GEORGE SOUTHAM
George Southam and Catherine Cameron
George W. Southam was born 29 October 1830 in the hamlet of Neithrop, Banbury Parish, Oxfordshire, England to Justinian Southam and Lucy Hunt. George was named for his paternal grandfather. He was the only child of his parents, as his mother died when he was only one year old. Justinian married again when George was three years old, to Esther Bourton in Cropredy. Half-brothers and sisters were born, starting in 1834: Eliza, Hannah (who died as a baby), Mary Ann, Joanna (who died as a baby), Josiah, Edwin, and William. The family moved from Cropredy to Adderbury in 1838, then to Brailes the next year.
In
the census of 1841, the ten year-old George is found living in
Bourton
with Ann Hunt, his maternal grandmother. The census for
Bourton shows
Ann
Hunt (age 55, born in this county), Henry Hunt (age 15, plush
weaver),
and George Southam (age 10).
1841 census for Bourton, Oxfordshire
The 1851 census for Great and Little Bourton shows Henry Hunt (age 26, plush weaver), his wife Elizabeth (age 23), daughters Lucy (age 4), Ellen (age 2), son Hiram (age 3 months), and their lodger, George Southam (age 20, plush weaver).
The
family lives at 30 Hobleys Lane, Neithrop, Oxfordshire. The
area is
described,
"The greater part of the western side of Hobley's Lane
comprised a
terrace
of 11 single storey ironstone cottages with garretts set into
high
pitched
thatched roofs. The windows were protected by shutters
openting down
wards."
(Cake and Cockhorse, Winter 1966) Henry Hunt is
also
mentioned
in the magazine article about an 1850 survey for the Anglican
church in
Neithrop: “No 648 housed Henry Hunt, a Baptist plush weaver,
his wife,
their three children, and a plush weaver lodger.” [1] The
neighbors
were
weavers, sawyers and farm laborers. The town of Neithrop, near
Banbury,
had 45 plush weavers.
Homes on Hobley's Lane in Neithrop, where George lived
with
his uncle Henry Hunt's family in the early 1850s.
(Cake and Cockhorse, Winter 1966)
George worked as a plush weaver in Banbury, and had charge of three looms. He heard the message of the Latter-day Saint missionaries, and was baptized in September of 1850 in the Coventry Branch, by Charles Anton and David Walker. George's stepbrothers, Josiah and William were also baptized, and emigrated to Utah.
George
was supposed to have married Jane Carter 29 November 1854 in
Banbury,
however,
the ship’s passenger list for the Clara Wheeler shows:
George Southam, age: 23, origin: Branbury, occupation: plush weaver
Note:
BMR, p. 179, Customer #68
Jane Carter, age: 17, origin: Banbury
Note:
BMR, p. 179, Customs #68
Their
journey is described this way: “The Clara Wheeler, with 421
Saints on
board,
including infants, cleared for New Orleans on the 24th
ultimo.
Elder Henry E. Phelps took the presidency of the company, with
Elders
John
Parson and James Crossly as his counselors. We commend these
brethren
and
their company to the watchful care and protection of our
Heavenly
Father,
and trust that his blessings will constantly attend them in
their
journey
to the land and cities of Zion.” (Millennial Star, Dec. 9,
1854).
“The
Clara Wheeler put into the Mersey on the 30th
November,
having
been driven back by stress of weather. We understand that she
received
no material damage and the Saints on board were generally
well, with
the
exception of seasickness. After receiving further supplies of
water and
provisions, she again put to sea on the 7th instant
with a
favorable
wind.” (Millennial Star, Dec. 23, 1854)
“Seventy-eighth
Company – 422 souls. The ship Clara Wheeler, with four hundred
and
twenty-two
Saints on board cleared the port at Liverpool November 24,
1854, bound
for New Orleans. Elder Henry E. Phelps was appointed president
of the
company,
with Elders John Parson and James Crossly as counselors. After
a rough
experience in the Irish Channel, being unable to proceed
against the
incessant
head winds and rough weather, the Clara Wheeler was obliged to
return
to
port on the thirtieth of November. During this extraordinary
experience
the Saints suffered considerable with seasickness. After
receiving
further
supplies of water and provisions, the ship again put to sea on
the
seventh
of December with a favorable wind, and on the tenth she
cleared the
Irish
Channel after which she had a very quick trip to New Orleans,
where she
arrived on the eleventh of January, 1855. Soon after leaving
Liverpool
the measles broke out in the company, resulting in the death
of twenty
children and two grown persons. One child also died after the
arrival
at
New Orleans which made twenty-three deaths in all. On the
twelfth of
January,
James McGaw, the church emigration agent at New Orleans,
contracted
with
the captain of the steamboat Ocena, to take the passengers to
St. Louis
at the rate of three dollars and a half for each adult, and
half of
that
for children between three and twelve years old; and
twenty-four hours
after their arrival in New Orleans, the emigrants were on
their way up
the river. Nearly one half of the company had not the means
wherewith
to
pay their passage to St. Louis; but the more well-to-do Saints
who had
more money that they needed themselves, were influenced to
lend to
those
who had none, and thus all who desired to continue the journey
were
enabled
to do so. At St. Louis where the company arrived in safety,
the
emigrants
were met by Apostle Erastus Snow and others, who gave the new
arrivals
a hearty welcome, and conducted them to comfortable quarters,
which had
been secured for their accommodation. This company, although
leaving
England
in the latter part of 1854, really belonged to the emigration
of 1855,
in connection with which the Saints who crossed the Atlantic
in the
Clara
Wheeler continued the journey to the Valley.” (Millennial
Star, Vol
XVI, pp. 778, 815; Vol XVII, pp. 10, 142, 184)
A
family history of George Southam tells the story this way:
“They left
England
the 4th of December 1854 and were on the ocean sixteen weeks.
The only
ships those days were sailing vessels. The sailing vessel met
a storm
after
leaving Liverpool in the Irish Channel until the Presiding
Elder of the
British Mission told them to fast and pray, which they did and
from
then
on they had no trouble. They were from December until the 22nd
of
February
getting from Liverpool to New Orleans.”After resting a few
days they
continued
up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri.
George
found work in St. Louis: “The first employment George Southam
had was
helping
put up ice and he and his wife lived in a rooming house where
his wife
sewed for people who lived there and helped with the living
expenses.
He
did various other jobs while living in St. Louis.” They had
one son,
Finas
Henry, born 28 January 1856 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was
named for a
former sweetheart of Jane’s. Finas Henry died 21 October 1856.
Their
time in St. Louis had its challenges: “George Southam had
typhoid fever
while they were in St. Louis. They lived on the upper story of
the
house.
His wife Jane had to give up her sewing to care for him. Their
finances
were very low and one night they were wondering where they
were going
to
get food for the next day—on arising the next morning they
found a loaf
of bread on the table. Before he was well, one Sunday morning
a knock
was
heard on the door, on answering it they met a man with a
basket of
food.
He said that the woman he worked for and who was also the
woman that
Jane
had sewed for had sent him with the food and that she hoped
that they
would
not be offended. They knew that the Lord had blessed them and
answered
their prayers.”
George
and Jane worked and saved to find a way to travel to Utah:
“They left
St.
Louis in the spring of 1861 and took passage on a boat from
St. Louis
to
Nebraska. This they did on the advice of the authorities of
the Church.
Owing to the rush of so many families emigrating to Utah that
same year
they were told that they must wait their turn. Their turn came
in the
spring.
However, while they were waiting for their turn to come
around, George
went to the river to fish, fishing and hunting being a hobby
of his. As
he sat on the river bank he chanced to hear the remarks of
other
fishermen
who were near. They were talking about a Company who were
outfitting to
go to California. The next morning he walked six miles to this
Company.
He inquired if it would be possible to go along with them.
This
particular
Company had horses instead of oxen, they also had some mules.
The
Company
consisted of all men. When he arrived they were preparing
their wagons.
They asked him many questions as to what he could do. He
assured them
that
when working for anyone he tried to do as he was told. He
informed them
that he had a wife and she wanted to go too. They said that
this might
make a difference. He promised them that she would not be a
burden to
them.
He also told them that she could sew and mend their clothes.
They
walked
a little way off and talked it over and when they returned
they said
that
if they still wanted to go to be ready by morning and they
would call
for
them. They came with two wheels of a wagon on which they put
their
belongings
and started on their way to Zion. Grandfather Southam often
told how he
herded horses and mules nineteen nights in a row with only
what rest he
could get as they were moving along in the daytime. They were
well
equipped
for a journey of that kind so did not endure the hardships
that some of
the Saints encountered. They were ahead of the Saints so had
good feed
for their animals. When they reached Utah he was offered $60 a
month
and
board for he and his wife if they would go on to California
with them.
They reminded him of the advantages that a little money might
give him
and $60 was more than he had been used to, so he was
undecided. He went
to Bishop Layton for advice. The Bishop asked, "How long have
you been
coming this far, Brother Southam?" "Seven years," George
replied.
"Well,
you should know the answer," said the Bishop, and so George
Southam
stayed
in Utah and the Company moved on to California.”
George Southam and his first wife, Jane
Jane
was unable to have any more children, so suggested that George
take a
plural
wife. George married Catherine Cameron 28 November 1862 in the
Endowment
House in Salt Lake City, Utah. The family moved to Morgan,
Utah. While in Morgan four children were born to George and
Catherine:
Mary Jane, George Henry, Eliza, and Alice. George Henry
remembered:
"During
my early childhood my father used to go with his oxen up into
Hardscrabble
Canyon and bring down railroad ties. He used to take me with
him. The
canyon
was steep and rough so I used to hang onto the tail of the
oxen going
up
the canyon."
George helped other pioneers to come to Utah: “While still living in Morgan he was called to go back in 1868 as a teamster in an ox train that was going to Sweetwater to get immigrants, the last immigration before the railroad was completed to Ogden. The children got word that the last company of immigrants were coming and all gathered together to watch for them. The first thing the children saw was an American flag that George Southam had bought somewhere, it was hoisted above the wagon so it was the first thing they could see as they came in sight. He drove an ox team and was the oldest of the teamsters and was recognized as being reliable. He did not stay with the train until it reached Salt Lake but stopped off at his home and reported to Salt Lake City later.” (George Henry Southam)
1870 census, Morgan, Utah
George
moved both of his wives and the four children to North Evanston,
Wyoming. Here he bought a home and they all lived together.
His
descendants
remember: “George Southam never paid rent and always advised
his
children
to own their home.” His son, George Henry remembered, "Father
bought a
house in what is now North Evanston and moved both of his
wives and
children
into it. He secured employment in the railroad shops as engine
tender.
He bought stock, mostly milk cows, with the thought in mind of
securing
a ranch as soon as possible and the responsibility of taking
care of
them
was turned over to me as my father was working ten hours a
day. He
worked
for $1.76 per 10-hour day and jobs were scarce." He
worked for
the
Union Pacific railroad in Evanston for several years. Jane
Carter
Southam
separated from George while they lived in Evanston: "Aunt Jane
Carter
Southam,
Grandpa Southam’s first wife, married Daniel Williams after
she
separated
from grandfather. She left him while they were living in
Evanston and
came
back to Morgan to live. She later married Mr. Williams and
raised his
family
of motherless children." (Alice Southam Cook, in the
Life of
George
Henry Southam)
George
hoped to raise his children in a Latter-day Saint community.
His
grandson,
John H. Haslem remembers: “In the fall of 1885, George Southam
asked
his
son, George Henry (Harry) to go out to Ashley Valley to look
for a new
home, as he wished to raise his family in a Mormon community,
where his
children might select companions of Latter Day Saint members.
Evanston
had many good people, but not many Latter Day Saints, and the
railroad
brought many who were not so good.”Catherine’s father, John
Cameron,
had
settled in Randolph, Utah. George
bought
property
there, but was never able to move his family there. "Father
found that
he could not support his family with the work he could obtain
at
Randolph
so he sold his property there and moved to Wasatch, Utah. In
those days
people lived in town because of the Indians. The church
authorities
advised
this because of greater protection; also, in church the women
usually
sat
on the left side of the building and the men on the right so
the men
could
get out fast if necessary. We bought a house on railroad
property, also
some corrals and other conveniences to take care of our cows
as we had
brought part of them with us. Here it was my responsibility to
care for
the stock. Father worked on the railroad." (George Henry
Southam)
George
was a devoted father, and a faithful Latter-day Saint. His
son, George
Henry, recalls an incident of faith: “It was while we were
working on a
ditch one day that a messenger came and told us we were to
come to a
meeting.
It was the custom at that time that if important news or
special
instructions
were about to be given, that several boys were sent to the
different
homes
to inform the settlers of a meeting then we assembled at a
public
meeting
place and instructions were given. When we assembled this time
a Mr.
West
spoke to us and said that a call had come for assistance in
the
building
of the St. George Temple. Different ones got up in the meeting
and
volunteered
different things toward it and my father George Southam
offered $15 in
stock. I knew what my father owned and just the load he was
carrying
and
I thought to myself, "Old Boy, where are you going to get it?"
As we
went
back to work I asked him where it was coming from. He looked
down at me
for a moment and then said, "You wait and see." A short while
afterward
my father and I were on our way to work on the same ditch when
a man
called
my father and said there is a steer at the tithing yard that
had been
gathered
in the roundup and it belonged to father. It turned out to be
one that
had not showed up in the roundup the year before and he could
get no
trace
of it and had considered it lost. After talking to the man we
walked on
to work and my father looked down at me again and said,
"Harry, you
remember
the steer I promised for the St. George Temple?" I replied,
"Yes", and
he said, "That's it." That was a lesson in faith that I never
forgot.”
George
was able to buy a ranch in Bear
River:
“While
working for the Union Pacific Railroad George Southam saved
enough to
buy
enough livestock and a ranch in Bear River, a small place
eight miles
south
and a little east of Evanston, Wyoming. He disposed of his
place at
Randolph,
Utah. He acquired the property, 160 acres under the Timber
Act. The
requirements
of the act were that ten acres must be planted to timber
before the
title
could be perfected from the government…Soon George Southam
bought a
home
in town and the family lived in town and he went back and
forth from
the
home in town to the ranch. He did this so that the children
could be
together
and go to school.” His son, George Henry tells of some
excitement: "At
the ranch we lived in a house that had two rooms and a
lean-to. In one
of the rooms was a fireplace. My father, my sister Mamie, my
little
brother
and I were staying at the ranch and the rest of the family
were in
Evanston
at the home we kept there so the children could go to school.
Father
had
been reading to us by the light of the fire in the fireplace.
He went
to
bed and some time during the night my father tried to awaken
me as the
house was on fire. I was at the age that most young people are
heavy
sleepers
and the smoke was so dense that he ran to the other room and
roused
Mamie
and Will and ran out. I suddenly awoke with a start and
grabbed my
pants
and shirt and climbed out through the window. The house was
completely
burned along with a new harness that we had been oiling. The
train
track
was near our house and a train came by and the crewmen saw the
fire and
stopped the train. They took Mamie and Will on into Evanston.
About
daylight
my father had me get on a horse and ride into Evanston. There
were five
or six inches of snow on the ground and it was about an eight
mile ride
and I had no coat or shoes. We got some lumber and soon had
another
building
up to live in."
The Southam family appears in the 1880 Federal Census for Wyoming:
Name
Relation
Married Age Sex
Occupation
Own/rent home
Birthplace
Father's
Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
George W. Southam
Head
Mar
48
M
Farmer
owner/tenant
England
England
England
Katie
Southam
Wife
Mar
32
F Keeping
house
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Mary J.
Southam
Child
Unm
16 F At
home
Utah
England
Scotland
George H.
Southam
Child
Unm
14 M At
home
Utah
England
Scotland
Alice
Southam
Child
Unm
8
F At
home
Utah
England
Scotland
William
Southam
Child
Unm
3
M
Wyoming
England
Scotland
Emma
Southam
Child
Unm
1
F
Wyoming
England
Scotland
(1880 Federal Census,
Uinta,
WY
Enum. Dist. 2 Reel 1454 Page 334)
On
Christmas Eve 1885 George went to the ranch to take care of
the cattle.
In the evening he prepared to return to town, as the family
was going
to
a Christmas party at the church. As he crossed the ice with
his team
and
wagon, the ice broke. George, with his team and wagon, were
dragged
under
the ice and drowned. Friends searched for his body, but were
unable to
find it for several days: “His body went under the ice, and
wasn't
found
for five days while his family suffered, and friends searched
in vain
to
locate his body. All had given up hope of finding him, when
the mother
of George Southam appeared to his daughter Alice (thirteen
years old),
in a dream. She told Alice her name was Lucy Hunt, and she was
George
Southam's
mother, and she needed her son to help her. She also told
Alice where
to
cut the ice, some mile or so from where he had drowned to find
him.
Alice
said she had seen the willow branch that he was lodged in, in
her dream
just as plain as when they saw it, and found her father. Alice
woke her
mother in the night after her dream, and said, "We will find
Papa
tomorrow."
James Williams said he would try just this one more place, and
then
they
would give up the search, as it was so cold on Bear River,
cutting ice.
This time Alice showed them the right place to cut, and they
were
successful.
About a week before George Southam was drowned, he had a dream
that he
was going on a mission. He told his wife that he was either
going on a
foreign mission or would be called to the other side of the
veil, and
if
he did die to be sure he was buried in a Mormon Cemetery, and
in his
temple
clothes.” George was buried in Randolph,
Rich,
Utah.
The
Deseret News for January 4, 1886 read:
“Mr.
George Southam, who for many years has been a resident of
Uinta County,
Wyoming, met with a fatal accident near his residence on
Bear River,
last
Christmas day. He went to Evanston in the morning to
transact some
business
and visit his family. His wife wished him to remain to eat
dinner, but
owing to having stock shut up at home that needed feeding,
he decided
to
return to the ranch, eight miles distant, feed the animals
liberally,
and
then return to his wife and children, after which he
intended to attend
the Christmas tree at the “Mormon” meeting house and then go
to the
ranch
next morning. As he left, he told his wife that, if nothing
happened,
he
would be back by 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The stated time
came, the
family waited for an hour or so, and then, coming to the
conclusion
that
matters of importance had detained him, they gave up seeing
him for the
day. Evening came on and the family were busily engaged in
preparing to
attend the Christmas tree, when one of the daughters, a
young woman,
sang
out to her mother that she heard her father drive up to the
stable and
shout “whoa!” to his team. Supper was made ready, and as it
was getting
late, the family left for church, leaving as they supposed,
Mr. Southam
to partake of a warm meal and then follow them. In the midst
of the
evening’s
enjoyment they were surprised to hear that Mr. Southam’s
team had been
seen struggling in the river during the afternoon by passing
railroad
men.
Parties immediately started to the rescue, and it was found
that the
team
had broken through the ice over about eighteen inches of
water, and,
being
unable to extricate themselves, had perished. Diligent
search was made
at the ranch and on the river bank, but no trace of Mr.
Southam was
found.
It was at this juncture supposed he had gone under the ice,
and a
number
of citizens proceeded to cut the ice from a shallow riffle
below where
it was known that the body could not pass, and after three
days’ hard
work
they found the corpse a short distance below where he went
under the
ice.
The remains were taken to Evanston, an inquest held and
verdict
rendered
in accordance with the facts. It was found upon examination
that his
neck
was broken. There were also some slight abrasions about the
face. As to
just how the fatal accident occurred, is all conjecture, but
it is
supposed
that the front wheels broke through the ice with such
suddenness as to
throw Southam form the wagon, striking upon his head with
such force as
to break his neck, after which the horses, in their
floundering,
probably
forced him underthe ice. The funeral services over the
remains of the
deceased,
who was a “Mormon,” was held in the meeting house at
Evanston on
Wednesday
evening last, and the body was sent to Randolph, Utah, for
interment in
the cemetery, there where several of his children are
buried. Brother
Southam
was fifty-six years of age, and leaves a wife and a large
family of
children
to mourn his loss. The bereaved family have the sympathy of
a large
circle
of friends.”
Another biography of George Southam:
FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
GEORGE SOUTHAM
AND CATHERINE CAMERON
GEORGE
W. SOUTHAM was born 29 October 1830 in Neithrop, Banbury
Parish, Oxfordshire, England to Justinian
Southam and Lucy
Hunt.
His mother died when he was only one year old. In the census
of 1841,
the
ten year-old George is found living in Bourton
with the Hunts, his mother's family who were weavers. George
worked as
a plush weaver in
Banbury. He
married
Jane Carter 29 November 1854. They had one son, Finas Henry,
born 28
January
1856 in St. Louis, Missouri. Finas Henry died 21 October 1856.
George
married
Catherine Cameron 28 November 1862 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Catherine
was
born 21 April 1847 in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland to John
Alexander
Cameron
and Margaret Fairgrieve. George died 24 December 1885 in Evanston,
Wyoming, and was buried in Randolph,
Rich,
Utah. Catherine died 17 August 1929 in
Vernal,
Uintah, Utah. George and Catherine had the following children:
1.
Mary
Jane, born 17 April 1865 in Round Valley, Morgan, Utah;
marred
Warren
Leslie Allen; died 14 May 1913.
2.
George
Henry, born 5 May 1866 in Morgan, Morgan, Utah;
married
Elizabeth
Jane Hacking; died 30 January 1959.
3.Eliza
Ann, born 2 June 1868 in Evanston, Wyoming; died
28 December
1877.
4.
Alice
Ellen, born 13 April 1870 in Morgan, Utah; married
Joshua
Haslam
27 July 1887; died 6 March 1952.
5.
Ruth,
born
3 February 1873 in Evanston; died 24 February 1873.
6.James,
born
18 August 1875 in Evanston; died 22 June 1876.
7.
William,
born 5 July 1877 in Evanston; married Mariah Pope 24 December
1901;
died
20 July 1955.
8.
Emma,
born 15 May 1879 in Evanston; married Charles Holmes 21 May
1898.
9.
Margaret,
born 30 January 1882 in Morgan; married Don C. Pope 8 August
1900; died
8 Feb 1905.
10.John,
born
13 April 1885 in Evanston; died as a child.
SOURCES: IGI; Endowment House records.