Showing posts with label Mercer Sarah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mercer Sarah. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sarah Mercer is inspired about how to get funds to travel to Zion
Many of the saints were migrating to Zion, and Charles and Sarah had a great desire to do the same. In 1842, when they first heard the gospel they had 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. The eldest was William Charles being 8 years old. But now they had a large family of nine children and most of them too small to earn much wages. Charles and all the family, who were old enough, worked in the woolen factories at Bradford. Charles and William Charles were wool combers and Sarah was a weaver. Every child at the age of 6 years was put in the woolen mills or factory, a half-day and then school the other half day until they were eight years, then they were "Full Timers" and worked the full day.
But with all of their wages combined, they just managed to pay the rent and eat, with a very small surplus to put away, for nine mouths took a lot of food.
After trying for a year or two to get enough money to pay their fare to America, they decided the only thing to do was for Charles to go to American where they understood wages were better than in England. So, taking William, the oldest boy, who was now 15 years old they used what money they had saved and sailed from Liverpool, England on the ship "Wellfleet" for American, the 3rd of June 1856, with 146 saints aboard and landed in Boston, Massachusetts, 13 July 1856 and found work there.
The family grew until when they left in 1857 there were 10 children. The last, Elizabeth Ann, may have been born after Charles left for America.
They planned that the rest of the family would come inside one year, from the time Charles and son, William had sailed, so they started accumulating a fund again. But it was a slow process, even though Sarah took in extra washing, instead of working in the factory, so she might care for the smaller children at home, although her mother always helped with the children.
When almost a year had passed and the savings were far below what was necessary to pay their way to America, Sarah knew something had to be done, or she and her children would never cross the ocean. So that night at prayer she told the children they must take a turn in asking their Heavenly Father’s guidance in the matter. She led and then the oldest boy was to follow her. But as she finished her prayer she told him he did not have to pray, only to thank the Lord, for the plan had come to her as she prayed. He was to go to the docks and find the name and date of the ship that would sail for Boston, the date his father had sailed the year before, and to write him a letter that they would be on that vessel.
Now her obligation was to carry out the plan that had been revealed to her, as she knelt there praying. Her faith was so strong that she told the children to go on to work and never to doubt for a moment that they would sail on that vessel.
Taking her small children over to her mother and telling her to watch and if it started to rain to go over and gather in the wash she had hung out to dry. She dressed herself in her best clothes and taking her bag she started out, not among the poor class of people of the town but to a wealthy home where she had done laundry for years. She knocked at the front door and when the maid answered the door she told her she wanted to see the Master. The maid asked her why she didn’t go to the servant’s entrance, but Sarah told the maid she was not begging nor seeking employment, just wanted to see the Master of the house on important business, and to tell him it was Mrs. Wilkinson calling. The servant doubted very much if he would see her, but went to ask and in a moment was back with the word to bring her in.
Sarah explained her difficulties and told him she wanted a recommendation, as to her character, so that she might present it to other homes where she expected to ask for money. He not only gave her a recommendation, a lovely one, but gave her a pound note, equal to five dollars in American money to start her on her way.
With her bag on her arm, Sarah would go every day that she could get away from her home to the doors of the rich, and always the Front Door. For she always said she was no beggar, but was following what the Lord had revealed to her. And though she became foot-sore and weary at times, and some doors turned her away, she kept on until she had enough and to spare, by the time the vessel sailed.
But with all of their wages combined, they just managed to pay the rent and eat, with a very small surplus to put away, for nine mouths took a lot of food.
After trying for a year or two to get enough money to pay their fare to America, they decided the only thing to do was for Charles to go to American where they understood wages were better than in England. So, taking William, the oldest boy, who was now 15 years old they used what money they had saved and sailed from Liverpool, England on the ship "Wellfleet" for American, the 3rd of June 1856, with 146 saints aboard and landed in Boston, Massachusetts, 13 July 1856 and found work there.
The family grew until when they left in 1857 there were 10 children. The last, Elizabeth Ann, may have been born after Charles left for America.
They planned that the rest of the family would come inside one year, from the time Charles and son, William had sailed, so they started accumulating a fund again. But it was a slow process, even though Sarah took in extra washing, instead of working in the factory, so she might care for the smaller children at home, although her mother always helped with the children.
When almost a year had passed and the savings were far below what was necessary to pay their way to America, Sarah knew something had to be done, or she and her children would never cross the ocean. So that night at prayer she told the children they must take a turn in asking their Heavenly Father’s guidance in the matter. She led and then the oldest boy was to follow her. But as she finished her prayer she told him he did not have to pray, only to thank the Lord, for the plan had come to her as she prayed. He was to go to the docks and find the name and date of the ship that would sail for Boston, the date his father had sailed the year before, and to write him a letter that they would be on that vessel.
Now her obligation was to carry out the plan that had been revealed to her, as she knelt there praying. Her faith was so strong that she told the children to go on to work and never to doubt for a moment that they would sail on that vessel.
Taking her small children over to her mother and telling her to watch and if it started to rain to go over and gather in the wash she had hung out to dry. She dressed herself in her best clothes and taking her bag she started out, not among the poor class of people of the town but to a wealthy home where she had done laundry for years. She knocked at the front door and when the maid answered the door she told her she wanted to see the Master. The maid asked her why she didn’t go to the servant’s entrance, but Sarah told the maid she was not begging nor seeking employment, just wanted to see the Master of the house on important business, and to tell him it was Mrs. Wilkinson calling. The servant doubted very much if he would see her, but went to ask and in a moment was back with the word to bring her in.
Sarah explained her difficulties and told him she wanted a recommendation, as to her character, so that she might present it to other homes where she expected to ask for money. He not only gave her a recommendation, a lovely one, but gave her a pound note, equal to five dollars in American money to start her on her way.
With her bag on her arm, Sarah would go every day that she could get away from her home to the doors of the rich, and always the Front Door. For she always said she was no beggar, but was following what the Lord had revealed to her. And though she became foot-sore and weary at times, and some doors turned her away, she kept on until she had enough and to spare, by the time the vessel sailed.
Charles Wilkinson and Sarah Mercer
(Facts of this story, were taken from L.D.S. records, Parish Register records, Vital Statistics, Census records and Transportation records, Deseret News, 1840)
Charles Wilkinson was born at Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland in 1816. His father, Moses Wilkinson was christened 28 August 1789 at Sowerby, Yorks, England. His mother, Ann Bailey, was born at Thornton, Yorks, England in 1790. The reason Charles was born in Edinburgh is because his father was serving in the English Army stationed in Scotland. His family belonged to the Church of England and the prevailing religion in Scotland is Presbyterian. Naturally, they wouldn’t have their child christened in another denomination. Family tradition says Moses served 33 years in the service of his country.
His wife, Sarah Mercer, was born 8 December 1815 at Allerton, Yorks, England. Sarah’s father, John Mercer, was christened 25 June 1779 at Denholme, Yorks, England. Her father, John, married Mary Hartley, 4 November 1805 at the Bradford Cathedral. He died 29 April 1848 at Kirby, Nisperton, Yorks, England and is buried at Thornton, Yorks, England. Mary Hartley’s father was John Hartley.
All of the family seemed to have lived not far from Bradford, Yorks, England, all in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Sowerby is a chapelry in the parish and union of Halifax. About 1850 the population was 6,457. It is 4 miles W.S.W. of Halifx. Allerton is 2 ½ miles from Branford. Family says Moses was born at Leeds. That is about 9 miles from Bradford, but the family home is decidedly in this area.
Charles and Sarah (Merser) Wilkinson belonged to the Church of England, but were not satisfied with it’s teachings, and were investigating the Methodist religion, when Charles happened to hear two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (or Mormon Church) preaching. He was very much interested and the very next day he took his wife, Sarah, to hear them. They were soon converted and were baptized by Parley P. Pratt. (Not sure of this fact) Anyway, they were staunch workers in the church and after several years of faithful labor in the church, Charles was made President of the Branch in Bradford, England.
Charles Wilkinson was born at Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland in 1816. His father, Moses Wilkinson was christened 28 August 1789 at Sowerby, Yorks, England. His mother, Ann Bailey, was born at Thornton, Yorks, England in 1790. The reason Charles was born in Edinburgh is because his father was serving in the English Army stationed in Scotland. His family belonged to the Church of England and the prevailing religion in Scotland is Presbyterian. Naturally, they wouldn’t have their child christened in another denomination. Family tradition says Moses served 33 years in the service of his country.
His wife, Sarah Mercer, was born 8 December 1815 at Allerton, Yorks, England. Sarah’s father, John Mercer, was christened 25 June 1779 at Denholme, Yorks, England. Her father, John, married Mary Hartley, 4 November 1805 at the Bradford Cathedral. He died 29 April 1848 at Kirby, Nisperton, Yorks, England and is buried at Thornton, Yorks, England. Mary Hartley’s father was John Hartley.
All of the family seemed to have lived not far from Bradford, Yorks, England, all in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Sowerby is a chapelry in the parish and union of Halifax. About 1850 the population was 6,457. It is 4 miles W.S.W. of Halifx. Allerton is 2 ½ miles from Branford. Family says Moses was born at Leeds. That is about 9 miles from Bradford, but the family home is decidedly in this area.
Charles and Sarah (Merser) Wilkinson belonged to the Church of England, but were not satisfied with it’s teachings, and were investigating the Methodist religion, when Charles happened to hear two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (or Mormon Church) preaching. He was very much interested and the very next day he took his wife, Sarah, to hear them. They were soon converted and were baptized by Parley P. Pratt. (Not sure of this fact) Anyway, they were staunch workers in the church and after several years of faithful labor in the church, Charles was made President of the Branch in Bradford, England.
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