- 10 Jan 1850 - William Holyoak (b.1825),
son of George Holyoak, Sr. (b.1799), departed Liverpool, England on
the ship "Argo" with his new bride, Sarah Wilkins. To
complicate the situation Sarah was expecting but a strong hope in
the "new world" was overwhelming. They arrived at New Orleans 11 Mar 1850
and settled
temporarily at St. Joseph, Missouri.
- 1 Feb 1851 - George Holyoak, Jr. (b.1829),
son of George Holyoak, Sr. (b.1799), departed Liverpool, England on
the ship "Ellen Maria." As his older brother, George traveled solo,
but different in that he did not yet have his own family. George
arrived at New Orleans 7 Apr 1851. From there he boarded the
steamboat, "Alexander Scott," on 9 Apr 1851 and sailed up the
Mississippi River debarking at St. Louis on 16 Apr 1851 and joined
up with his brother, William Holyoak (b.1825) at St. Joseph,
Missouri.
- 22 Feb 1854 - George Holyoak, Sr.
(b.1799), the "father" of the American Holyoaks, departed Liverpool,
England on the ship "Windermere" under the command of Captain
Fairfield. George traveled with his wife, Sarah GREEN Holyoak (b.1797),
children Mary HOLYOAK Knowles (b.1827), Ann (b.1832), Sarah
(b.1835), Henry (b.1839), Hannah (b.1841), and grandchild Nehemiah
Green Holyoak(b.1848), the son of William (b.1825). The family arrived at New Orleans on 23 Apr 1854.
Four days later they began their journey up the Mississippi River by
steamboat and landed at St. Louis a few days later. They immediately
began their several-hundred-mile journey to meet up with William and
George at St. Joseph. Within a matter of days they were to commence
the trail at Westport, Missouri (modern-day Kansas City). For this
portion of the journey however, William and his family would remain
behind. As the journey was about to begin Mary fell ill at Westport,
Missouri, died, and was buried sometime in May. Whether this was
before the family met up with William and George or after is not
known. The family continued making preparations for their trek to
the Salt Lake Valley and departed Westport 17 Jun 1854 in the Darwin
Richardson Company. The trek was difficult and not far into the
journey mother Sarah fell ill. She died in June, was wrapped in a
quilt, and buried in a shallow grave somewhere in Hamilton County,
Nebraska. The family continued on and tragically lost another
daughter, Ann, in August. Notwithstanding the loss of three members
of the family, their efforts were rewarded with a timely arrival in
the Salt Lake Valley on 30 Sep 1854. Upon arrival the Holyoak family
was called upon to settle Iron County in southern Utah.
- 1856 - Sometime in 1856 William Holyoak
(b.1825) moved his family along to the beginning of the trail at
Florence, Nebraska (modern-day Omaha). They departed Florence 9 Jul
1856 in the John Banks Company. Within the company were his wife,
Sarah WILKINS, and his two children Jane Elizabeth (b.1853) and
William Edgar (b.1855). They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley
sometime between 22 Sep and 5 Oct 1856, only a few weeks before the
Willie/Martin Handcart Companies.
- 1866 - Sometime in 1866 George Holyoak,
Jr. (b.1829) returned to the plains to assist other Saints in their
journey to the West. It was in the John D. Holladay Company that
George was assigned to serve. Within this company was Elizabeth Ann
FERGUSON, twenty-seven years old. George began courting her. The
company arrived at Salt Lake City on 25 Sep 1866. George and
Elizabeth Ann were married 9 Oct 1866 in the Endowment House. The
two traveled to Parowan and the life of plural marriage began in the
Holyoak Family.
- Mysteries - George Jr & Eliza Holyoak are
listed in the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Index as having
traveled in 1854. The reference was provided in a mini-history
printed in the Parowan Times at their 50th wedding anniversary. This
article indicates George, Eliza, and their son, William Henry,
arrived in September 1854. However, it does not list a company nor
does the Index. "Holyoaks: From Kings Norton to the Everlasting
Hills" lists they were members in the Captain Camp Company, although
there is no reference. Where does this reference come from? Please
help us solve this little mystery!
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