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From: "Becky Horne" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA-IB] A Settler story Part 2
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 08:32:19 +0200
References: <002201c2da98$9e373ea0$5da5ef9b@telkomsa2156telkomsa.net> <003701c2daa6$b1a3bf00$0201010a@tjolotjo>


I believe everyone one of us has a story to tell. I have had the same
problem with my relatives. I think they get nervous when they see a tape
recorder! So now I take them out to dinner - just the two of us and maybe
it's the ambiance or a good meal with a glass of wine but it certainly works
for me. Have gathered stacks of info and in the same time made stronger
bonds. Give it a try and make them feel special, but don't put it off for
tomorrow. Mr. Death comes when we least expect it.
----- Original Message -----
From: Rex Farmer <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: [ZA-IB] A Settler story Part 2


> Becky it's great reading! I must try to encourage my Mom & Aunt (both in
> their 80's) to write something for me. They are not really forthcoming
with
> info on our family and it's quite frustrating! In fairness though I
suppose
> they don't feel that what they have to say is that exciting.
> Thanks
> Michele
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Becky Horne" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 5:31 PM
> Subject: [ZA-IB] A Settler story Part 2
>
>
> > Herewith, please find the 2nd part of a Settler story.
> >
> > My twelfth birthday had passed when the Mormon Elders came to Uitenhage
> preaching the gospel to us. My parents seemed to be very much interested
in
> what they preached. Although it was a vary unpopular religion, they
partook
> of the spirit of it and said that it harmonized with their feelings, and
the
> bible as they understood it. They embraced this new religion and thus came
> the turning point in my life as well as the lives of my family. The spirit
> of gathering in the Land of Zion came upon us. Even though we knew at this
> time that the Church was persecuted by their people being driven from
> Kirkland, Missouri to Nauvoo, Illinois, and thence to the Rocky Mountains.
> In the year 1862 My eldest brother, William, came to America, The
following
> year Joseph, my third eldest brother followed. In the year 1865, my father
> gave mother his consent to leave Africa with the children to go to
America,
> At this time my father's business was thriving to such an extent that my
> second eldest brot!
> > her, George, had to stay in Africa with father to help him wind up his
> affairs in anticipation of following the rest of us to this new country.
> >
> > It was very trying for my mother, to break away from her old home and
> leave her husband and sister behind; but her faith was so strong that she
> was willing to leave everything behind to cast her lot with the Mormon
> people. She proved herself true and faithful to her covenant. I never knew
> her to murmur about the trials she passed through, or the hardships she
had
> to endure. Due to the persecutions of the Latter Day Saints, and
> indifference to my father's business, mother left in secret. No one knew
of
> her contemplated Journey except father. Early one spring morning before
> dawn, father loaded us in the wagons. With five teams of oxen we started
for
> Port Elizabeth, with one Negro leading the oxen, another one walking in
the
> rear driving them. Upon arriving that evening in Port Elizabeth, our
baggage
> was loaded directly on the ship. We stayed the night in a hotel, boarding
> the vessel the next morning. There were 35 families, all converts to the
> Mormon Church, besides the Captai!
> > n and crew on board. In addition to the passengers, there was a cargo of
> hides, tallow and wool, all bound for America. Most of the day was spent
in
> loading the ship and getting settled for the journey. Father came aboard
> with us and it was a sad farewell when he went to leave, for we felt that
> there was indeed a chance we would never see each other again, although
his
> intentions were to follow as soon as possible. Sometime during the night
our
> little sailing vessel, the Brig Mexicanna set sail. The next morning when
we
> awoke and went on deck we could see the shore line in the distance, It was
> then we all gathered together, most hearts full to a breaking point. All
> joined in singing;
> >
> > After this we settled down to the routine of our life aboard ship, all
> things going well, except everyone taking turns at seasickness. I remember
> being about the last one to get sick and had a great time laughing at the
> rest of the youngsters, but finally I had my turn, and to me I seemed the
> sickest of all. We all recovered from our seasickness and were feeling
fine
> when we reached the equator. The air was very hot and sultry, with
everyone
> complaining of the intense heat. The ocean was so calm and smooth with not
a
> ripple -- we could look down into the water and see the sea weeds, schools
> of dolphin moving along also flying fish which would fly up out of the
> water, some landing on deck. There was absolutely no breeze and our ship
> just floated along; every sail was up but we could make no progress.
> Sometime that night a little breeze came up and in the morning I heard the
> Captain and his mates throw out the life buoy to measure the speed of the
> vessel which they said was go!
> > ing about ten knots per hour, They seemed quite pleased with this
headway.
> That next morning the watchman hollered out that there was a whale in the
> path of the boat. The Captain gave orders to turn the boat so we would
pass
> the whale. He was spurting water like a fountain, and to me he looked like
a
> mountain in the ocean, After that we passed several whales and many
schools
> of flying fish.
> >
> > Two or three days later the first mate said to the Captain, "Captain, I
> believe we are going to have a storm". The Captain looked up in the
heavens
> made some remark and went down into his cabin. In a few minutes he was
back
> again. He ordered all the passengers below, at the same time ordering the
> men to take down the sails. While the sailors were still up in the masts
> starting on the last sail, the storm struck with such force that it broke
> one of the yard arms throwing it, together with one of the men on the
deck.
> Part of the yard arm was hanging overboard so the Captain ordered it cut
> loose and sent adrift as it was pulling the vessel to one side.
Immediately
> after hearing the Captains orders, I ran to a life boat and hid underneath
> it for I wanted to see what was going on. Well, I saw most of it but I
> certainly wished before it was over that I had obeyed the Captain's
orders.
> During the storm, it was necessary for me to hang on to the ropes for dear
> life to keep from bein!
> > g washed overboard. The Captain had lashed himself to the helm
> endeavouring to steer the boat. After the storm he told his mate that the
> vessel had been driven 150 miles out off course. The hurricane had lasted
> two hours.
> >
> > The next day the crew repaired the broken yard arm, unrolled the sails
and
> we were again sailing at a nice clip. All hands were on board enjoying the
> sunshine, after the wetting of the previous night, when the watchman
> shouted, "Something ahead!" The Captain got his glasses and told the man
at
> the helm to steer to the leeward. All at once we spied a vessel turned
> bottom side up. The Captain told us that it was no doubt a vessel that had
> swamped the previous night in the storm. As it drifted by, the watchman
said
> there was something else adrift in the sea. The Captain grave orders to
> steer to the object. He put out a boat and discovered that the object was
> the deck of the wrecked vessel which the men towed in, hoisted on our
vessel
> to be taken to New York City and reported. We also saw barrels and one
> corpse floating in the water. One of our brethren of the company, Curshaw
by
> name, took sick; at the same time one the ship's crew took sick, they both
> lay within life and death!
> > for a long time. Finally our brother died and was buried at sea. With
sad
> memories of our brother we sailed on, sometimes with the wind in our
favour
> and sometimes against us.
> > After a long tedious journey we reached New York. When we were about
three
> days sailing time from New York we were met by a tug boat. our Captain
made
> arrangements for the boat to tug us into the harbour which took from
> Saturday morning to Sunday evening. The Captain threw anchor that night
and
> the next morning went ashore making arrangements to move his cargo and
> passengers. It took us all day Monday to pass through the inspection
office
> or customs house, as all our goods had to be examined. Some of our people
> went to the hotel that night and some spent the night in Castle Garden.
> Castle Garden was at this time, where Ellis Island is today. Just at this
> time the Civil War was ended and we saw soldiers everywhere returning to
> their homes. I remember one vessel in particular that was lying at anchor
in
> the harbour, The Marines were on board playing their band every night and
> morning. After so many months at sea the band music was a cheering sound
to
> us all.
> >
> > For the full transcribe of this story, please visit
> http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Park/4757/fh003.htm
> >
> > Scanned and retyped by James P. Francom on 1 Dec. 1996
>
> >
> > This document is provided "as is" to facilitate genealogical research
of
> other members of the Francom family, and for it's human interest content.
No
> attempt has been made to validate or correlate statements made by Samuel
> Francom with any other historical events. ...End Of The Memoirs Of Samuel
> Francom
> >
> > Best wishes
> > Becky
> > Port Elizabeth, South Africa
> >
> > Researching: HENWICK; HILL; HORN(E); MEREDITH; DEYZEL; LARSEN; WILLSON;
> LYNAR; HENNING; STERLEY; THECK; BEST; BRAUN, GREENER; GLANVILLE; VAN ZYL
> >
> >
> >
> >
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>
>
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