On this Day in Church History (September 17, 1842) the Ship Sidney set sail from Liverpool to New Orleans.
Have you ever been to the Nauvoo and British Pageants? If yes, I’d love to hear about your experiences and impressions during the performances (comment below)! If you’ve never had the opportunity to attend, warning, there are spoiler alerts ahead!
I love the Nauvoo Pageant, but I really love the British Pageant.
Because I live in Nauvoo, I’m fortunate enough to have seen the British Pageant multiple times. One day in my family history research I stumbled upon a wonderful realization!
Undoubtedly the most poignant scene in the British Pageant centers upon the Cannon family sailing on the Ship Sidney. Their mother, Ann, passes away on board the ship (This scene is a real tearjerker!). The family is devastated, but it’s because of this emotional scene that I realized the connection I have with this story.
My fourth great granduncle Robert Crookston and his family were on the very same ship as the Cannons. I’ve read his autobiography many times and that’s how I made the connection. He too sailed on the Ship Sidney from Liverpool to New Orleans in 1842, and in so doing, changed the course of my family’s legacy forever!
This is an excerpt from his autobiography:
“Captain Cowan, Leiv Richards, President with 180 passengers. Among the number were George Z. Cannon, Angus Cannon and their mother, George D. Watt and family. We had a voyage of eight weeks. It was not a bad trip and we would have enjoyed a lot of it had not mother been ill a lot of the time and a very sad thing happened. The mother of the Cannons died on the ship when in sight of the West India Islands. They were not permitted to land with a body on board so she was consigned to a watery grave. It was a very solemn occasion.”
Of course, as I watch the British Pageant, knowing and visualizing that my great granduncle Robert is one of those on board, is extremely powerful and emotional for me.
The reason that Robert, and all of the passengers, boarded the ship is because the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote a letter. You can read the letter in its entirety here.
My favorite quote from the letter is, “This is important, and should be attended to by all who feel an interest in the prosperity of this the corner stone of Zion.”
I love that. “This is important.” It was important for my ancestors.
Robert wrote, “Our Scotch neighbors thought we were crazy, and as they knew that we could not take much of our possessions with us we had to sell everything at a great sacrifice. But we wanted to come to Zion and be taught by the Prophet of God. We had the spirit of gathering so strongly that Babylon had no claim on us” (emphasis added).
I’m so grateful that my great granduncle took the time to write this autobiography. He was truly inspired. Knowing his story has changed me on a fundamental level. Reading his autobiography inspired me (for the first time in my life) to dig deep into my ancestral roots. What I’ve found there has strenghtened and invigorating my mind, body, and spirit. It’s like tapping into a source of power. The power that comes because of the sacrifices our ancestors made on our behalf.
It’s like tapping into a source of power. The power that comes because of the sacrifices our ancestors made on our behalf.
#NauvooBlogger
I agree with the Prophet Joseph Smith and my great granduncle Robert.
Family. Our roots. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is important!
Sincerely,
Justina #NauvooBlogger