Crista Cowan: 0:01

Stories that Live In Us is a podcast that inspires you to form deep connections with your family, past, present and future. I'm Crista Cowan, known online as The Barefoot Genealogist. I've spent my whole life discovering the power of family history and I know that sharing the stories that live in you can change everything. Can change everything. If you listen to this podcast, you might not notice anything different, but if you watch it on YouTube, I am in an entirely new space, and with this new space, I am thrilled to announce that Ancestry has now become a sponsor of our studio space. So we've moved. We are now in the Ancestry building and we'll be recording the podcast from here from now on, which I love because it's like 10 feet from my desk, so that's exciting.

Crista Cowan: 0:55

Today's episode we are going to be talking about Rachel Smuin. She is one of my three times great grandmothers, and if you listened to episode 50 of the podcast with Jen Utley, you heard the story of how Jen and I discovered that my ancestor Rachel and one of her relatives, lavinia, sailed to America from England aboard the very same ship. That ship was the Amazon. Now, the Amazon is unique for a few reasons. My ancestor Rachel and her family were from a little town in Berkshire, england, called Radley. Her father's family had lived there for generations and they had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1840s and in the 1850s late 1850s her family started immigrating, one and two at a time, from England to Utah. It took about 20 years to get every member of the family over, but in 1863, 19-year-old Rachel and her sister immigrated together on the Amazon.

Crista Cowan: 2:15

Prior to the sailing of the Amazon, all ships of Mormon immigrants left the port of Liverpool, but for this particular sailing there were so many people from the British Isles who were trying to get to America that they chartered a larger ship, and it could only sail out of the port of London. It was too large to sail out of Liverpool. So it caused a lot of excitement throughout England that this huge ship had been commissioned by this Mormon agent whose job it was to find ships to take these groups of immigrants from the British Isles to the United States, and so it drew a lot of attention, and one of the people whose attention it caught was Charles Dickens. Now, charles Dickens, in addition to being a famous author, also owned a newspaper, and the newspaper was called the Uncommercial Traveler, and so he refers to himself often as Mr Uncommercial or the Uncommercial, which is kind of a quirky thing to do. The other thing you need to know about Charles Dickens was that back in 1842 he wrote another article, very scathing, very judgmental, very biased and accusatory against the Mormons and the religious movement that was occurring in England at the time because of Mormon missionaries. So when the Amazon was set to sail out of London, he showed up down at the docks, boarded the ship because he knew the people who owned the ship and decided that he was going to spend the day doing an investigative piece on that sailing. And so what I'm gonna do is I'm actually gonna read you his article. He calls it a letter, but it's an article that he printed in his newspaper, and you'll get a feel for exactly what was happening at the time and how he viewed it. Now this is exciting for me because of course my ancestor was on this sailing and I didn't even know this letter existed until Jen and I made the connection that our ancestors were on the same ship and she asked me if I had ever heard of the Dickens letter. I hadn't. Now I have. Now you will too.

Crista Cowan: 4:33

Bound for the Great Salt Lake. Behold me on my way to an emigrant ship on a hot morning in early June. My road lies through that part of London generally known to the initiated as Down by the Docks. Down by the Docks is home to a good many people, too too many if I may judge from the overflow of local population in the streets, but my nose insinuates that the number to whom it is sweet home might be easily counted. Down by the Docks is a region I would choose as my point of embarkation aboard ship if I were an emigrant. It would present my intention to me in such a sensible light. It would show me so many things to run away from.

Crista Cowan: 5:14

Down by the docks they eat the largest oysters and scatter the roughest oyster shells known to the descendants of St George and the dragon. Down by the docks they consume the slimiest of shellfish which seem to have been scraped off the copper bottoms of ships. Down by the docks the vegetables at greengrocers' doors acquire a saline and a scaly look as if they had been crossed with fish and seaweed. Down by the docks they board seamen at the eating houses, the public houses, the slop shops, the coffee shops, the tally shops, all kinds of shops, mentionable and unmentionable, bored them, as it were, in the piratical sense, making them bleed terribly and giving no quarter. Down by the docks, the seamen roam in mid-street and midday, their pockets inside out and their heads no better. Down by the docks, the daughters of wave-ruling Britannia also rove, clad in silken attire, with uncovered tresses streaming in the breeze, bandana kerchiefs floating from their shoulders and crinoline not wanting.

Crista Cowan: 6:14

Down by the docks, you may hear the incomparable Joe Jackson sing the standard of England with a hornpipe any night or any day, may see at the waxwork for a penny, and no waiting him has killed the policeman at Acton and suffered for it. Down by the docks you may buy polonies, savallois and sausage preparations, various if you're not particular what they're made of besides seasoning. Down by the docks, the placards in the shops apostrophize the customer, knowing him familiarly beforehand as look here, jack, and here's your sort. My, my lad, try our sea-going mixed at two and nine. The right kit for the British tar Ship. Ahoy Splice the main brace brother. Come cheer up, my lads. We've the best liquors here and you'll find something new in our wonderful beer.

Crista Cowan: 6:56

Down by the docks, the pawnbroker lends money on Union Jack pocket handkerchiefs, on watches, with little ships pitching fore and aft on the dial, on telescopes, nautical instruments and cases and such. Down by the docks, the apothecary sets up in business on the wretchedest scale, chiefly on lint and plaster for the strapping of wounds, and with no bright bottles and no little drawers. Down by the docks, anybody drunk will quarrel with anybody drunk or sober and everybody else will have a hand in it and on the shortest notice you may revolve in a whirlpool of red shirts, shaggy beards, wild heads of hair, bear-tattooed arms, britannia's daughters, malice, mud maundering and madness. Down by the docks, scraping fiddles, go in the public houses all day long and shrill. Above their din and all the din rises the screeching of innumerable parrots brought from foreign parts who appear to be very much astonished by what they find on these native shores of ours. Shadewell Church, pleasant whispers of there being a fresher air down the river than down by the docks go, pursuing one another playfully in and out of the openings in its spire, pursuing one another playfully in and out of the openings in its spire, gigantic. In the basin, just beyond the church, looms my emigrant ship. Her name, the Amazon. My emigrant ship, lies broadside onto the wharf. Two great gangways made of spars and planks connect her with the wharf, and up and down these gangways, perpetually crowding to and fro and in and out like ants, are the immigrants who are going to sail in my emigrant ship, some with cabbages, some with loaves of bread, some with cheese and butter, milk and beer, some with boxes, beds and bundles, some with babies, nearly all with children, nearly all with brand new tin cans for their daily allowance of water, uncomfortably suggestive of a tin flavor in the drink. To and fro, up and down, abroad and ashore, swarming here and there and everywhere my immigrants. And still, as the dock gate swings upon its hinges, cabs appear and carts appear and vans appear bringing more of my immigrants with more cabbages, more loaves, more cheese. And carts appear and vans appear bringing more of my immigrants with more cabbages, more loaves, more cheese and butter, more milk and beer, more boxes, beds and bundles, more tin cans and on those shipping investments accumulated compound interest of children.

Crista Cowan: 9:18

I go aboard my immigrant ship. I go first to the great cabin and find it in the unusual condition of a cabin. At that pass, perspiring landsmen with loose papers and pens and ink stands pervade it and the general appearance of things is as if the late Mr Amazon's funeral had just come home from the cemetery and the disconsolate Mrs Amazon's trustees found the affairs in great disorder and were looking high and low for the will. I go out on the poop deck for air and surveying the emigrants on the deck below indeed they are all crowded about me up there too find more pens and ink stands in action and more papers and interminable complication respecting accounts with individuals for tin cans and whatnot. But nobody is in ill temper, nobody is the worst for drink, nobody swears an oath or uses a coarse word, nobody appears depressed, nobody is weeping. And down upon the dock, in every corner where it is possible to find a few square feet to kneel, crouch or lie in, people in every unsuitable attitude for writing are writing letters.

Crista Cowan: 10:27

Now I have seen emigrant ships before this day in June and these people are so strikingly different from all other people in like circumstances whom I have ever seen that I wonder aloud what would a stranger suppose these emigrants to be? The vigilant, bright face of the weather-browned captain of the Amazon is at my shoulder and he says what? Indeed, the most of these came aboard yesterday evening. They came from various parts of England in small parties that had never seen one another before. Yet they had not been a couple hours on board when they established their own police, made their own regulations and set their own watches at all the hatchways.

Crista Cowan: 11:04

Before nine o'clock the ship was as orderly and quiet as a man of war. I looked about me again and saw the letter writing going on with the most curious composure, perfectly abstracted in the midst of the crowd, while great casks were swinging aloft and being lowered into the hold, while hot agents were hurrying up and down adjusting the interminable account, while 200 strangers were searching everywhere for 200 other strangers and were asking questions about them of 200 more. While the children played up and down all the steps and in and out among all the people's legs and were beheld to the general dismay, toppling over all the dangerous places. The letter writers wrote on calmly. A neat, pretty girl wrote for a good hour. She fainted at last, only rising to the surface occasionally for a dip of ink. Alongside the boat close to me, on the poop deck, another girl was writing another letter on the bare deck. Alongside the boat close to me, on the poop deck, another girl was writing another letter on the bare deck. Later in the day, when this self-same boat was filled with a choir who sang glees and catches for a long time. One of the singers, a girl, sang her part mechanically all the while and wrote a letter in the bottom of the boat while doing so.

Crista Cowan: 12:13

A stranger would be puzzled to guess the right name for these people Mr Uncommercial, says the captain. Indeed, he would. If you hadn't known, could you have ever supposed? How could I? I should have said they were, in their degree, the pick and flower of England. So should I, says the captain. How many are there? Eight hundred in round numbers.

Crista Cowan: 12:36

I went in between decks where the families with children swarmed in the dark, where unavoidable confusion had been caused by the last arrivals and where the confusion was increased by the little preparations for dinner going on in each group. A few women here and there had got lost and were laughing at it and asking their way back to their own people or out on the deck again. A few of the poor children were crying, but otherwise the universal cheerfulness was amazing. We'll shake down by tomorrow. Well, we shall come in all right. In a day or so we shall have more light at sea. Such phrases I heard everywhere as I groped my way among chests and barrels and beams and unstowed cargo and ring bolts and emigrants down to the lower deck and thence up to the light of day again to my former station Surely an extraordinary people in their power of self-abstraction. All the former letter writers were still writing calmly and many more letter writers had broken out. In my absence, a boy with a bag of books in his hand and a slate under his arm emerged from below, concentrated himself in my neighborhood, espying a convenient skylight for his purpose, and went to work at a sum as if he were stone deaf. A father and mother and several young children on the main deck below me had formed a family circle close to the foot of the crowded, restless gangway where the children made a nest for themselves in a coil of rope and the father and mother she suckling the youngest discussed family affairs as peaceably as if they were in perfect retirement.

Crista Cowan: 14:01

I think the most noticeable characteristic in the 800 as a mass was their exemption from hurry 800. What Geese Villain, no 800 Mormons. I, uncommercial traveler for the firm of Human Interest Brothers had come aboard this emigrant ship to see what 800 Latter-day Saints were like and I found them to the rout and overthrow of all my expectations, like what I now describe with scrupulous exactness. With scrupulous exactness, the Mormon agent who had been active in getting them together and in making the contract with my friends, the owners of the ship, to take them as far as New York on their way to the Great Salt Lake, was pointed out to me a compactly made, handsome man in black, rather short, with rich brown hair and beard and clear, bright eyes. From his speech I should set him down as an American, probably a man who had knocked about the world, pretty much a man with a frank, open manner and unshrinking look with all, a man of great quickness. I believe he was wholly ignorant of my uncommercial individuality and consequently of my immense uncommercial importance.

Crista Cowan: 15:15

Uncommercial, these are a very fine set of people you've brought together here, mormon agent. Yes, sir, they're a very fine set of people. Uncommercial, looking about. Indeed, I think it would be difficult to find 800 people together anywhere else and find so much beauty and so much strength and capacity for work among them. Mormon agent, not looking about, but steadily at. Uncommercial, I think so. We sent out about a thousand more yesterday from Liverpool. Uncommercial, you're not going out with these immigrants, mormon agent? No, sir, I remain Uncommercial, but you've been in the Mormon territory, mormon agent. Yes, I left Utah about three years ago, uncommercial. It's surprising to me that these people are all so cheery and make so little of the immense distance before them.

Crista Cowan: 16:07

Mormon agent, well, you see, many of them have friends out of Utah and many of them look forward to meeting friends on the way, on the way. That's the way it is. This ship lands them in New York City and then they go by rail right way beyond St Louis to that part of the banks of Missouri where they strike the plains. Their wagons from the settlement meet them to bear them company on their journey across 1,200 miles. About Industrious people who come out to the settlement soon get wagons of their own, and so the friends of some of these will come down in their own wagons to meet them. They look forward to that greatly On their long journey across the desert.

Crista Cowan: 16:41

Do you arm them? Mostly, you would find they have arms of some kind or another already with them, such as had, not arms we should arm across the plains for the general protection and defense. Will these wagons bring down any produce to the Missouri? Well, since the war broke out, we've taken a growing cotton and they'll likely bring down any produce to the Missouri. Well, since the war broke out, we've taken to growing cotton and they'll likely bring down cotton to be exchanged for machinery. We want machinery Also. We've taken to growing indigo, which is a fine commodity for profit. It's been found that the climate on the further side of the Great Salt Lake suits well for raising indigo.

Crista Cowan: 17:13

I'm told that these people now on board are principally from the south of England and from Wales. That's true. Do you get many Scotch? Not many Highlanders, for instance? No, not Highlanders. They ain't interested enough in universal brotherhood and peace and goodwill. The old fighting blood's still strong in them. Well, yes, and besides, they have no faith. Well, yes, and besides, they have no faith. Uncommercial, who has been burning to get at the prophet Joseph Smith and seems to discover an opening, says faith in well in anything.

Crista Cowan: 17:52

After a noontide pause for dinner, during which my immigrants were nearly all between decks, the Amazon looked deserted A general muster took place. The muster was for the ceremony of passing the government inspector and the doctor. Those authorities held their temporary state amidship by a cask or two and, knowing that the whole 800 immigrants must come face to face with them. I took my station behind the two. The immigrants were now all on deck. They were densely crowded aft and swarmed upon the poop deck like bees. Two or three Mormon agents stood ready to hand them on to the inspector and then to hand them forward when they passed. By what successful means a special aptitude for organization had been infused into these people. I am of course unable to report, but I know that even now there was no disorder, hurry or difficulty.

Crista Cowan: 18:38

All being ready, the first groups are handed on. That member of the party who is entrusted with the passenger ticket for the hole has been warned by one of the agents to have it ready. And here it is in his hand. In every instance, through the whole 800, without exception, this paper is always ready. The inspector reads the ticket Jesse Jobson, sophronia Jobson, jesse Jobson again. Matilda Jobson, william Jobson, jane Jobson, matilda Jobson again. Brigham Jobson, leonardo Jobson and Orson Jobson. Are you all here Glancing at the party over his spectacles? Jesse Jobson, number two replies. All here, sir. This group is composed of an old grandfather and grandmother, their married son and his wife and their family of children. Orson Jobson is a little child asleep in his mother's arms. The doctor with a kind word or so, lifts up the corner of the mother's shawl, looks at the child's face and touches the little clenched hand. If we were all as well as Orson Jobson, doctoring would be a poor profession. The inspector then replies quite right, jesse Jobson, take your ticket and pass on, and away they go. Mormon agent, skillful and quiet, hands them on. Mormon agent, skillful and quiet, hands the next party up. Inspector reading the ticket again. Susanna Cleverley, william Cleverley, brother and sister, eh, sister, a young woman of business hustling the slow brother. Yes, sir, inspector, very good, susanna Cleverley, take your ticket and take care of it, and away they go. The inspector taking the ticket again.

Crista Cowan: 20:10

Anastasia Weedle. Anastasia, a pretty girl in a bright Garibaldi this morning, elected by universal suffrage, the beauty of the ship. That's me, sir, inspector, going alone. Anastasia, anastasia, shaking her curls. I'm with Mrs Jobson, sir, but I got separated for the moment, inspector, oh, you're with the Jobsons. Well, quite right, That'll do, miss Weedle, don't lose your ticket Away. She goes and joins the Jobsons who are waiting for her and stoops and kisses Brigham Jobson, who appears to be considered too young for the purpose, by several Mormons rising 20 who are looking on, before her extensive skirts have departed from the casks. A decent widow stands there with four children, and so the roll goes Towards five o'clock, the galley became full of tea kettles and an agreeable fragrance of tea pervaded the ship.

Crista Cowan: 20:56

There was no scrambling or jostling for the hot water, no ill humor, no quarreling, as the Amazon was set to sail with the next tide and as it would not be high water before two o'clock in the morning, I left her with her tea in full action and her idle steam tug lying by, deputing steam and smoke for the time being to the tea kettles. I afterwards learned that a dispatch was sent home by the captain before he struck out into the wide Atlantic, highly extolling the behavior of these emigrants and the perfect order and propriety of all their social arrangements. What is in store for the poor people on the shores of the Great Salt Lake? What happy delusions are they laboring under now? On what miserable blindness their eyes may be opened then, I do not pretend to say, but I went on board their ship to bear testimony against them if they deserved it, as I fully believed they would. To my great astonishment, they did not deserve it and my predispositions and tendencies must not affect me as an honest witness and tendencies must not affect me.

Crista Cowan: 22:01

As an honest witness, I went over the Amazon side, feeling it impossible to deny that so far some remarkable influence had produced a remarkable result which better known influences have often missed. After this uncommercial journey was printed, I happened to mention the experience it describes to Lord Houghton. That gentleman then showed me an article of his writing in the Edinburgh Review for January 1862, which is highly remarkable for its philosophical and literary research concerning these Latter-day Saints. I find in it the following sentences the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Emigrant Ships for 1854 summoned the Mormon agent and passenger broker before it and came to the conclusion that no ships under the provisions of the Passengers Act could be depended upon for comfort and security in the same degree as those under his administration. The Mormon ship is a family under strong and accepted discipline, with every provision for comfort, decorum and internal peace, and internal peace.

Crista Cowan: 23:04

So that's the letter that Jen told me existed, when I told her that my ancestor also sailed on the Amazon and while my ancestor was not a Jobson or a Wentworth or any of the other people mentioned by name in the letter, the fact that this letter exists and gives me a glimpse into the exact sailing that my ancestor, rachel Smuin, came on with her sister is so thrilling. To me. When I first read this letter, I had to reread it like three or four times because I couldn't believe the amount of detail that was shared about this particular story. Now the interesting thing is, whether you find a letter about the crossing of your ancestors sailing or not, there are contemporary records that exist that can give you a glimpse into the things that they experienced, and I think they're just so valuable. So look for them and when you find them, share them.

Crista Cowan: 23:56

I had the opportunity to share this letter with my family on the steps of the church in Radley, england, where Rachel and all of her family for generations had been christened, and I was surrounded by two of my siblings and my dad and his only surviving aunt and five of his first cousins, and as I read this letter to them, them, it was interesting to watch their faces as they kind of had to pay a little bit of attention to Dickens quirky use of 1860s language, but also as they understood the change that occurred in him as he watched this ship that entire day as they loaded on.

Crista Cowan: 24:36

It was just really an interesting experience for me and I'm really glad that I got to have that experience, not just of finding this letter, but of sharing this letter with my family. So as you think about what artifacts and letters and contemporary reports and journals and other artifacts that might exist, don't just think about what might exist for your family that your family might be mentioned in, but think about what else might exist out there that would have been written about the same time, about the same or similar experiences that your ancestors might have gone through. It's kind of thrilling what you can find and what you can learn about them in the process.