40 Ironmonger Row Saint Lukes London
My Dear Phebe
In the midst of a multiplicity of business & care I
seat myself to once more drop a few lines to you, praying
that kind providence may direct them to fall into your hands
I have not herd from you since your letter that was dated
in New York, which I immediately answered with a large full
Mammouth sheet, Dated Jan 13th in which I copied extracts from my
Journal from July 8th 1840 to Jan 18th 1841 & spoke of all the letters which
I sent you I hope it has fallen into your hands. Their is much
I would like to say had I time & room in this sheet, but being short
of Both at this time I must be brief. I requested in you in the last
to send the next letter to my address here in London
I am sensible there has not yet been time for
one to come, But expect to see one from you
before I leave England. Please send an answer to this
& direct it in the care of Ilus F Carter New York
As I shall Leave Liverpool for that place the first of April
if the Lord will & I am not Blockaded by War which
is upon us ever at the door. A few days after your letter
came to Hand Elder Kimball received one from Sister Kimball
who informed us that Elder Turley arived in about a week after
you left, & put into her hands (all safe) all the letters &
things which I sent for you & that she had forwarded
^some^ allof the letters to you & wrote one herself, said she would
take good care of the things ^untill^ you come. Elders Kimball
& Lorenzo Snow are sitting by my side writing we are all
well. They both send their respects to you. I have just
received the three first Number of the 2nd Vol of the Times & Seasons
which speaks of the progress of the Work in the U.S. &c. Elder
Kimball has also just got anothr Letter from his wife dated
[sideways text] I thank the friends that have written to me give my respecs to them, all, & their families Freedom & Luther &c I will tell them &
Fabyan some things about London when I return [end of sideways text]
Dec 30th With regard to the progress of the Work of the Lord in
this Land it is still rolling on in all parts, & emigration
is vary great. The Saints deeply feel the forebodeings of the
awful judgments, distress war & tribulations which is coming
like a whilrwind upon every hand. On Sunday last we had
a conference in London which is the first conference we
have ever held in this Metropolis. We had an interesting time
106 Saints represented most of which have imbraced the work
of late, 46 in the London City Branch & the rest in the regions
round about, in small Branches which we have raised up of
late mostly. Their is now a fair prospect of the spread of
the work in London Elder Lorenzo Snow is appointed to
preside over & take charge of the churches & conference
which we have esstablished in London, & the Lord has given
me the desire of my heart, in seeing the work esstablished in
this city, & I now feel that I can depart ^depart^ in peace
I feel that my work is done in this Land & my testimony
finished, or will be this week & then was it not for visiting
the churches which I have built up in Herefordshire &c to
get the necessary means to return &c. it should not
be many days before I would be upon the sea, but I
must have patience iat all times & get along as fast as
I can. We are leaving our last testimony to the citizens
of London in a small tract of 8 Pages 3000 of which will be
out of press this week which we leave with our friends for circu-
lation after we are gone. Elder Kimball takes his farewell
of the city tomorrow, & goes to Birmingham Preston &
Liverpool, whare he meets Elders Young & Taylor. I take my
[sideways text] On the 26th of Jan I had an excellent view of her Majesty the Queen Victoria & Prince Albert they passed in
10 feet of us in the state carrage drawn by 8 cream coulord Hanovarian horses through the park to open parliamen[t]
their was Judged to be over 300,000 persons congregated on the occasion [end of sideways text]
farewell of London next Monday tgo diret to Bristol, whare
Elder Kington has just built up a church. He then goes
with me through all the churches in Worcestershire –
Gloucestershire, & Herefordshire. I then go to Birmingham to
the Staffordshire potteries, meet Elder Smith, go to –
Manchester, held a general conference 6th April & then
we are immediately [FIGURE] OPH ^off^
A company of Saints
of 235 sailed on board of the Sheffield from L.pool on the
7th Inst for Nauvoo via New Orleans led by Elder H. Clark
Another company of Saints 109 Led by Elder Browett sails
from Liverpool on the 17th Inst to Nauvoo via New Orleans
passage & board to Nauvoo ownly $25 each Anothr larg compa-
ny starts the middle of March & go the same rout, Anothr
company the 10th April, &c. I expect all the Twelve [page torn]
[Amer]ican Brethren except Elder Snow will leave for America the fir[st] [page torn]
of April, for we are in the midst of great excitement which prevails
not ownly throughout Parliament & Londom but throughout
the Nation concerning the Imprisionment of Cleod & the –
North Eastern Boundary question England now seems determined on war
& she never was better prepared than now, Her fleets & armies
will soon be spread along the American Coast, the present
signs of the times in Parliament indicate a speedy declaration of war
against the U.S. and if we can Leave Liverpool time enough to
escape it we shall do weell. Give me your prayers, you & the
Lad have mine & I want to see you both vary much, & I trust
I shall vary soon. Give my erespects to each branch of Father Carters
family. I shall expect to see a letter from you the last of April
as I arive in New York. Adieu for the present my dear companion
Phebe W. Woodruff.
As ever I remain yours
W. Woodruff
[sideways text] On the 26th of Jan I had an excellent view of her Majesty the Queen Victoria & Prince Albert they passed in
10 feet of us in the state carrage drawn by 8 cream coulord Hanovarian horses through the park to open parliamen[t]
their was Judged to be over 300,000 persons congregated on the occasion [end of sideways text]
[upside-down text]
All things shall work together for good to the faithful. I feel
thankful that the Lord has opened the way for you to spend the
winter at your fathers House & once more enjoy the Society of
your Kindred for a season, & that I can enjoy your company while
on my visit in Maine. I never desired any thing more in my life
than to once more be permitted to enjoy the embraces of My Dear Phebe
& Also to see & kiss the LAD. May God hasten the time I pray. I
want to ask a question, shall I sail direct from New York to Portland
& so you call with me in C[onnecti]cut to see our friends on
our return. Or had I better [illegible due to stamp] a call both going & coming
Answer in the Letter you sen[t] [illegible due to stamp] in NY. I shall probably
leave most of my baggage in NY [illegible due to stamp]
[end of upside-down text]
[sideways text]
Two hours later, what strange things happen just as I was about sealing
this letter, the Postman came to my door & handed me a Bundle or package
from Manchester containing the 10 th No of the Star & several times & Seasons, one
long letter from Mother & sister Eunice Dated Jan 24 th, & a long interesting, comfo-
rting & cheering Letter, written By Father & ^Mother^ Carter, Freedom Moulton, & sisters –
Phebe, Shuah, Sarah, & Willford Owen & you may all rest assured it was
a feast to my soul to once more hear from you all, this was Dated
Jan 10 th & as I have again herd from you all [thr]ough the instrumentality of
pen & ink my prayer is that I may soon see you with mine eyes
[end of sideways text]
[sideways text]
I write a letter to father Woodruff family to day [end of upside-down text]
My Dear Companion let us be faithful & humble before the Lord & seek
meekness & humility that we may be hid in the day of the Lords anger
for he is about to come out of his hiding place & in his fury vex the Nations
Awful judgments & calamities are at the door our own Nation will not
escape But America will soon ^learn^ their is a God in Israel. May labours –
cares & anxieties have been great during the past year, & I rejoice in the
Anticipation of a Jubilee or release from my long mission that I can
again return to the Bosom of my Dear family. But Ah! poor Sarah I –
cannot see at present. When I see you I will tell you a comforting dream I had
about her pray for me untill you see me
W
[end of sideways text]
Willford Woodruff
London Feb 18th 1841
Mrs Phebe W. Woodruff
Care of Ezra Carter
Scarborough
Maine
United States