I Saw Four Ships Come Sailing In . . .

Earlier Voyage of the John J. Boyd

from Liverpool to New York

(12 Dec 1855 - 15 Feb 1856)

At one time the captain said to Knud Petersen, "If I hadn't damned Mormons on board, I would have been in New York six weeks ago." Petersen said to him, "If you hadn't Mormons on board, you would have been in hell six weeks ago." (source)

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This post shows the documentary evidence for the passage of four families - on different ships, at different times - from the Scandinavia Mission to the United States, in their onward journey to the Great Salt Lake. These families were related before their travel, or became related within a few years after their arrival.

Ship information taken from: http://user.xmission.com/~nelsonb/ship_list.htm
Passenger list images from: http://www.ancestry.com/
An excellent searchable database: http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/find
Name index of Emigration from the LDS Scandinavian Mission 1854-1868

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1857, Ship #1: Westmoreland (999 tons)

"The crossing was one of harmony and good feeling among the emigrants. During the voyage an old man and two small children died. Five couples were married, and a baby was born..."

..........From Liverpool 25 Apr 1857 to Philadelphia 01 Jun 1857, with 544 Mormon passengers
....................including the family of John and Olena Lovendahl.

Olaf John Monsson Lovendahl (30) mechanic
Olena (Jonsson) Lovendahl (25) wife
Enoch Julius Heber Lovendahl (infant)

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1860, Ship #2: William Tapscott (1525 tons)

"In three voyages the square-rigger William Tapscott transported 2262 Mormon emigrants-the greatest number of any sailing craft."

..........From Liverpool 11 May 1860 to New York 15 Jun 1860, with 730 Mormon passengers
....................including the family of Sven and Signe Lovendahl.

Sven Mansson Lovendahl (26) mason
Jensine Signe (Lauritzen) Lovendahl (29) wife
Christian Richard Lovendahl (4)

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1862, Ship #3: Athena (1058 tons)

"Flying a German flag, the Yankee-built Athena on 21 April 1862 began one of the most unpleasant voyages in the annals of Mormon migration."

..........From Hamburg 21 Apr 1862 to New York 09 Jun 1862, with 484 Mormon passengers
....................including the family of Carl and Anne Meyer.

Carl Frederick Christian Meyer (42) labourer
Anne Jensine Casparine (Jacobsen) Meyer (45)
Jacob (14)
Sophie Elenora Carlsen (11)
Inger (10)
Bene Marie (7)
Carl Peter (4)
Marie Elisabeth (Morgensen) Meyer (67) mother of Carl Frederick Christian Meyer

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1863, Ship #4: John J. Boyd (1311 tons)

"Nearly two thousand Latter-day Saints were transported to America in three voyages by the full-bodied ship John J. Boyd of New York."

Excerpts from various travelers' journals:

"...a three mast sailing vessel, called the John J. Boyd."
"...a steamship called the John J. Boyd."
"...we boarded a three-mast sailing vessel named John J. Boyd. They would not take less than 1,000 passengers on a regular steamer, and our company only numbered 850."

..........FFrom Liverpool 30 Apr 1863 to New York 29 May 1863, with 767 Mormon passengers
....................including the family of Christian and Eleonore Braase.

Christian Heinrich Braase (22) laborer
Beata Eleonora (Jonsson) Jensen Braase (34)
Emelie Josephine Lovise Jensen (9)
Emma Berhardine Jensen (7)
Brighamine Eleonora Henriette Braase (1)

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