Henry George JEMMETT

23 Oct 1842 (born circa 1838) - 1904

• Name	Henry George JEMMETT
  Christened	23 Oct 1842 (born circa 1838)	Preston-next-Faversham, Kent, England
  Gender	Male
  Died	27 Dec 1904	Shelly, Bingham, Idaho, USA
  Person ID	I7554	Young Kent Ancestors
  Last Modified	1 Jan 2008

  
  

  Father	William Lewington JEMMETT,   b. 24 Feb 1811, Faversham, Kent, England ,   d. 1 Oct 1864, Thames River, Erith, Kent, England  (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Mary Ann BROWNING,   b. 5 Apr 1796, Hernhill, Kent, England ,   d. 28 Apr 1883, Woodland, Utah, U.S.A.  (Age 87 years)
  Family ID	F1587	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Eliza ELLIOTT,   b. 2 Sep 1843, Preston-next-Faversham, Kent, England ,   d. 17 Feb 1912, Evanston, Wyoming, USA  (Age 68 years)
  Married	10 Mar 1861	Preston-next-Faversham, Kent, England   [1]
  Last Modified	20 Mar 2022
  Family ID	F2506	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Henry George Jemmett was born on November 3, 1837 in Preston, Kent, England to William Lewington Jemmett and Mary Ann Browning Jemmett He was the second child born to the second marriage of his mother. Henry George Jemmett was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on May 4, 1850. On March 10, 1861 Henry George Jemmett married Eliza Elliott at Faversham, Kent, England. On the 23 of May 1863 Henry George Jemmett’s wife, Eliza,who was pregnant, their daughter Emma and Eliza’s parents, William and Eliza Nicholls Elliott left England for America. Henry hated to see them go but knew his family was in good hands with Eliza’s parents. There was not enough money for the whole family to go so Henry had to stay and earn his fare. In May of 1863 Henry began his journey to America. In a journal written by a fellow voyager the following can be learned of Henrys voyage. “By the 30th of May 1864, the sailing vessel “Hudson” was ready to carry a group or company of converts to America. On June 2, 1864 anchor was weighed, a pilot boat towed them down the Thames shore line of their native land, England, which gradually faded from view. It was an interesting sight to view an emigrant vessel. On the “Hudson” were 900 Latter Day Saints consisting of English, Scotch, Welsh, Danish, Scandinavian, Swiss and others. There were also 200 Irish emigrants whom were partitioned off from the saints. In all the ship carried 100 British subjects. The saints went to steerage which meant they descended through a trap door to quarters below deck. Their berths were large shelves securely fastened to the ship’s sides. Their trunks and belongings must be fastened firmly down to overcome the ships motion when at sea. Also in the hold were great long tables where all the emigrants sat to eat their meals; that is those who were able to eat. The fare consisted mainly of salt beef, salt pork, rice and hard tack of ship’s biscuits. None of the fare was enticing. It was necessary to break the biscuits open with a hammer. Each person was given a linen bag to hold these articles, and at a specified time be at the commissary to receive the allotment of fresh water, etc. Under such conditions strict discipline was necessary. John M. Kay was president of the company of saints on the “Hudson”. He was assisted by George Holliday, John Smith and Mathew Mc Cune. Prayers were maintained night and morning, meetings held on deck every night and all lights were out by nine o’clock P.M. The voyage was made without incident except the occasional sighting of an ocean liner or some other sailing vessel. Then, perhaps, the blurting of a whale would break the monotony. Once during the forty odd days at sea they were battered down during a storm, which caused the boat to pitch and roll considerable. As they neared the shores of the United States a confederate gunboat hailed them for inspection as the Civil War was then on. The emigrants cramped and huddled down like animals, had their sorrows along with their happier moments. Measles broke out among them. Nine little children succumbed. Each corpse was wrapped in a blanket and sadly lowered to a watery grave. And three babies, two boys and one girl, was born at sea. It was early in the morning of July 16, that the shore line of America was sighted. It was one experience never to be forgotten. In a few short hours a pilot had then towed safely into the harbor of New York. Here there were interview by the Custom Officers and placed in the Castle Gardens. Ellis Islands, used by Federal Government, was a landing place for immigrants. At the entrance to East River were the old Dutch fortifications. The round fort was the assembly hall where the immigrants were herded to await admittance into the United States. This was known as Castle Gardens, but during the years when thousands of immigrants were arriving yearly, it belied its name. The place was not only rat ingested but the immigrants themselves were covered with body lice and stinking from the odor of the overcrowded ship’s hold. As soon as a company with freight could be located the immigrants were loaded on railcars. The cars were neither clean nor comfortable. Most of them torn out by Confederate armies. Finally at Saint Joseph, Missouri, they were placed on a Missouri River boat which carried them to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, on August 6, 1864. For two more weeks they lived in a little brush shelter awaiting preparations for the journey over the plains. Two companies were made up with Captain Rawlings in charge of one and Warren S. Snow the other. Due to scarcity of food for their oxen and cattle, Captain Snow took a different route than the other company. Some days latter they traveled only two hours and the journey was wearisome and hard. Finally President Brigham Young sent supplies of food and clothing out to this company and assisted them to reach Salt Lake. All had suffered from cold and exposure as they had encountered early snow. From Winter Quarters to their arrival at the 8th Ward Square where the city and county buildings now stands, on November 2, 1864, their journey had required three months. The beloved president of the company on the ship “Hudson” John M. Kay died on the plains. They made a rough box and dug a hole for burial beside the trail. Brother Kay with George Careless had cheered and comforted the saints throughout the voyage and the journey over the plains with their sweet music. It was while on the voyage over that Professor Careless wrote the hymn “ The Morning Breaks, the Shadow Flees” to cheer the weary saints. He would have all of them singing as soon as they arose in the morning and the same before retiring at night. It was a cold reception they had upon their arrival at the 8th Ward Square. They had no relatives or friends to greet them. The company remained together for two days and nights during which time most of them found places of employment. Had Henry not left for America in May of 1864, he would probably have been with his father William Lewington Jemmett, when his fathers ship was blown up on October 1, 1864 on the Thames River. When Henry arrived in Utah he and Eliza were overjoyed when they were reunited. It had been over one year and about five months since they had last seen one another. He died December 27, 1904 at Shelly, Bingham, Idaho. Henry George Jemmett: Baptism: Oct 23, 1842 Emigration: 1864, from London, England aboard the Hudson, London to New York Jun 3 - July 19 Misc: Aft. 1895, suffered severe back and head injuries; unable to work again except around homestead Occupation 1: Bet. 1865 - 1895, At Collinston, Utah: railroad worker, operated a livery stable and saloon Occupation 2: 1890, Elected Constable in Collinston precinct Occupaton: Bet. 1863 - 1865, farmer at Beaver Dam, Utah Ordination: Abt. 1856, deacon, Mormon Church

  
  

• Sources

  [S34] Parish Register, England, Kent: Church of England, Canterbury Cathedral Archives, (U.S.A., Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah), Preston-next-Faversham, Kent, England, LDS #2354700, 10 Mar 1861. #195, page 98: Henry George Jemmett, full age, bachelor, waterman of Preston-Faversham, father William Jemmett, waterman and Eliza Elliott, a minor, spinster, no occupation, of Preston-Faversham, father William Elliott, waterman. Witnesses: Thomas and Julia Potts.