Stories From the Mother Country

George Heald Bradshaw

11 September 1833 – 2 January 1910

The Bradshaw family were born in England, and became converts to the church. George was baptize in February 1850, and later confirmed by Isaiah Coombs. The prompting of the spirit of God, and their obedience to the commandments and covenants, convinced them to gather and help build Zion. They left England on 10 February 1852 from Liverpool aboard the "Ellen Maria," with 369 saints, and sailed to America.


The family consisted of Mary age (63), and her two sons, Frederick (23) and George (19). According to the ship registry, the Bradshaw family paid 3 pounds ($15.00) and owed 65.00 for their passage. They were part of the 182 passengers financed by the (Perpetual Fund of the Church). (Note, this ship is the same one that John Leishman and his family sailed on.) They landed in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 5 April 1852 where they then rode by steamship, "St. Paul", up the Mississippi River to St. Louis Missouri. They lived in St. Louis for a few years.

It was here that George married his brother's step daughter, Elizabeth Edwards Hampson. She and her family had lived in St. Louis for 6 years. George was 20 years old and Elizabeth was 16. Three children were born to them while living in St. Louis.. (William, George and Andrew). George's mother, Mary Heald, and brothers, James, Charles, and Charles' wife all died of Cholera, a short time after they arrived in St. Louis. Cholera was a very common disease, a disorder of the stomach, caused by lack of refrigeration of food. It was difficult to keep food in those days as people were generally on the move and the scarcity of food made it worse. The boys had earned enough money in the Coal mines to start moving West. The two families of Thomas and George left for Genoa, Nebraska, where they stayed for two years and all worked to get more money to equip themselves for the long journey across the plains . In Genoa their third child Andrew was born. Their overland journey began 17 June 1860 in the James D. Ross Company. Elizabeth traveled with family members, her husband and 3 children, step father, three step siblings, and her husband's niece Ruth N. Bradshaw (13) whose parents had died of Cholera in St. Louis. Elizabeth walked the entire way. They had good provisions, wagons and teams and cows. There were 13 Bradshaw's in this company. Thomas and Sarah Ann and three children. and the three children of Charles...Lizzie, Ruth, Thomas, who were orphaned after the death of their parents. One experience that was related from their journey happened in Montana where prairie fires were very dangerous. A fire broke out one day and everyone left to go fight it. When they returned, George H. Bradshaw age two was missing. When they found him, he was with an old Indian Squaw. She was taking care of him. The wagons were so loaded that everyone had to walk the entire way to Utah. They arrived in Salt Lake City on Monday 3 September, 1860. Soon after arrival the Family moved to Bountiful for two years. While living there another son, James, was born, but Andrew died. George found work in a molasses mill. In 1861, his brother Thomas, and his family went to Cache Valley and built two log cabins, one for him and one for George. In March 1862, Thomas took the teams of oxen and wagon to Bountiful and moved the rest of the family up to Wellsville. The trip took two weeks. George and Elizabeth had 12 children. Nine years after living in Wellsville, George married his second wife, Janette Leatham. From this marriage there were born six children. In 1883, Janette died leaving Elizabeth (age 46) with Janette's five more children. Elizabeth loved her family. She always said, "Thanksgiving and Christmas days always belonged to me." The family was never too large. She always gave a wedding reception to all her family when they married. She held the love and respect of her entire family throughout her life. When she died from Pneumonia, 24 May 1898, in Wellsville, her husband George, sobbed bitterly and said, "She has been a good wife, Mother and partner to me in mortal life." She is buried in Wellsville, Cache, Utah cemetery. This information was written and handed down by the family...