Born: July 22, 1795  Chelmsford, Essex, England
   Married: Dec 15, 1819  Mary Lovisa Parker
   Died: Dec 27, 1858  South Cottonwood, Salt Lake City

   Arrived in Salt Lake: Sept 1848
          

Much of the History of John Hammond was taken from "Church History."
Submitted by great granddaughter Hilda Watkins Gaucher to Camp Juniper 119, Brigham City, Utah to South Box Elder County Camp, Mar 27, 1974. Historian for County: Chloe N. Petersen, Brigham City, Utah.

Very little is known of the early life of my great grandfather, John Hammond, though his church records have him born in Chelmsford, Essex, England, July 22, 1795.

One granddaughter states that he was pressed into the Queen's service when he was 15 years of age and that he was sent to Canada with the English troops. After his time expired he stayed in America and came to the United States.

Another granddaughter says that he was an English soldier and because of the hardships of a soldier at that time, he and another soldier deserted and came to the United States. It is stated that his parents names were George Hammond and Susan Kemp or Camp.

A genealogist, Derek F. Metcalfe, doing research for the Hammond family organization, made an extensive search in the Parish of Chelmsford for the verification of the christening of John Hammond, and no record could be found. He also made a search in the 1851 census of Chelmsford and found several families of Hammond and Kemp but none seemed to fit into our line. Then he conducted a search in the non-conformist Churches of Chelmsford for any Christening but found no Hammond surname in these records. He also had his English agent conduct an area search in 14 parishes surrounding Chelmsford with no results. Max and Muriel Moody also spent some time in research in Chelmsford. It seems that he was born in elsewhere and his parents may have moved to Chelmsford later.

From church records and vital statistics we do know that he settled in Malone, Franklin Co., New York where he married on Dec 15, 1819, Mary Lovisa Parker, daughter of Isaac and Anna Parker. They had 4 children who lived to maturity: Joseph, who married Elizabeth Egbert; Mary Almina, who married William L. Watkins; Sarah Loanna, who married Charles Alphonzo Terry; and Sophronia Ann, who married Ralph Rose, but was sealed to George Clifton. Another infant child, Cornelia, was sealed to them by someone on 25 Oct 1903 in the Salt Lake Temple.

John and Lovisa, as she was most often called since she had a daughter named Mary, joined the church in 1836 and they moved with their family to Kirtland, Ohio that same year. They knew of the hard times of the Church during the next two years.

At a meeting of the Seventies in the House of the Lord in Kirtland on the 6th of March 1838, the moving of the Saints from Kirtland to Missouri in accordance with the commandments and revelations of God, was spoken of and agreed that the Councilors should discuss the subject and meet again in four days. At the meeting on the 10th of March much was said on the subject and while the discussion of going in a body was ensuing, the Spirit of the Lord came down in mighty power and some of the Elders began to prophecy that the Quorum should go in a body, pitching their tents along the way. It was soon made manifest to all present that this was the will of the Lord and that they should proceed immediately to make preparation for the journey.

On March 13th, at another meeting, under the direction of Hyrum Smith, a constitution was drawn up and names of heads of families were taken. One of the rules stated that "every man shall be the head of his own family and shall see that they are brought into subjection according to the order of the Camp." Another rule adopted later was "the horn will blow at 4:00 AM for rising and at 20 minutes past 4 for prayer every morning, at which time every overseer shall see that the inmates of his tent are in order that prayer may commence throughout the Camp at the same time, immediately after the blowing of the horn. John Hammond was chosen as one of the overseers. His tent contained about 18 persons and had two teams of wagons.

The rules governing such appointments were thus:

"One man over each tent to take charge of it and from the time of the appointment shall make all necessary arrangements for the providing of teams and tents for the journey; and they shall receive counsel and advice from the Councilors; and furthermore shall see that cleanliness and decency are observed in all cases, the commandments are kept, and the Word of Wisdom heeded, no tobacco, tea, coffee, snuff, or ardent spirits of any kind are to be taken internally."

The extreme poverty of the majority of those belonging to the Camp, and the depression of their spirits in consequence thereof and the downfall of Kirtland; the opposition of those who had dissented from the Church, from those who opposed the Church and from many of the Saints themselves, were obstacles which made it hard for the Council to bring about order to accomplish the work; to unite the feelings of the brethren and to restore their confidence in each other, which had in a great measure been lost since the failure of their imaginary means of speculation of grandeur and wealth. But, finally, on July 5th the camp commenced organizing on a lot near the House of the Lord. Between four and five hundred people made preparation to spend the night in their tents and to be ready to start on the 870 mile journey the next day.

Many spectators from towns round about, as well as those from Kirtland came to watch the strange scene. Not many of the deriders caused a fuss. The next day the march was started and they went 7 miles that day.

The journey would end Oct 4th - three months in hot weather and trying circumstances; with births, sickness and death. At times they would stay in one place for a time and get employment in order to buy provisions along the way. One entry "cut wood and shoed horses" made 20 dollars. The group worked on a turnpike for some time. Many people in the towns would hear of this strange group and would line up and watch, and at times taunt them about "Joe Smith" and their delusion. Many times the brethren were taken to task for not taking their place as head of the family. One evening G. W. Brooks and wife were called before the Council for some investigation and in the course of inquiry it was acknowledged that Bro. Brooks' wife had used tea most of the time on the road, and had used profane language, and she declared she would still pursue the same course, and it was not in the power of her husband or the Council to stop it. She further said that she was not a member of the Church and did not expect to come under the rules of the Camp. The decision of the Council was that they should leave the Camp and Brother Brooks was severely reprimanded for not keeping his tent in order and not keeping his family in subjection, as a man of God, especially as an Elder of Israel.

John Hammond had his own difficulties. Notes from the diary reads:

Tues, July 10th: Brother John Hammond broke his wagon, the only accident.

Wed, July 11th: John Hammond broke his wagon today and was left behind to repair it, and did not get up to the encampment at night.

July 12th: John Hammond overtook us in the morning on horseback, his wagon had broken again the 3rd time, so it could not be easily mended. The Council advised him to go back and get the brethren residing in New Portage to assist him in exchanging it for another, or let him have one to go up to Zion with, and have it returned to them, as he had now fallen so far behind that we could not well assist him without hindering many others.

July 15th: John Hammond who was left behind joined us again.

Aug 6th: John Hammond lost one of his horses in the night, the first one that had died during the journey.

Aug 23: John Hammond was expelled from the Camp for not standing at the head of the family, his wife making much disturbance in the tent of which Bro. Hammond was the overseer.

John and his family left the Camp and stopped in western Ohio, near the city of Dayton, having met with an accident. He soon continued to eastern Illinois, where he remained when he heard that the Saints had been expelled from Missouri. While here he was visited by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who stopped overnight on his way to Washington. John soon moved to Golden Point, near Nauvoo, and was a friend and neighbor to the Prophet. The Prophet's son, Joseph, was about the same age as Sophronia Ann, daughter of John, and when Emma put her boy in pants she gave Sophronia Ann some of the dresses which she wore.

Joseph married and settled near his parents and they all attended and enjoyed the meetings where the Prophet gave his wonderful discourses. They experienced the solemn difficulties following the martyrdom.

John and his two younger daughters and Lovisa left with the exodus, settling first in Potawattama on Pigeon Creek and on to the Valley in 1848 with one of Brigham Young's companies with Daniel H. Wells as Aide-de-camp. Mary Almina had married in Dec 1844, was now in Conner Bluff, and would come on later.

The company consisted of 1229 souls with 397 wagons, 74 horses, 19 mules, 1275 oxen, 699 cows, 184 loose cattle, 411 sheep, 141 pigs, 605 chickens, 37 cats, 82 dogs, 3 goats, 10 geese, 2 hives of bees, 8 doves, and 1 crow. They left the Elkhorn River, Nebraska June 1, 1848 and arrived in Great Salt Lake Sept 1848. In the company was Richard Ballantyne whose wife gave birth to a baby boy the day they left the Elkhorn.

The Hammonds were blessed by not having any of their family die on the journey, although they had other difficulties. Once they lost their oxen and hunted all day for them. When evening came they still hadn't found them and John decided that the Indians had taken them. Lovisa knelt down and prayed to the Lord to show them where the oxen were. When she arose she asked John to go with her, and she led him to a patch in the willows where they found the oxen tied with leather thongs. They journied on their way with thankful hearts.

Sophronia Ann was 14 at this time and Sarah was 17. Sophronia tells that she walked most of the way driving a couple of their young oxen who would not lead when tied to the wagon. Her shoes got so worn that her feet were on the ground and would bleed. One day a man in the company came to her and said, "I just can't stand to see you do this any longer. You go ride on my wagon and drive my oxen, and I will take your cattle and drive them." Sophronia was so overjoyed that she shed a few tears.

In spite of being tired Sophronia and Sarah were asked to entertain the company with singing and dancing, which they often did, and this seemed to give a lift to the weary travellers. The Hammonds settled in South Cottonwood near Union in Salt Lake County.

In 1851 a neighbor, Charles Alphonzo Terry came to the Hammond home to see if Sarah could come and assist his sick wife who had a new baby and was unable to care for her and her other little boy. His wife Phylinda had lost another little boy and this had been hard on her. Sarah entered the home and took full responsibility of the two small children. A great love and friendship sprang up between Sarah and Phylinda. As the summer wore on, the sick mother grew weaker and she knew that her time on earth was short. She first asked her husband to take Sarah as his second wife, that her babies would have someone to care for them. Then she made her request known to Sarah, who was at first greatly stunned by the idea. However, Sarah did have a great respect for Charles. So, after the pleading and tears of Phylinda, she with her parents made it a matter of prayer and consented to the marriage. This made Phylinda happy. She died less than two months later. Sarah had been taught the skills of homemaking by her careful mother, Lovisa Parker Hammond. She could cook, sew, card, spin, and care for the home and for the children. She came the mother of 12 children of her own.

In 1853 John Hammond took a second wife, Charlotte Osborne Patten. Charlotte had 11 children by her first husband who had died two years earlier. He married a third wife on the 9th of March 1857 and six days later took his fourth wife, Jane Romriel, by whom he had two daughters, the second one being born eight months after John Hammond died. He died the 27th of Dec 1858 in South Cottonwood.

Taken from History of the Church Vol 3, Marriage records of Malone N.Y., and Histories of Sarah L. H. Terry and Sophronia A. H. Rose Clifton.

Given at Camp Juniper 119, Feb 1974 by Hilda Watkins Gaucher, great granddaughter.

Source: Daughters of Utah Pioneers.