.

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

  7. [7]

    Kay was baptized in England in August 1837. Before emigrating to Nauvoo, he served a mission in his home country and presided over the Herefordshire conference. (“Kay, William, jun.,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 4:549; “Manchester Conference,” Millennial Star, Feb. 1843, 3:175.)

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  8. [8]

    Reuben Hedlock, Liverpool, England, to Brigham Young and Willard Richards, [Nauvoo, IL], 1 and 9 Feb. 1844, Brigham Young Office Files, CHL; William Kay, New Orleans, LA, to Reuben Hedlock et al., Liverpool, England, 9 Mar. 1844, in Millennial Star, Apr. 1844, 4:202.

    Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  9. [9]

    William Kay, New Orleans, LA, to Reuben Hedlock et al., Liverpool, England, 9 Mar. 1844, in Millennial Star, Apr. 1844, 4:202; JS, Journal, 13 Apr. 1844. Passengers aboard the Maid of Iowa experienced significant delays because the shaft of the waterwheel broke three times due to the vessel being overloaded. (James Jones, “near Nauvoo,” Hancock Co., IL, to Henry Jones, [England], 10 June 1844, typescript, Henry Jones, Correspondence, CHL.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

    Jones, Henry. Correspondence, 1844–1895. CHL.

  10. [10]

    JS, Journal, 13 Apr. 1844.

  11. [11]

    Brigham Young and Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, to Reuben Hedlock, Liverpool, England, 3 May 1844, draft, Brigham Young Office Files, CHL.

    Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1.

Page 5

after Staying With the in the Edingbourgh 11 days During Which tine I visited the of the church in fifeshire and preachd almost Every night Besides traveling several mils on foot <​During the day​> (there is much oposission in this Destrict of Country) I took Leave of them and went on bord of the stemer Leith Nove 29th. at 3 o clock P. M. Many of the Saints acompanid me from Edinburgh 3 miles to see me safe on bord the stemer for We Left Leith under a fair Brisk Breace from the East on the morning of the 30 we were sailing along the chalk Banks of the Coast of Yorkshire in the German ocean it was a Cleare Day but very Cold I was some sick on the morning of the 1st of Dec we Enetered the Mouth of the Noble River thames which was filled with more than one hundred sail of various Sizes under ful sail before a fair wind passing and Repasing each other on their Way up <​and Down​> the River to <​and​> the great Matropolis of the British Empier this is indeed a great city Where Dwells the Queen the Lords Princes and nobels of the Earth togeather with Every grade of soicity to the Beggar up on the dung hill indeed all kinds of Religeon flurish here Except that of Latterday Saints which Seams almost choked with the Words <​Creeds​> of diferent Sects I arived at the house of Brother James Atherton No. 13 Quickset Row opposit Fitsroy Square New Road Where I found & the Latter having Left Ireland the Week Before Where he had Been preaching with Elder With Little Sucess and accompanid to this place Where they arived on the 29 of Nove Gave me a Letter Writen to him from crewe in cheshire Stating that Elder Jonathan Pugmier [Pugmire] the of a small Branch of the church in Crewe Railroad Works While in the act of Sarah Cartwright and after he had Raised her on her feet the Bank gave way <​Being sandy​> by their w[e]ight upon it and the violence of the [p. 5]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 5

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 10–21 January 1844
ID #
1247
Total Pages
24
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Reuben Hedlock

Footnotes

  1. [15]

    The General Steam Navigation Company, based in London, launched the steamer Leith from Leith, Scotland, in April 1837. At the time of its completion, the Leith was the largest vessel ever built in Scotland. It was intended to carry passengers and goods back and forth between Leith and London. (“Launch of the Steam Ship ‘Leith,’” Caledonian Mercury [Edinburgh], 8 Apr. 1837, [3].)

    Caledonian Mercury. Edinburgh. 1720–1867.

  2. [16]

    Leith is a Scottish port town northeast of Edinburgh.

  3. [17]

    “The chalk Banks of the Coast of Yorkshire” is likely a reference to the famous chalk cliffs at Flamborough Head promontory. (Bird, Encyclopedia of the World’s Coastal Landforms, 463.)

    Bird, Eric C. F., ed. Encyclopedia of the World’s Coastal Landforms. New York: Springer, 2010.

  4. [18]

    The German Ocean was another name for the North Sea. (Sheahan and Whellan, History and Topography of the City of York, 1:3.)

    Sheahan, J. J., and T. Whellan. History and Topography of the City of York; the Ainsty Wapentake; and the East Riding of Yorkshire; Embracing a General Review of the Early History of Great Britain, and a General History and Description of the County of York. 2 vols. Beverley, England: John Green, 1855.

  5. [19]

    According to his account in the Millennial Star, Hedlock’s journey from Leith to London took fifty hours. (“Extract from Elder Hedlock’s Journal,” Millennial Star, Jan. 1844, 4:130.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  6. [20]

    Queen Victoria.

  7. [21]

    Church membership in London and southeastern England was relatively small compared to membership in northwestern England. In June 1843, several branches in London combined for 266 members, while Manchester had 1,481, Liverpool had 558, and Preston had 655. (“General Conference,” Millennial Star, July 1843, 4:33–34.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  8. [22]

    Fitzroy Square is located about a mile and a half north of Buckingham Palace. The New Road was directly north of the square. (London, 1843 [London: Chapman and Hall, 1844].)

    London, 1843. London: Chapman and Hall, 1843. Digital image at David Rumsey Map Collection, accessed 10 Sept. 2020, http://www.davidrumsey.com.

  9. [23]

    Cairns was ordained an elder in 1840 and was assigned by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to serve a mission in Scotland at the same meeting in which the Twelve appointed Hedlock to preside over the British mission in May 1843. (General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 66; “Extracts from the Record of the Twelve, for the Use and Benefit of Elder Reuben Hedlock, and through Him to the Parties Concerned,” ca. 28 June 1843, p. 2, copy, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; see also Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 11 May 1843.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

  10. [24]

    Sloan was assigned by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to serve a mission in Ireland at the same meeting in which the Twelve appointed Cairns and Hedlock to their respective assignments. Sloan left Nauvoo for Ireland in July 1843. (“Extracts from the Record of the Twelve, for the Use and Benefit of Elder Reuben Hedlock, and through Him to the Parties Concerned,” ca. 28 June 1843, p. 1, copy, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; JS, Journal, 30 July 1843; see also Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 11 May 1843.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

  11. [25]

    Pugmire was a forty-four-year-old blacksmith. (“The Mormon Manslaughter,” Liverpool [England] Mercury, 5 Jan. 1844, 8; “Chester,” Examiner [London], 6 Jan. 1844, 11.)

    Liverpool Mercury. Liverpool. 1811–1904.

    Examiner. London. 1808–1886.

  12. [26]

    Crewe was a recently established railroad town that hosted an engineering facility. Workers moved there with their families in March 1843. (Drummond, Crewe, 9.)

    Drummond, Diane K. Crewe: Railway Town, Company and People, 1840–1914. Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1995.

  13. [27]

    Cartwright was around thirty years old and a mother of three who, according to at least two surviving newspaper accounts, was about six months pregnant at the time of her death. (News Item, Chester [England] Courant and Advertiser for North Wales, 5 Dec. 1843, [3]; “Deplorable Fanaticism,” North Wales Chronicle [Bangor], 12 Dec. 1843, [3].)

    Chester Courant and Advertiser for North Wales. Chester, England. 1831–1958.

    North Wales Chronicle. Bangor, Wales. 1827–.

© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06