Thomas Tanner, Sr. Born: June 28, 1807; Newbury, Berkshire, England Married: Mary Cruse Died: July 28, 1878; Toole, Toole, Utah Immigration Date: September 17, 1853; Claudis Spencer Co.

Thomas Tanner, Sr.

I, Thomas Tanner, was born in the town of Newsbury, Berkshire, England, June 28, 1807. I am the son of Thomas Tanner and Jamina Munford. In the Spring of 1831, I married Mary Cruse, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Cruse. We were married in the old Newbury church. By my wife Mary Cruse we had nine children born alive--also one untimely birth caused by my wife's catching the small pox, also one miscarriage.

Thomas our first child was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England, Aug. 9, 1831. James Mumford Tanner was born in the village of Wyfield, Berkshire, the home of my wife's parents the 14th day of July 1833.

William was born in Newbury, Oct. 12th 1836. He died of consumption and was buried in the western of the southern graveyard of the Old Church burying ground Newbury, Berkshire, England, in the year 1845.

George was born in Newbury, Oct. 13th 1839. He died in Tooele and was buried in the Tooele Cemetery. He died on the 14th of April 1872, leaving his widow, Martha Graner, and four children, George, Thomas, John and Elizabeth.

Ebenezer was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England, March 6th 1842.

Joseph was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England, July 7th 1844.

Alma was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England, May 7th 1847.

Mary the intended name of the girl was born in the village of Wooburn Green, Buckenamshire, England. She died on the day of her birth, 1849, and was buried in the Wooburn Church burying ground.

Me and my wife, Mary, were both baptized members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Elder Carter of Hampstead, in the Spring of 1843. I was ordained to the office of Elder by Elder Wm. Major Oct. 22nd 1843. We removed our family from the town of Newbury to Wooburn Green in 1847. I baptized several persons which were organized the Wooburn Green Branch of the London Conference consisting of eleven members. I was ordained the President of said branch by Elder Thomas Margetts, then President of the London Conference and Elder Thomas Squires, the President of the Newbury Branch.

Mr. Thomas Howard, his wife and family being members of the Wooburn Branch and about to emigrate to Council Bluffs, the winter quarters and the gathering place of the Saints driven from Nauvoo, preparatory to their journey to the Salt Lake Valley. He, Thomas Howard, proposed to take our family with him and he would bear all of expenses and we all should be as one family, all of us should share alike. We sailed from Liverpool on board the ship "Olympus", in charge of Captain Wilson, bound for New Orleans, America, on the fourth of March, 1851. Mr. Howard had made a calculation of what our expenses would be and stated to me that he was sufficiently prepared to bear them but as soon as the vessel had set sail he signified that he had done all he could for us and we were not to expect anything more from him. We arrived in New Orleans in the month of April 1851, after about six weeks voyage.

Win. Howell, Thomas Smith, Thomas Bradshaw and Win. Henshaw, these were the Presidential Committee of Saints. We came by steamer to St. Louis about the 9th of May 1851. My wife, Mary, gave birth to her last son in St. Louis, Sept. 24th who died on the 30th of the same month. My wife, Mary Cruse, died in St. Louis the following month Oct. 11th 1851. They were both buried in the St. Louis Cemetery, America.

I was married in St. Louis by Elder Gibson to Ann Newman, the daughter of Allen and Sarah Newman whose maiden name was Sarah Cooper of South Witham, Linconshire, England, Oct. 10th 1852. We with the first family all left St. Louis for Utah, crossing the Missouri River on the __th of July, arriving in Salt Lake Valley. We camped about four miles from Salt Lake City.

My wife, Ann Newman, gave birth to her first son Valison, Sept. 17th 1853. We crossed the plains in an ox team purchased in St. Louis by Bro. Thomas Carter and acquaintance from Newbury Branch expressly for our journey to Salt Lake City. We brought with us from St. Louis in the team purchased for us my wife's brother Win. Newman's widow Sister Newman, her two sons, William and Stephen, her daughter, Sarah Ann, Lucy Frances, a sister who emigrated from England with the family and remained in the family until her death in Salt Lake City. Our wagon was pretty well filled, with heavy laden and caused us much annoyance and ill convenience. It was a very trying lesson and experience to our family, but kind providence brought us through as is the saying "it was by the skin of the teeth". We came in company with Henry George, David Wigins, Thomas Atwicks, Sister Westall. They were all from the Newbury Branch. Sister Westall, a widow, remained in Council Bluffs with her daughter, a wife of George Canning, a tailor by trade from the town of Newbury. They were living in Council Bluffs with her daughter. We traveled across the plains in "Claudias Spencer's" train of about forty wagons. We left Salt Lake City to come to Tooele City, Nov. 5th 1853. Since that time we have continued in Tooele to date 1878.

Maroni was born in April 21st 1856.

Jemina Munford was born in Nov. 19th 1859.

Allen Newman was born in March 27th 1862.

With my wife, Ann, we received our endowments in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1860. Both my wife's, Mary Cruse and Ann Newman, were sealed to me by President Brigham Young. I was ordained a High Priest by President Galasher, March 22nd 1864. My father and mother died in the town of Newbury, Berkshire, England and were both buried in the Western part of the south graveyard of Newbury Old Church burying ground. My father was born in the year 1771 and was 43 years of age. My mother was born in the year 1772 and lived till she was 70 years old. They had 13 children, eight of them died in childhood. I expect they are all registered in the Old Newbury Church records.

Frances the oldest child was born in the year 1795 in the month of Sept.

Sarah was born in or about 1800. She died in London about the year 1827.

James was born in July 1809. He was drown off the coast of China. The ship was homeward bound for London, the vessel sank in the night, and all aboard perished, about the year 1828.

Hannah was born in May 1811. She with her husband and family of eleven children were all living in London, England in the year 1860. 1 have not heard from them or my sister Francis since that time. If I ever have the opportunity I purpose to be baptized especially for my father and mother, for my son William, for my sister Sarah and for my brother James. If I cannot myself, I hope some of my children will, and also seal my mother to her husband, my father, Thomas Tanner. I knew and have seen my father's brothers, William and George, and also his sisters, Francis and Hannah. William, Francis and Hannah were living in Hampstead some few miles distant form London on the Tetenaham Court Road. In company with mother, we paid them a visit in 1823. William had two daughters of the oldest was named Susanah, the youngest named Anna or Nancy. He said a little previous to our visit lost his only son, William, who died in a decline. I don't know if Hannah ever had family. Frances Nash was a widow, she was living with her only son who was married and carrying on his father's trade, plumber, glarierand, painter. George had a little homestead in West Woodhay in Hampshire joining the County of Berkshire about four or five miles from town of Newbury. He had two wives, his first wife had several children, none of them lived to grow up. After her death, he married his second wife. She had one son named Thomas, he also died in childhood. My father had a sister by marriage her name was Smith. She had several in family all of whose given names commenced with the letter J, all I can remember of them was John, James, and Johannah. They lived in Newton or Berclere Hampshire which I think was the home of my grandfather Thomas and the birth of my Father. My Mother, Jemina Munford was born in the village or small town of Thatcham, three miles from the town of Newbury on the London Road, in the county of Berkshire. Some of my Mother's brothers families live in the neighborhood or vicinity of Salthill, near Maidenhead and Windsor in the county of Berkshire. The genealogies of all whom I have written might be traced through the church records. In all the parish church records in the vicinity of the birth place or the dwelling places where they have resided previous to within about the last thirty years the parish churches were the only places where in all births, marriages, and deaths are strictly recorded. Since or about that time the English law makes is imperative for every district in all the countries to provide a public register where in all births, marriages and deaths are strictly registered and under penalties for neglect to do so. It would require a fee of from one shilling or up to half a crown to get the church clerk or sexton to search the records. They dare not refuse to do so--but I think they can demand a fee.

As a preface or introduction to the following writing I would say that I expressly write what I understand to be the truth for my own special gratification. I do not write purposely to be antagonistic to anyone for I do not wish any of my writings to come under the observation of any outside of my family--not because I am ashamed of what I write--for what I understand to be truth--I write the same regardless of the opinion, ideas or judgements of any person to my family or to anyone else whom might chance to read what I write, I do not wish you to accept as truth what I write because I am your father, only as you can clearly comprehend the same to be true.

Written by Thomas Tanner, Sr., Tooele City, 1878.

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