Journal (January 1, 1840 – December 31, 1840)
Document Transcript
& logings in Clark street at the Bir-
mingham arms {and may the Lord henceforth deliver me from
such a place}. Distance from the middle of the Atlan-
tic Ocean to Liverpool England 1750 mi
12th
I wrote three Letters during the
evening one to Elder P. P. Pratt one to
Ilus Carter, & one to Phebe
~ Sunday
12 Sunday I arose in the morning & took
(Breakfast shall I say) I eat it is true, & used
a peace of bread for a plate & my fingers
for a knife & fork & was charged high for
it at that. I herd some of the passengers boast
of the superior accomodations in England to
those of Americe I confess I could not
eat without smileing thinking if this is the
superior Englaish accomodations I do not
know what those of the next Nation will
be. I would not wish the reader to under
stand this to be a proper sample of English
customs, but ownly as we were strangers
we had the misfortune to be directed to
a place of the above description We paid
our Bill & retired. We walked to the shiping &
The whole population of the Potteries in 1838
was 65000. These potteries are for the ma-
nifactering of English china, crockery,
& stone ware of every description
We visited Hanley & sup'd at Brother
William Benbow's at Hanley Market place,
Staffordshire Potteries. Keeper of provision
store. Brother Benbow was not at home
but we were much pleased with
his Lady Sister Ann Benbow, she was
strong in faith & manifested much
interest at our arivel to England from
America. We preached at Brother Woods
in New Castle & spent the night at
Elder Cordons in Burslem distance 5 mil
~ Thursday
23rd
I wrote a Letter to Elder Wm
Clayton at Manchester. We Dined at
Brother George Simpsons. We held a
prayer meetings at Elder Cordons & had an
interesting time
~ Friday
24th I preached at night at the house of Br
Wm Hume in Canning Street, in Stoke Elder Turley
followed me 2 came forward for Baptizm &c
~ Saturday
gentlemen walking before, groceries. Twelve colliers
fall 7656 feet into way pit killed dead, Dogs, Bacon,
Bread, police men, preach, O. Hide Timely warnings
cat, walk, gas lights, Thorn Headge, Scotch soldiers
ostrich feathers, bear legs, war with china, cat,
pray, undress, by dawn, sleep, Dream, 265,
Market place, Hanly.
~ Tuesday
Feb 34th Wake, dress, pray, eate, talk, walk to
Burslem rain & wind.
I wrote two letters
one to Elder W Richards & the other to Elder's
J. Taylor & J Fielding. I recieved a letter
from Elder Wm Clayton. I preached at
night at Dea[con] Bradburies & had the spirit of God
a great opposer was convinced of the Truth &
said he would soon be baptized I spent the night
at Elder Cordons 2 miles
~ Wednesday
5th Walked to Hanly & on to New castle read two
papers, found much talk about the Queen Victoria
wedding It had taken more than 200 persons 9 months to
make her Bridal Dress, & all the weavers 6 weeks
to make her veil. I preached at night at Brother
Woods No. 14 Drayton street & walked to Burslem &
spent the night {Distance of the day} 8 miles
~ Thursday
Feb 6th I received a Letter from Elder Turley
I wrote a Letter to Elder Turley in an
swer to his, & walked to Tunstell & returned
to Hanly preached upon the Book of Mormon to 4 or
500 persons some of which were full of wrath, &
when I closed those that were angry because of the word
of God arose upon a Bench & began to reject my testi
mony & rave like madmen but I stood & gave answ
ered to their questions untill they were confounded I then
left the house while it was all in an uproar. I spent
the night at Brother Benbows {Distance of the day} 4 mi
~ Friday
7th Friday Walked to Stoke & Dined with Brother James
Grocott in Cross St end of Thomas St After Dining, Brother
Grocott accompanied me all through Copelands pot
works, & it was truly a great curiosity to see
all kinds of earthren, crockery, & the best of china
ware made, commencing at the stone, clay, & bones
in their first state & go through every process untill
it is finished. Firstly enter gate, visit engine that
carries all the works from thence to ^pounding^ grinding stone &
bones, gringing, mixing, sifting, drying, turning or mould-
ing it into every kind of ware, fireing, printing, stamping,
Gilding with gold, glazing, fireing, pollishing, storeing, selling
& aggrandizing themselves with the profits thereof.
I took supper with Br Grocott & preached in the
evening at Brother Humes 5th Door Canning St S.
spent the night at Brother John Rowleys Distanc 3 m
~ Saturday
8th I spent the Day with Brother Hume, I wash
ed my feet & bore testimony unto Jesus Christ
against ^Priest^ William Shaw & ^Priest^ William Pool for rejecting
my testimony. I held a prayer meeting with the
Saints had a good time I
received two letters
one from Elder Richards & the other from Elder
Wm Clayton
I wrote a letter to Elder
W. Richards, & spent the night at Brother Rowley.
~ Sunday
9th Sunday I was unwell preached at Brother
Hulme & walked to Lane End & preached at
Brother Thomas Ameson's near Vauxall, & Rose
& Crown. I also preached in the evening. I spent
the night with Br Isaac Whittaker furnace road
Longton (or Lane end) south side of the church. I Blessed
3 children & confirmed one person {Distance} 3 m.
~ Monday
Feb 10th
Queen Victoria is married to day. Prince
Albert is her Bridegroom. The Queen' salary that is settelded
upon her annually is £385,000 or $1,925,000. that of
Prince Albert ^{[illegible shorthand]}^ is £50,000 or $250,000 making in all
yearly to the Queen & Prince £435000 or $2,175000
The above is the same that the late King & Queen had befor them
As this is a day that many are celebrating the mariage
of the Queen, I thought it no more than just & right that
I should honor the King of heaven by advocating his
cause & preaching the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ so
I walked out into the Market place acompanied
by Elder Alfred Corden, & Deacon Wm Bradbury, &
Brother George Simpsons, & we began to sing prases
unto God & call upon his name & a congreg
ation flocked around us, & we preached the gospel unto
them & I bore testimony unto them of the great
work that God had set his hand to accomplish. we
testified of the second comeing of Christ & warned
the people to repent & be Baptized for the remision
of their sins, & when we had finished our testimony
we dismissed the people & walked of[f] with many
following us. We also preached in the evening at
Brother Thomas Amisons & Baptized one & walked
to Burslem & spent the night ^{[illegible shorthand]}^. I received a
letter from Elder John Taylor they had Baptized 10
in Liverpool. Distance of the day 8 miles
~ Tuesday
11th I spent the day in Burslem
I wrote
two Letters one to Elder Turley & the other
to Elder Wm Clayton I preached at night
in Burslem at Dea[con] Bradburrey's
& after preaching one came to be Baptized
a female we called upon her sister weas
we passed along & she said she would obey
the gospel also. We then called upon another
woman who was believing, but she
made objections to being Baptized then
because she had a dead child in the house
I told her to lett let the dead bury the
Dead [Luke 9:60] but rise & follow Christ & she did
& we walked two miles & I baptized
the three 3 females their husbands were
in the church & were present at the time
I baptized these females. We repared at
a house & I confirmed them & I had
the spirit of God & a good time I spent
the night at Elder Cordons {Distance of the day} 5 m
~ Wednesday
12th I preached at New castle. I wrote
a letter to Elder P P. Pratt {Distance of the day} 6 m
~ Thursday
13
I wrote two Letters one to Elder Sm
James, New Jersey & one to Elder John Taylor
& walked to Hanly & preached to a large
congregation, two visiting brethren were present
viz Priest John Wych & Priest Samuel Heath
town. Their was a London Merchant
present that had been rich & honorable but
through the hard times was reduced to beggarly
& had but 12 1/2 penny to carry him 100 miles
great Distress is beginning to come upon
the Land We spent the night at the house of
Widow Gilberts Distance of the day 10 m
Lord Melbourn, & Marquiss of Landsdown, is about
to resign their seat in Parliment because they
cannot make out the money they wish, &
Lord John Russel will take their place & try to
make out the money
~ Tuesday
Feb 18th We left Stone & walked to Stoke
but on the road we spent several hours in
visiting the Noted Park of
George Granvill
the present DUKE [FIGURE] of Southerland Trentam
Staffordshire. This park is about 5 miles in length &
5 in bredth, the first thing of note that strike the atten
tion while coming on the rode from Stone to Stoke is
several hundred acres of ground planted over with
young sprouts in order to make timber, which ground is
hilly. next appears Spring Vale, the lower fountain is a
forced vein which spirts or throws a stream of water about
12 feet above the surface of the water, their is a fish polol
above the first fountain, but rather small, their is a
splendid stone house, on the hill above for the purpose of
keeping persons that are Insane. there are a number
of small monuments around this vale. The next is the
manner house built of stone but mostly in ruins, it is
more than five hundred years old, & one family have
lived in it more than 300 years ie desending from father
to son. We next visited the splended Monument erected
in memory of George Granvill the late Duke father of the
present Duke of Southerland. It stands erect upon a hill
built of hewn stone, the foundation is square 160 ^feet^ round
it, each laying of stone is drawn into a narrow compase
about 3 feet each laying untill about 12 feet high then the
monument is round for about 60 feet, then the Image
of the Duke stands on the top being about 10 feet in hight
with a roll of paper in his left hand (he was a memder
of parliment) facing his splended mansion house in the vale
north of the monument. the whole monument about 80
feet in hight [FIGURE] A person at this monument has a fine view
of the mansion house which is an expensive & splended build-
ing it covers about 4 acres, built of hewn stone, having
much carved work of Lions & other Images, their were
365 windows in it before the repairs or additions which the
present Duke is making which it is supposed will take 7
years to accomplish. Their are some hundreds of acres of
wood land & firm paches all of which are enclosed with
a fence of 4 & 5 feet high the whole of the fence composed
of solid Iron their are miles of Iron railing in this park
The Duke Has vast quantities of game, fish & fowl in his
Park, such as Deer, Hares, Rabits, Pheasants, Ducks, Geese
Swan, Trout & many other kinds of fish. The Deer are
as tame as sheep we saw about 300 in one drove. there
are game keepers to see that no person trespasses upon
the park, the river Trent runs through the park the
Duke has converted the whole of it for a distance into
a fish pool. I visited the burying ground which was
coverd with many kinds of evergreen, the publick road
running through the park is betwen two stone walls
about 10 feet thick, 4 to 6 high coverd with turf & green grass
This DUKE of Southerland has two other Parks of
as much value as the one above named, as to his wealth
he nor no man knoweth. But as JESUS said concer
ning the stones of the Temple, [Matthew 24:2] [Luke 21:5-6] it will in like manner be with
the monuments & pride of this generation, they will spedily
be lade low in the Dust together.
I walked from Stoke to Hanly then to Burslem atten
ded meeting at Deacon Bradburies Elder Cordon
preached I spent the night at Elder Cordons. Elder
Cordon Baptized one at Lane End Monday night 17th
I recieved a Letter of Wm Clayton
~ Sunday
23rd Sunday I preached in Stoke in the morn
ing & confirmed one I communed with the
Saints at Brother [blank] Whittaker, in Lane end I
also preached in the evening Distance of the day 3 m
~ Monday
234th I walked to Stone with Brother Samuel
Hancock & several other Brethren & preached at
Widow Gilberts & thence returned to Hanly &
spent the night at Brother Benbows distance 20 [miles].
~ Tuesday
25th
I wrote two letters one to Elder
Turley & the other to Elder Clayton & walked
to Burslem & preached at Dea[con] Bradbury's
& spent the night at Elder Cordons 2 miles
~ Wednesday
26th
I received a Letter from Elder Turley
& wrote a letter to him in answer to it
& walked to New Castle & preached at Brother
Woods & returned & spent the night in Burslem
a Scottish soldier & his lady attending meeting
recieved the word with gladness & were
believeing distance 5 mile
~ Thursday
27th [FIGURE] I wrote a long letter to Elders E. Robinson
& D. C Smith in Commerce Ill U. S. A. & also a
letter to Elder Taylor at Liverpool I walked
to Hanly & preached I spent the night at Br Benbows
^I ordained Br William Vernon to a office of a priest^
~ Friday
28th
I wrote a letter to Elder M. Holmes
Elder Turley returned from Birmingham
& met me in Hanly he brought me a letter
^
^ from Dwight Webster. Brother Turley had one
from his wife but among all the letters
I do not hear a word from Phede or Sarah
I walked to Stone & Elder Turley preached
^Alfred Baptized one^ we returned to Brother Benbows & spent the night 4 mi
~ Saturday
29th And last day of winter I spent the day in
Hanly
I wrote two Letters one to Father
Carter & the other to John Taylor all
of which I sent to Elder Taylor
~ Sunday
March 1st 1840 this is my birth day I am
33 years of age to day. I preached in Hanly &
broke bread. I preached in the evening to a
large congregation & the spirit & power of
God rested upon me. 4 offered themselves for
Baptism two soldiers received my testimony
& I think will be baptized. I visited Wid[ow] Lucy
Martin No 6 Brunswick St I spent the night in Hanly
~ Monday
2nd Walked to Burslem & returned to Hanly to
Stoke, & to Stone & preached & spent the
night in Stone ^The Lord warned me to go to the South^ distance of the day 16 m
~ Tuesday
3rd I walked to Stafford & called at the kings
Inn. I had an interview with Mr
~ Monday
^9th^ I preached at Standly Hill & Baptized 7 persons 2 of
which were preachers
~ Tuesday
10th I preached at Brother Benbows or Hill farm
& Baptized 12 persons 3 of which were preachers
~ Wednesday
11th
I wrote 4 Letters one to W. Richards,
one to J Taylor, one to W. Clayton, one to Cordon
Brother Wm Benbow parted with Brother John
Benbow & started for home in Hanly. {He left with
a bowed head. It was a dark day to us both. The waves
of sorrow rolled on our souls. The devil was as a roaring lion
seeking to devour us but God will deliver us. I went to my
meeting very sorrowfully.} I preached in the evening at the House of
Thomas Jinkins at Moorends Cross. I spent the night
at Mr Jinkins distance of the day 5 miles
~ Thursday
12th I preached at night at Mr James Hadley at
Ridgway Cross I suped at Mr Francis Holmes &
I had a large congregation & the power of God
rested upon me I bore testimony unto the
people & walked to Brother John Benbows & spent
the night distance of the day 6 miles
~ Friday
13th I visited the sick & walked to Stokes Lane &
preached & Baptized 3 persons & spent the night
at Brother Benbow 12 mile
Francis Birch, Richard Hall, ^&^ Ann Birch were
the 3 above named persons Baptized
20 miles to see me. they came down out of
the Gig & walked to whare I was, notwithstanding
they were Ministers yet I stood up & boldly declaired
unto them Jesus & testified unto them of the
great work of God in these last Days & the power
of God rested upon us, & they bowed down &
prayed & gave glory to God, & we all rose up
& the Gig stood still & we all went down
into the water at the same hour & I
Baptized them & lade my hands upon them
that they might receieve the Holy Hhost & they
went their way rejoiceing. I thent walked
to Moorends Cross & spent the night & preached
at Brother William Parsons & preached Baptized
5 persons more making 9 persons Baptized
^
^ During the day I wrote a letter to Alfred Cordon
I Also confirmed 8 persons {Distance of the day} 6 mil
~ Wednesday
25th
I wrote 2 Letters one to Elder Richards
& sent him a few words {of the Lord concerning him}
& one to Wm Clayton I walked to Woferwood
Common & preached to Allens & returned to the
Hill farm & spent the night 12 mil.
I also wrote a letter to Elder John Taylor
I received a Letter from Elder Clayton
of Isaiah & praying mightily for me I
then arose & preached to the largest congrega
tion (it was said) that ever met in the chapel
the Minister was believing & bid me God speed
after Meeting many offered themselves for
Baptism I spent the night at Francis
Pullen.
I received three Letters one from
Richards, one from Cordon, & one from
Mulliner. Distance of the day 6 miles
~ Tuesday
31st I walked to the green way & Baptized
13 persons 4 of which were preachers. I
then walked to Elder Thomas Kington,
& preached at his house in Dimnock ^(Dymock)^
I wrote 4 Letters one to Richards, one to
Turley, one to Wm Benbow & one to
Clayton. I spent the night at Elder Kington
distance of the day 5 miles
~ Wednesday
April 1st I walked to Norton & preached
at Mr George Curtis. I walked to Leigh
& spent the night with Brother Wm Jinkins
distance of the day 15 miles
~ Thursday
2nd I Baptized 3 in Apperly & 6 in Leigh
2 were preachers I walked to Twigworth
& preached at John Hill & returned to Leigh & spent
the night with Browett distance of the day 6 mil
~ Friday
April 3rd
I wrote two Letters one to Richards
& one to Mulliner & walked to Gadfields Elm
& preached in the Chapel to a large congregation
& spent the night at Mr Hills at Turkey Hall. 8 [miles]
~ Saturday
4th I Baptized 11 women at Gadfields Elm
& in the number was three generations
a Daughter, Mother, & Grandmother. one was
8 years of age I then walked to Leigh & spent
the night at Brother William Jenkins {Distance of the day} 7 m
~ Sunday
5th Sunday I met for a prayer meeting in
Leigh. after meeting we went to Brother
Daniel Browetts for the purpose of Baptizing
10 persons got ready. But Before we got
ready or closed praying & singing a desperate mob
gathered to gether about 100 in number & the
owner of the pool would not let us Baptize while
their was such a mob present fearing that
serious consequence would ensue I then went
in search of water in other places for about an
hour with the mob following me & calling
out you American whare are you going to wash
your sheep, but as I could not find water
when it was Motioned by Er W Woodruff & secd
by Elder Kington that James Hill, James Barns, Charles
Price, & John Parry, be ordained to the office of a
priest, & John Benbow to the office of a Teacher
carried unanimously. Elder Brigham Young & W.
Woodruff then proceded to ordain the above pers
ons to the offices assigned them. Priest Charles
price was then chosen clerk of the Stanly Hill
Branch of the church. Meeting closed by prayer
We walked to Frooms Hill & spent the night 8 m[iles]
~ Thursday
23rd Elder Young & myself walked to Moorend Cross
& called upon Brother Thomas Jinkins we both had
a bad cold & felt ill. I left Brother Young & I
walked to Collwall on the side of Malvern Hill &
preached. I walked on to the top of the Hill before
meeting & took an interesting survey of the
surrounding country I walked back to Brother
Jinkins & spent the night distance {of the day} 12 mi
~ Friday
24th I spent the day in writing Elder Young wrote
a letter to his wife &
I wrote a few words in
it to Phebe
I also wrote a full letter to phebe
& sent it to Commerce Illinois I preached at
Brother Jinkins & spent the night & was quite ill
~ Saturday
25th I spent the day & night at Moorends Cross
& was quite Ill with a bad cold
~ Sunday
26th Notwithstanding I was quite Ill I walked
5 miles to Ashfield & preached at Mr Baly's & in
in the afternoon to Crowcutt & preached &
Baptized 10 persons & confirmed them &
ordained Edward Philips a Priest. ^1 {female was taken [illegible shorthand] some call it the power of God but it is a false spirit}^ one that
I Baptized was a preacher I then returned to
Moorends Cross & spent the night with Brother
Jinkens. Distance of the day 14 miles
^Elder young Baptized 4 at Frooms Hill^
~ Monday
27th I arose quite Ill with my cold.
I preached at Moorends Cross & Baptized 3 persons
& confirmed them one a preacher &
spent the night at Brother Jinkins
~ Tuesday
28th I walked to Frooms Hill & was still
Ill
I wrote a letter to Aphek Woodruff
I spent the night with Elder Young at John
Benbows distance of the day 6 m
~ Wednesday
29th
I wrote 3 Letters one to Lucian
R. Foster one to Sister Sarah Foss one short Epis
tle to E. Robinson & D C. Smith. I attended meeting
at Frooms Hill. Elder Young preached. We
ordained Thomas Clark to the office of a Priest
spent the night at Brother Benbows
who received the word gladly & wished to be baptized. I
then called upon Mrs Sarah Stanton the overseer & keeper
of the splended mansion house by the name of Brand Lodge
this Lady was a weslian but received my testimony & I
Baptized the three 3 females above spoken of in a conve-
neient pool or bath inclosed in the Brand Lodge. I also confirm
ed them & then walked to Keysend Street & held a meeting
with the Saints & had a good time & confirmed 19 persons It
seemed as though some would worship me while they cried
out here is a man of Zion the man of God that we have
so long looked for who is worthy to receieve him into
our house. I told them to worship God for I was ownly
a servant of God. I spent the night at William Hills
I Baptized 3 & confirmed 22 in all. Distance 8 mi
~ Wednesday
13th I Baptized 1 & walked to Ledbury & received two
letters one from Elder Turley one from P P Pratt I then
walked to Standly Hill & had an interview with priest
Chees & Barnes. Brother Cheese had Baptized 15 since I last
saw him. Also Priest John Parry Baptized 3 May 3rd.
Elder Turley says in his letter I shall be liberated from pris
ion tomorrow may God grant it. I walked to Frooms Hill
& Baptized 3 & met in company with Elder Young with
the church & had a good meeting we broke bread
with the saints & ordained one Elder John Cheese,
& William Parsons, & Joseph Pullen to the office of a
Priest & Thomas Jinkins a Teacher. We confirmed 9
persons & Elder Chees baptized 2 persons. T Clark
also baptized 2 persons I spent the night at John
Benbows 12 miles
~ Thursday
14th {Received} [FIGURE] 200 ^{pounds of John Benbow for printing the Book of Mormon}^
I walked to Ledbury with
Elder Young from thence to Keysend Street & preached
but amid much disturdance & as the meeting was
about breaking up the congregation was besmeared with
rotten eggs I spent the night at Wm Hill. {Distance} 11 m
~ Friday
15th I walked to Dymock & spent the Day with Elders
Young Richards & Kington I Baptized & confirmed
one
I found Elders Richards & Kington had Baptized 50
confirmed 100 ordained 10 priest & 1 Teachers since
I last saw them
Elder Young preached at Br Kington we spent the night
16th at his house we had a good time & Blessed the houshold
of Elder kington & lade on hands for the healing of the sick
~ Saturday
16th Elder Kington Baptized one I spent the night at Elder
kington. Elders Young & Richards walked to Turkey hall &
spent the night
~ Monday
JUNE 1st
I wrote a letter to Elder Milton Holmes
I Baptized 9 & Elder Richards confirmed them
we then walked to Ledbury & preached & spent the
night. The churches in Herefordshire Now No 402. 8 m[iles]
~ Tuesday
2nd
I wrote a letter to Elder Tayler. we received the
first No of the Mill[ennial] Star. Elder Young ordained John
Preece of Ledbury a Priest & Philip Green of Lugwardin
to the office of an Elder while on a mission here. we walked
to Dymock & spent the night 5 miles
~ Wednesday
3rd
I wrote a Letter to Phebe in answer to hers
of March 8th & 22nd also one to Elder John Tayler
A notable miracle was wrought by faith & the power of God
in the person of Sister Mary Pitt at Dymok She had been
confined 6 years to her bed, with the spine which mostly
deprived her of the use of her feet & ancles, & had not walked
for 11 years ownly with the use of crutches. Elders Young
Richards & Woodruff lade hands upon her & rebuked her infi-
rmity & her ancle bones received strength & she now walks
without the aid of crutch or staff see May 18th
~ Thursday
4th I walked to Haw Cross & preached at Br Wm
Symons & spent the night at his house 5 miles
~ Friday
5th I walked to Bran Green & while on the way I
called to see a woman that was sick at red Marley, &
while sitting in the house I saw a curiosity, a man
called at the door accompaned with a small dog, the
man held in his hand a small bag containing three ferrets
& inpuired of the woman if she wanted her house cleared
of rats she answered yes, the man then opened the
bag & took out three ferrets about the size of a large
rat around the body & twice als long, & put them into
the rat holes & they immediately drove the rats from under
the house out of their holes into the room whare we we
were & the little Dog stood watching & cought them &
killed the rats as they came out of their holes
I preached at Bran Green & walked to Haw Cross & spent
the night at Priest Wm Symons. Distans of the day 6 miles
I was accompanyied during this days walk by Brother Job Smith
he was but 11 years of age but he had the longest head I ever
saw upon a boy & the most in it. he had a great mind & it was
well stored with knowledge & understanding, he is almost
a proverb among the people whare he is known, & I think he will
be a useful character in his day & generation. Born Dec[ember] 28, 1828
~ Saturday
June 6th I walked to Br Benj[amin] Hills at Turkey Hall & spent the
night 4 miles
~ Sunday
7th Sunday according to appointment I met a congregation of
saints & sinners at the coars Lawn for the purpose of holding a
camp meeting I preached in the fore part of the day & was
followed by a Priest, & in the afternoon several of the Priest
& Elder deliverd their testimony, & I closed the meeting by
delivering my testimony unto them. their was a large congregation
of different denominations. after the camp meeting closed we
repaired to a house & broke bread unto a large number of the
Saints & confirmed 8, & one was baptized by Br Spires
our last meeting was some disturbed for a few moments by
some fighting of the ungodly at the door but was soon silenced
I walked to the Ligh & spent the night at Br Brewett. 6 miles
Brother Nathan Roderts Died this morning at Dearhurst
~ Monday
8th I walked to Deerhurst & preached, Blessed 2 children
& spent the night at the house of William & Thomas Smith
I dreamed I saw a large church on fire the steple whi
ch was high was in a flame several men were in the belfry
with ropes, pullys, & chains trying to save some part of the
building but were soon obliege to flee for the safety of their
own lives for much of the surrounding country was on
fire I was on a large horse & rode out of the way of it 3 m[iles]
~ Tuesday
9th I attended the funeral of Brother Nathan Roberts I
sung a Hymn & prayed before the body was conveyed to the
grave. I blessed her children & endeavored to comfort my the
widow. I Baptized 6 & confirmed them, Blessed 11 children,
lade on hands for the healing of 4 that was sick, this at
Deerhurst & then walked to Apperly & preached at Brother
Robins & spent the night at Robt Harris. I visited the river Severn 3 m[iles]
~ Wednesday
10th I Blessed 12 children at Apperly & walked to the Leigh from
thence to Norton & preached & returned to Leigh & spe
nt the night 5 miles
~ Thursday
11th I spent the day at Twigworth I Baptized 4 &
confirmed them. I Preached at night at Brother Hills a
Quaker from Gloster attended meeting. I Blessed 4
children & walked to the Leigh & spent the night 4 m[iles]
~ Friday
June 12th I walked to Dymock & had an interview with Elder
Richards he had just returned from the south part
of Herefordshire whare he had built up a church of 11
members & ordained one Teacher John Castree we
preached at Br Kingtons confirmed 2 & healed one tha was
sick Elder Richards wrote a peace for the Star 12 [miles]
~ Saturday
13th I held a council with Elders Richards & kington
preparatory to the conference. we received a letter from
Elder
Young at Liverpool stating that 40 of the
Saints had left Lpool on board of a ship for America &
they had taken my letters to Phebe & M Holmes.
Elder Richards & myself walked to Br Hills at Turkey hall
& spent the night 10 m[iles]
~ Sunday
Minutes of a conference held at Gadfield`s Elm ^Wostershire Glostershire England^ June 14th 1840
The preachers & members of the Bran Green &
Gadfields Elm Branch of the Frooms Hill curcuit of
the United Brethren met at the Gadfield Elm Chapel
June 14th 1840 ^Wostershire England^ Persuent to previous notice, when the
meeting was called to order by Elder Thomas Kington
Elder Willard Richards was chosen President, & Elder Daniel
Browett chosen clerk for the meeting.
The meeting opened by prayer by Elder W Woodruff.
Remarks were then made by the President respecting the
business of the Day & the necessary changes which
must take place
It was moved by Elder T. Kington seconded by Elder
D. Browett that this meeting be hereafter known by
the name of the Bran Green & Gadfield's Elm conference
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
organized & esstablished by the will & commandment
of God in the United States of America on the 6th
Day of April A.D. 1830, this being the eight Day of the third
month of the eleventh year of the rise of the Church
Carried unanimously.
Moved by Elder W. Woodruff seconded by Elder
T. Kington that William Jeinkins be ordained an Elder &
William Coleman, William Pitt, Joseph Ferkins, &
Robert Harris ordained to the office of a Priest & George
Burton & James Palmer ^William Loveridge^ Teachers. Carried unanimously
The above named Persons were then ordained under the
hands of Elders Richards & Woodruff
Moved by Elder Kington seconded by Elder Woodruff
~ Monday
June 15th We walked to Dymock. I walked to Ryton &
Preached & returned to Dymock & spent the night confirmed
2 persons
I received a letter from Elder John Taylors
10 m[iles]
~ Tuesday
16th Walked to Lugwardine. Preached at the house of
William Green, father of Elder Philip Green after meeting
3 were Baptized by Elder Green. Elder Richards & myself
confirmed 11, ordained 2 Priest John Powel, John White, &
Blessed 3 children. Distance of the day 15 m
~ Wednesday
17th I Baptized 6, Elder Richards confirmed them, one
was a preacher we Blessed 4 children lade hands upon 2 that
were sick, & walked to Marden & preached at the
house of William Jay I Baptized 4 Elder Richards
confirmed them. we administered to 5 which were
sick & numbers having faith were healed, sum total 10
Baptized & confirmed, Blessed 4 children healed 7 that
were sick & spent the night with Br. Jay {Distance of the day} 6 miles
~ Thursday
18th I Baptized 5 which we confirmed we ordained
Francis Burnet to the office of a Priest. we Blessed 6
children administered to 2 that wer sick, then walked
to Shucknel Hill & Preached at Brother Williams. We had
an interesting time. Elder Richards preached from these
words "if the Lord be God serve him" [1 Kings 18:21] the power of the Priest
Hood rested upon & the principles of Eternal truth were
presented so plain that no opposing power could withstand
them when he closed I arose & bore testimony to the
truth of what they had herd. The church minister
in the parish sent a spy to attend meeting to carry him
word what we preached. as soon as meeting closed, I put
my hand upon his shoulder & asked him what he thought
of our doctrin he replied "I think it is of God" he appeared
asstonished when he left the house. almost evry person I
conversed with said they wished to be Baptized as soon as
an oppertunity offered. several were Baptized by Elder
Green on their return home, one was Baptized after meeting
by Benjamin Williams, Priest. We ordained Ishmael Philips
to the office of a Priest & Blessed 7 children Sum Total
6 Baptized, 8 confirmed, 2 Priest ordained, Blessed 13 children,
healed 2 that were sick spent the night at Priest William.
Distanc of the day 7 miles
~ Friday
19th I arose early in the morning & Baptized & confirmed
one. a number of others soon came to us & wished to be Bap
tized. We immediately walked to the river Lug, & we being
we took the parting hand with each other & Elder Richard
took the cars for Manchester & I took coach for West Bromwich
5 miles & called upon Sister Mary Packard at Mr's Duffrell
Church Tavern West Bromich she informed me that Elder
Turley was in another part of the town & had commenced
Baptizing. Sister Packard accompanied me to Brother John
Robinson Gritts Green near Bromwich thes friends received
me kindly but informed me that Elder Turley had gone to Birmi-
ngham
I wrote him a letter to return & see me. I had not
been in the house but a short time before two men came in full
of wrath & anger & brought a blind girl & demanded me to heal
heal her & work a miracle that they might have a sign to make
them believe. After telling them what the character was of tho
se that sought signs one of them by the name of John Hadley
brought much railing accusation against me & rejected my testi
mony. Elder Turley had been preaching hear three weeks & had
commenced Baptizing he had Baptized 9 persons. several
came in in the evening to inquire into these things & 4 offered them
selves for Baptism. I spent the night with George Murrall 46 m[iles]
~ Wednesday
24th I had an interview with Elder Turley I was truly
happy to see him he read a letter to me that he had received from
his wife containing many important things amoung the rest
sayes that Elders Orson Hide & John E Page were set apart
at the conference in Commerce Illinois in the United States
on the 6th Day of April 1840 to go to Palestine to visit the
Jews there &c. & will call upon us on their way. The
letter also stated that my wife Phebe W Woodruff was
at the conference. & in good health.
I preached in the evening at west Boomwich at the house of
Br Walker 4 were Baptized by Elder Turley which we
Jointly confirmed I spent the night with Mr Murrell
~ Thursday
25th I spent the day in West Bromwich & preached
in the evening one was Baptized by Elder Turley
we ordained one Priest & one Teacher I spent the night
with Elder Turley at Enoch Wood
~ Friday
26th We took the omnibus at the Junktion & rode to
Lane end at the Staffordshire Potterries via Wolverhamp
ton & Stafford 38 miles. It would be a difficult task
to give a description of the country from Birmingham to
Wolverhampton. I never saw any thing that comes so
near the description of the Lake of fire & Brimstone
spoken of by the Revelator John [Revelation 20:10] as several miles of
that country for it is one universal mass of coal pits &
Iron mines & while thousands of human beings are
under ground at work in the midst of fire, Brimston,
sulpher, Gas & cole &c. the whole face of the earth &
heavens air & horizon, men, women, & houses, are
filled & coverd with the composition of fire, cinders
Gas, sut, & smooke of their miserry & labours that
assended up out of their piles, firnesses, & pitts froom
day to day & from year to year. in fine, it is more
like Hell in comparrison than any place I have as
yet visited. (Uncommon) A boy by the name of
Thomas Skelsey 15 years of age is becomeing quite noted
between Wolverhampton & Burslem by following
the coaches or omnibus on foot & keeps pace with the them
the whole distance, he runs about 40 miles in 6 hours, he
has run through & returned in one day making 80
miles in about 12 hours when he gets weary he
takes hold of a strap on the hind end of the coach with
his hands but runs as usual. On one occasion he
run 14 miles in one hour & fife minutes he is a poor
boy & his ownly object is to get a living by recieving
what money the passegngers saw fit to give him about one
shilling per day he does this running with bare feet on
accadamized rodes.
We called upon the Saints at Lane end from thence to
Stoke & felt truly to rejoice to once more meet with
the Saints in this region. We preached in the evening
at Stoke had an interview with Elder Cordon spent the night
at Stoke distance of the day 40 miles
~ Saturday
27
I had an interview with Elder G. A. Smith & I
wrote a letter with Br G. A. Smith & T. Turley to President
Joseph Smith jr I spent the day in Burslem. I herd a
Letter wrote read from Sister Tailor in Commerce
giving an account of the conference in that place. 70
were Baptized. Elders Hide & Page were set apart
to visit the Jews at Palestine. The President of the
United States had rejected the Petition of the Latter
Day Saints to have their wrongs redressed, & as the
Judges, Governors, & President of the United States
had rejected the Saints & turned a deaf ear to
their cries, the Saints have now appealed to the highest
tribunal even the court of HEAVEN & called
upon God as their deliverer. May the Lord spedily answer
their prayers I pray. I spent the night a[t] Mr Battleby.
~ Sunday
28th Sunday we held a camp meeting at Stoke
we had a large congregation Elders G. A. Smith, T Turley,
& A Cordon Preached in the fore part of the day
~ Tuesday
July 7th I met with the Twelve & many officers in coun-
cil at the Star office whare much important business
was transacted & council given. a place of labour in the
vineyard was assigned to each officer untill the next con-
ference. I dined in company with Br & Sister Richards at
Brother Bewsher No 4 Gray street we then met the 12
in front of the Infirmary & we walk to a paper storehouse
whare Elders Young & Pratt had made a contract for
Paper sufficent to print 5000 copies of the Book of
Mormon after seeing the paper weighed & paid for which
amounted to £107 {[illegible shorthand]} we then walked to Br Millers & eat
& drank with about 20 Elders which was a plesant time we
then walked to the Star Office & the quorum of the Twelve
sat in council & voted that P. P. Pratt might go to New York
& get his family, & Elder Theadore Turley should
lead a company of Saints from England to commerce
in the U S A, & after some other business the council
adjourned untill tomorrow morning to meet at this room
I spent the night with Elder Fielding at Sister Ann Booth
{Distance of the day} 6 miles
~ Wednesday
8th
I wrote a letter to Phebe {I spoke of some things I should send
her by Elder Turley} I spent the Day in Manchester & the night
with Elder Tailor at Brother Greens
~ Thursday
9th I wrote a letter for the Star spent the night
at Br Walker at No 10 cookson street
~ Friday
10th [FIGURES] I wrote 4 Letters directed to the following
persons, Ezra Carter, Eunice Woodruff, Ilus F.
Carter, Lucian R. Foster & forwarded to
New York by P. P. Pratt who was going to New York
to Bring his family to England. I spent the night
with Elder Kimble at 76 Loom street at Allise Whipp
~ Saturday
11th I spent the day mostly at the Star office in wri
ting {I purchased several small articles to send to Phebe}
in the evening I assisted Elder B. Young & several
of the sisters in doing up (325) of the 3rd No of the
Millennial Star which was sent to Liverpool for P P.
Pratt to take with him to New York
~ Sunday
12th I attended meeting at the Joiners Hall Manchester with the
Saints B. Young preached in the morning we communinged with
the Saints in the afternoon & I preached in the evening we con
firmed 4 & Blessed 2 children I spent the night 149 oldham road
~ Tuesday
14th Sarah Emma is two years old this day may the
Lord preserve my wife & children from sickness
& Death untill my return O Lord I commit them into
thy hands, feed, clothe, & comfort them & thine shall
be the glory.
I spent the day in Manchester, in company with
Elder Young I took supper at Br John Smiths
{I went to the store and bought Phebe a dress, Sarah Emma a dress, Wilford} 3 {yards of flannel
and} 22 {dollars which I left with Elder Young to send to my wife all} 1 4 11 1/2
I preached in the evening at Br Blacks & spent the
evening night at the Star office with Elder Young
I had an interview in the afternoon with Sister Richards
I wrote a letter to Phebe & sent it with the {parcel and [goods]}
~ Wednesday
15th I parted with Elder Young & the Saints in Man
chester & rode to Burslem had an interview with Elder
G. A Smith & Cordon & the Saints spent the night at
Burslem I Brought 110 Stars for A Cordon & 550 for
T. Kington & about 100 hymn Books 35 miles
~ Thursday
16th I visited Stoke & Stone Lane End. the Saints
were Joyful to see me or manifested themsellves so
I preached at Hanly & Baptized one [FIGURE]
I was Presented with a small splended China Box as
A present from the Saints in Stoke upon Trent England
{with the following inscribing: Phebe and Wilford Woodruff. A present from Stoke on Trent England. It
was worth about ₤} 3. {The names were spelled wrong and I had them altered. They were spelled as
follows:} Willeard, Pheab, Woodrooff. {We supplied the jewelry for it. I also have} 3 {china [vials]}
One {to Phebe,} one {to Sara} one {to Eunice and} 4 {thimbles. They were from Kurt and Sally} 10 m[iles]
~ Friday
17th
I wrote two letters to Phebe to go in a bun-
dle of things. We received a letter from Elder William
J. Barret, of Burslem who is now at London. he was
ordained an Elder under the hands of Elders G A Smith
& A Cordon he this day sets sail at London to carry
the gospel to South Australia a voyage of 16000 miles
he was in good spirits & felt the power of God & the
spirit of his mission he took our address & J Smith Jr
& sayes he will write, as soon as he esstablishes his mision
^
Sara Sarah Emma died this day^
~ Saturday
18th
I wrote two letters one to Elder Turley &
one to the Saints from fox Islands at Montrose
I walked to Leek in company with Elder G A Sm
ith. Leek is the Metropolis of the Morelands. We
saw a large stone cross in the church yard erected
many centuries since in honour to some of the cardinals
in 1645 the rebels of Scotland broke the head of it of[f]
& built a fire around it & the smoke of it still remains 10 [miles].
~ Sunday
19th Sunday I Preached in Leek John Jones came to
oppose us & his carriage broke down & flung him in
the mud he came to meeting but the Lord shut
his mouth & he could not utter a word but left
the room as soon as I closed Elder Smith preached
in the evening & 6 were Baptized under his hands
we ordained one Priest & one Teacher several were
healed by the laying on of hands. I then walked to
Burslem & spent the night with Br Simpson.
I saw a letter direct from South Australia which
spoke well of the country {Distance of the day} 10 m
~ Monday
20th I done up my bundle with much pains to send
to Phebe by Elder Turley I enclosed 5 {sovereigns and a china pitcher}
I wrote a letter to Elder Young
~ Tuesday
21st Elder Smith & myself sent our bundle
to Manchester to the care of Elder B. Young. We
Also parted with the Saints at Burslem & took
coach & rode to Birmingham whare we spent the
night & it was not unprofitable to us in many respect
We attended the seventeenth Anniversary of the
Birmingham Auxilliary to the Baptist Missionary
society at the town Hall on tuesday evening July 21 1840
This Birmingham town Hall is one of the most splended
buildings in Europe it contained the largest organ
in England if not in the world it was 52 feet in highth
it contained 3000 Pipes & 603 stops the pipes were
from 3 feet square [blank] in^side^ diameter down to the smallest
dimentions it has Also 63 stops
The hall would seat about 5000 & it was full
the chair was taken at six oclock the best talents in
Europe were gathered together & displayed on this occasion
the object of the meeting was to get money & send missi
onarys. We left the house about 10 oclock & called
upon John Turley here I had an interview with the
Saints from West Bromwich. I took lodgings near
Mr Wm Turley. Charlotte Turley is worthy & is ready
to be Baptized distance of the day 45 m
~ Wednesday
22nd We took coach & rode Worcester from thence
to Ledbury. Elder G. A. Smith remained in Ledbury &
preached. I walked to Dymock held a meeting & spent the
night 45 miles
~ Thursday
23rd We walked to Frooms hill & found the Saints
strong in the faith & increasing fast in numbers & preparing
to emigrate with the Saints in the United States 12 mile
~ Friday
24th
I received a letter from Father & Mother & sister
Eunice Woodruff which I was truly glad to get. I found
Brother & Sister Benbow strong in faith & willing to
make evry sacrafice in their power for the gathering of the
Saints we had an interview with Elder Kington we spent
the day at Br Benbows had an interesteng meeting
~Saturday
25th
I wrote a letter to Bishop Ripley & confirmed
one person & administered to 6 that were sick I
walked to Moorends Cross & spent the night 4 mile
I received a letter ofrom Elder W. Richards
~ Sunday
26th Sunday I walked to ridgway cross & preached
& confirmed 8, Blessed 8 children, & lade hands upon
many that were sick. I walked to Moorends Cross &
Preached & confirmed 2. I returned to Ridgway
Cross & communed with the Saints & had an interest
ing time which will be the last time that I break
Bread unto many of those Saints, as they are about
to emegrate & gather with the Saints in Commerce &
Montrose. A company of about 50 is about to start
for America from Herefordshire England about
40 of which will go by the free charity & philanthro-
py of Elder John Benbow. I walked after meeting to
Froom Hill & spent the night {Distance of the day} 9 miles
~ Monday
27th
I wrote a letter to Elder's Young & Richards
I Preached at Frooms Hill & confirmed 2 & lade
hands upon many that were sick. Elder Smith
preached at Standly Hill
~ Tuesday
28th
I wrote a Letter to Elder Taylor & wrote
a recommend for Elder John Benbow & Jane
Benbow. I spent the day in writing
~ Wednesday
29th
I wrote a letter to Phebe which I sent
by the hand of Sister Benbow I walked to Br
Fidoe & preached at Br Pullins & returned to
Frooms Hill & spent the night distans 4 miles
~ Thursday
30th I walked to Ledbury in company with
Br G. A. Smith & spent the night at Br Pullins 7 miles
~ Friday
31st Elder Smith & myself took the dimentions of Led
bury church found it 200 feet long 100 broad covering
1/2 acre & occupying one acre the Tower was seperat from
the main building was 40 feet square at the base 260 feet
in highth we walked to Keysend street & to Turkey hall 10 m[iles]
one window cost £200 or $1000
~ Saturday
Aug. 1st We walked to Haw Cross & to Dymock &
spent the night 8 miles
~ Sunday
2nd Sunday I preached twice in Dymock &
Elder G. A. Smith preached in Ledbury
I am happy to learn on our return to the church
es in Herefordshire & adjoining country that the
work of God [is] rolling on rapidly upon evry
hand The Elders & Priest are universally blessed
in ther ministry in this part of the vineyard
they are Baptizing daily Elder Richardson has
Baptized about 40 since his arival & Elder Key
about 20. Elders Kington, Browett, Benbow, Cheese,
Clark, & others have Baptized many. We have
Baptized 40 this day in different parts of the
vineyard in this region. There has been about
250 Baptized in this region since the conferenc
which we held in this region. ^repetition^ The churches here
now number about 800 all of which have embraced
the gospel within five months from the Church
of England & all other Prodtestant churches. We have
Baptized several clarks of the Church of England
& aosm of the leading Musicians. Elder G. A. Smith
& myself have not Baptized any ourselves
since we came this last time But we Preach the
Gospel, council, & lay on hands for confirmation
but call upon others to Baptize. We are looking
for Elder Kimball evry day & as soon as he
arives we shall take our leave of the Saints here
& go to the city of LONDON & warn the inha
bitants thereof & Preach the gospel unto them
I Pray the Lodrd to send the Angel of his presens
before us & prepare the way that much good may
be done in the name of the Lord. I feel thankf
ul to our Heavenly father for opening such a spedy
& effectual door in this region of country
I confirmed one at Dymock & spent the night at
Elder Kingtons
~ Monday
3rd I walked to Ledbury & met with Br Smith
I wrote two letters one to Elde Young &
the other to Turley. I forwarded two Blank
license to Elder Young for licensing rooms to preach
in we spent the night in Ledbury
I received a letter from Elder Young
~ Tuesday
Aug[ust] 4th We walked to Frooms Hill found the
Saints in good spirits & health & the work progress-
ing spent the night at Elder Benbows 8 miles
~ Wednesday
5th
I wrote a letter for the Mill Star & one
to Young & Richards Elder Smith & myself preached
at Frooms hill & confirmed 3. We have had
warm or hot sun shine for several days which is
almost the first weather we have had that
has appeared like summer for we have had a cold
wet season
~ Thursday
6th [FIGURE] I sealed up a package of 42 letter &
my Journal from Montrose to England
with 1 & 3 No of the Star to send by Elder
Turley to Mrs Woodruff. It contained all of
my corresponding letters since the 8th of Aug
1839. We spent the day & night at Frooms hill
~ Friday
7th A pleasant day we spent the day visiting the
Saints we confirmed the Parish church clark & his
wife who had been Baptized & Joined the Saints
his name was Robert Hill of Canfroom Parish
I wrote a letter to Elder Turley 5 miles
~ Saturday
8th [FIGURE] One year ago this day I left my family in
Montrose to take a mission to England I started with
Elder Tailor & corossed the Missisippi river in a canoe sick
with the ague & without money But I am now in the
south part of England in company with Elder
G. A. Smith & enjoying good health & I pray the Lord
to give good health to my wife & children
I wrote a letter to Col Lyman Wight jointly
with Br Smith
I also wrote a letter to Elder
Wm Smith
~ Sunday
^9th Held camp Meeting with G A. Smith & Turley^
~ Monday
10th
I wrote 8 Letters 2 to Phebe {sent} 1/2 {sovereign}
1 to Epraim Luce, one to Nathaniel Thomas one to
Margarett Smoot all enclosed in a wrapper to phebe
1 to William Benbow one to Brigham Young & one
to Eunice Woodruff. Elders Smith Turley &
myself Preached in the evening at Standly Hill &
had a good time we spent the night at Frooms Hill
~ Tuesday
[FIGURE] Aug 11th {Elder Benbow loaned Elder Turley} 20 {pounds and gave me} 15 {for our London mission}
We took the parting hand with Elder Turley who
started for Liverpool to prepare a ship for about 80
Saints to emegrate to America 40 of which Elder J
Benbow takes with him & pays their expenses to
America out of Mercy to the poor Saints Let the
Blessings of Almighty God rest upon him forever &
ever He Gave Elder Turley £100 to secure the
Passage of the Saints. We took the parting hand with
Brother & Sister Bendbow & the Saints at Froms
Hill to see them No more untill I meet them in
NAUVOO U. S. A. Aa they are about to emegrat
there, we walked to Ledbury, & spent the night
I wrote a letter to B Young & one to Elder Glover 7 [miles]
~ Wednesday
12th We walked to Dymock & found Elder Kimball
at Elder Kingtons he had come from Manchester
to meet Elder Smith & myself for the purpose
of Going to the city of London. Elder Kimball had
two letters direct from America one from his
wife & the other from father John Smith to
his son George A. Smith. Sister Kimball inmforms
us of the Death of Bishop EDWARD PATRIDGE
who DIED May 27th 1840 & his oldest Daughter Died
the week before. The Loss of Bishop Patridge will be greatly
felt by the Church he is one of the wisest & best men
of the Last Days He was like Nathaniel of old in whom
there is no guile, [John 1:47] he has passed through much Persecuti-
on for the word of God & the testimony of Jesus Christ in
1833 he was Imprisioned & besmeared with tar & feathers
in 1839 he was again Imprisioned & passed through the
great persecution of that year & he has been a member
& Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
almost from the Beginning. But he has now gone to
rest & to receive his crown of Glory
Father John Smith Informed us in his letter of some
remarkable signs that lately appeared among the Saints
viz on the 14th of June 1840 on Sunday five {persons}
men members of the Church saw two men ride across the
Missisippi ^river^ from Commerce Missisippi River from Montrose
to Nauvoo one man was on a white horse & the other on
a bay or red horse the waters parted under their feet
& fire flew when therir tails moved & they observed the
clothing of the men. A few month previous to this a man
was seen walking across the river by several believers &
others the unbeleivers said probably a mormon was
going across to steal sumthing. this is the effect that
signs have on those that seek them.
I walked in company washith Elders Kimball & G. A. Smith to
Br Benjamin Hill at Turkey Hall in Glostershire we preached
at Lime Street {Distance of the day} 12 m
Mrs Woodruff wrote a short epistle in father Smiths letter
~ Thursday
13th We walked to the Leigh & held a meeting with the
Saints Elders Kimble, Smith, & myself, all spoke to the
people we had an interesting time. After meeting
I Baptized 4 & jointly confirmed 7. we spent
the night at Elder Browetts 7 miles
~ Friday
14th I spent the day at the Leigh In the evening we
met the Saints at Elder Browetts for a council meeti
ng we had an interesting time Elder Smith spoke first
& recommended the Saints to spend 5 minutes each day
in getting an Idea in their minds from the scriptures
& in one year they would have 365 new Ideas in their
minds which would form a fountain of Intelligence
& knowledge which would benefit themselves & man
kind. After meeting 2 were Baptized & we lade [hands] on
one man & confirmed him & healed several that were
sick we spent the night at Elder Browetts
~ Saturday
15th we spent the day in the Leigh writing I wrote
3 Letters one to Elder Whittaker one to Br John Rowley
one to Brother Hume
also one to Young &
Richards & one to G. Simpson we Baptized &
confirmed one
~ Sunday
16th Sunday we held a camp meeting at the Leigh Elders
Kimblall & Smith & myself spoke both in the forenoon &
afternoon a large congregation was together we Baptized
4 & confirmed 7. ordained one Elder & two Priest GJohn
Horlick was ordained an Elder, George & William Harlick
was ordained Priests the two latter had come 12 miles
to received the work after they were Baptized we
confirmed & ordained them at the same time. we com-
muned with the saints & had an interesting time
~ Monday
17th We took the parting hand with the Saints at the
Leigh & rode in company with Elder Browett to Chelten-
ham & called upon Sister Clark at Mrs Smiths No 3
Union St we then called upon Br Thomas Browett at
No 11. Hanover St we then called at the Temperance
Hotel & spent the night Pop[ulation] of Cheltenham 40,000 5 mile
~ Tuesday
AUG 18th 1840 [FIGURE] London
We took coach at Cheltenham ^9 AM^ & rode 40 miles through
a level country having quite the appearance of the
Illinois & Missouri prairies occupied altogether for
farming, we past three villages & thousands of acres
of wheat & barlyey fields in the midst of harvest part
of which was cut & part was standing, we past thro-
gh Oxfordshire & in about 8 miles of the Oxford
University the Largest & most noted univesrsity
in the world which consists of 20 colliges endowed
& five Halls not endowed at which place all Europe
ans finish their studies, before they consider thems
elves perfect schoollars we took the railroad we
saw vast herds of cattle sheep & deer &c, we passed
in sight of Stow & the wychwood forest containing
7,500 acres of timber in which thousands of cattle
feed it is also a noted place of resort for sportsman
to hunt Deer & hares &c. We arived at the farington
road station & took the cars afor London at 1 oclock PM
Passed through Relicks & had a plain view of old
ruins, & as we passed we also had a fair view of
the splended Winser Castle, after travling 70 miles
on the rail road we were landed at the city of
LONDON at 4 oclock, making 110 miles from
Cheltenham to London which we travled in 7 hours
& did not stop more than two minutes at any time
we rode to the centre of the city we then left the
coach & walked across London Bridge into the
Borough & called upon (Mrs W. Allgood 19 King street
Borough London, which is Mr Allgood's Address, she
is own[ly] sister to Elder Theadore Turleys wife she
treated us with kindness gave us some refreshment
& then directed us to a publick house wheare I wrote
a letter to my wife & spent the night at Kings Arms King stree Borough
I am now in the great city of London
the largest most pnoted & poupulous
commercial city in the world containing a
population of about (1500000) one million five
hundred thousand people. I am In company
with Elders H. C. Kimball & G. A. Smith. We are the
first Elders of the church of Latter Day Saint
that have ever walked the streets of London
O, London as I walk thy street & behold the mass
of human beings passing through thee & view
thy mighty pallaces, thy splended mansions, the
costly merchantdize wharewith thou art adorn
ed even as the capital of great Babylon, I am
ready to ask myself what am I & my Brethren
here for, & as the spirit answers to warn thee
of thine abominations & to exhort the[e] to repent of
thy wickedness & prepare for the day of thy visit
ation thy mourning thy calamity & thy wo. I am
ready to cry out Lord who is sufficient for
these things, O Mighty God of Jacob cloth us with
thy power. Let the power of the Priesthood rest
upon us & the spirit of our ministry & mission &
enable us to warn the inhadbitants of this city
in such a manner that our garments will be clean
of their Blood & that we may seek out the honest
in heart & the meek from among men & have many
souls as seals of our ministry
we spent the night at kings Arms, King street, Borough
London distance of the day 114 mile
~ Wednesday
19th
I wrot another letter to Phebe & enclosed it
in the one that I wrote to her last evening. {I enclosed a
sovereign and sent Phebe in the letter} I also wrote a letter to Elder Turley
I[n] which I enclosed my letters to Phebe & others which
we sent to him. We took a walk a mile or two into
the city passed London Bridge twice & returned
& spent the night at Kings Arms, King street, Borough
their is so much passings of Drays & horses & singing
& hollowing att all hours of the night in the streets
that it is with difficulty that I could sleep at
night. Elder Kimball & myself bought each of us an umbrella 4 m[iles]
~ Thursday
20th
I wrote a letter to Elders Young & Richards
& also one to Br Francis Pullin we took a walk
through the city we called to see Rev J. E. Smith
18 Duke st Lincolns Inn Fields
Also we visited John Pye 16 Cursitor st Chancery
Lane he was a full believer of Jo in the prophecies
of Joanna Southcott & one of the society we then ret
urned through speed st & had a view of the Noted St
Pauls church the largest in the world excepting the
church at Rome ^or Vati[c]an o[f] rome dedecated St Peter^ we returned through King James St
crossed the London Bridge took tea at 19 King street &
walked through union st went to Zions Chapel Water
loo Road & herd a downright comical serman deliver
ed by Mr Armstrong an Atkinite preacher I spent the
night at 58 King st at Mr's Loftus 6 mi
~ Saturday
22nd
P I received a letter from Mrs Woodruff under
date of July 2nd which I was truly rejoice to receive,
I wrote her one in return a double letter one yesterday
& on[e] to day {and enclosed} 1/2 {sovereign for Sarah and Wilford} we also received
a letter from B. Young & a copy of the 4th Star. I
spent the day in writing. I walked out in the evening
near the house of Parliment, & bought a good
pocket watch paid £2.90 about equal to $12 I returned
& spent the night at 58 king st 3 miles
~ Sunday
23rd went to Zions Chapel & herd the celebrated
Rev Mr A^it^ken preach 2 sermons he i[s] a talented man
has come out against the secxts & established chu
rches of his own but he has got as far as he can & knows
not what to do, sumthing like the followers of A
Campbell in America. In fine the whole sectarian
world is in confusion & trouble & knows not what
to do. Mr Akens said in his sermon said that the gentils
with all their present glory would soon be glad to take
hold of the skirt of a Jew & say let us go with you
he also says that most are ignorant of the meaning &
fulfillment of the Bible & will remain so untill it
is revealed by the spirit of God, but notwithstanding
Mr Akins has som sublime truths yet he is building a great
house woutithout any foundation by rejecting the
first principles of the gospel. We also attended
meeting at Zions Chapel Waterloo Road & herd
Mr Robert Aitken deliver an interesting warning
to the gentiles in the evening, he presented some
of the most sublime truths that I ever herd deliverd
by a sectarian priest, also he whiped the present
religioneist of the day at a tremendious rate, he said
they would go to Hell as a body for their religion was
ownly a cloke to cover adulterers & evry evil work
he said the judgments of God would spedily overtake
them. he prophesied of many judgments that woul[d]
spedily come, he wept over the present state of
things we retired & spent the night at our logings
4 mi
~ Monday
24th We removed our logings whare we obtained a
room for all three of us at Mr Robert Merryfield
No 15 Gloster row, Grange Rowad
I wrote a letter to Elders Young & Richards
we visited St Pauls Cathedral & went all throug
the lower court & could see the splender of most of
it. It is the largest & most splended & expensive church
~ Tuesday
25th
I wrote a letter to Elder Turley & enclosed
our letter & sent them to him to convey them to America
we directed them to Liverpool. we visited Mr George
Boulton pin & needle hook & eye manufacturer we went
to his shop & saw them make pins through evry
process of it from the wire to the finish we attended
a tea total meeting, at the Temperance Hall
We engaged the hall
for a public meeting that we might preach the gospel
to the people we could not have it untill the 7 of sept
Elder Smith made a short speech in the tea total mee-
ting we returned & spent the night at our lodging 5 m[iles]
~ Wednesday
26 we all started out to try to get some doors open
for preaching the gospel Br Kimball went to one part
of the city Br Smith & myself visited another part
we called upon two Baptist ministers, we asked
one for his chapel & the other we warned &
left an address we attended meeting in the evening at
the Methodist chapel in long lane
~ Thursday
27th
I wrote a letter to Phebe sent by the hand
of Sister Elizabeth Ravenscroft I also wrote
a letter to Sister Elizabeth R. We attended a
tea total meeting (or temperance) at the Temperance
Hall in St Georges Road near Elephant & Castle
South London. By request of the committy I address
ed the meeting upon the subject of Temperance & was
followed by Elder Smith we gave out an appointment
to preach upon the gospel at the same place on the 7th
of Sept, we are making evry exertion to find some
saints or those who are willing to obey the gospel
in this city of London But as yet our searching
has been in vain, Priest & People are all Bound up
in Bundles of tradition there Bands are made strong
& the whole city is given to whoredoms & all man
ner of wickedness & is ripe for judgment. Still
we are determined to spare no pains but to search
dilligently that we may seek out the honest in heart &
the meek of the earth
~ Friday
28 We all started out in the morning to go through
the city of London to see if we could find any
man that had the Spirit of God & after wander
ing several miles through the city not knowing
whether we went we came to an Ephraimite
~ Saturday
Sept 5th
Elders Kimball, Smith, & myself
visited Westminster Abbey
& went through evry appartme
nt of it & saw all the tombs & monuments of the
Kings, Queens, Princes, Lords, & noted men that have
ever been entombed within its walls one part of
the Abbey was built in the year 600 having stood
over 1200 years most all of the Kings & Queens of
England are in this Abbey that have died for the
last 1200 years we saw the perfect likenes of Queen
Elizabeth, Mary, & Ann, Lord Nelson, & Pitt & others
we saw the full coronation dress of Queen Ann. We
saw the chair & sat in it, in which Queen Victoria
was crowned & all the kings & Queens for the last
800 years, this chair is coverd with gold tissue It
contains a stone under the seat upon which all the
Scottish chiefs & kings were crownd since they wer a
people it is reported to be Jacobs pillar [pillow] this chair has
been in use more than 800 years. This Abbey is
composed of Eleven chapels (ownly seperated by walls or petitions)
viz St Benedict, St Edmund, St Nicholas, Henry the Seventh
St Paul, St Edward the Confess, St Erasmus, Abbot Islip,
St John, St Andrew, And St Michael, & these chapels
contain the bodies, tombs & monuments of 13 Kings viz
Edward I, III, V, VI. Charles II. Henry III, V, VII.
James I. George II. Richard II. William III. And Sebert
King of the East Saxons who first built this church &
Died July 616. Also 13 Queens viz Athelgodo Queen
of Sebert who died Sept 13th, 615. And Phillipa. Matilda
Mary I, II, & Queen Mary of Scotland. Elizabeth. Catherine.
Queen Anne, & Editha. Eleanor & Caroline. And of 6
Princies. 11 Dukes. 7 Duchess. 1 Marquis. 7 Lords. 3
Vicount. 8 Countess. 3 Barrons. 16 Earls. 11 Admirals
10 General. 5 Col, 3 Majors. 10 Capt. 4 Lieut. 16 Bishops.
6 Divines. 15 Doct. 52 Sirs. 153 Gentleman And
48 Lady's making 421 persons who have been deposited
in vaults in this Abbey & Monuments erected to their
Memory. Here we see freequent marks of violence from
O. Cromwell in defacing some of the tombs, monuments & brass
work with which some of the Abbey was adorned. Here we beho
ld the art of man with all its combined force & power spun to
the finest thread & expanded to the fullest extent in the building
& finishing of this Abbey as a general whole but more esspecially
that part called Henry Seventh Chapel. And A visit to this
ABBEY is not ownly worthy ot the Attention of all travel-
lors but to occupy A place in the Journal of any Historian
fond of British ANTIQUITY 6 m[iles]
~ Sunday
6th Sunday I preached in the morning at Bowl
Court 237 Shoreditch was followed by Elders
Kimball & Smith. Also we held a meeting in
Tabernacle square at 3 oclock & Elders Kimball & Smith
preached in the street & I followed them in
Bearing testimony one man arose & opposed us &
was angry becaus of the truth of God, & conti
nued opposing untill the conversation was stoped
by the police. We met again in the evening at
Bowl Court to preach to the people as we had an
appointments But when we got there, we found
a plan contrived by several of the preachers for
one of them to preach lest some of the peopl would
believe our doctrin & when we saw this we went
our way, & found four other persons that received
our testimony & offered themselves for Baptism 10 m[iles]
~ Monday
7th
I wrote a letter to Elder Browett &
walked to Br Corner's & visited several
other friends. {Brother Corner would make me a [illegible shorthand] watch for} 5 10
two offered themselves for Baptism. On
my return home I passed through Smithfield
market & it was fare time with them & such a
scenery I never saw before I visited St Pauls church
or cathedral after visiting the lower room which
we visited on the 24th Aug I then walked on circular
stairs into the whispering gallery which is round &
exceding large & a person can hear a whisper distinc
tly from any part of it. I nex visited the Cupola
& all parts above it untill I got to the ^[FIGURE]^ I then went in to
the top of the Brass ball upon which the cross stand whic
is as high as any man can go It brought me 400 feet
in the air over the city. I wrote my name & returned to the ^Earth^
On ariving at our boarding hours I found Elder
kimball & Smith who had just returned from
a visit with the Rev. R. Aitken A.M. he
treated them kindly acknowledged their doctrin
to be true but was afraid of deception his
mind is in a disturbed state. We held a meeting
in the Temperance hall in the evening which
was well lighted with gas But we had almost
bear walls to preach to as their was ownly
about 30 persons present. The truth is the
minds of the people here in London are taken up
with evry thing but the things of God & righteous
ness. I preached to the people about one hour
& was followed by Elder Kimball. after paying
7/6 for the use of the Hall we returned to our lodgings.
to find saints & build up a church as in any
place we ever visited we Baptized one man
& ordained him a priest & 6 others gave in
there names to be Baptized on next Saturday
or Sunday & also there was some little pro
spect of the Rev R. Aitken's A.M. receiving & embr
acing the work which will open doors to many
honest souls so I felt to rejoice that our lab
ours were not altogether in viain. I took the
omnibus & rode 3 miles to the great western
rail way Padington Depot. I took the railcar
at 9 oclock & rode 70 miles passed by Winser Castle
with the British flag raised as a token that
her Magesty was there. I again took coach at
Farrington road station & rode 40 miles to Chel-
tenham at which place I arived at 4 oclock here I
found Elder Browett & wife, Sister Lambert
& Br & Sister Crook after spending 3 hours in
Cheltenham I rode home with Elder Browett
6 miles & spent the night. On my return to
these churches connected withe Herefordshire
conference &c I rejoice to find the work univer
sally progressing with great rapidity upon evry
hand even some cases among the Nobility whare
they are becomeing convinced the work is of God
yea the Lord is making a spedy work & short in
the Earth. Distance of the day 119 miles
~ Friday
11th I spent the day at the Leigh mostly at Elder
Jinkeins, was writing {Elder Jenkins fitted my boots}
~ Saturday
12th
I wrote a lengthy historical letter to Elder
Kimball including my travels with him in London
It is the first letter I have ever written him
~ Sunday
13th Sunday I met in the morning with the Saints at
the Leigh & communed with them. I also preached at
2 oclock at [blank] to a large congregation who gave
good attention & manifested much interest in what
they herd. I again preached at the Leigh at 6 oclock &
4 were Baptized by Elder Glover & I confirmed them
| M[embers] | E[lders] | P[riests] | T[eachers] | D[eacons] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204 | 6 | 21 | 6 | 0 | ||
| [represented the church at] Haw Cross | Elder Wm Jinkins | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| [represented the church at] Cheltenham | [Elder] Thomas Browett | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| [represented the church at] Bristol | Elder H Glover | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| [represented the church at] C Cranham | Elder John Horlick | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| [represented the church at] High Laden | Elder Jinkins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| [represented the church at] Westonn | Elder Browett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 228 | 6 | 26 | 6 | 0 | |
| Barrow & scactering | 25 | |||||
| 253 |
Moved & carried that Elder Kington represent this
conference to the general conference to be held in
Manchester on the 6th Day of Oct 1840
The minutes were then read & accepted by the unan
imous vote of the conference
After several exhortations from the Elders accompanied
by much of the Spirit of God It was mooved & carried
that this meeting adjourn to the 14th of Dec next
to be held at this place
The meeting was dismissed by blessing from Elder
Woodruff
Thomas Kington President
Henry Glover Clerk
~ Tuesday
15th
I walked from Turkey Hall to forty Green
I wrote a letter to Lady Roberts a companion to
Lady Dowdswell, & sent it to her by the hand of Sister
Brooks. Lady Roberts is of the Nobility, a Lady of
wealth, of Rank, has at her command the Languages
has withdrawn from the Church of England & has travled
much in search of truth, & looking for the fulfillment
of the ancient Prophets, she became acquainted with
the fulness of the gospel through a female servent
in the employ of Square Dodwdswell which I had Baptized
& as soon as she began to investigtate the subject
the Spirit of God rested upon her & convinced her of the
truth of the work & she obtained the four finumber
of the Millennial Star which we had printed & fearing
she should not be able to obtain them she copied the
whole of them of with her pen She red the Book of mormon
& coppied a part of that in the same manner. She
became perfectly convinced of the truth of the work
& said she would go a thousand miles but what she
would see some of the Twelve & be Baptized under
their hands & hearing that I was in London she was
soon broke up & after clearing our rooms of brick, stones
& glass we lay down & had a good nights rest 5 mil
I wrote a letter to Elders kimball & Smith
~ Thursday
17th I spent most of the day in Dymock & in the
evening I walked to Ledbury & spent the night
at Br Pullins 5 miles
~ Friday
18th I walked to Froom's hill & found the Saints
in good spirits I learned by letter that Elder
Turley left Liverpool on the eighth of Sept on board
of the North American with 200 Saints I was inform
ed that Brother & Sister Benbow & all the Saints left
in good spirits I spent the night at Brother John Coles
~ Saturday
19th I spent the day at Brother Coles in writing
~ Sunday
20th I preached in the morning at Froomes Hill & also
communed with the Saints at 3 oclock & also with
the Saints at Standly Hill at 6 oclock & I had an
interesting day
~ Monday
Minutes of the Standly ^Froom's^ Hill
CONFERENCE
The Frooms Hill Conference of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints met at Standly
Hill Herefordshire on the 21st of Sept 1840 according
to previous Appointment. Their being present one of
the Travling high council, one High Priest, 17 Elders
33 Priest 11 Teachers
Meeting was called to order by Elder Kington
when It was moved by Elder Kington, seconded by
Elder Richardson that Elder Willford Woodruff
be chosen President of the conference carried unanimously
Elder Daniel Browett was chosen clerk
Meeting opened by prayer & singing by the President
who made an address concerning the business of
the day
It was then moved by the President & seconded
by Elder Kington that
John Meeks John Gaily
William Web & Henry Jones
Samuel Badham Be ordained Elders
This hath been a busy day with me & after
standing upon my feet from morning till night
I am called to shake hands with hundreds of
Saints who possess glad hearts & chererful
countenances, & it is with no ordinary feelings
that I meditate upon the cheering fact that
a thousand souls have been Baptized into the
New & Everlasting Covenant within half a
year in one field which God has enabled me to
open & I Pray God to Accept the gratitude of my
heart for his mercies & blessings unto me in this thing
& enable me to stand with these Saints & all the
righteous in the celestial kingdom of God
I walked home with Brother Oaky & spent the
night, & after standing upon my feet 8 hours
in conference, conversing much of the time,
ordaining about 30, confirming some, healing many
that were sick, shaking hands with about 400
Saints, wa[l]king 2 miles, & Preaching 4 hours in
the Chimney Corner, I then lay down & dreamed
of ketching fish
~ Tuesday
22nd I spent the day at Br John Coles in writing
There was two dead Bodies carried by the house
whare I was sitting to the Burial to day they were
both aged & the man vary wicked he had often wished
his wife Dead & Boasted what a joyful time &
high scrape he would have when she did Die. She
Died on the 18th & he Died in few hours after
[on the] same Day, was found dead in his room with his
Door locked, the woman was 90 years of age
& the man 80 their names was James & Sarah
Love this is the fourth Day since they Died
the English custom is to keep the Dead 4 days.
I was called to visit a young man who lay danger
ously Ill & in danger of the Lock Jaw from a cut
of the ancle & bruse of the knee I rebuked the
the inflamation & paine of his body & he was made
whole.
I Baptized 1 Edward Jones game keeper
to John Freeman I confirmed 2 {Distance of the day} 4 m
~ Wednesday
23rd
I wrote a letter to Elder Richardson
I was called to visit a young man who was dangero
usly ill with a fever he convenanted to keep the
commandments of [God] & I annointed him with oil &
rebuked his fever & he began to recover. I also
visited an aged Saint upon her Dying bed I Blessed
her & she rejoiced in the fulness of the gospel even
in Death I held a Prayer meeting with the Saints
& spent the night at Brother Coles
~ Thursday
24th I spent the Day in writing. The church
ministers are vary much stired up in this region
because the Saints are gathering together evry
exhertion is made against the the work of God
the clergy are foaring they will loose their
flock & the Lord is delivering the flock out of
their hands the ministers of the Church of England
see this, & they are alarmed in earnest they are hold
ing conventions & meetings to contrive schemes &
plans to overthrow & stop the work of God. In some
instances they do not have more than 10 or 15 persons
in their church on the Sabbath & they really begin to
think sumthing strange is happening. Truth will prevail
~ Friday
25th
I wrote an address to Elders H C Kimball
& George A. Smith. As I was again about to take my
leave of the Saints in that region I called & visit
ed several of them in the evening & I Baptized
2 & confirmed them & after visiting the
Saints untill midnight I took the parting hand
with them & started my Journey at 12 oclock
~ Saturday
26th I rode from Frooms Hill in the night in a horse
cart to Worcester 15 miles I there took coach & rode
40 miles to Wolverhampton, 8/. took Omnibus & rode
2 to railroad station /6 then took railroad & road
30 miles to Whitmore Station 7/ took Omnibus
& rode to Hanly 9 miles 2/ then took Gig & rode to
Burslem 2 miles 1/ Thus after constant travli
ng 18 hours 98 miles which cost 18/6 I was joyfully
received by the Saints in Burlsem, & on my
arival Sister Cordon put into my hands [FIGURE] a letter
from Elders Kimball & Smith in London which
was Interesting & allso 7, 8, & 9th Numbers of the
Times & Season from America which was a
feast to my soul indeed as it was the first No
of that paper I had seen for many months
~ Sunday
27th Sunday I walked from Burslem to Lane
end & Preached, to the Saints & had an interesting
time I then walked to Hanly & Preached &
communed with the Saints. I then walked to
Burslem & Preached to a large congregation & had
the Spirit of God 15 miles
~ Monday
5th I took coach in company with Elder's Kimball
& Br Kneadham for Bir Manchester I had a shake
of the ague on the way & was quite sick, when
I arived at Manchester I had an interview with Brs
Young, Richards, & O Pratt & many other Brethren
I
wrote a letter to Phebe & spent the night at Br
Richards with Br Young & Kimball. Distance 36 m
~ Tuesday
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL CONEFERENC
A general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints was held in the Carpenters Hall
in Manchester on the 6th Day of Oct 1840 it being
the 1 day of the 7th month of the 11 year of the Church
when the following officers of the Travelling High
council were Present viz ^Elders^ B Young Orson Pratt
W Woodruff W. Wodruff. Willard
Richards H. C. Kimball & G A Smith, other officers
High Priest 5, Elders 19, Priests 28, Teacher 14
& Deacons 2.
The meeting being called to order at 10 oclock by
Elder Brigham Young it was moved by Elder
Young seconded by Elder Woodruff that Elder
Orson Pratt be President of the conference which was
carried unanimously. Elder George Walker was chosen clerk
After Singing & Prayer by the President their was
27 conferences & churches represented viz
~ Wednesday
Oct 7th ^John Burry^
I sat in council with the Twelv & many
other Saints at the Star office, we all attending
A discussion in the evening held at the Carpenters
Hall Garrett Road Manchester A Mr Baurretty
attempted to prove the Book of Mormon fals
& water Baptism or Baptism by immersion not esse-
ntial to salvation he was answered by Elder
Corden who proved the Book of mormon true
& Baptism by Immersion a gospel ordinance &
essential to salvation the Discussion was before
1500 people Elder Cordon had the privilege of
preaching to the people. 12 chimneys in the chandeliers ^birst on lighting in the evening^
I wrote a long letter containing two
mamouth sheets giving an account of my
travels from Montrose to the present time
which I sent to Elders E Robinson & D. C. Smith by
the hand of Elder Samuel Mulliner
~ Thursday
8th I sat in council with the Twelve at the
house of Elder Riichards & spent the day at his house
I received three letters from Herefordshir
~ Friday
9th Father Peter Melling the patriarch of the the
Church in England bestowed a patriarchal blessing
upon my head & also upon the head of Br & Sister
Richards
~ Saturday
10th I purchased a hat & travling bag
~ Sunday
11th Sunday Sister Jennette Richards had a
son born this morning 15 minutes past 10 oclock
he was as large & fine a son as I ever saw
his name is Heber John Richards. Sister
Richards is comfortable.
We attended meeting at the Carpenters Hall. Elder
B Young Preached in the morning I Dined at
Br Brewshers in the afternoon we communed
with the Saints Elder Kimball & myself con-
firmed 9 persons. We took tea with Sister Katherine
Betes the Prophetess. Elder Young preached at
night in the Carpenters Hall to an attentive congr
egation of about 1500
[FIGURE] We commencd a letter Historical & religious to
E Robinson & D C Smith
~ Monday
12 Elders Young, Kimball, Richards Woodruff &
G. A. Smith bought each of us a broad cloth cloak
all made Just alike I spent some time reading
me & I was immediately healed & delivered me
from all my troubles
~ Monday
19th
I wrote two letters one to Elder Richards
& the other to Elder Kington I spent several
hours in visiting the British Museum the accou
nt of which is as follows A Visit to the
BRITISH MUSEUM
London Oct 19th 1840. In company with
Elder G A. Smith I purchased a Book from which
I make an extract of the following SYNOPSIS
of the contents of the BRITISH MUSEUM
FORTY SECOND EDITION London 1840
("The foundation of the British Museum originat
ed with the will of Sir Hans Sloane, who accu-
mulated, in addition to a considerable Library of
Books & Manuscripts, the largest collections of
objects of natural History & works of art of his time.
These he directed should be offoered after his death,
which took place in 1753, to Parliament. The offer
was accepted: & the Act of 26 Geo. II, which directed
the purchase, also directed the purchase of the
Harleian Library of Manuscrips & enacted
that the Cottonian Library which had been
given to the Government for public use in the
reign of Will. III, should, with these, form
one General collection.
In the Spring of
1754 the mansion in Great Russell Street,
then known as Montagu House, was purchased
as a repository for the whole. Between 1755
& 1759 the different collections were removed
into it, & it was determined that the new instit-
ution should bear the name of BRITISH
MUSEUM. Till the arival of the Egypt-
ian Antiquities from Alexandri in 1801
Montague House was competant to the reception
of all its acquisitions. The Egyptian Monumen-
ts, most of them too massive a character for
the floors of a private Dwelling, fir[s]t suggested the
necessity of an additional building, rendered still
more indispensible by the purchase of the Townley
Marbles in 1805. A Gallery adequate to the
reception of both was completed in 1807; after
which, although the Trustees meditated, & had
~ Tuesday
Oct 20th
I wrote 5 letters one to O. Pratt
to E. Bromley, to I. Whittaker, to Young & Kimball,
to D. Browett. I spent the day in writing in our
sitting room
~ Wednesday
21st
I wrote two Letters one to ElderJohn Cheese & the other to Edward Oaky after
which I took an interesting walk
the city of London in company with Elder
G. A. Smith we walked from St Lukes to
Nassau st Middlesex Hospital we called upon
Mr B. SANGIOVANNI Sculptor & Modeller
No 23 Nassau Street Middlesex Hospital, whose
wife was the daughter of David W. Rogers
of New York late of Montrose she inquired
much about her fathers family they treated
us kindly. he is an Italian, he was an officer
under Murat of Naples but fled from his
country with many other Neopolitan officer
at the time Murat was Deposed, after taking
some refreshment with them we walked
through REGENT Street which for wealth
splendor, & magnifficens, is not surpassed in
London & probably not in the world, panes
of glass in this street may be found about 10
foot in width & 20 in highth & it would be
impossible to describe the richness splendor &
cost of the merchantdize of evry name & natur[e]
through this street, we then calleded upon
Mr James Nickolson near Saint James Palaca [Palace]
we passed through St Jame's Park had a view
of many of the palaces of the Royal family
we walked around Buckingham Palace, we saw
the Iron Gates leading from St James park
into High Park they were each 10 feet wid[e]
25 in highth 4 or 6 inches in thiknes, when
shut together would make them about 20
feet in wedth we visited High Park & saw
a large cast Iron monument containing the
following incription TO Arthur Duke of
Wellington And his brave companions in Arms
This statue of Achilles cast from cannon
taken in the victories of Salamanca Vittori
Toulouse And Waterloo Erected the 18 day
of June 1822. on our return home we called
at the Lowther Bazaar, 35, West Strand,
at the Magic Cave visited Annually by 60,000
persons The ownly subter
London we returned home & held a prayer
meeting at Father Corners 52 Iron monger Row
St Lukes London. Distance of the Day 10 miles
~ Thursday
22
I wrote a letter to Brother Thomas
Clark. We hired Mr J. Barretts Academy
57, King Street Square, Goswall Street
(the enterance Door in President Streett for three
mont[h]s to preach in. I went to the printer
& got 500 hand bills published which cost
me 11/ this to give notice of our meeting
on my return from the office Elder Smith
presented me with three
letters to read &
also the No 10) of the Times & Seasons one
letter was from Elder Richards & one from Father
John Smith to his son George A. & while reading
it I was informed that my Daughter Sarah
Emma Woodruff was DEAD [FIGURE] this is the first
information I have had of it. May the Lord
comfort her mother in her afflictions, & preserve
her life & health & her son for my sake,
I wrote two letters one to Brother Francis
Pullin & one to Elder Samuel Warren
In the evening in company with Elder
G. A. Smith I attended A Missionary meeting of
the Weslian Methodist in the Weslian City road
road Chapapel ^Wesleyan^ Chapel London I[t] was considered
one of the greatest missionary meetings ever held
in the city of London the chair was occupied
by the LORD MAYOR of the city of London
He was a noble looking man, his watch guard
consisted of six gold chains which were large
& heavy. The object of this meeting was for the
Wesleyan Methodist to send out foreign missionari[es]
& to make collections enough to clear themselves of
a debt of £50000. the most splended talents of
Europe were gatherd together on this occasion Ministers
of the Church of Scotland, of England, & of the
Wesleyans were present in large numbers, the mee
ting opened early & continued untill after 10 [ocl[ock]]
oclock. There was much policy manifest in this
combination of ministers & power of the differen[t]
churches for the purpose of Gathering collections I
herd speaches from 10 or 12 Ministers. One
Scotch Minister Says as he arose & addressed the
chairman & meetings My Lord & Wesleyan
Lord Mayor of London arose & addressed a cro-
uded assembly of about 3000 person[s] in the cCiteey
Road Chapel (which was the first chapel ever built
by Mr John Wesley) the Lord Mayor says It is with
pleasure that I have been permiteted to preside over
this respectable body this evening on so important
occasion the memory of which will be i[n]delibly
fixed upon my mind as one of the most pleasing
events of my life, & I trust I shall ever be as
ready to perform evry Duty required of me by the
citizens of London as I have been to meet with
our Wesleyan friends this evening, the house rung
with applause, & the congregation dispersed the
Lord Mayor was conveyed to his Mansion in his
private carriage drawn by two Steeds whose harness
decorated with gold & silver which were glistning in
the sable shadses of night,
But in the midst of all this scenery who can imag
in my feelings none but those placed in kike [like]
circumstancs though I had a mission & a message
to the Inhabitants of London & stood in there mids[t]
ready to deliver it as soon as God opened my way
yet I was as little unknown by them, as Jonah
was to the citizens of Niniva while in the whales
Blelly & I clearly saw & realized that notwi-
thstanding this great display of talent, power &
policy, to send missionaries to the heathen they
as much need an humble messenger of God to
teach them the first principles of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ as Niniva Did a Prophet to cry repen
tance unto them, I retired home alone meditating
upon the signs of the Present generation
~ Friday
23rd [FIGURE] I received two letters one from Sister
Sarah Foss & the other from Brother Ilus F. Carter
I was truly glad to hear from our Maine friends
we
wrote 3 letters one to A Cordion, one to G Simps[o]n
& one to W. Richards signed Woodruff & Smith
~ Saturday
24th
We wrote a lengthy Lengthy letter jointly to
Elder Elias Smith. I spent a part of the day in cir
culating & posting up our hand bills which contained the
following inscriptions "He that judgeth a matter before he
heareth is not wise" The Latter Day Saints meet
for public worship at Mr J. Barrett's Academy,
57, King Square, Goswell Road—
~ Tuesday
27th We recieved two letters one from
Cordon & one from W. Meigh.
we wrote two letters one to J Tailor & one
to O Pratt. I preached in J Barretts Academy
~ Wednesday
28th
I finished a long communication
written to the Editors of the Times & Season[s]
signed H. C. Kimball, W. Woodruff & G. A. Smi[th]
it was a religious & Historical letter commenced
12th Oct & finished 28th I copied it off &
it filled 4 sheets full. I recieved one letter
from G Simpson we wrote two one to Cordon
& one to W May.
~ Thursday
29th We Mailed two letters for America on[e]
to the Editors & one to Elder Lorenzo Barnes
we recieved 3 letters one from Rushton
one from P P Pratt & one from W Richards with
a present of £1.
~ Friday
30th
We recieved a letter from Elder Hedloc[k]
& wrote him one in reply
I wrote a long letter to Phebe W. W. A Petty
M Smoot, & G. W. Robinson I addressed it to
G. W Robinson P[ost] M[aster] of Nauvoo In answer to
thers of July 18th
~ Saturday
31st We recieved one letter from O Pratt &
wrote him one in reply & mailed the one to
Phebe &c.
I wrote a letter to Hiram Clark &
we wrote one to Geo Simpson & one to R Rushton, I
wrote one to Samuel Jones making 5 in all
~ Sunday
NOV 1st Sunday It seems to be a hard matter
to esstablish the truth in the city of London
there is so much agoing in the city to draw the
attention of the people that it almost required
a trump to be blown from heaven in order
to awaken the attention of the people to
the subject of the fulness of the gospel I
freequently think o[f] Pauls perils in the city, their
was a great differance between Paul who was
without purse or scrip & the Pharasees who had thei[r]
large reward for Divineing, so it is with us in trying
to warn London without purse or scrip Still we
have to pay high for all we eat, drink, sleep, room,
fire, candles, & a room to warn the people in &c.
& we are out of money but still we feel to put
our trust in God. The Sectarians still have their sallaries
I wrote 3 letters one to Br & Sister Richards one
to P. P. Pratt one to Whittaker. I preached in the after
noon in the Academy to about 30 & in the evening
to about 50 we broke bread unto the Saints
& their seems to be some interest manifest among the
people this evening in inquiring into the subject I
pray the Lord to open our way before us
~ Monday
2nd
J H I received two letter[s] one from my Mothe[r]
Woodruff who informs me that Uncle Joseph Hart
is Dead he Died
[several lines blank]
I also received one letter from Elder John Rowley
I wrote a long family letter to Father Woodruff
family in answer to their[s] of Farmington Sept 30th
I printed it all & spoke upon a great variety of things
~ Tuesday
3rd We recieved one letter from Osmond Shaw
Elder Smith & myself again visited the British Musieum
I having formed a private or intimite aqcquaint
ance with Mr W. Palmer the keeper of the Egyptian
Antiquities & It being a private day not open to
public exibition he accompanied us through the vario
us appartment & spent several hours in explaini-
ng to us the most important things relating to th
e whole collection of Egyptiam Jewish Greek & Rom
[a]n antiquities which were vary interesting
Among the hundreds of thousands of things exhibited in
thes gallery's of Antiquities, Is the Portland Vase which
was found about the middle of the sixteenth century two
miles & a half from Rome in the road leading from Frasca-
ti which is the ownly thing of the kind now knowm
in the world. We also saw Napolian Bonaparts private
Snuff Box which cost 300 Guinea's. We saw the Tomb
of Allexander the great. The head of Nero & Trajan the
God Ammom. Lamps from Babylon, a piece of the Tower
of babel, many relics from the ruins of Herculaneum and
Pompei &c
~ Wednesday
Nov 4th
We received 3 Letters I received one from Elder
John Cheese containing a post office order of £2.10 a dona
tion from the Saints we received one letter from O. Pratt
& one from Emma Cordon. We wrote onte to O Pratt &
one to Osmond Shaw & one to Rowley
~ Thursday
5th The Efagy of Guydo [Guido] Fawkes is before our door
this morning attended by about 100 boys they are
carrying him through the streets of London in
memory of the great gun powder plot on the 5th of Nov
1605. I received two letters one from Elder
Samuel Jones containing £1 & good news
[FIGURE] {Phebe} I received a letter from Phebe & Elder Wm
Clark which gave me great joy it was Dated
Sept 8th 1840 Mrs Woodruff bears her affliction
with patience & resignation, haveing lost one child,
& the other is sick, but her own health is quite good
at present she is at Father Clarks & comfortable for
temporal things. Elder Wm O. Clark says do not
trouble yourself about Phebe & little Willford for they
shall not want any thing that I can bestow & may
God hold it as an everlasting covenant between me &
thee. He further says the temporal state of the
Church was never in a more prosper state than at the
present time. No mobing at the present time in this
country but gathering vary rapid a number of
familie[s] arived from England Phebe had had
an interview with Br Wm Benbow
We wrote two letters one to Elder Geo. W.
Robinson & one to Elder W Richards I wrote
to Phebe in Robinsons letter & gave her an account of
all the letters I had sent her
~ Friday
6th I mailed the Letter to Robison & Phebe at
the American Coffe House. I recieved a letter fro[m]
E Bromley we wrote her one in return
I wrote one letter to John Cheese, & one to Sam
Samuel Jones in answer to thers. I attended a
Funeral in Saint Luke's Church, herd the parson read
a funeral ceremony which was solumn, & he commi
tted the body to the tomdb with the fullest assurance
that she would arise in the first resurrection &
have part in a cele[s]tial glory, & evry infidel in england
is buried under the same cerimony this was in
the largest Parish Church in London. John Wesley preach[ed]
in it when he was living
~ Saturday
Nov 7th
I wrote a full letter to Br Ilus F. Carter
in answer to his. we wrote one to R Rushton
& one to whittaker we recieved one letter from
R Rushton & also a pamphlet from William Hewet
in oposition to Elder G. A. Smith
~ Sunday
8th Sunday we preached in the afternoon & evening
& broke bread unto the Saints but few attended
meeting it seems to be hard getting the attention
of the peopl here in London
~ Monday
9th
Joseph [FIGURE] We received six letters one from
H. C. Kimball, 1 from Elder W. Richards,
one from O Pratt, one from Theadore Curtis, one from
T Kington, one from S. Johnson, & they were full of
interest Elders Kimball & O pratt both inform me
of the death of Father Joseph Smith Sen. He was the
first patriarckh in the Church of Latter Day Saint[s]
but he is gone & sleeps in peace so our fathers
fall asleep. Elder Kington speaks of a letter He or
the Saints se[n]t me on the 24th Oct containing £2
which is lost I went to the general post office
in London to inquire about the lost letter & the post
master took the matter in hand & said he would
trace it out. I wrote a letter to Elder Kington—
one to Elder Browett & ONE vary lengthy
one to Father & Mother Carter giving an account
of all things in this country. This is the day
that The Lord Mayor of London is sworn into
his office or takes the oath. it is called Lord
Mayors Show it is a great day in London. The
Lord Mayor is taken in a golden carriage at his man
sion & drawn through the streets to Blackfriars
Bridge he there takes water lands at West minster
Abbey takes the oath & returns same way to his
mansion, the streets have to be cleared of
all kind of veacles untill the procession passes
by I saw the possession pass with the golden
carriges being two in No drawn by six horses each
coverd with gold. Elder W. Richards infor
med me that it was the council of the Twelve for
Elder Smith to come immediately to the potteri[e]s
churches to council them & spend some time
with them as there was ownly about work enough
for one in London so he is making preperation to
start early in the morning these are busy times
I am informed the Lamanites are begining to
embrace the work considerable
~ Tuesday
10th I took the parting hand with Elder G A. Smit[h]
who started for Birmingham so I am now left
alone again [FIGURE] I finished writing the letter to
Father & Mother Carter & mailed it I wrote lengthy
& answered Sister Foss Letter. I wrote a letter
to Elder W. Richards. I preached at 8 oclock
at the Academy
~ Wednesday
11th I spent the day in writing
~ Thursday
12
I wrote a letter to the week Editor
of the weekly Dispatch publish in London in
answer to an article which he published against
the Latter Day Saints
I received two letter
one From Sister Ann Dawson to G A Smith
& the other from G. A. Smith. I walked through
London city, crossed the bridge & visited
Mr Allgoods family they had been quite sick
but were much better. I wrote Br Amison
a letter & Also Elder G. A. Smith. I feel
a little lonely here in London since Br
Smith left me though not because there
is not people enough in London for there
is plenty but a person is placed in a gret
variety of circumstance[s] that is travelli
ng in the world as we are. I preached at night
& while preaching Br Wm Pitt from Dymock
came into the room. I was surprised to s[ee]
him as I was not looking for any one he
spent the night with me at my lodgging 6 m[iles]
~ Friday
13th
I received a letter from O. Pratt I wrote
one in return to him I also wrote a letter to Br
Browett. We took a walk to London Bridg[e]
visited St Pauls Church, the Bank of England
& many other places. It was a vary rainy
day & they think there is nothing worse than a
rainy day in London. On our return home
we found the people flung into great confusion in
consequence of a visit from a country cow
who had never been in London before & did not
understand the Law or custom of the citiy
& she began to chase the people & when I saw
her men women & children were runing for
there lives & the cow at there heels & just befor[e]
she got to us she drove one man through a door
head first into a shoe store with her hornes
She not being satisfyed with this the next
lunge she made she jumped head first thrugh
a window into a Tailors store carrying
window & sash wish but not liking her positon
she soon backed out & run down the street
committing depridations as she wendt with her
owner in a waggon upon a run after her. it
was evident the cow was mad crazy o fright
end or els she did not [k]now how to act in a
city. It was not long since that a mad Bull jumpd
through a large window in London into a china
shop & he commit great damage for the more the
china rattleed around him the more he tor[e] it
to pieces & he was a vary unwelcome visitor 6 m[iles]
~ Saturday
14 A plesant day we spent the day in visiting
different parts of the city of London, we walked
through the Oxford road, went all through
the Pantheum which was quite interesting we visited
St James Park & Buckingham palace her Majesty
the Queen Victoria was there we next visited the
Westminster Abbey, we crossed Westminster
Bridge walked up to London Bridge crossed it
passed St Pauls Church & the Bank the general
post office walked to St Lukes to 'opt some refresh
ment & walked to Br Biggs 52 Kingsland Road
returned passed through golden lane to Smithfield
markedt & returned to 40 Ironmonger Row
St Lukes London & spent the night the distance
of the day 15 mils
I dreamed that Charlotte Stanley was dead Af[t]er
she was lade out I assisted to remove the corps into
another place while doing this she came to life whic[h]
much surprised me and as I called her by name
^I^ she awoke I also herd in my dream that another
friend was dead but I did not recollect the name I
think I shall soon hear from my friends
~ Sunday
15th Sunday
({Wd Wd Wd} its {not a first rate [cousin]}) I wrote
a letter to P. P. Pratt sent him several peaces of a
News paper viz abot the Latter Day Saints, Inund-
ation in France with great destruction Election &
fraud in the U. S A &c I preached in the afternoon
& followed Br Pitt in the evening, After which several
of the followers of Joanna Southcoat got up & detained
the congregation by preaching there principles there
are several parties belonging to her societ[y]
this party that spoke call themselves the
ten tribes of Israel they gather to England
which they consider the promised land they
wear long beards & circumcise keep the law
of Moses & omit the first principles of the
gospel Baptism &c, they are the ownly ones tha[t]
will have a body like Christ Abram all the proph[ets]
& Apostles will have a body inferior to theirs &
will inherit a Celestial Kingdom, while
they say they will inherit the kingdon of God whi[ch]
they consider a far greater than the celesti
al, & they have many things to foolish & incons
istant to be believed by rational man.
I communed with the Saints after meeting
~ Monday
16th
I received two letters one from Elder
Thomas Clark containing a gift of £1 in a post
office order, & one from Elder D Browett
informing me of the progress of the work in
Herefordshire & surrounding country
I worote three Letters one to T Clark one to
D Browett one to T Kington & family. I
spent several hours in conversation with one of
the Israelites or Joannas above spoken of
~ Tuesday
17th I took the parting hand with Elder
Wm Pitt who started for Ipswich may the
Lord bless him I pray
I received one letter
from Thomas Amison I preached at night it was
a stormy night
~ Wednesday
18th
I recieved 2 letters one from T Kington
one from E & A. Oaky. I printed a full sheet
B to Brothers Azmon & Thompson Woodruff
I had a long interview with five followers of
Joanna Southcoat they have many fals & foolis-
h notions
~ Thursday
19th
I received 4 letters two for myself &
2 for G. A. Smith one from O. Pratt, from Wm Pitt,
R Hedlock, one from preston with no name I had
an interview with Joshua W Walker, & with Br
Hulme
I wrote a letter to O pratt
I preached at night in the Academy. Br Hulme A
capt of of one of Pickfords Boats on the London
canal was present with two of his hands, which
he had Baptized as he was A priest. Br Hume spent
the night with me
~ Friday
20th I
received one letter from Elder Kington
I wrote 4 letters, to R. Hedolock, T Amison,
Wm Pitt, & T. Kington. I dined at Pickfords
wharf with Capt Hulme on bord of his boat with
three saints
~ Saturday
21st
I received two letters one from G A Smith
one from Wm Pitt I wrote 23 Letters one to
E & A Oaky one to Geo A Smith, & Wm pitt
[FIGURE] Victoria II was born this 21st day of Nov 1840
at 2 o'clock P.M. the citiy Bells of London are
ringing in celebration of the same, so England has
a Princes Victoria
~ Sunday
22nd Sunday I spent the fore part of the day
in reading & conversing with Father Corner Corner
& his family I preached at 3 o'clock & at half
past sis 4 offered themselves for Baptism, but we
have laboured vary hard & with much expens to ac-
complish little in London but may the Lord roll on his
work here I broke bread unto the Saints
P I commenced a vary lengthy letter this morning
to Phebe. I made extracts from about 30 letters
I requested my wife to present it to the Editors
of the Times & Seasons to publish such extracts
as they thought fit
~ Monday
23rd
I received two letters from G. A Smith
& Wm Pitt I spent the day in writing in the letter
to Phebe
~ Tuesday
24th
I wrote two letters to G. A. Smith &
Wm Pitt I preached in the evening
~ Wednesday
25th
I received a letter from O. Pratt I wrote
a letter to O Pratt I also received a letter
from the Secretary at the general Post Office
in London informing me that the letter could
not be found which was sent me containing
£2 two sovreigns which was robed or stolen
~ Thursday
Nov 26th
I recevived a letter from Br John
Taylor [FIGURE] I mailed the letter at the American Coffee
House which I wrote to Mrs Woodruff & the editors
of the Times & Seasons, which was the largest letter
I ever sent my wife. on my return from the Office
I called into an auction store whare they were
selling penknives, watches, time Peaces, which to
outward appearance were vary cheap but when
closely examined it was found they were made
on purpose for the auction sale, & the manner
the Cockneys or London Kawkers would cheat
men before their eyes is a caution to Yankies
{I purchased a card of knives and a time piece which cost me} 3 {dollars and I got cheated on both [illegible shorthand] [we] learn wisdom}
I preached at 8 o'clock & on my return to the
House I found Br Pitt who had returned from
Ipswich As Br Kington had sent for him, & when
he left Ipswich the people ware all stired, just as he
was going to Baptize several, some of the pamph-
lets were sent them which are Published against
us filled with lies which stoped them for a season
so he did not baptize any before he left we spent
the night together 4 [miles]
~ Friday
27th
I wrote a letter to Br John Taylor at Hanly
I spent several hours in looking over the London
papers of 27th from which I glean the following
Items, The River Seine risen to five metres, in France
A Law is voted by the Chambers of France to
Appropriate 1000000 frances for the reestablishme-
ntment of the communications destroyed by th[e]
late flood & also 5000000 to be divided among the
Sufferers of the Indundations of the Saone and
Rhone, the country around Paris is flooded & th[e]
lower parts of the city inundated." The floods
& indundations of France of late has been dreadful
& loss of property immense. I was informed
one River was turned entirely out of its cours[e] &
a stone found in the beb of the River bearing
the following inscription (He that findeth me shall
weep)" Several Earthquakes of late in the
Ionian Islands many persons have perished.
The Jews & Christians iIn Jerrusalen have not
the Privilege of gathering there own taxes. A ma[n]
that lately visited Jerrusalem says there is
7000 Jews there but much persecuted
6 m[iles]
~ Saturday
28th this is a gloomy day in London esspecially
to me, for the whole city is envelop'd in one of
the most dreary November fogs, which makes
the air so dark & heavy that a person can scc-
arcely See a rod in the streets at mid day.
I again had an interview with Josiah W Walker
88 Church Street, Mile end New town White Chapel
& he clearly manifested his true character
& the Spirit he was of. I lent him the Book of
Mormon & he has read it several days watching
for iniquity. He informed me he should publish
against it. I told him if he wished to do so to go
ahead as soon as he pleased. I found his argu-
ments against it were weak which hath been the
case with all men that have attacked it. I walked
out to see some of my friends in the afternoon
& I found the fog to be cold & chilly. I felt lones-
om in the evening. I have been in my room alone ever
since Elder Smith left me without any company as
it were
I recieved a letter to day from Lorenzo
Snow in Birmingham
~ Sunday
29th Sunday [FIGURE] I preached twice Baptized
& confirmed three & communed with the Saints
these were the first that I have Baptized in London
~ Monday
30th
I received a letter from Elder O Pratt &
I wrote 2 letters one to O. Pratt & one to B. Young
& H. C. Kimball. I took a vary interesting
walk with Doctor Copeland through evry appar
tment of the College of Surgeons at Lincolns
Infields which was truly interesting. I again
visited the same on the 7th Day of Dec in company
with Doctor Copeland and Elders B Young
& H. C. Kimball, & went through evry appartment
of it and was much interested see Dec 7th 14840
A Visit to the College of Surgeons
At Lincons Infields Dec 7th 1840
[sideways text]
London
[end of sideways text]
After entering the building in front and passing
through several small rooms unoccupied, we ente
red a vary large Room mostly occupied with—
skeleton's of natural History of evry description
the Mamouth, Elephant, Lions Tigers & evry wild bea
st of the forest & Domestic Animals, & the Crockadile
& serpent of evry kind & the fish of the sea.
This Room also contained several skeleton's
[top of page blank]
On my return home I was soon Joined by Elders
B. Young & H. C Kimball, who had come to London
to spend a week or two It was truly a treat
to once more meet with these Brethren we spent
the night together
~ Tuesday
Dec 1st this is the first day of winter I spent
the day with Elders Young & Kimball in visiting
the city [FIGURE] 1 I receiviend a letter from Josiah
Wesley Walker manifesting great Boasting
& opposition against the Book of Mormon &
we met for meeting at the Academy as usual
at 8 oclock Elder Young Preached followed
By Elder Kimball we had a good time
~ Wednesday
2nd
I wrote A letter to Elders Lorenzo Snow
& A Cordon
I received a letter from G. A. Smith
we all took a walk through the city we spent
several hours with Mr B. Sanglovanni, Sculptor
& Modeller No. 23, Nassau Street Middlesex
Hospital, his wife was the Daughter of Br Rogers
we spent the evening in the City Road, had conver
sation with a Frenchman. We called into a shop [FIGURE] 10 [miles]
most beautiful form, particularly the back
plate, which, like that of the breast is made
of several pieces to be flexible. [FIGURES] the
saddle of bone work is particular curious
3. Edward IV, King of England
AD. 1465. This is a complete suit of tournament
armour, finished with the additional pieces termed
grand guard, volant-piece and gard-de-tras. [FIGURES]
4.th Henry VII, King of England
AD. 1508. This is a fluted suit of elegant form
probably of German manufacture
5. Henry VIII, King of England AD.
1520. This monarch appears in a suit of plate armour
gilt. [FIGURE] It is impossible to give a just summary of this
prince's qualities, he was so different from himse-
lf in the several periods of his life. [FIGURE] In his youth
he was sincere, open, gallant, and liberal; in his more
advanced years, he became rapacious, arbitrary,
violent, superstitious, obstinate, unjust, and cruel. He
had six wives. After he had been married 20 years
to the first, he grew weary of her, and from a pretended
scruple of conscience, put her away. His second
wife, the incomparable Queen Ann Boleyn, mother
of Queen Elizabeth, he beheaded upon slight
ground of jealousy. He was weary of the third as
soon as soon as he was married to her. The immature
death of the fourth, perhaps prevented an untimely one.
The fifth was beheaded as her predecessor Queen Anne
was, though less innocent than Queen Ann of the
crime for which she sufferd. The sixth Queen
Catherine parr was a most religious lady, and was
so able a christian, that she had nearly disputed
her head off. Had the King lived a little longer he
would probably have made a new choice. But
he died Janury 28th 1547, after a reign 37 years
and 9 months, and in the 56th years of his age
6. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk
1520. He also Is represented in plate armour.
7. Edward Clinton Earl of Lincoln
AD 1535. This noblemans armour is vary elegantly
gilt, and his right hand rests on a mace. He w^e^ars a long
fluted sword.
8. Edward VI, King of England
AD 1552. This figure is particularly desierving of notice
both on account of its armour, which is what was
termed russet and gilt in the most curious manner
throughout & also for the fine Attitude in which
it is placed. (Turn over 5 leeves continued)
[FIGURE]
After visiting the Tower we walked to the
Thames & waited for Elder Young who went
through the Tunnel & visited it & purchased a pattern
of the Tunnel for 13/ which presents an exact
likeness of it. We then walked across London
Bridge & returned to our Room in Ironmonge[r]
Row. We held a meeting in the evening Elder
Young preached. Distance of the day 10 m
~ Friday
Dec 4th Elder Kimball stayed at home & wrote
A letter to his wife I walked through the city
with Elder Young we visited Buckingham
Palace & West Minster Abbey & went all throu-
gh it we then returned home on our way we
saw some London Foolery, in a cart one wax figure
knocking Down another {Distance of the day} 10 m
~ Saturday
5th
I received 3 letters from O Pratt Wm
Pitt, Allexander Wright. I walked out with
Elder Young to try to find the Book of Morm-
on, as we herd it was published & for Sale in
London by some person unknown but probably
it was a fals report Elder Kimball received a
letter from Arthur Burrow Presston
I wrote a letter to Elder John Taylor I also got
a letter from John Taylor I wrote a letter to
O Pratt. Robert Williams Priest arived in London
this day & called upon us this evening we walked
to Islington & Passed by his Fathers House returned
to our Room & spent the night 10 miles
~ Sunday
6th Sunday proved an interesting Day to us
Elders Young, Kimball, & William attended meeti-
ng at St Pauls Church in the morning I met with
the Saints at No [blank]
at Father Corners & read & conversed with them. We
all met at the Academy at 3 oclock had about 50
preasent {Elder} Kimball preached to them. An independant
Minister invited me home with him to take tea I accep
ted the Invitation & had a good time I preached
the gospel to him he received my testimony & offered
me his Chappel that would hold 800 & he thoug-
ht he should be Baptized & would try to get his
society to Do the same. We again met at halpf
past six, & had the most in our room that we have ever
had. Br Young Preached & was followed by
We visited evry part of the crypt among all the
tombs. It cost us 4/[6] each to visit evry part of this
cathedral. We Next went on to the top of the
London Monument we walked up & down 345
marble steps in visiting this monument, which was
202 feet high, we then crossed London Bridge, walked
to the Southwark Bridge which is all cast Iron, forty
five rods in length we walked undere it & viewed it
& then crossed it. We then Dined togethe[r]
in the citiy took a calb & rode to the British Museum
& walked through every appartment of it, which
coverd about 5 acres of Ground, we then took a
calb & returned to our room in Ironmonger Row
vary weary & spent the night, Having travled 12
miles, & walked up & down 1200 steps which
made us feel sumwhat sore, however we enjoy
ed a good nights rest 12 m[iles]
[FIGURE] 9. Franceis Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon
AD 1555. This is a suit of plate armour, richly
gilt, its wearer is resting the blade of his drawn
sword on his left arm.
10. Robert Dudley Earl of Eeicester [Leicester] AD 1560.
[FIGURES] He holds a sword in his right hand with which
he is pointing.
11. Sir Henry Lea mMaster of the Armoury. A.D. 1570
He holds in his right hand a battle-axe the head of
which rests upon his shouldier. [FIGURES] He was champion
to Queen Elizabeth. [FIGURE]
12. Robert Devereux Earl of Essex. AD. 1585.
This is a fine suit of armour inlaid with gold
the cantle of the saddle is vary beautifully engraved
and gilt, in his right hand he holds a short sword
of curious workmanship.
13. James I King of England, AD 1605. This
monarch who it will be remembered was allso
James VI of Scotland, wears a plain suit of
armour. He holds in a perpendicular direction with h[is]
right hand a tilting lance, fourteen feet long, and
two feet three inches in circumference in the thick
part with which it was customary to run at at them
14. Sir Horace Vere, Captain General, A.D. 1606.
15. Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundual, A.D. 1608
16. Henry Prince of Wales, son of James I AD 1612.
This most beautiful suit of armour l is highly
~ Thursday
(Dec 10th
I recieved a letter from Elder Hedlock
Elder Young one from P P. Pratt containing £5.
we walked over Black Friars Bridge called at
Zions Chapel, to attend a sacrament meeting at
Mr Aitkens society, but they knowing who
we were refused to let us in, fearing lest we should
break up their sociey. We then crossed over the
Waterloo Road & returned home We attended mee-
ting in the evening I preached was followed by Elders
Kimball & Young, who brore strong testimony
to the people 6 miles
~ Friday
11th I walked with Elder Young to the great
western Railway & took the parting hand with
him & he started for Cheltenham. I returned
& spent the day in writing
I received a letter fro[m]
Elder Lorenzo Snow. I visited Mr James Albon
9 1/2 Spencer place Goswell Road. He is a preacher
of the Independant order he & his houshold mani-
fests faith in our doctrin. 10 miles
~ Saturday
12th
I wrote a few lines to Phebe in Elder Kim-
ball's letter to his wife, & acknowledged the rece
ption of her letter of Oct 6 to 19th. I wrote in my
Journal)
[FIGURE] We saw cannon shot chiefly
made of wrought iron, namely, spike shot
star shot, chain shot, and saw shot,
A Beheading axe of singular form. This has
long been named as the axe which took of the
head of Queen Anne Boleyn [FIGURE] It is also said
to have beheaded the earl of Essex.
In going into the grand storeho
use we pass the front of the Horse Armoury we
observed two French brass mortars which were brou-
ght from Acre in the year 1799.
The Train of Artillery
This room is nearly 350 feet in length, containi
ng a large number of chests containing arms in
readiness for use, and also a great variety or [of]
cannon
1. Is a gun made of wrought iron assigned to
the time of Henry VI AD 1422 [FIGURE]
~ Sunday
Dec 13th Sunday We met with the Saints
at 2 o'clock & broke bread unto them Elder
Kimball preached at 3, and I preached at
half past six we had a good time all day, there
is begining to be more interest manifest in
London than ever before
~ Monday
14:
I received a letter from William Pitt
I spent the Day in writing & had an interesting
prayr meeting at our meeting room Mr
Albon was present & recieved our testimony
& spoke in favor & we walked home with
him & found his houshold believing
15th
I wrote a letter to Elder O Pratt &
one to G. A. Smith with Elder Kimball
~ Tuesday
15th
I received a letter from Br Griffiths
at Woolwich I spent the day in writing
in my Journal the history of London Tower
~ Wednesday
16 [FIGURES] I spent the day in writing, Br Williams
lef us in the morning for Bedford. At 7 o'clock
in the evening we repaired to a bath in Tabe
rnacle Square & we Baptized 4 persons &
we had a good time though it was cold weat
her & snowed most of the day the two
first Baptized was Mr & Mrs Morgan with
whome we have made it our home since we
first came to Ironmonger Row 40 St Lukes
the other two was Henry Corner jr & Christo-
pher Smith, their Apprentice. I rejoice in
thes things that the number of the Saints
increases in London, for it has been a hard
case & the work has been slow from the begin-
ing but I pray God that it may roll on from
this day forward [FIGURE] E I received an interesting
letter from sister Eunice Woodruff Farmington
Nov 26-28 she acknowledged the reception of
my two letters one of the Date of Aug 10th &
the other a long Mamouth sheet printed full of Nov
2nd which they received on the 27th making 25
days from time it was wrote, & I recieved theirs
in 16 Days. She spoke about the health of my fath-
er & family & other friends. It is truly cheering
to have good news from a far country & to hear
from our friends by letter
~ Thursday
17th Doctor Copeland spent the afternoom
with us he received our testimony we had
a good, time withh him snow storm we preached in
the evening
~ Friday
Dec 18th
I wrote three letters to Wm
Pitt, R Hedlock & Lorenzo Snow. The London
Times informs us that the British Flag is
begining to be waved for the first time in parts
of the Chinease empire. Also that the Jews
are restored in Jerrusalem to theire own rights
agaien, having equal privileges as other nations
Also that the remains of Napolitan Bounaparte
have been conveyed to Paris in the midst of
great splendor & pomp
~ Saturday
19th
I received a letter from G D Watt
& O Pratt & the 11 & 12 Numbers of the
times & seasons which truly brought us
cheering news from America
I wrote 2 letters one to James Blakesley
one to John Griffiths. I dreamed of attend
ing a great conference in London with the 12 &
many Saints O. Hide & J. E. Page was present
~ Sunday
20th Sunday we accompanied Mr Albon
the preacher of the Independant church to his
chapel in the morning. I had visited him several
times & giave him an account of the rise &
progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints he received my testimony & offer
ed me his chapel to preache in which will
seat about 2000. we were introduced to
the commity of the chapel in the morning one
was A preacher who had travled much in
Russia & other parts of the world At the
close of the meeting Mr Albon gave out
an appointment for us to preach in the
chapel next Sabbath evening. We met
with the Saints in the afternoon as usual
& broke bread unto them, & confirmed four
we had a full house we allso preached in
the evening, & good feeling prevaled, after
rietiring to our room, Mr Albon called me & said
that he gave out our appointment for
us to preach in his chapel, & had informed
his congregation that he was A Latter Day
Saint, & should be Baptized & Join the Church
& that they need not consider him any longedr
a member of their body unles they would
Join the Saints He said it made a division
among the commity some were for going with
him & some opposing I thank God that there
bgegins to be a little stir in this city, we have
had some good dreams of late about ketch-
ing fish, & I hope we may soon realize it by
Baptizing many souls for we have laboured
hard in this city for many weeks & with great
expens & baptized as yet ownly 19 souls but
we will not despise the Day of small things but
hope for more. I also had an interview with
a jgentleman that had been a member of the Irv-
inite Society but had left them he attended
our meeting. We retired to rest & I dreamed
of ketching fish, fowl, geese & Turkies, in
nets, & seeing a house on fire. Elder Kimball also
Dreamed of casting a net & ketching a good hall
of fish, two large ones, & gathering fruit
So I think sumthing will be done soon
~ Monday
21st
I wrote a letter to Elder Allexander
Wright, Scotland. We spent the afternoon
with Doctor Copeland. We accompanied
him in the evening to the {Theater Royal, Drury Lane}
Concerts d'Hiver, (which is a new invented
musical performance composed of the choi-
sest band of music in the world of about 100
musicians mostly German & French conducted
by) "Mr Ellason" (His first appearance this season)
which is the first start of any thing of the kind
in modern days. "It manifested the greatest
perfection in music of any thing known, it was
composed of almost evry instrument of music
in use." by having a view of it it gave us a
knowledge of the art of man, & what could
be perfected with instruments of music
Distance of the day 8 miles
~ Tuesday
22nd
I receieved a letter from George
Simpson & wrote him one in return. We
walked to Mr Sangivanni's & He went
with us to Mr Filippo Pistrucci
who is also an Italian at 40 Charlotte Street
Fitzroy Square London for the purpose
of getting our likeness taken he commenced
a rough draft of both. we held a prayer meeting
7 mile
~ Wednesday
Dec Wednesday 23rd I called upon Mr
Phil Filippo Pistrucci 46 Charloette Street
Fitzroy square & I took my first
sitting of two hours & a half for him
to take my portrait
I conversed with
Him upon the subject of religion. he
had formerly belonged to the Catholic
faith but seeing so much iniquity in the
priest while in Itily He denyed &
rejected the Roman religion & wrote
against all religions, but is now convinced
of the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ
& is writing a work in the Italian langu-
age, advocating the gospel of Jesus Christ
& opposing priestcraft I gave him a
rehearsal of the doctrin we believed in & the
progress of the Church he seemed much int-
erested in it & said he believed as we did.
while in the midst of my conversation
Elder Kimball called upon me & I took
a walk with him & Doctor Copeland & his
wife over Blackfriars Bridge & on our return
home in the midst of a croud, we lost Br
Kimball & Sister Copeland & in looking them
up I lost Doc Copeland, & Br Kimball Sister
Copeland so that there was no two of us
out of four to-gether but after being sep-
erated awhile we all four providentially
met at the Covnant Garden, & saw the
wonderful performance of Shakespears
night dream, Madan Vestry &c & returned
home. Distance of the Day 15 mils
I receive a letter from Elder H Glover
~ Thursday
24
I wrote a letter to H. Glover &
one to G. D. Watt & O. Pratt this being
Christmas Eve Elder Kimball & myself walked
out into the streets to see for a moment
what the Busy multitude were about we
Passed through Mutton Street as G. A. Smith
calls it, opposite Saints Lukes Church it was
a market street for evry kind of flesh &
vegitable, we bought one doz orranges, one
Doz apples, some Hazelnuts, chesnuts, returned
to our sitting room, & in addition to some
bread & cheese & a pint of beer we made out
a supper & went to bed, & I dreamed of falli-
ng among thieves & robbers, who tryed to rob
us under pretence that we had done sumthing
wrong in London some years since I told them
we never had been in London untill within a few
months that we were Americans & had a family
there, & we had come to preach the gospel &
we would preach to them if they would open
their doors & after bothering awhile with
them I awoke, & found it to be the first
Christmas Eve I ever spent in London
~ Friday
25th CHRISTMAS Day In LONDON
The Church Bells throughout the city comm-
enced chanting for meeting at half past ten
we met with the Saints at Father Corner Room
Georges Row 24 at 11 o'clock & we tought
the Saints some plain principles, which had a
good effect, we took our Christmas dinner
with Br Morgan he had his family at home with
him the Dinner consisted of Baked Mutton
Goose, Rabit Pies, Minced Pies, & Plum Pudding
& bread & cheese, Porter & water. We spent
the evening at Mr Albums in conversing
about the things of God, we returned
home, after sitting an hour with the family
we retired to rest. This is the first Christ-
mas I ever spent in England, whare I shall
be the next Christmas day the Lord ownly
knows, & what a year to come will bring forth
we cannot tell, But may the Lord preserve
my life, my wife & child in peace I pray &
enable all the Saints to be esstablished in righteo-
usness. Christmas is considerd the greatest of all
days in England.
~ Saturday
26th Saturday I wrote a letter to Br Wm Pitt
Had an interview with Doctor Copeland then
walked to Mr Sangiovanni, 23 Nassau Street
we found him quite unwell. We Dined with
him & his wife the Dinner was composed
of Italian Maccaroni, (Lasagna) Beef Plum
Puddings, Nut Cakes, Porter, wine oranges &c
we spent quite a plesent evening in conversing
with Mrs Susannah M Sangiovanni, concerning
the gospel & the Kingdom of God She received
our testimony & desires to be Baptized with all
her heart. She conversed much about her
fathers family & friends in America we spoke
of our wives & children which we had been
long seperated from. On our returne home
we called upon Br Corner who we found
unwell, with a bad cold, we also saw a female
who had just been run over by an omnibus
who was badly wounded. distance of the day 8 [miles]
we read in the London times an interesting
account from the German Jews a univ-
ersal call for them to return to Jerrusalem
8 m[iles]
~ Sunday
27th Sunday we met with the Saints & com
muned with them & had a good time, & in the
evening we met at An independant chapel
or Ebenezar Chapel Commercial Road. there
was the largest congregation that we have
ever preached to in London consisting of many
Denominations of Priest & People. I preach[ed]
about one hour, A wesleyian Preacher arose
& opposed me, which had a good effect for
the people seeing the spirit he was off turned
against him & the commity refused his
speaking there any more. I did not have the
spirit of preaching much in consequence of
the power of opposition, still the conduct of
the opposing party gave us friends but I
never saw a harder place than London to
build up a church in But I pray the Lord in
the name of Jesus Christ that our labours may
not be in vain in this city. we dined to
Day with Doctor Copeland {Distance of the day} 10 mile
~ Monday
28th I
Received 2 letters from James
Blakesley & John Griffitts I wrote a letter
to G. A. Smith, [FIGURE] I attended a Tea Total or
Temperance meeting held in a Theater in
Milton Street, which was considerd the greatest
temperance meeting held in London I was acco
mpanied by Elder Kimball & Doctor Copeland &
two other Saints. The chair was taken at an
early hour by one of the most celebrated &
noted men of the last days viz James Silk
Buckingham, Esq, Denominated in his writings
was darkend by removing the lights & a
show was presented in the form of a
Magic lantern presented a man in evry stage
of drunkenness, & a score of other things
rivers, ships, cities, Lions Leapords, Bonapart
Victoria, & many other things, & we retired
quite satisfyed with our evenings entertainmen[t] 8 miles
~ Tuesday
29th Elder Kimball went to take a sitting
for his portrait I staid at home & wrote
I sent G. A. Smith a letter a paper called
The Penny Satirist containing a long account
about the Latter Day Saints taken from
the Mill Star We attended meeting at the
Academy called & spent a short time with Mr
Album, & returned home, & I dreamed of
being in the midst of serpents, & a Tiger came
& guarded me in the midst of my Enemies
I next went through Samuel Demming's
Barns to find Brother Azmon Woodruff
I thought I saw him there. I dreamed of seeing
Brother Azmon & Thompson much of late I
think I shall soon hear from them
~ Wednesday
30th
We received 5 letters 2 to me from
G A. Smith & Wm Pitt H. C. Kimball 3 from
O. Pratt, Br Harris, & Wm Kay Herefordshire
Elder Kimball walked out with Mr Alb James
Album into another part of the city & had a
good time. I also walked out & visited Mr
Hender, No 4 Garden Court, Hull Street, &
had a good time he & his wife received my testi-
mony & think they will soon be Baptized.
I again dreamed of being among serpents one
bit me. We are begining to stir the Devil up
some in London we shall soon find enemies
& opposition & may the Lord Hasten it for
it will bring us friends
~ Thursday
31st This is the Last Day of 1840.
I received a letter from Wm Pitt Preached
in the evening took supper with Doctor
Copeland