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James Henry Blackner and Jane Allen Blackner
by Kay E Blackner
My Great Grandfather, James Henry Blackner, and my Great Grandmother, Jane Allen Blackner, were born in (GF) Hullnall, Forkhead, England, and (GM) Marshbrough, York[shire], England. They were married [October 20], 1852. The date of their baptism into the Church is not known, but Grandfather’s Elder’s License was dated [February] 18,1858, and was signed by Elder John Hyde and Elder Peter Betts. Grandfather and Grandmother, with two little children, John Henry and Mary Jane, left their home and loved ones in England, March 15, 1860, to come to America. They left Liverpool England in a sailing vessel named Emilie. They were on the Atlantic Ocean 6 weeks. They had a rough voyage on the water. Grandfather was very sick on the voyage, so they were very glad to see the shore of New York. They arrived near New York, 1 May 1860. While the vessel was still anchored, Grandmother gave birth to a baby girl. They blessed the baby and gave her the name of Emilie on 2 May, 1860, in memory of the ship they came over on.
In the morning, the ship crew carried Grandmother and the new baby into a boat, along with the other passengers and they were all transferred into a steamer boat called the New World, on the Albany River. From this steamer, they were landed in New York. They were delayed in New York about six weeks on account of Grandmother’s illness because of the birth of the baby. They met the Saints in St. Louis, Missouri, and Grandfather bought his handcart and equipment ready for the journey. They had a very hard time crossing the plains. Two incidents, especially trying, were an epidemic of whooping cough that broke out among the little ones in the company, and unfortunately, baby Emilie contracted the disease. The baby was very ill, but the saints were unable to wait to care for the sick, so they traveled on. Grandmother carried the sick baby in her arms over unbroken trails and surrounded with Indians and wild animals, over rock, across rivers, over hills and valleys, with bleeding sore feet and very weary and worried, knowing the darling baby was dying. They camped that night at Council Bluffs. It was very early when they broke camp and the tent had to be taken down; they had to move on. Baby Emilie was in convulsions and died a short time later in Grandmother’s arms. The saints took the last piece of lumber they had and made a coffin for the baby. Grandmother put a little white gown on the baby and buried her in July 1860, near Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the prairie.
After their sorrowful, sad, experience, they wended their way toward the west and the Rocky Mountains, plodding on, walking hundreds of miles. These trials were telling deeply on the pioneers, the long hazardous march, the exposure to the elements, all kinds of danger, but they went steadily onward. The rations became low and every morning the Captain measured out the allotment for the day. There wasn’t discipline in the camps and through all their troubles, they still had many agreeable pleasures on the plains. Grand mother made a pair of little pants by hand for John Henry, so the herdsmen would take him on their ponies with them until evening. This was done day after day. The second incident I mentioned at the beginning was: As they were nearing Salt Lake City at Emigration Canyon, the wagon drivers would take the smaller children in the seat with them. It happened that little Mary Jane was in Bro. Slaugski’s wagon on the seat with him as they crossed the river. When the women and children arrived near the bank of the river, they could hear loud talking and a lot of excitement. They learned that one of the wagons had turned over in the water. When Grandmother learned this, she rushed among the crowd trying to make them understand that her little girl was under that load. Imagine the excitement with the men working feverishly getting the load off from her. When they got her from the water, it seemed she was dead. Bro. Karl G. Maeser, Chaplin of Company, took the little Mary Jane with some of the Elders among the trees and Bro. Maeser, with the Elders administered to Mary Jane and blessed, and promised her that she would live. Bro. Maeser scraped her chest to the bone and rewarded with a few drops of blood. Mary Jane lived and raised a family of 8 children and died when she was 48 years old. Brave Grandfather and Grandmother, undaunted, never faltering in their faith, courageously went onward to the goal of Brave Pioneers. 1, 2
Additional details: “James Henry worked as a Roller steel plate maker and carpenter. He worked on the largest transatlantic ship in existence at that time named the “Great Eastern”, which was launched in 1858. It remained the world’s largest ship for many years. This ship was used to lay the underground cable across the Atlantic Ocean to America. James Henry brought his wooden tools with him when he came to America.” 2
Hucknall Torkard, Nottinghamshire, England Early Streets
Sources: Photos from FamilySearch.org
- Article submitted by Kay E. Blackner to Sons of Utah Pioneers Historical Research Library
- Article by Bonnie Ames “James Henry Blackner, Shipbuilder and Carpenter” FamilySearch.org
Brother Joseph
