Sarah Ann (Farrar) Mayberry (1839 - 1907)

Information concerning the journey of Sarah Ann Farrar from England to the Salt Lake Valley Sarah and from left her home in Leeds York Shire England, to travel to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah to live there with the Saints. Her sister, Mary Ann, already lived in Utah having married Matthew Bristow Wheelwright, also born in Leeds York Shire England. Sarah was 19 years old when she and her sister Catherine, tweny years of age, left home for the great adventure. As near as I can interpret the information available, the British mission records have them sailing on 7 April 1 1859 on the “William Tapscott” . According to the shipping files of the church emigration, they sailed with the 169th company 725 were aboard ship, some from Scandinavia, some from Switzerland, and some from England. Robert F Nelson was appointed president with Henry Harris and George Rowley as counselors. Five English wards were organized. Order aboard ship was good. The health of the Saints was good. There were 19 marriages performed during the crossings, five of which were English. Prayer was said each morning and evening. On Sundays three meetings were held on deck and a fellowshipping meeting was held in each Ward 2 nights a week. The monotony of the voyage was alive and was singing, instrumental music, dancing and games in which it was a matter of course the junior portion of passengers took a prominent part, while the more sedate watched. The presiding elders said that nine different languages were spoken aboard ship. The journey took 11 weeks. When the ship arrived in New York it was said this was the best disciplined company, and the most agreeable that ever arrived at that port. They arrived safely in the harbor and were landed in Castle Gardens Saturday, 14 May, 1859. On that same day most of the company, (about 50 Saints stayed in New York and the surrounding areas), continued by steamboat up the Hudson River to Albany arriving the next morning. From there they went by rail via Niagara to Windsor in Canada, where they arrived the 21st in the afternoon. In Windsor they borrowed the steamboat, St. Mary’s, which took them to Florence, Nebraska arriving the morning of May 25. This route was one which no other group of immigrants had ever taken. Brother George Q Cannon was successful in making arrangements for transportation by rail to St. George Missouri, instead of all Iowa city as at first contemplated. While at Florence, the Saints were organized into temporary districts and branches quit with presiding officers whose duty it was to look after the comfort and welfare of the people while in camp there, about two weeks.(Millennial star, volume 21, page 286, 419). Sarah Ann and Catherine were members of the Capt. George Rowley handcart company which left St. George Missouri 12th of June 1859 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley fourth of September 1859 (Pp 4,7,32 of British Mission History) Sarah was ill much of the journey and it fell to Catherine to pull the handcart, sometimes with Sarah aboard. Catherine became the second wife of Matthew Bristow Wheelwright, husband of her sister Mary Ann. She had a large family herself and raised Mary Ann’s children after Mary Ann died, showing no partiality between the two groups. Sarah Ann married Thomas younger Henry Mayberry. Both sisters have large and honorable posterity. Praise be there sweet names.

THE STORY OF SARAH ANN FARRAR MAYBERRYa HANDCART PIONEER

SARAH ANN FARRAR was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England on December 22, 1839; the daughter of Joseph Farrar and Mary Jane Wood. Joseph Farrar was a Dyer by trade, and the family lived on a street in Leeds called Water Lane. a creek ran back of the row of houses into which was dumped the waste fluids after they had been used for the dying of materials. The Farrar's had five children: Mary Ann, William, Catherine Emma, Sarah Ann and Mary Jane. The father contracted a lung disease from inhaling the fumes of the dye-stuff and died at 41, so their home was left without a father when the children were quite young. Mary Jane was about 4 years old and Mary Ann, the oldest, was only 15 years old at that time. Three years later Mary Ann married Mathew Wheelwright, and being converts to the Church, they emigrated to America and settled in Ogden, Utah. The widowed mother seemed to have a been a good manager because before her death (12 years after her husband's death) she placed in the hands of a Mormon Missionary sufficient money to pay for the immigration of Catherine and Sarah Ann to America. The inheritance laws at that time in England gave all the property to the eldest son, which in this case was the only son. By the law, he would have been entitled to all the property that was left. He did receive a much larger share than the two girls, but when he later learned that the girls had received part of the money, he took exception to it, and become very bitter especially to his sister Catherine and would not answer her letters and said he would never forgive her in this world or the next (1905). William died in 1910 and Catherine Emma, in 1911.

Sarah Ann and Catherine Emma were both baptized April 11, 1857, and left from Liverpool England two years later on April 11, 1895, on a Monday, with a company of 725 Saints, under the direction of Robert E, Nelson, on the old sailing vessel, the Wm. Tapscot.

After a very hazardous journey across the Atlantic, they arrived at New York, May 14, 1859 - 33 days to cross the ocean. By May 25, 1859 they had traveled to Florence, Nebraska where they remained until June 25, 1859. The Company from there were under the leadership of Capt. Rolley, and consisted of 375 people, 58 wagons and a number of handcarts. Catherine Emma and Sarah Ann pushed and pulled a handcart the 1,000 miles with all their belongings. Sarah was sick part of the way across the plains, and had to ride some of the time, and her older sister had the responsibility of the load the biggest part of the journey. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Thursday 15 September 1859 - 82 days to cross the Plains.

When Sarah Ann met Thomas Mayberry, he immediately fell in love with her and said, "She is the little blue-eyed girl I want to marry." Sarah Ann was less than five feet in height. They were married in a civil ceremony 10 July 1863 and later sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City October 17, 1863.

They met in Wilson lane, Utah but moved to Franklin, Idaho were Thomas had been one of the very first settlers (his name is inscribed on the plaque now shown on the museum in Franklin.) They made their home there for the next 12 years. Sarah Ann was the mother of ten, five boys and five girls. The first eight were born in Franklin, and the last two in Kanesville, Utah. Sarah Ann was a good mother, and made the best of her lot, which was not always easy or pleasant. Mary Jane, Sarah Ann, and Martha Rebecca were born first, then a son Thomas, who died as a child; the next son Joseph Smith, also died and was buried near his two brothers. They then took their five girls and moved to Kanesville, Utah were Thomas homesteaded 40 acres of land and bout 40 acres more from the UP Railroad about half of it was pasture and a section line ran through the middle of it. They built a Jog house and a lean-to on the property. Two more boys were born there, Charles William and John Gabriel who died at age seven and was buried in the Hooper Cemetery. That left only Charles William as the son to carry on the Mayberry name.

Sarah Ann's sister, Catherine Emma, married Mathew B. Wheelwright, as a second wife, the first wife being the oldest sister, Mary Ann, who had nine children, but died leaving Catherine to care for the large family she, her.self having six children. She would sit up at night and knit stockings for that big family of children. Catherine lived in Ogden, Utah and Sarah Ann lived in Kanesville, seven miles out in the country. They visited as often as possible, horse and buggy was the common means of transportation, but they were a comfort to each other. Catherine lived three years longer than her sister Sarah, who was a widow for four years from March 30 1903 until her death July 6 1907, at age sixty eight. Her husband was seventy three when he died and had been blind and crippled with rheumatism for several years. Sarah Ann had a rupture as large as a 5 lb, can and it was hard for her to get around. One winter she was practically bed-fast and stayed with her son, Charles and his wife Margaret, and they cared for her. She was able to return to her own home, however, and died there,. She was buried in the Hooper Cemetery next to her husband. Cause of death was general debility and heart trouble. Funeral services were held July 8, 1907 in the Kanesville Meeting House with Bishop Peter B. Peterson residing, Her favorite hymn "When First the Glorious Light of Truth," was sung. The speakers were Elder Albert and Edward S. Green and Bishop Peterson who all paid tribute to her sterling qualities and her faithfulness in the Gospel and her sweet disposition. They said "It can be said of her- Sister, Thou was Mild and Lovely, Gentle as a Summer Breeze."

She was attended in her last illness by her daughter Eliza Fielding, and her son, Charles W. Mayberry. Her other children lived at a distance. She was given all the attention that loving hands and a thoughtful hearts could provide. She was survived by 5 daughters, 1 son and 26 grandchildren.