Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Keith M. Chandler
--Written by Marva Y. Watson-
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Wasatch Co.
At his sealing in the Endowment House, Jonathan Young gave his birthplace as Portsea, Hampshire, England on November 11, 1801. Very little is known about his childhood. However, in official state documents discussing his profession, Merchant And Seaman Reports, it was stated that Jonathan first went out to sea at age 9 in the year 1810. It also stated that he served in the Royal Navy for 14 Years and 6 months.
Some other interesting traits found in this report stated that he was five feet three inches. He had dark hair and a dark complexion. It also stated that his eyes were Hazel in color and he had a scar.
Jonathan married Sarah Leigh at age 22. They had a son, George. There may have been other children, but we have not located any additional children to date. When he married Sarah Toomer Farr, he was a widower.
Jonathan served some of his time on ships going between America and Europe. Sometimes his passengers included Mormon missionaries and he was impressed by them. It is not known who converted him, but when he was taught the gospel, he wholeheartedly accepted it.
He had used snuff all of his life, but when he accepted the gospel, he took all of his snuff and everything pertaining to it and threw it overboard. He never used it again. Jonathan returned to his home area to be baptized, and the Portsmouth Branch Records show that he was baptized December 18, 1849.
Sarah Toomer Farr was a widow in the Portsmouth Branch. She was baptized just 2 months before Jonathan on October 19, 1849. Sarah had married William Farr who was also a sailor. He went to sea three months after their marriage to support her and their unborn child. Neither he nor any of his crew were ever heard from again. Sarah believed that perhaps the black plague had wiped out the ship’s crew, as was the case on many British vessels.
Jonathan told Sarah, that he had decided to go to Zion and that he wished to take a wife with him and that she was his first choice. He would pay her way and her sons.
Sarah at first refused the proposal, but later she told the Presiding Elder about the incident. He said, “How long have you been praying for a way to come to Zion?” Sarah replied she had been praying for a long time. He said, “Don’t you recognize the answer to your prayers?”
Sarah sent word to Jonathan that she would go with him, but he was already preparing to leave and board the ship. He sent word back to her to pack and meet him on the ship.
After the ship had set sail, Sarah and Jonathan were married by a returning Elder named Lewis Robbins. The marriage was performed at 2 O’clock in the afternoon on February 12, 1852, aboard the Ellen Maria; which the church had contracted to bring a load of saints to New Orleans. There were 367 passengers aboard.
The ship charted its journey on February 7th but did not put out to sea until February 11, because of a wind storm. Even then, some wind persisted and most of the passengers were ill. However, on February 13th the wind became calm and Isaac C. Haight, who was in charge recorded this positive and encouraging entry:” Peace and charity prevailed throughout the ship and the saints were enjoying the spirit manifested by their united love and good feeling one toward another.”
The ship docked on New Orleans and the passengers were taken by boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri were they were met by Abram O. Smoot who conducted them across the plains.
After they arrived in Salt Lake Valley, Jonathan built a small craft with a sail and became the first known white man to set sail on the Great Salt Lake.
Jonathan always listed his occupation as a Mariner and a sail maker. Work was extremely scarce for everyone, but there was little demand for his trade. Almost everyone made their living by farming at that time, but Jonathan knew nothing of tilling the soil or any phase of agriculture. He had been a sailor his whole adult life. It was extremely hard for him to make a livelihood.
One of the first things Jonathan did was to visit Brigham Young. They talked about the fact that Brigham Young’s ancestors came from the same area as Jonathan’s and that they were undoubtedly distant cousins.
The family resided in the 1st Ward in Salt Lake City for 6 years (1858) they moved to Payson where 2 more children were born to them: David Toomer and Fannie Jane Young Clyde Wall. The family resided here in a dugout. In 1862, they moved to the lake bottoms near Provo, no doubt so Jonathan could be near the water where he could have more opportunity for work as a sail maker. Again they endured many hardships and privations.
Once, when Sarah had nothing else, she cut the canvas off the sail that Jonathan had made and fashioned clothes for her children. She colored the canvas with dye from sagebrush. The children later commented that the canvas was so stiff that they had a hard time sitting down, but they were grateful for anything to wear.
In 1864, the family moved to Heber City, where they lived in one end of a one roomed log schoolhouse, this is where the Jessie Witt home was late built. (The corner of 2nd West and 3rd North).
They later moved into a small one room log house with a dirt roof. It had a cloth smeared with grease as a covering for a small opening which served as a window.
Again they endured many hardships there also. At one time, they had nothing to eat but some bran. Sarah tried to make it into bread, but it was very unpalatable.
Jonathan was given the job of tending the cow herd for the settlement and this helped them.
Jonathan also made cheese and sold it in Provo. On one trip he and his son, Brigham, had an open wagon box of cheese going through Provo Canyon. The road was rough and some of the cheese bounced out and rolled down the embankment. Brigham ran down to get the cheese and expected it to be broken and ruined. But he found the cheese was totally intact, firm, and not damaged in any way.
In October 1865, Sarah traveled to visit a sister who had just emigrated from England. While she was away, Jonathan died. Brigham J. said that he went to bed and died in his sleep. Jonathan was buried in a snowstorm and before Sarah could get back from Salt Lake. He was one of the first two people to be buried in Heber Cemetery. The following spring, his grave could not be located and is unknown today.
After having a joyful reunion with her sister, Sarah returned in the middle of the night to find once again, she was left alone to face life as best she could and support 5 children. This must have indeed been a sad time for Sarah and a very challenging one. The family had been very poor before, but now their circumstances became even worse.
Out of the many heart tugging struggles of Jonathan and Sarah, also comes one of the great legacies that they left for their posterity. This was their monumental faith and courage. In the face of personal privation and suffering, they never gave up or looked back. They were steadfast and went forward in the cause of the gospel.
Some other interesting traits found in this report stated that he was five feet three inches. He had dark hair and a dark complexion. It also stated that his eyes were Hazel in color and he had a scar.
Jonathan married Sarah Leigh at age 22. They had a son, George. There may have been other children, but we have not located any additional children to date. When he married Sarah Toomer Farr, he was a widower.
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Sarah Toomer (Young) (Clegg) 1816-7 - 1900 Sarah is in front with her three children from her last (Clegg) marriage. |
Jonathan served some of his time on ships going between America and Europe. Sometimes his passengers included Mormon missionaries and he was impressed by them. It is not known who converted him, but when he was taught the gospel, he wholeheartedly accepted it.
He had used snuff all of his life, but when he accepted the gospel, he took all of his snuff and everything pertaining to it and threw it overboard. He never used it again. Jonathan returned to his home area to be baptized, and the Portsmouth Branch Records show that he was baptized December 18, 1849.
Sarah Toomer Farr was a widow in the Portsmouth Branch. She was baptized just 2 months before Jonathan on October 19, 1849. Sarah had married William Farr who was also a sailor. He went to sea three months after their marriage to support her and their unborn child. Neither he nor any of his crew were ever heard from again. Sarah believed that perhaps the black plague had wiped out the ship’s crew, as was the case on many British vessels.
Jonathan told Sarah, that he had decided to go to Zion and that he wished to take a wife with him and that she was his first choice. He would pay her way and her sons.
Sarah at first refused the proposal, but later she told the Presiding Elder about the incident. He said, “How long have you been praying for a way to come to Zion?” Sarah replied she had been praying for a long time. He said, “Don’t you recognize the answer to your prayers?”
Sarah sent word to Jonathan that she would go with him, but he was already preparing to leave and board the ship. He sent word back to her to pack and meet him on the ship.
After the ship had set sail, Sarah and Jonathan were married by a returning Elder named Lewis Robbins. The marriage was performed at 2 O’clock in the afternoon on February 12, 1852, aboard the Ellen Maria; which the church had contracted to bring a load of saints to New Orleans. There were 367 passengers aboard.
The ship charted its journey on February 7th but did not put out to sea until February 11, because of a wind storm. Even then, some wind persisted and most of the passengers were ill. However, on February 13th the wind became calm and Isaac C. Haight, who was in charge recorded this positive and encouraging entry:” Peace and charity prevailed throughout the ship and the saints were enjoying the spirit manifested by their united love and good feeling one toward another.”
The ship docked on New Orleans and the passengers were taken by boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri were they were met by Abram O. Smoot who conducted them across the plains.
After they arrived in Salt Lake Valley, Jonathan built a small craft with a sail and became the first known white man to set sail on the Great Salt Lake.
Jonathan always listed his occupation as a Mariner and a sail maker. Work was extremely scarce for everyone, but there was little demand for his trade. Almost everyone made their living by farming at that time, but Jonathan knew nothing of tilling the soil or any phase of agriculture. He had been a sailor his whole adult life. It was extremely hard for him to make a livelihood.
One of the first things Jonathan did was to visit Brigham Young. They talked about the fact that Brigham Young’s ancestors came from the same area as Jonathan’s and that they were undoubtedly distant cousins.
The family resided in the 1st Ward in Salt Lake City for 6 years (1858) they moved to Payson where 2 more children were born to them: David Toomer and Fannie Jane Young Clyde Wall. The family resided here in a dugout. In 1862, they moved to the lake bottoms near Provo, no doubt so Jonathan could be near the water where he could have more opportunity for work as a sail maker. Again they endured many hardships and privations.
Once, when Sarah had nothing else, she cut the canvas off the sail that Jonathan had made and fashioned clothes for her children. She colored the canvas with dye from sagebrush. The children later commented that the canvas was so stiff that they had a hard time sitting down, but they were grateful for anything to wear.
In 1864, the family moved to Heber City, where they lived in one end of a one roomed log schoolhouse, this is where the Jessie Witt home was late built. (The corner of 2nd West and 3rd North).
They later moved into a small one room log house with a dirt roof. It had a cloth smeared with grease as a covering for a small opening which served as a window.
Again they endured many hardships there also. At one time, they had nothing to eat but some bran. Sarah tried to make it into bread, but it was very unpalatable.
Jonathan was given the job of tending the cow herd for the settlement and this helped them.
Jonathan also made cheese and sold it in Provo. On one trip he and his son, Brigham, had an open wagon box of cheese going through Provo Canyon. The road was rough and some of the cheese bounced out and rolled down the embankment. Brigham ran down to get the cheese and expected it to be broken and ruined. But he found the cheese was totally intact, firm, and not damaged in any way.
In October 1865, Sarah traveled to visit a sister who had just emigrated from England. While she was away, Jonathan died. Brigham J. said that he went to bed and died in his sleep. Jonathan was buried in a snowstorm and before Sarah could get back from Salt Lake. He was one of the first two people to be buried in Heber Cemetery. The following spring, his grave could not be located and is unknown today.
After having a joyful reunion with her sister, Sarah returned in the middle of the night to find once again, she was left alone to face life as best she could and support 5 children. This must have indeed been a sad time for Sarah and a very challenging one. The family had been very poor before, but now their circumstances became even worse.
Out of the many heart tugging struggles of Jonathan and Sarah, also comes one of the great legacies that they left for their posterity. This was their monumental faith and courage. In the face of personal privation and suffering, they never gave up or looked back. They were steadfast and went forward in the cause of the gospel.