Letter to Phebe Whittemore Carter Woodruff, 13 January 1841 [LE-455]
Document Transcript
July 24th I received A letter from Mother & Eunice Woodruff. 25th I wrote a letter to Bishop Ripley. July 29th I wrote a Letter to
Phebe, which I sent by the hand of Sister Jane Benbow, wife of John Benbow, the first family that Recieved me & my testimony in
Herefordshire. I Baptized the whole household 10 in number. He was a large farmer cultivated 600 acres of Land, he sold all out. He let
Us have $1,250 dollars to Print the Hymn Books & 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon. He also advanced $2,500 dollars to help the
company of poor Saints to Nauvvo Nauvoo Ill that went with him was led by Elder Turley 200 in number He gave me $75 dollars
to bear my expenses in opening the work in the city of London in our first mission here. I sent this letter by sister Benbow as an introd-
uction or acquaintance with you, which accquaintance she much desired, their house was always my home while I was in that country they
were worthy people. I Baptized more than a hundred in one pool near their house. He was own brother to Wm Benbow. On the 6th Day of Aug–
I sealed up a package of 42 Letters, & All my Journals from Montrose to England, & the 1 & 3 No's of the Star, & sent to Mrs Woodruff
by the hand of Elder Turley these were all my corresponding letters both from Europe & America, I sent them to you thinking they would
entertain you in a lonely moment or season. Aug 8th one year ago this day, I took the last parting look, with my Dear Phebe to go on a mission
to fulfill the commandments of God. I wrote A Letter this day to Col L. Wight. Aug 10. I wrote 8 Letters this day, 2 to Phebe one to Ephraim-
Luce, one to N. Thomas one to Margarett Smoot, one to Wm Benbow These I enclosed in one package directed to Phebe W Woodruff, the other
2 were to Eunice Woodruff, & B Young one of these letters directed to Phebe contained a £0.10 a half sovreign this whole package I put into
the hand of Elder Turley myself. 11th I parted with Elder Turley. 12th I herd of the Death of Bishop Partridge & of certain signs on
the Miss. River Aug 18th for the first time I entered the city of LONDON the Metropolis of England Pop 1,600,000 with Elders H C Kimball &
G. A. Smith. Mr's Algood sister to Elder Turley wife kindly received Us & I wrote A Letter to Phebe.
19th I wrote a letter to Phebe & inclosed
a sovreign £1 & inclosed both in the Letter which I wrote yesterday & forwarded them by mail to Elder Turley to take to Phebe & they reached
in safty. On the 21st I stood on the top of the Monument built in the memory of the dreadful fire of London in 1666, the highest modern pillar in
the world. J^A^ul^g^y 22nd I received a Letter from Phebe Dated July 2nd which I was truly much rejoiced to receive, & I wrote Phebe 2 letters in return
one yesterday 21st one to day 22nd I enclosed both in one & Also £0.10 half a sovreign for Phebe to buy anything with it she pleased for Sarah
& little Willford, this I sent to T. Turley to convey to Phebe which he obtained, this made £7 seven sovreigns which I sent you by Elder Turley
you informed me in your letter of July 2nd you would like some clothing & a cape to we^a^re on the neck. I immediately sent to Manchester
& got Elder Young to go to the store & Purchased another good winter dress for a large elegant worked cape, a nis^c^e shawl shawl
several yards of flannel, the best pair of linen draperry sheets he could find, & several more caps with some other articles all of which
wer carefully done up & sent to Phebe by Elder Turley & in addition to these a bundle of Presents from a sister Eliza Bromley
in the Staffordshire Potteries which I never saw neither did she tell me what they were, was also sent by Elder Turley. Aug 27th I
wrote another letter to Phebe which I sent by the hand of sister Elizabeth Ravenscroft who went in the same company with Turley. &
this is the reason why I felt sorry that these things could not have fallen into your hands before you went east, that you might enjoyed
the benefit of them & obtained the numerous letters which I s[e]nt [page torn] you by that company for I spared no pains to send you any thing
that was in my power that I thought would make you comfortable, & also comunicated to you by letter evry circumstance of our proced-
ings my labours, the progress of the work, touching upon the sacrafizes we were called to make for the sake of Christ & a Celestial glory
our long seperation, the cause thereof, when I should return. In fine I used evry exertion to comfort your heart what I could knowing that
our seperation had been long, but this seperation was prolonged by no less than the work of God & eternal things, many of these things
were tuched upon, & things about the children on scraps of paper, put into the Parsels, which I expected no eye would see but your
own neither were they in a suitable state to be forwarded by mail, & the reason that I did not forward you more letters for many
weeks before the company started I was withholding them for private conveyance expectind the company would have started
much sooner than it did. I sent by Elder Turley & the company about a dozen letters of my own hand writing to you besides all my
corresponding letters & Journals as I before said. However as you have not obtained them it cannot be helped though I could have wished it
otherwise, but perhaps you will get the reading of them as soon as I shall the one you sent by Elders O Hide & J. E Page for I have
not yet herd that they have reached N.Y. I have received all your others letters excepting the first & the one just spoken of &
you may rest assured they were a feast & a prize to me, for a letter is next to seeing a friend. Aug 30th sunday we stood in the street in
the city of London & Preached repentance unto the people next Day Baptized one man Henry Corner as good a watch maker as there is in the
city of London he is the first man baptized in the city. Sept 5th I visited evry part of west Minister Abbey House of Parliament &c Sept 7th Elder
Turley & 200 saints sail from Liverpool this day. I visited St Pauls Cathedral from the Crypt to the ball being 400 feet in the air & the largest in the world
except the Vat^c^ian at Rome. On the 8th I saw Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace. 9th I called upon Mrs Algood, sister to Mrs Turley she
made me a present of a pair of twesers & a nice ring to put keys on to carry to my wife. I purchased a pocket watch that was in pond I paid £2.10. ^S^ Br
Corner cleaned it for me, said it cost £10 when it was made, it was a horizontal watch, caped & Jeweld in 4 holes, with centre second. Sept 10th I left
London to go to Herefordshire to attend two conferences. Sept 14th I attended a conference at Bran Green & Gadfield Elm Chapel in Worcestershire
16th I preached in Elder Kingtons House, we had baptized 50 of the church of Engli^a^nd with most of their musicians in the Town of Dymock The Recter
of the church came against me with a mob of 100 while I was preaching parraded them before the house rank & file under the beat of Drums,
pots, pans, kittles, pails &c & cast a shower of stones & brick through the house for an hour dashed in the windows broke in the roof & though brick stones
& glass flew through the rooms like hail no one ^one^ was injured. The Rector was not present himself but done through his means. On the 21stsept I
held a conference i^a^t Froom's Hill & at these Two conferences I herd Represented 40 churches, 1007 Saints, 19 Elders, 78 Priest, 15 Teachers,
& 1 Deacon All of which had received the work in that one field (which I opened in March) within six months & a half, one hundred of which
were preachers of the various orders of the Day. including four Clarks of the Church of England thus the Lord has been vary merciful
unto me & blessed me abudantly in my labours for which I feel vary thankful. there has been several hundred added unto those churches
since. Sept 26th I obtained the 7, 8, & 9th No of the Times & Seasons. 28th I attended a conference in the Staffordshire Potteries, herd 231 (saints
represented & 59 officers there was ownly (60) saints in that region when I first commenced my labours there, they now NO near 600.
much of the power of God is manifested in this region about these days. Oct 5th I rode by coach 36 miles to Manchester with Elder Kimball
was sick, had sumthing like a shake of the ague, it being the first & last i have felt since I left America, here I once more met with the Twelve I wrote
A Letter to Phebe. Oct 6th I sat with the Twelve in a general conference in Manchester, & Herd Represented 41 conferences & churches containing
3,626 Saints. 81 Elders, 222 Priests, 64 Teachers, & 16 Deacons increase for the last 3 months 1113 Saints 25 E. 96 P. 3 T. & 3 Deacons beside
about 300 saints & official members who have emegrated to Nauvoo & Iowa making about 1400 addition in three months. Oct 7th I attended a
a discussion at the carpenters hall, to hear a man attempt to prove the Book of Mormon fals & Baptism not essensial, 2000 persons present as the debate was
about to commence a strange Phenomenon happened, the chandeliers contained 36 gas lights⬦ to lighten the Hall, instantly one thirt^d^ of them being 12 in No
birst to attoms. The debate ended with great additions to the saints, (I wrote a letter of great length to the Editors of the Times & Seasons containing
two sheets the size of this printed full giving an account of my travels from Montrose up to the present time oct 7th this I sent by the hand of
Elder S Mulliner & also your letter Dated Oct 5th I was also informed that Turley left one letter which I wrote to you with Elder Tay^i^lor which through mistake
this was also sent by Br Mulliner making two for you & one for the Editors He sailed in few days after from Liverpool to Nauvoo via New-
Orleans. Occ^t^ 17th I preached in Birmingham & 18th again in London. 19th I visited the British Museum I saw Pyparus enough to make a hundred
volumns as large as the Bible if decypher'ed. I will tell you about it when I see you. 22 I hired an Academy to preach in in London printed 500 handbills
to notify the people. This day for the first time I herd of the Death of our Dear little Sarah Emma it pe^i^erced my heart like an arrow, but I was soon resigned
the news came in a letter from Manchester, in the evening I attended a missionary meeting Lord Mayor of London was Chairman. 23rd I received two letters
one from Br Ilus. F. Carter the other from sister Sarah Foss I was truly glad to hear from them. 24th wrote a lenghty letter to Elias Smith, requested him to
show it to Mrs Woodruff. 26th Postman brought me 7 letters from the following persons H. C. Kimball, J. Tai^y^lor, O. Pratt, (John Smith, Elias Smith,
Phebe W. Woodruff Albert Petty Margarrett Smoot,) & Hiram Clark. Phebes was Dated July 18th which spoke of the Death & burial of [FIGURE] Sarah Emma
this letter was interesting & affecting I coppied in^t^ in my Journal. On the 28th I finished a long communication written to E Robinson
& D. C. Smith signed Kimball, W. Woodruff & G. A. Smith. It was a religious & Historical Letter our labours in London &c I sent it for publication (on
the 30th of Oct. I wrote A long letter to Phebe W. W., A. Petty, M. T. Smoot, & G. W. Robinson & Directed it to G. W. Robinson with P. W. W.
on the bottom this in answer to yours of 18th I hope you will obtain it) Nov 2nd I received a letter from Mother Woodruff. on the Death of uncle
Joseph Hart. It came to my hand the same as your last did, for I was writing to them printing a sheet full like this when I received their letter
the letter was Dated Nov 2nd which I sent them they got it in 16 Days from its Date) Nov 5th I Received another letter from Phebe & Br Wm O Clark
Dated Sept 8th, & I am sorry that while your letters were comforting my heart, that you could not have obtained some of my communications
instead of feeling the emosions of seeming neglect on my part while at the same time I was constantly writing, to you.) I was writing a letter to
George W. Robinson Nov 5th when your last named letter came to hand, I then directed the remainder to you & informed of the Dates of all the letters
I had sent you the same as I am now doing
Nov 7th I wrote a full letter to Br Ilus F, Carter. Directed it 118 Bleaker St corner of wester NY
Please tell me when you write again if he received it. (9th I herd of the Death of Joseph Smith sen.) Nov 9th I wrote a vary long letter
to Father & Mother Carter the size of this sheet printed it full, made large extracts from your letters in it & told them about many things in this
country & wrote some to sister Foss in it. I hope they obtained it, if so tell me when you write.) 18th I wrote a letter to Azmon & Thompson Woodruff
the ownly letter I have written them since I have been in England. 21st Queen Victoria gave birth to a princes this day.
Nov 22
I commenced the most
lengthy communication to Phebe that I ever wrote her, made extracts from 30 corresponding letters from various parts of Europe giving an account
of the work of the Lord throughout this land, a part of which I requested to be presented to the Editors for publication. I directed it to Phebe. w. Woodruff,
& mailed it at the American Coffee House in London on the 26th
29th Baptized 3 in the citiy. Dec 3rd I Received A Letter from Phebe Dated oct 6th
to 16th Elder Kimball got one from his wife both brought n^g^ood news of interest. Elder Young was with us to day we visited the. Tower of London. contain-
ing all the British Armoury & Jewelry crowns &c.) 4th Kimball wrote to his wife. 7th we all visited the collage [page torn] Surgeons with Doctor Copeland. which
was interesting.
8th I visited the Queens Mews or Pimlico containing all her state & private coaches [page torn] [h]arness, horses, & many other things.
I dined with her state coachman, his wife made me a present for Mrs Woodruff. 12th I wrote a few lines to Phebe Br Kimballs letter. 16th I
received an interesting letter from sister Eunice Woodruff. Phebe requests me to get my portrait taken. I have complyed with her request
& taken my first sitting Dec 23rd by an Italian Artist of the first class By the name of Fillippo Pistrucci I formed an acquaintance with him by
means of Mr Sangiovanni the Italian that married the Daughter of Br Rogers that lived joining our room. we have visited him a number of times
she was happy to see us & wishes to be baptized. Mr Pistrucci, one of the best Artist but he charges high for his work. He freequently charges £10 or $50
for the same that he is taking for me, but for friends £5. half price. But he does mine for £2.10 about $12 $12. Dec 25 spent a Christmas in London
took supper the Day following with Mr & Mrs Sangiovanni. 27th Sunday I preached in an Independant chapel, would seat about 2000 (I have
since Baptized the Preachers Daughter, & the Preacher & his wife is going forward to be Baptized next Saturday) 28th herd a lecture delivered by
the celebrated J. S. Buckingham who has just returned to London from a tour of three years in the U. S. A. he spoke highly of America
January 1st 1841 I wrote a lengthy peace in my Journal upon the close of the year & the signs of (1840) I looked over my Journal of 1840 & the following
is a brief synopsis of my labours during the past Year (Travled in England & Wales visited the following Towns & Cities Liverpool, Preston,
Manchester, Burslem, Hanly, Stafford, Woolverhampton, Birmingham, Worcester, Hereford, Ledbury, Marlvern Hills, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Oxford, LONDON
many other places not named.) Travled 4319 Miles, Held 230 meetings, Esstablished 53 Preaching Places, Planted 47 Church & Jointly
organized the same which numbers 1500 Saints 28 Elders, 110 Priest 24 Teachers & 10 Deacons, Atteneded 14 Conferences, Baptized
336. 57 were Preachers assisted at the Baptism of 86 others. Confirmed 420, Assisted in confirming 50 others, Ordained 18 Elders
97 Priest, 34 Teachers & 1 Deacon. Blessed 120 children. Administered unto 120 sick persons by prayer, annointing, & laying on of hands
in many Instances the sick were healed, the lame walked, & Devils were cast out. I wrot 200 Letters & Recieved 120 Letters.
Assisted Jointly procured £1000 pounds, for Publishing the Latter Day Saints Millennial Star, 3000 copies of the Hymn Book
5000 copies of the Book of Mormon, & to assist 200 Saints to Emigrate to Nauvoo & Iowa so you can see I have not been Idle
During 1840. Jan 1st 1841. Another year has begun, I celebrated the New Years Day by Baptizing 2 persons in Tabernacle
square. Jan 4th [FIGURE] I wrote A few lines to Phebe & Sister Kimball in a letter which Br Kimball wrote home. 5th I took a second
sitting for my Portrait. [FIGURE] 4th I dreamed of seeing Phebe & Willfor, had a plesant interview with them attended or held a meeting
together may the Lord hasten the time. 7th I received a letter form Phebe Dated Nov 2nd felt thankful to hear from her so
often. Pardon me for hastily overlooking one vary important letter Dated Oct 16th & signed W. O. Woodruff, who makes a request
for me to come home as he wishes to se me. His request is certainly consistant & Just & shall be complyed with in April next the
Lord willing & I feel that he is. I also have just received a letter from Lorenzo Snow bearing a message from Mrs Woodruff which
shall be complyed with. Jan 8th coldest day in London for four years yet I went into the water & Baptized the Daughter of
an Independant Minister. 10th Sunday Elder Kimball has gone to Woolwich to Preach I held 3 meetings in London & while breaking
bread with the Saints A Lady entered the door presented me a letter of Recommendation to the church from under the hands of Elder L. R.
Foster Presiding Elder of the church in the city of New York. It was Sister (Ellen Balfour Redman) Br Taiylor & myself staid at at
her house the night before we left New York she is a Scotch Lady of the first Rank & education, she has traveld much through the
East Indies others parts of the world, ship wrecked a number of times, taken once by Indians, once by Pirates, then come to London w[page torn]
Governess in several families of the first Lords in London, taught the La[n]guages, & French, Italic, & music, then went to N[page torn]
herd the fulness of the gospel, received it, Has returned to London, Is visiting frends & acqunintance sitting in high places, & la[page torn]
fullness of the gospel before them, is about to present a Book of Mormon to Her Majesty the Queen, for us through the instrumentali[page torn]
of a member of Parliament with whom she is acquainted. She wishes to write a few lines to you in this sheet, which will be granted
Jan 12th We Baptized 5, Doctor Copeland one of the Number, a man of talent, learning, & influence, & will do good. Jan 13th
I comme-
nced a long letter to Phebe had not wrote but a few lines before I received one from her Dated in New York on her way to
her fathers House, & before this time I trust she is in the midst of the family circle. 15th Baptized 3 & confirmed them
16th Saturday night Elder Kimball has just written a little in this letter to Phebe & has gone to Woolwich 10 miles out of the city
to preach tomorrow so I held my meeting alone in London. Now Phebe I must draw to a close, as sister Redman wishes
to write a few lines to you, I have made these extracts from my Journal to let you know the letters I have written to you some
of these things I have written you before in other letters but as you have not obtained them, I thought it proper to speak of them in this letter
Though I have said much in this sheet I have much more I wish to say, had I room, I wish you to write me Immediately after the reception
of this & give me all the news about our friends in Maine tell me if sister Kimball has sent you any of the letters which I wrote you & sent to
to Nauvoo, you wish me to bring means to pay your fare back with me in the spring, I shall of course want your company on my return west
& I wish you in your next to tell me what the fare was from Nauvoo to Portland that I may be prepared if possible with means so as to be com[fort][page torn]
able in our journey. My expences have been great in esstablinshing the work in London, But thank the Lord he hath put means into my ha[nds] [page torn]
it, & the work is now going on well, & many favorable doors now opening for a rapid spread of the work in London. I have laboured [consid][page torn]
erable in London Elder Kimball is with me now, I have also just been procur[i]ng several choice articles which I [page torn]
use for instance I wanted me A Pocket watch that I could depend upon in all circumstances & in order to perfect this I t[page torn]
would improve the opportunity while I had it so I got Br Corner to make me one according to my liking, so he has made [page torn]
which he warrants to keep good time, as long as I live unless some accident happens to it, he did not charge any thing for his work ownly the
materials & expens out & that came to £6.10 or $30. It is a Patent Lever caped & di^a^mond or jeweld in 8 holes, Roman Dial with my name on it
& a double Bottom Hunter, He says he never made a better watch. He is also making me a Patent Lever House time Peace set in a small brass
stand for Phebe instead of a clock. Though this article costs more than a clock yet it is much more convenient to set in any part of the room
I shall sell the first watch that I spoke of in this letter when I arive in America to assist me with means as I do not want but one, I will
try to remember your collar & Veil, I sent you & sister Smoot each a Hymn Book with your naimes names on it in guilt. I will bring
a coppy of the Star, I have sent them to Father Carter, Father Woodruff, & to you at Nauvoo. I have a present of three china
pitchers, quart, Pint, & half pint, bearing the following names in gold Willford Woodruff. Phebe W. Woodruff & Sarah Emma-
Woodruff. which I shall take with me & some other articles for little Sarah, But the poor child is gone, but I must c[o]me to a close
I have many other things I wish to speak of give my respects to all of Father Carters Houshold. father mother Brothers & Sisters,
& take a good share to yourself & little willford kiss the lad for me, I want to see you both there is no mistake about it, Please
not expose this Letter out of the family, esspecially upon temporal things (write soon & Direct your next Letter to W. Woodruff
40 Ironmonger ^Row^ Saint Lukes London, & you will much obliege you[r] companion in a foreign land
Willford Woodruff
[upside-down text][Ellen Balfour Redman] My dear Sister in the Lord
Your companion, dear Brother Woodruff has been so kindly indulgent as to
permit me the privelege of adding a few lines to his letter -- which I esteem a great favour. I understand, My
dear Sister that you propose passing the intervening time of your Husband's absence, with your family --
it is very natural that your heart should turn to your parental home in your desolate Situation — but let
me ^charge you^ in the language of sincere Sisterly affection to remember that you belong to the Covenant people of the
Lord. Remember the trials you have already endured for Righteousness' sake -- and how great will be your
reward in Heaven. Now beloved Sister that you are for a time removed from the body of the Church, it behooves you
to be doubly watchful and prayerful that so you may not fall into a lukewarm state — let your light shine — you know
not the good effect it may have under the influence of the Divine Spirit upon the Souls of those among whom you may
be thrown nor how many it may be the means of adding to the Kingdom -- of our great Redeemer hold fast then
that to which you have attained that no man take your crown. The most fervent prayers of my Soul shall daily
be offered up to the throne of Grace for you and your Babe. I will pray the Eternal Father in the name of his
Son that he pour upon you every needful Blessing temporal or spiritual — that he support and uphold you by
his Grace and grant you to live day by day, by faith in the Son of God that he supply by his presence the loss of
your Husband's Society — comfort and cheer your drooping Spirits until My dear Brother shall return to make
glad your heart — accept my best love yourself — and a sweet kiss for your Babe — from your truly affectionate
Sister in the Lord —
Ellen Balfour Redman [end of upside-down text]