John Irwin Forsyth (1816 - 1897)

Born 27 Jul 1816 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Freeland (Barker) Forsyth — married 29 Mar 1841 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England

Descendants

Died 15 Feb 1897 at age 80 in Provo, Utah, Utah

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John Irwin Forsyth was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Biography

This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.

Birth

Birth:

Date: 27 Jul 1816

Place: Whitehaven, Cumberland, England^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Note: His birthplace is also recorded as Carlisle, Cumberland, England.

Death

Death:

Date: 15 Feb 1897

Place: Provo, Utah, Utah^[7][8]

Christening

Christening:

Date: 17 Sep 1816

Place: Saint Mary, Carlisle, Cumberland, England

Burial

Burial:

Date: 15 Feb 1897

Place: City Cemetery, Provo, Utah, Utah^[9]

Note: Grave Location: Block 4 Lot 36

Ancestral File Number

2W5D-R2

Immigration

Immigration:

Date: 1845

Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Note: He immigrated on the ship "Susquehana."

Emigration

Emigration:

Date: Feb 1845

Place: Liverpool, England

Census

Census:

Date: 8 Jun 1860

Place: Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania^[10]

Census:

Date: 17 Jun 1870

Place: E.T. City, Tooele, Utah Territory^[11]

Census:

Date: 24 Jun 1880

Place: Mill, Tooele, Utah^[12]

Event

Event: with the Milo Andrus independent Ox Team Company

Type: Pioneer

Date: 12 Sep 1861^[13]

Occupation

Dyer and Cotton Spinner

Note

From History of John Irwin Forsyth

John Irwin Forsyth, the 3rd son of Andrew Forsyth and his wife, Sarah Irwin, was born 27 July 1816 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England. . . .

. . . March 29, 1841, was a grand occasion! On this day, when he was 24, John Forsyth married Miss Sarah Freeland Barker of Carlisle, Cumberland, England. (She was born 14 Oct 1815 to John and Margaret Freeland Barker during their visit to her mother’s family in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.)

Sarah’s parents were the first ones in Carlisle to open their home to the Mormon missionaries from America. They, with 3 daughters and their only son, John Barker, Jr. were baptized into the LDS Church. On April 4, following, the Forsyth newly-weds were baptized by Amos Fielding, and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Sarah’s father, the newly ordained elder, John Barker.

John Forsyth’s baptism was against the wishes of his father’s family, and John was the only one ever known to have joined the Church.

Young John Forsyth had no formal schooling at all. He said, "If I have to tell the teacher what the words are, I won’t go to school. My teacher should tell the words to me." He could not write his name, but was a genius at working mathematical problems in his head yet he knew not how to put them down on paper. In later years he did learn to read the newspaper a little.

John and Sarah had two children born in Carlisle---Jane’s birth date was 29 April 1842; Margaret, the First, 2 June 1844.

In February of 1845, John, with his wife and children, bade farewell to friends and relatives. They left for America in the sailing vessel, Susquehanna, filled with Irish emigrants. The Forsyths were the only Mormons on board. Master of the Susquehanna was Captain John Mierchen.

One night a great storm arose, with the thunder, wind and lightning of a mad hurricane! Rain poured down in torrents! Fierce winds, time and again, hurled mighty waves entirely engulfing the hapless vessel! Water spilled down the hatchway into the cabins below. Terrified passengers rushed to the upper deck. Captain Mierchen ordered them below then had the hatches nailed down to keep the water from flooding the steerage, (and also to keep the people down there!) At this, many of the voyagers became more frantic, throwing themselves on the floor, crying loudly, "Save us, Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, Save us from this awful fate!!"

John appeared calm and fearless. He said to Sarah, "Our prayers have gone before us to him who rules and controls our destiny. He is watching over us. If it is our lot at this time, let us go together!" Holding little Jane tightly in his arms while Sarah clasped the baby to her breast, they balanced on the edge of their bunk, holding fast to each other, as the battered ship, creaking and groaning, struggled against the raging powers of that mighty deep!

Suddenly, the eyes of one of the passengers rested on John Forsyth. He screamed, "Down on your knees, man, with the rest of us!" Others angrily tried to pull John down with them. Above the bedlam, John loudly declared, "We are in the hands of the Lord. What is the use of carrying on as you are doing? If the ship is going down, what can we do with the hatches nailed down? We can only trust Him. I believe we will be saved this night and our prayers will be answered." After a terribly rough, miserable night as the ship pitched and rolled, the morning finally came, and, "thank God," the seas had calmed. The ship was damaged but she had outridden the storm!

The Susquehanna reached Philadelphia at night. However, disembarkation was not scheduled until the next day. Sarah had overheard the captain’s order to two of his sailors to lower a life-boat so that he could go ashore. Sarah said to John, "Please, please, plead with the captain to let us go with him into the city. I cannot bear to spend so many more hours on this ship." Strange as it may seem, the request was granted. Captain Mierchen’s reply was, "Go to your cabin. When all is quiet, come on deck."

When all was quiet and the passengers were supposedly asleep, Sarah took her babe and a little basket of napkins (diapers) and returned to the deck. John followed her with little Jane. In the stillness of the night, Sarah & her babe, were lowered over the side of the ship and into the small waiting boat. John and Jane were safely handed down. Then came the captain’s welcome order for the sailors to, "Pull For Shore!"

That was the way John, Sarah and the children set foot on America’s shore at 12 o'clock that memorable mid-night! By 3 A.M. they had reached the home of Sarah’s sister, Jane, and her husband, James Crooks, the proprietor of a public house (hotel) in Philadelphia.

BIB: Forsyth, John Irwin, History of John Irwin Forsyth, unpublished manuscript, compiled, edited and donated by Grace Meldrum Smith, pp. 1-2.

Marriage

Husband: John Irwin Forsyth

Wife: Sarah Freeland Barker

Child: Jane Barker Forsyth

Child: Margaret Barker Forsyth

Child: Andrew Barker Forsyth

Child: Sarah Ann Barker Forsyth

Child: Margaret Barker Forsyth

Child: Mary Elizabeth Forsyth

Marriage:

Date: 29 Mar 1841

Place: Carlisle, Cumberland, England

Sources

• Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel

• WikiTree profile Forsyth-200 created through the import of 6 Ancestor Gens, 1 Descendant Gen.ged on Feb 6, 2012 by Derek Maude. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Derek and others.

• Source: S108 Title: Census: United States: 1870
  Publication: Images Online at Ancestry.com
• Source: S109 Title: Census: United States: 1880
  Publication: Images Online at Ancestry.com
• Source: S114 Title: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah
  Author: Esshom, Frank
  Page: Pages 517,875
• Source: S126 Title: Census: United States: 1860
  Publication: Images Online at Ancestry.com
• Source: S129 Repository: #REPO12 Title: Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847-1868
  Publication: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (online)
• Repository: REPO12 Name: http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompanylist-information
• Source: S130 Title: History of John Irwin Forsyth
  Author: Forsyth, John Irwin
  Publication: unpublished manuscript compiled, edited and donated by Grace Meldrum Smith
  Page: Pages 1, 2.
• Source: S134 Repository: #REPO28 Title: Utah Cemetery Inventory
  Author: Utah State Historical Society, comp.
  Publication: Online database - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000
• Repository: REPO28 Name: http://www.ancestry.com
• Source: S139 Title: History of Tooele County
  Author: Tooele County Daughters of Utah Pioneers
  Publication: Publishers Press
  Salt Lake City, Utah
  4th Printing, 1973
  Copyright 1961, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Tooele County Compa
  Text: ANDREW BARKER FORSYTH, only son of John Forsyth and Sarah Freeland Barker, was born February 4, 1847 in Port Richmond, Pennsylvania. When fourteen years old he came to Utah with his family in the Milo Andrus Company. He was a carder in Brigham Young's woolen factory in City Creek. In 1866, he served in the Indian War in Captain William Casper's Company. He came to E.T. City in 1867 with parents and three sisters. He worked in Grantsville woolen factory, postmaster of E.T. City, constable, school trustee, and farmer.
  He married Emily Elizabeth Moss and was the father of ten children. Their first home was located just west of Adobe Rock. In 1888, they moved to Provo where they bought a farm in Grandview Ward. They later bought a house in Provo City, where he died November 20, 1925. Buried in Provo City cemetery.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  EMILY ELIZABETH MOSS FORSYTH, daughter of William Francis Moss and Eliza Crich was born March 8, 1854 at Gray's Essex, England. She was born in the church. Her father was a traveling elder in England before they immigrated to America in March, 1861 on the "Underwriter." They came to Utah September 15, 1861 in the John R. Murdock Company. In 1869, the family moved to E.T. City.
  She married Andrew Barker Forsyth on June 24, 1873 in the Endowment House. They were parents of ten children: (1) Mary Elizabeth, (2) Sarah Eliza (Penrod), (3) Emily (Allred), (4) John Andrew (married Elsie Clyde, Lula Peterson), (5) Jane Moss (Allred), (6) Margaret Grace (Madsen), (7) Grover Cleveland (married Emma Dahlquist), (8) Claude DuVal, (9) stillborn, (10) Stanley Moss (married Ethel Cox, Annie Swensen). Emily Forsyth died in Provo on October 17, 1930. Buried in Tooele City cemetery.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  JOHN IRWIN FORSYTH, son of Andrew Forsyth and Arah Irwin, was born July 27, 1816 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England. He married Sarah Freeland Barker. They joined the L.D.S. Church in 1841 and came to America in 1845, but stayed in Philadelphia where they were active in the church, until 1861 when they came to Utah in the Milo Andrus Company. In Pennsylvania, he worked as a spinner, then moved to Manayunk where he helped install machinery in the James Hilton Woolen Factory. In Utah, he worked at City Creek Woolen Factory, then came to E.T. City to help install and keep machinery running in woolen factory there. The factory was unsuccessful so he farmed and worked as a bullion sampler at the halfway house. After his wife, Sarah died in 1885 he moved to Provo with his son, Andrew. He died at the home of his daughter, Jane B. Snyder on February 15, 1897. Buried in Provo City cemetery.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  SARAH FREELAND BARKER FORSYTH was born in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland on October 14, 1815, the daughter of John Barker and Margaret Freeland. She married John Forsyth in Carlisle, Cumberland, England on March 23, 1841. They became members of the Latter-day Saints Church less than a month after their marriage, and came to America in 1845 with their two children. They stayed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until 1861 when they came to Utah, settling first in Ogden near her brother, John Barker, then in Salt Lake.
  In 1867, they moved to E.T. City, Tooele County. She was president of the E.T. Relief Society for fifteen years; was a nurse and midwife. She died March 27, 1855 [should be 1885] at age of 70 years. Buried in Provo City cemetery. At her funeral she had one flower, a geranium blossom. Her children were: (1) Jane Barker (Snyder), (2) Margaret (died in Pa.), (3) Andrew Barker (married Emily Moss), (4) Sarah Ann Barker (Meldrum), (5) Margaret Barker (Yates), (6) Mary Elizabeth Barker (Harrison).
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  .
  .
  .
  MARY ELIZABETH FORSYTH HARRISON was born October 5, 1856 in Manayunk, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, daughter of John Irwin Forsyth and Sarah Freeland Barker Forsyth. Her parents emigrated from Carlisle, Cumberland, England, in 1845. They stayed in Pennsylvania for several years before coming to Utah September 12, 1861, in the Milo Andrews Company. The Forsyth family settled in Salt Lake City, then in E.T. City where in 1867, her father had been called to help install the machinery in the woolen mill.
  She married William Chase Harrison on January 24, 1876. They lived at Cottonwood, Salt Lake County, where four children were born. Next they moved to E.T. City where three more children were born. They lived also in Emmett, Idaho for awhile. She died in Emmett on March 22, 1907, but was buried in the Spanish Fork cemetery. She was the mother of ten children: (1) Charles William, born 1877, (2) John Forsyth, born 1879, (3) Sarah Mable, born 1881, (4) Eather Leroy, born 1883, (5) Ralph Porter, born 1886, (6) Parley Clarence, born 1888, (7) Earl Irwin, born 1890, (8) Roscoe Lavaca, born 1892, (9) Mary Esther, born 1894, and (10) Horace Herbert, born 1896.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  .
  .
  .
  SARAH ANN FORSYTH MELDRUM was born July 12, 1849 in Manayunk, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, the daughter of John Irwin Forsyth and Sarah Freeland Barker. Her parents had joined the church in Cumberland, England, in 1841 and immigrated tot he United States in 1845. They stayed in Pennsylvania until they came to Utah September 12, 1861 in the Milo Andrews Company. They lived in Ogden, then in Salt Lake City where she worked in Brigham Young's Woolen Factory. She moved to E.T. City, Tooele County in 1867. After the woolen factory was completed she worked in it for about ten months. While visiting her sister Jane F. Snyder in Provo, she met John Meldrum, son of George Meldrum and Jane Barkley, whom she married December 2, 1872 in the Endowment House. They lived the rest of their lives in Provo, Utah County (on East Center Street). She was a splendid housekeeper, a faithful Latter-day Saint, and a good mother to her five children. She died July 27, 1885. Buried in Provo City cmetery. Her children were: (1) John Forsyth, born 1873; (2) George William, born 1876; (3) Frank Walter, born 1878; (4) Sarah Ermina, born 1881; (5) Margaret Freeland, born 1885.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  .
  .
  .
  MARGARET FORSYTH YATES was born May 18, 1853, in Manayunk, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Her parents, John Irwin Forsyth and Sarah Freeland Barker, joined the L.D.S. Church in England in 1841 and emigrated to America in 1845. Margaret had four sisters and one brother. She arrived in Utah September 12, 1861 in the Milo Andrews Company.
  In 1867, when her father was called to help install the machinery in the Grantsville Woolen factory, the family moved to E.T. City, Tooele County. Here she met Hyrum B. Yates, son of Absolom Yates and Elizabeth Butterly, whom she married January 26, 1874 in the Endowment House. They lived in E.T. City where the two oldest children were born, then sold their farm and moved to Yost, Boxelder County, where five children were born. She was a Relief Society President and postmistress for sixteen years at Yost, where she was affectionately known as "Aunt Maggie." During her last years she lived in Logan where she was a Temple worker. She died there in 1934. She was the mother of seven children: (1) Sarah Elizabeth, (2) Hyrum, (3) John Irwin, (4) Margaret Jane, (5) Archie Andrew, (6) George Frank, (7) Carl Hazel.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
  Page: Page 469
  Data:
  Text: JOHN IRWIN FORSYTH, son of Andrew Forsyth and Arah Irwin, was born July 27, 1816 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England. He married Sarah Freeland Barker. They joined the L.D.S. Church in 1841 and came to America in 1845, but stayed in Philadelphia where they were active in the church, until 1861 when they came to Utah in the Milo Andrus Company. In Pennsylvania, he worked as a spinner, then moved to Manayunk where he helped install machinery in the James Hilton Woolen Factory. In Utah, he worked at City Creek Woolen Factory, then came to E.T. City to help install and keep machinery running in woolen factory there. The factory was unsuccessful so he farmed and worked as a bullion sampler at the halfway house. After his wife, Sarah died in 1885 he moved to Provo with his son, Andrew. He died at the home of his daughter, Jane B. Snyder on February 15, 1897. Buried in Provo City cemetery.
  -- Mildred A. Mercer
• Source: S2410 Repository: #REPO64 Title: Gravestone: Forsyth, John I. & Sarah B.
  Text: JOHN I. FORSYTH
  July 27, 1816-Feb. 15, 1897
  ---------
  SARAH B. FORSYTH
  Oct. 15, 1815-Mar. 27, 1885
  Object:
  Format: jpg
  File: ..\Pictures\Documents\Headstones\Headstone - Forsyth, John Irwin & Sarah Freeland Barker.jpg
• Repository: REPO64 Name: Provo Cemetery
  Address: Provo, Utah
• Source: S54 Title: FamilySearch Internet Family Tree
  Publication: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Source: S92 Title: Personal Records: Foote, Merle Snyder
  Author: Foote, Merle Snyder

1. ↑ Source: #S2410
2. ↑ Source: #S114
3. ↑ Source: #S130
4. ↑ Source: #S139
5. ↑ Source: #S4
6. ↑ Source: #S92
7. ↑ Source: #S134
   Data:
   Text: Name: John Forsyth
   Gender: M (Male)
   Death Date: 15 Feb 1897
   Death Place: Provo, Utah
   Burial Date: 15 February 1897
   Cemetery: Provo City Cemetery
   Source: Sexton
   Grave Location: Block 4 Lot 36
8. ↑ Source: #S2410
9. ↑ Source: #S134
   Data:
   Text: Name: John Forsyth
   Gender: M (Male)
   Death Date: 15 Feb 1897
   Death Place: Provo, Utah
   Burial Date: 15 February 1897
   Cemetery: Provo City Cemetery
   Source: Sexton
   Grave Location: Block 4 Lot 36
10. ↑ Source: #S126
    Page: Pennsylvania, Montgomery, Norristown, Image 234, Entry 28
    Data:
    Text: Page 12
    Scedule 1.--Free Inhabitants in Norriton Township
    in the County of Montgomery
    State of Penna
    enumerated by me, on the 8th day of June 1860. /s/ P J. Shearer, Ass't Marshal.
    Post Office Jeffersonville.
    Entry: 28
    Dwelling-house--numbered in the order of visitation: 84
    Families numbered in the order of visitation: 84
    The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1860, was in this family: John Forsyth
    Description.
    Age: 43
    Sex: M
    Color:
    Profession, Occupation, or Trade of each person, male and female, over 15 years of age: Spinner
    Value of Estate Owned.
    Value of Real Estate:
    Value of Personal Estate:
    Place of Birth, Naming the State, Territory, or Country: England
    Married within the year:
    Attended school within the year:
    Persons over 20 yr's of age who cannot read & write:
    Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict:
    Date: 8 Jun 1860
    Object:
    Format: jpg
    File: ..\Pictures\Documents\Census Records\1860 US Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Montgomery, Norristown, Image 234 (John Irwin Forsyth).jpg
11. ↑ Source: #S108
    Page: Utah Territory, Tooele, E T City, Image 1, Entry 19
    Data:
    Text: Page No.1
    Schedule 1.--Inhabitants in E.T. City,
    in the County of Tooele,
    Territory of Utah,
    enumerated by me on the 17th day of June, 1870.
    Post Office: Tooele City
    /s/ D R Firman, Ass't Marshal.
    Entry: 19
    Dwelling-House: 6
    Family: 6
    Name: Fosley John
    Age at last birth-day: 50
    Sex: M
    Color: W
    Profession, Occupation, or Trade of each Male Person over 15 years of age: Farmer
    Value of Real Estate owned
    Value of Real Estate:
    Value of Personal Estate: 200
    Place of Birth: England
    Parentage
    Father of Foreign born: /
    Mother of Foreign born: /
    If born within the year, state month:
    If married within the year, state month:
    Attended School within the year:
    Education
    Cannot read:
    Cannot write: /
    Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict:
    Constitutional Relations
    Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards: /
    Male Cititzens of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards where rights to vote is denied on other grounds than rebellion or other crime:
    Date: 17 Jun 1870
    Object:
    Format: jpg
    File: ..\Pictures\Documents\Census Records\1870 US Federal Census, Utah Territory, Tooele, E T City, Image 1 (Forsyth, John Irwin - recorded as Fosley).jpg
12. ↑ Source: #S109
    Page: Utah, Tooele, Mill, District 77, Image 1, Entry 17
    Data:
    Text: Page No. 27
    Supervisor's Dist. No. 136
    Enumeration Dist. No. 77
    Note A.-The Census Year begins June 1, 1879, and ends May 31, 1880.
    Note B.-All persons will be included in the Enumeration who were living on the 1st day of June, 1880. No others will. Children BORN SINCE June 1, 1880, will be OMITTED. Members of Families who have DIED SINCE June 1, 1880, will be INCLUDED.
    Note C.-Questions Nos. 13, 14, 22 and 23 are not to be asked in respect to persons under 10 years of age.
    Schedule 1. - Inhabitants in Mill Precinct, in the County of Tooele, State of Utah enumerated by me on the 24th day of June, 1880.
    /s/ John G. Thompson, Enumerator.
    Entry 17
    In Cities
    Name of Street:
    House Number:
    1 Dwelling houses numbered in order of visitation: 4
    2 Families numbered in order of visitation: 4
    3 The Name of each Person whose place of abode, on 1st day of June, 1880, was in this family: Forsythe John
    4 Color--White, W.; Black, B.; Mulatto, Mu.; Chinese, C.; Indian, I.: W
    5 Sex--Male, M.; Female, F.: M
    6 Age at last birthday prior to June 1, 1880. If under 1 year, give months in fractions, thus: 1/12.: 63
    7 If born within the Census year, give the month:
    8 Relationship of each person to the head of this family--whether wife, son, daughter, servant, boarder, or other:
    Civil Condition.
    9 Single:
    10 Married: /
    11 Widowed; Divorced, D.:
    12 Married during Census year:
    Occupation.
    13 Profession, Occupation or Trade of each person, male or female: Farmer
    14 Number of months this person has been unemployed during the Census year:
    Health.
    15 Is the person [on the day of the Enumerator's visit] sick or temporarily disabled, so as to be unable to attend to ordinary business or duties? If so, what is the sickness or disability?
    16 Blind:
    17 Deaf and Dumb:
    18 Idiot:
    19 Insane:
    20 Maimed, Crippled, Bedridden, or otherwise disabled:
    Education.
    21 Attended school within the Census year:
    22 Cannot read:
    23 Cannot write:
    Nativity.
    24 Place of Birth of this person, nameing State or Territory of United States, or the Country, if of foreign birth: England
    25 Place of Birth of the Father of this person, naming the State or Territory of United States, or the Country, if of foreign birth: Eng.
    26 Place of Birth of the Mother of this person, naming the State or Territory of United States, or the Country, if of foreign birth: Eng.
    Note D.-In making entries in columns 9, 10, 11, 12, 16 to 23, an affirmative mark only will be used-thus /., except in the case of divorced persons, columns 11, when the letter "D" is to be used.
    Note E.-Question No. 12 will only be asked in cases where an affirmative answer has been given either to question 10 or to question 11.
    Note F.-Question No. 14 will only be asked in cases when a gainful occupation has been reported in column 13.
    Note G.-In column 7 an abbreviation in the name of the month may be used, as Jan., Apr., Dec.
    Date: 24 Jun 1880
    Object:
    Format: jpg
    File: ..\Pictures\Documents\Census Records\1880 US Federal Census, Utah, Tooele, Mill, District 77, Image 1 (John Irwin Forsyth).jpg
13. ↑ Source: #S129