After Henry Rampton and his wife Caroline joined the Church, it was their desire to join the saints in Utah. That would have been a hard decision to make since they would be leaving family behind, not knowing if they would ever see them again. For Caroline, that proved to be true. But Henry was more fortunate, partly due to his faithfulness in the gospel and accepting a missionary call to England in his later life. As we read in his autobiography, Henry faced many stumbling blocks in his preparation to immigrate. I believe his initial plan was to sell his blacksmith tools to finance his journey. But, when his father found out, he took the proceeds, claiming the tools belonged to him. Henry, however, did not give up and continued to make contingency plans. This is where we pick up in his autobiography:
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My object for leaving was to go and mingle with the people of God in the valleys of the mountains. After leaving Botley, I came to Inverton with the remaining part of my goods that I had not sold and put part at my wife’s sister’s for a time until I could dispose of them. Reached here on Wednesday the 23rd of November, 1853. After staying one night in Winchester to see to my goods until a cart came to fetch them, I had a mission to Fair Oak on Sunday last being the 20th of November. But on account of the wet weather, and the depressed spirit I was in on account of my father taking the money, I did not go and so I left Botley the following Tuesday at 7 o’clock. I sent my goods by the luggage train and I went myself and wife and dog by the 7 o’clock train on the 22 November 1853. Reached destination about half past seven.
Nothing transpired. Time rolled on up to the 7th of January except a few chats with the opposers of Mormonism. All trying to choke the seeds of life which had been planted in our bosoms, but I can say that love for the cause of God still exists in our bosom and may the Lord enable us by the aid of His Holy spirit to continue faithful unto the end of our calling which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
I hope we shall gather out this season into our home which is in the mountains of Ephraim where my heart and soul is yearning to be and my prayer is and shall be, “O Lord, enable us to gather with the people where we can live to thee and learn thy laws and live by them all the day long and be a blessing to others and ourselves and thy name, O Lord, shall have the honor and glory forever. Amen.”
Nothing more occurred of importance worth recording, but time rolled on for the gathering season and I had not much prospect of being able to gather with them, but I was resolved to do my best. The church offered me the privilege of 13 pounds from the emigration company, which I was obliged to decline as I had not sufficient to pay for the emigration of my dear wife, as all I was able to muster up was not past seven or eight pounds, so Brother Willie counseled me to make a start and that my father would come out and give me something – that I should be able to gather this season. Things rolled on until the time quite arrived and my brother provided himself with a man, and I left Old Alresford. I visited it two or three times after, but there seemed no chance for me ever getting anything. I visited Alton likewise the Sabbath before I left Northington and paid them a farewell visit, Elizabeth being at Old Alresford at the time, and father went to London to settle something concerning Sarah Book’s account.
After leaving Alton, I walked to Salton and big them farewell and had a chat with them and a Mr. Bay concerning, as he termed it, the impropriety of my journey to Valley of the mountains, but a little chat with him showed him that all was not darkness and superstition, but that in reality it was scriptural. After leaving, I went to Old Alresford and found part of the family at my brother’s together with a few acquaintances. I slept at father’s that night, but father not at home being in London. The next day I bid farewell to the rest of my family, the 25th day of February, 1854. I did not see my father after I left him at Alton on his way to London. Now I had another part of my family, or my wife’s family, to part with. After leaving Old Alresford, me and my wife accompanied by my wife’s sister, who had come from London to see us before our departure, we all three started for Northington. That evening Mary, my wife’s sister came to see us. Now our time was taken up in packing up our luggage so that I had no more time to spare in going to and fro from place to place. On the Tuesday evening, I went to Preston Candover to see Mr. and Mrs. Whitear respecting taking Eli’s Box and Ca to Liverpool, as he had previously started and was inclined to emigrate. But they had sent his things before I came back and engaged with Thomas Farmer of Brown Candover to take hour boxes to Basingstoke Station. The next day returned to Northington and finished packing. Went to bed. Next morning arose and the cart came for our things. We bid farewell to the remainder of Earthly Parents. May God bless them and enlighten their minds
that they may see the great plan of Salvation in these last days.
We went to Basingstoke, took the train to Reading and stayed during the night. Next day started for Liverpool. Reached Liverpool in the evening. Nothing transpired during the journey of the day with the exception of missing the train at Didcot station. I was in the third carriage and ought to have been in the first or second as the 2 first carriages of that train and time in morning goes to Birmingham and the remainder of the train took another direction for Plymouth, and I did not discover the mistake until after the two carriages were gone and my luggage with it. Our feelings were rather hurt but we trusted in a merciful God for His protection, both of my luggage and our persons. We solicited the Superintendent to forward us by the express which he did and we found our luggage at Birmingham quite safe, and we pursued the remainder of our journey in perfect safety. About have past seven in the evening, went to 63 Great Cross Hall Street. Eli Whitear was one to the Lime Street station and we came to the Burkenhead station, but he soon found out we was in Liverpool by a young man lodging at Mrs. Powell’s and he was soon with us.
Now I must say my father had not given me anything to assist me on my journey and I did not know how to act. I wrote to father from Reading to ask him the reason that I was so treated as to be allowed to go away forever, apparently, from them and he not to give me anything to help me perform my journey. I requested him to wire to me and direct it to Liverpool. Accordingly, I received a letter from him with an order in it to the amount of two pounds. I wrote to him again, as I then had not enough to ensure my passage to New Orleans in the ship ‘John M. Wood’. By the return of the post, I received a letter from Bill, my brother, to say that I did not care who sunk so that I swam, and a deal more not worthy of mentioning here. By a denial of my request, I was put greatly about. I did not know what to do. I asked a Frenchman, a Brother Baliff, but I suppose he did not like to do it for me. I offered my watch and a clock that I had not sold, but it was not enough. I offered it as a security for the money, but he did not do it. At the last moment, as it were, the Lord provided a friend for me in Eli Whitear who lent me three pounds, so that I was able to pay my passage to New Orleans. I pawned my watch for ten shillings in Liverpool and sold my clock to Mrs. Powell at 63 Great Cross Hall Street for 11 shillings, so that I was able to get a few things as necessaries in tin wares and so on. I wrote him again to father and asked him to send me a little more money and I received another letter from him with another two pound order in it. I took out my watch again, and Eli wanted it, so I let him have it for one pound, to help pay off what I had borrowed. I let him have a coat and leggings, a pull over and a blanket. I owed him two pounds now, but I will endeavor by God’s blessings to pay him as early as possible. Now I had one pound 10 shillings after all, as I had spent the rest in buying one thing and the other as necessaries. I wrote back and thanked my father for what he had sent me.
Now we stayed a week at Mrs. Powell’s, waiting for the ship. After that time, we went in the ship ‘John W. Wood’, and our rations. Then we stayed 10 days before we left the docks. At last the time arrived for our departure which was on Sunday, the 12th day of March, 1854. It was a very fine day. All things went well through the day except my wife, she began to be seasick. It was beautiful and fine when we went to bed, about 10 o’clock. In the morning the wind blew up a hurricane which lasted all the day on Monday and Monday night and we made little or no progress, sailing backward and forward on the Welsh Coast, under the shelter of the Welsh hill. Sometimes in the St. George’s Channel and then contrary winds would blow us back again so that we made but little progress until the following Saturday, when we cleared the Irish Coast and got in the Western Ocean.
We nearly all suffered from seasickness. I, myself, was sick for a week continually since that time up to the 25th day of March in the morning. Now, I thank God, my Heavenly Father, for His blessings unto us, His children; and may He ever let His Spirit be with us to direct us aright. By the blessings of God, our Father, our journey has been prosperous up to this time. No contrary wind since the above date, not worthy of mentioning. Our health has been tolerable good, each of us. My time, since seasickness have been over, have been spent in repairing the tins of the Saints that was out of repair principally, so this have been the case touching the order of the ship. There is the First presidency consisting of the President, Elder Cambell and his two Counselors, Elder Woodard and Elder McDonald. Then the ship or the Saints are divided into eight branches, and there is a president in each branch, and each branch meets separately in meetings and prayers, without it has been in one case when all the brethren met in one meeting to celebrate the birth of the Church, or the Kingdom of God upon the earth, which is 24 years old on the 6th of April.
Nothing worth recording transpired up to the 8th day of April, 1854. Now by the blessings of thee, our God and our Father, I hope to go on in this, thy work, and do thy will and live humble before thee and by the power of thy Holy Spirit to be enabled to get rid of every kind of feeling that is not favorable to thy cause, that I may not stumble nor fall, but hold forth to the end in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Now again this 26th day of April, I will resume my writing and mentioning the principal events of journey. Well, all things go on well. I spend the principal part of my time in mending the tin cans. Our health is pretty good, both of us. There was a conference held on the 24th of April to give the report of the different branches of the ship. On the 22nd of April we had a tea party, or dinner party. About 80 of us sat down to a good repast and had good entertainment. After singing and theatrical performances, we could not all sit down to tea all together. There was not a convenient place for all but about 2 branches together. I do not make mention of every trifling thing, but all of importance. Our ship has been becalmed sometimes a day, but no longer. I must say our voyage has been good and prosperous. On the Sabbaths we have had meetings on the deck in the morning, and in the afternoon the different branches that was organized in the ship. Our voyage was a prosperous one. I will say so, because I know it.
We arrived in New Orleans 2 May 1854.
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Next week; Henry Rampton - the Pioneer and then the mountain lion story
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| Caroline Rampton is probably the third woman from the left on the top row. I never realized until today that she was 6 years older than Henry. |
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