John William Sharp 1836-
Son of George Sharp and Esther Richards
Husband to Ann Maria Bailey 1832-1910
Father to
John George Sharp 1862-1962
Charles Phillip Sharp 1863-1868
James Henry Sharp 1864-1868
Samuel Thomas Sharp 1867-1867
*Ann Maria Easter Bailey Sharp 1868-1926
Stephen William Sharp 1872-1947
Jesse Sharp 1874-Deceased
Written by unknown
John W. Sharp was born 22 July 1836 at Northampton, Northamshire England; the son of George and Esther Richards Sharp. John stayed at home and assisted his father until he was 19 years of age. His father was a shoemaker by trade.
One day his mother, Esther Richards Sharp, saw a playcard announcing a course of lectures to be given by the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She decided to attend. She took John along, and it was through this that he became a member of the said church.
A short time after this, on 5 Feb. 1851 John’s mother joined the church and John soon followed in her footsteps. On 16 Oct. 1852 he went down into the waters of baptism. The following day he was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Elder Samuel Parks performed both ordinances at Northampton, England. He was 16 years old when he joined the church. He was ordained a Deacon 4 Feb. 1855 and at the age of 19 on 25 May 1856 he was ordained an Elder, under the hands of Elders James Lavender and William Bayliss. Then he was called to labor as a traveling Elder in Bedfordshire conference where he worked under the presidency of Elder Bayliss. He continued in this conference until 1 Jan. 1858 when he was appointed to labor and travel in the Norwich Conference under the direction of Elders Edwin Scott and William Jefferies until 20 June 1859. He was then sent to New castle-upon-Tyne pastorate, to travel under the presidency of Thomas Wallace and Joseph Standford. There he labored in the Durham, Newcastle-upon-the Tyrne and Carlisle conferences. April 1861 he was released to emigrate to Utah. During the six years spent as a missionary he met with much opposition and was mobbed often.
He crossed the ocean on the clipper ship “Underwriter” which sailed from Liverpoopl April 23, 1861. It took thirty days to come from Liverpool to New York, and eight days from New York to Florence, the Outfitting place. The latter route was made sometimes on railways, toerh times on steamboats up the Mississippi or Missouri River. Before starting over the plains, there was a lay over for one month at Florence. He was awaiting the arrival of the church trains from Utah.
While laying over at Florence, he engaged to drive ten ox teams across the plains for Daniel Cleft and Thomas Hawkins. They were loading freight. He helped to herd their cattle while getting ready for the journey. While there, he was out in one of the most terrible storms he had witnessed up to that time.
One of the men, who were herding cattle at the same time, fell asleep. Bro. Hawkins and Sharp herded the cattle around several times and then decided to wake him up so they pulled off his boots but he still slept on.
The church train arrived 1 July 1861. Grandmother was very ill, hence grandfather (John W. Sharp) was unable to keep his appointment to drive the ox team. They took the train. The company was under captain Ira Eldridge. On the second day of July the church trains were loaded. The first few days the trains only traveled a few miles a day in order to give the people an opportunity to become accustomed to camp life. They had a long, hard journey before them. The train arrived in Salt Lake City 15 Sept. 1861. They were tired and weary having traveled over one thousand miles over dandy deserts, sometimes by ox team and other times walking.
Often times on the way they would find neither water nor wood, then again they would find an abundance of water and wood but no food for the cattle, and thus they traveled on. It became very tiring. Often times grandfather and grandmother would become so tired out walking that they would hold one another up with one hand and hold to the wagon with the other hand. The only decent stops on the journey were at Devils Gate and Sweet Waters, grandmother again became very sick and remained so until after they had arrived at Salt Lake City. The company arrived about noon Sunday, September 15, 1861.
John W. Sharp and wife were met by Charles Sharp (John’s brother) and David Adams. hey were taken to Brother Adam’s for dinner, which was enjoyed very much, it being the first decent meal they had set down to for nearly six months. Then, too, they were tired and worn out by the journey. Putting everything together they enjoyed the kindness almost beyond description.
After dinner, they left Brother Adams and went with Charles to Union Fort, a distance of about twelve miles south of Great Salt Lake City. One morning John helped his brother, Charles, haul grain from the thresher, as they people were all busy threshing at that time. Tuesday morning he went on the straw stack, but he knew nothing about stacking straw and kept stepping under the machine. It was a regular traid mull machine. The horses kept walking up hill all the time and this kept the machine going.
For a short time after this he worked for twelve dollars a month, and had to receive his pay in whatever he could get; chips and wet stones as the pay was called at that time.
The day before Christmas his brother, Charles, had him take an ox team and go to the city to get Brother Adams and family to spend Christmas with them. It had been raining nearly all day, and the roads were so bad that he could not travel o nState Street, hence it was necessary for him to go on the upper country road by Cottonwood. It was with great difficulty that he reached the city this way. Four o’clock the next morning he, in company with Brother Adams and family left Salt Lake for Union. It was very dark and when they reached Big Field (What is now Liberty Park) they found they were lost. They let the oxen wonder about until daylight, when they found they were again on the upper country road leading to the sugar house. They had mud up to their necks and were cold. It had been snowing up to this time and it had been raining off and on all fall until the roads were full of mud and water. They did not travel much farther, however, until it began to snow harder and grandfather said, of all the snow storms he had ever seen this one took the cake. The snow flakes were the size of a dollar and by the time they had reached Whisky Howard’s place in Big Cottonwood, it was a blinding blizzard. They completely lost their way. Brother Adams went ahead to find the road, but he could see nothing but snow. At last they turned the cattle loose and they followed, thinking the cattle would bring them to some destination anyway. It was necessary for sister Adams and the children to stay in the wagon and be covered with quilts to keep from freezing. They traveled about two miles, letting the cattle lead, when they came up to a fence. A man happened to be in the yard feeding his stock. He came out and asked where they were going. Grandfather told him they were going to Union Fort, but had lost their way. The oxen had taken them to their former home. The man lead them to the gate, showed them the road, and told them they had about two more miles to go. They traveled on and reached their destination about two o’clock pm... thus is took them from about four am to two pm to come from Salt Lake to Union Fort. They were nearly frozen. Grandfather said that his hair was frozen to his neck and his face was all colors but the right one. It took him the rest of the day to thaw out. Thus he spent his first Christmas in the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
On 16 May 1863, he was ordained into the 23rd Quorum of the Seventy and subsequently set apart as one of the presidents of that quorum. On the 9 Aug. 1866 he was called to go to Sanpete County on an Indian expedition and left Salt Lake in Major Andrew H. Burt’s company, for the purpose of protecting the inhabitants of that country form the ravages of the Indians, who had been preying upon the settlers for years. He was gone on that expedition about two months.
At the election in Sandy in August 1874, when Robert N. Baskin ran against George Q. Cannon for delegate to congress, the liberals took the ballot box by force from Judge Harrision. Brother Sharp jumped into the midst of the crowd, secured the box and returned it to the judge. In return, Brother Sharp received a terrible beating fro the mob. Nevertheless, he remained on his post all day.
At the regular conference held in October 1876, he was called to go on a preaching mission to the Southern states. On the 20th of November, following, he left Salt Lake City in company with Elders Henry G. Boyle, William Calder, and Joseph Argle and a number of others destined for the same field. He was appointed to labor in the state of Tennessee, with headquarters at R.R.CHurch at Shady Grove on Duck River. He prosecuted his missionary work in that state for about one year. In January 1877, his companion, Elder William Calder, had to return home because of sickness, and Elder Sharp then traveled alone until 24 Feb. 1877 when he was joined by Joseph Argle. In that state he was treated very kindly by the people, pabtized quite a number, organized a branch at Totty’s Bend, and experienced the power of God on several occasions, especially in on particular instance when a sister was miraculously healed. Finally, Elder Sharp was taken sick with ague and fever, and was brought down very low; so much so, that nothing short of the power of God saved his life. In consequence of this, he had to return home. He did not fully recover from this attack until several years later. In June 1877, and while he was yet in Tennessee, he was appointed to preside over the Sandy Branch of the Union Ward of the Salt Lake Stake, continuing in that calling until the close of the year 1884. He presided over the Sandy Branch until it was organized into a ward, 3 Sept. 1882 and Ezkiel Holman was appointed Bishop.
In 1862, Elder Sharp was sworn in as special policeman in Salt Lake CIty, and was once appointed deputy city marshal by J.T.D.McAllister. He went on the regular force Oct 1883 and was in the city’s marshal office for many years. He acted as police man until 1890, and in that capacity he was for seven years honor as an officer who could be relied upon and one who was performed his duty well and conscientiously.
At the time of the anti-polygamy raid, Elder Sharp was always on hand to render what aid he could to the brethren who were in danger. While he acted on the police force at this time, his wife also rendered efficient service in protecting those who were sought by deputy marshals.
For twelve years John W. Sharp acted as registration agent for the 66th Precinct of the Salt Lake Country, and for three years he acted as Deputy Assessor under B.B. Quinn
As an officer in the church, Elder Sharp in universally known among the saints for his zeal and
integrity to the truth. For six years he labored as a Home missionary in the Salt Lake Stake and for two years in the Jordan Stake.
At the time of the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple (1893) he was appointed to examine all recommends at the entrance and while thus engaged, he caught a number of persons who were trying to get in on false pretenses, among others a regular tramp with a recommend he had found on the street.
Elder Sharp was ordained a High Priest 26 March 1910 by Robert Ellwood. He followed farming for a living since 1890, at Union, (Now East Midvale, 7615 South State Street). He had homesteaded this farm. Nov. 1917, his youngest son, Stephen, bought the old home. John continued t live there the remainder of his days. He passed away 26 March 1923 at the home of his daughter, Esther Evans, where he was visiting at the time. He was an ardent genealogical worker and performed many ordinances for his kindred dead and friends.
He died with a fervent testimony of the gospel on his lips at the ripe old age of 86 years 8 months and 4 days.
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