This history is in a file I got from my grandmother when she passed away. There are more things in the file and I will post them as I have time. I am currently focusing on the typing the hundreds of histories and then will focus on the other aspects of the files. (news paper articles, obituaries, and photos)
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
John “W” Sharp
Pioneer of 1861
This History has been gathered and compiled by his granddaughter, Violette S. Cutler, from his writings and notes and has been read and approved by his son, John George Sharp. Re-typed by Kierston Scott
My grandfather, John “W” Sharp, was born in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, July 22 1836. He was the sixth child of George and Esther Richards Sharp. He was christened John Sharp but after coming to Utah he took the initial “W” to identify himself from other John Sharps living in the city. He stayed at home and assisted his parents until he was nineteen years of age. His father was a shoemaker and John learned the trade of boot-fitter which consisted of preparing and fitting the tops of the shores (shoes) to the soles.
His mother was responsible for his becoming interested in the church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) at an early age/ SHe had seen a placard announcing a course of lectures to be given by the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which she decided to attend and she took her son, John along. Soon after this she accepted the new gospel and two years later, at the age of 16, John followed in her footsteps, being baptized on October 16, 18520, at Northampton, England, by Elder Parks, and he was confirmed the following day by the same Elder. He was ordained a Deacon February 1855 and an Elder May 25, 1856 under the hands of Elders James Lavender and William Bayliss. He was nineteen years of age at this time, and was immediately called to labor as a traveling Elder, in Bedforshire Conference, under the Presidency of William Bayliss. He continued in this conference until January 1, 1858, when he was appointed to labor and travel in Norwich Conference. He worked there under the direction of EdwinCsott and William Jefferies until June 20, 1859. Then he was sent to New-Castle-Upon-Tyne Pastorate to travel under the presidency of Thomas Wallace and Joseph Stanford. There he labored in the Durham, New-Castle-Upon-Tyne and Carlisle Conferences until April 1861 when he was released to emigrate to Utah. During the five years spent as a missionary he met with much opposition and was often mobbed.
He was married to Ann Maria Bailey March 17,1861 in Norwich, England by Elder B. H. Blackburn, and together they made the long hard journey to Utah. They crossed the sea on the Clipper ship “Underwriter” which sailed from Liverpool April 23, 1861 and thirty days later (May 23) they landed in New York. On June the second they arrived at Florence, Nebraska, the out fitting place for the Saints en-route to Utah. This course was covered sometimes by train and other times by steamboat up the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers. They stayed at Florence 30 days, awaiting the arrival of the church train from Utah.
While laying over at Florence, grandfather agreed to drive a team of ten oxen across the plaines for Daniel Clut (Cluft) and Thomas Hawkins, who were loading freight. He helped them herd their cattle while getting ready for the trek west-ward. One of the men who was helping with the cattle fell asleep one day and Brother Hawkins and Sharp decided to wake him up; they drove the cattle around him several times and when that didn’t disturb him, they pulled off his boots but he still slept on. While here grandfather witnessed the worst storm of his life up to that time.
The church train arrived July 1st but grandmother ( Ann Maria Bailey Sharp) had taken very sick, so grandfather (John “W” Sharp) was unable to keep his engagement with Brothers Hawkins and Cluft (Clut). He and grandmother took the church train.
It was a long hard journey; they walked most of the way across a thousands miles of hot sandy desert. There were only two decent stops on the way: One at “Devils Gate” and one at “Sweet Waters.” They made camp at these places and had a general clean up. The trials were many; some days they would not find any firewood, so they would gather buffalo chips to burn: other times they had no water; then again there would be plenty of wood and water but no feed for their cattle, however, there was always an abundance of sand and dust.
Soon after leaving “Sweet Waters” grandmother (Ann Maria Bailey Sharp) again became very sick and remained so until they reached Salt Lake City. Grandfather (John “W” Sharp) said that at times they became so tired that they tried to hold one another up with one hand while they held to the wagon with the other one.
The company arrived in Great Salt Lake City about noon Sunday, September 15, 1861. Grandfather (John W Sharp) and Grandmother (Ann Maria Bailey Sharp) were met at the SUgar House by Charles, Grandfather’s brother and Brother David Adams. They were taken to the Adams’ home for dinner, which they enjoyed very much; it being the first decent meal they had sat down to for almost six months. They were so tired and weary that the kind hospitality was appreciated beyond their power of expression. After dinner they left the Adams’ home for Union Fort, a distance of 12 miles with Charles.
It was harvest time so the people were all busy thrashing their grain, and Monday morning grandfather (John W Sharp) went to work with his brother, Charles, helping him haul grain from the thrasher. Tuesday morning he went on the straw stack, but he knew nothing about stacking straw, and he repeatedly stepped under the machine. It was a regular “Thread Mill” machine; the walking, walking up hill all the time kept it going.
For a short time after this he worked for 12 dollars a month and had to accept his pay in whatever he could get, “fish and chips” as it was then called. After this job he worked wherever he could, getting a few days here and there.
The day before Christmas his brother, Charles, asked him to go to the city and bring David Adams and family out to spend Christmas with them. It was with great difficulty that he reached the city; it had been raining most of the day, and the roads were in terrible condition from the autumn rain falls. One couldn’t travel on state street so he went by Cottonwood on the upper country road.
Four o’clock Christmas morning, having the Adams’ family with him he started for Union, but by the time they had reached, Big Field, now Liberty Park, they decided they were lost. It was too dark to see so they just let the oxen wander bout until daylight, when they found that hey were on the upper country road leading to the Sugar House. THe oxen were knee deep in mud, and it was cold; before long it began to snow, the flakes were the size of a half dollar: it was a blinding blizzard by the time they reached ‘Whisky Howard's” place, this place was a saloon on the upper country road which was owned and operated by Howards. By the time they reached the settled country again they found they were lost once more, Brother Adams walked ahead trying to find the road, but the snow was to blinding; they let the oxen lead the way, hoping that they would soon reach some destination. It was so cold that sister Adams and children had to stay in the wagon and keep covered with quilts to keep from freezing. After going about two miles they came up to a fence where a man was feeding his stock: he came over an enquired as to where they were going. They told him and he proceeded to show them the way. The oxen had taken them to their former home and it was only about two miles to the home of Charles Sharp. They arrived about 2 P.M.
It had taken them ten hours to come from Salt Lake CIty to Union, a distance of 12 miles. They were numb with cold, grandfather’s (John W Sharp) hair was frozen to his neck, and his face was every color but the right one, so he said. It took the rest of the day to thaw out and thus he spent his first Christmas in the Valley of Great Salt Lake.
In the spring of 1862 my grandparents moved to Salt Lake City where grandfather bought half a lot on the corner of First south and Seventh E st. Street. Their first dwelling was a dug out with a dirt roof, however, living in this condition was of the short duration; grandfather built a two room house of adobes, with a lean to kitchen of lumber. They lived here for ten years.
From 1862 until 1864 grandfather ( John W Sharp) was employed by Brigham Young. He worked in President Young’s store at his trade of boot fitter. After the arrival of Conner’s Army, he was on guard at the Lion House one night each week, and in the spring of 1863 he spent one month at the Twentieth Ward school house, it being the rendezvous for companies A and B of the 3rd infantry of the Nauvoo legion. He was appointed special policeman to patrol the streets in the eastern part of the city at nights in consequence of the depredations being committed on the citizens and their property by the soldiers from Camp Douglas.
On May 16,1863 he was ordained into the Twenty-third Quorum of Seventy, and subsequently set apart as one of the presidents of the Quorum, and on January 8, 1876 he was set apart as President by Charles Lambert.
From 1864 to 1869 he was employed by WIlliams Jennings; first at the Hooper Tanning Company, and later at his warehouse. When Mr. Jennings sold out to the Z.C.M.I grandfather continued his work under the new management.
On August 9, 1866 he was called to go to San Pete COunty on an Indian Expedition and he left Slat Lake with 72 other men under command of Andrew Burt, for the purpose of protection the saints of that county from the ravagers of the Indians, who had been preying upon the settlers for a number of years. He was Sargent of the Second Platoon of company B. His captain was C. H. Crow. He was discharged November 5, 1866.
He was secretary of the engine company W A I of the volunteer fire department in 1870 and in the “Wooden Gun” rebellion November 21st. He was not First Sargent of Company B Third Infantry of the Nauvoo Legion, for which muster and drill, several officers were arrested and put in prison at Camp Douglas.
In 1871 the citizens were excited over an outbreak of Small-pox. There was a “Pest House” on the hill of Camp Douglas where all persons having the disease were to be taken and cared for. One ex-judge, Strickland, contacted the disease, but he, his family and his doctor defied the city order; where upon grandfather (John W Sharp) was appointed special Deputy City Marshall under J.D.C. McAllister, and told to raise a posse and go take him to the “Pest House.” This caused much excitement, and the sick man’s family now promised to obey the city ordinance. But instead they proceeded to block off the street at the north and south ends so that no teams could travel past the house; however, pedestrians could go back and forth as they pleased. Marshal McAllister and Police Chief Andrew ::/ Burt now ordered grandfather and his men to go in and remove the sick man, which they did.
He was one of the officers engaged in the spilling of liquor in the “Englebrecht Case,” and as special Deputy City Marshal, he assisted Marshal McAllister and other s in closing saloons in 1871 for not paying their license. Grandfather and C.H. Crow were in charge of the James Corlett Place, in the Great Western Hotel located in the Snot Building.
He sold his city property in 1872 and moved his family to their new home on South State Street, where he had taken up a home-stead. This was in the Union Ward (Now East Midvale First) at 7615 South State.
He was appointed to look after the election in Sandy in 1874, when Robert M. Baskin run against George Q. Cannon for delegate to congress: the Liberals took the ballot box by force from Judge Issac Harriosn; grandfather at the risk of his life jumped into the midst of the crowd, secured the box and returned it to the judge. In return he received a terrible beating, but never the less remained at his post all day.
At the regular Conference held in 1876 he was called to go on a mission to the Southern States, and on November 20th he left Sale Lake in company with Elders Henry G. Boyle, William Galder, Joseph Argyle, and a number of others. He was appointed to labor in the state of Tennessee with headquarters at the home of R.R. Church at Shady Grove, on Duck River. He prosecuted his missionary work in that state for about a year.
In January 1877 his partner, Elder William Calder, had to return home because of sickness; grandfather then traveled alone until February 24th when he was joined by Elder Joseph Argyle/
In that state he was treated very kindly by the people, baptized quite a number, organized a Branch at Tetty’s Bend, and experienced quite a number of times the power of God. Especially on one particular instance when a sister was miraculously healed. It was about 5 P.M. May 25, 1877 when Brother Rufus Coleman Delivered Sister Moore’s message to them. She was very sick, not expected to live through the night and she desired to have the Elders come and administer to her. Grandfather and Elder Argyle hardly knew what to do; their desire was to go to the woman at once but they had to conduct a meeting that evening and there wasn’t time to make the trip before the services. They explained this to Brother Coleman and promised to come just as soon as they could; first thing the next morning. He replied that that would be much too late as she would be dead long before morning. The Elders promised him that all would be well with her until they could get to her. Brother Argyle and grandfather then retired into the woods where to mortal eye could behold them and there they bowed down in humble supplication before their Father in Heaven, presenting unto Him Sister More’s case. They implored Him, that in-as-much as she had sent for them and other duties had prevented their going to her immediately, that He would spare her life and stay the hand of the destroyer, and rebuke the disease, and raise her up; that His Almighty Power might be made manifest in Sister Moore, who they had never seen nor knew nothing about. About half way to her home they were met by her brother Mr. Bryant, who informed them that the Moore’s were expecting them; also hat she was much improved. They inquired as to what time she had commenced to get better; they were told about sundown the evening before. It was about 9:15 A.M. when they reached the Moore home and they found the patient resting comfortably, not looking at all like a woman, who the previous evening had been so near dead. They asked again at what time an improvement in her condition had been noticed, and the reply was “late afternoon but before sundown.” Then the Elders related how they had gone to the Lord in prayer in her behalf, and these two Elders now testified that the Lord had truly heard and answered their prayers. After friends and neighbors had left and it had become calm and quiet they administered to her, Brother Argyle anointed and grandfather sealed the ordinance and pronounced the blessing. They remained and had dinner with the family and Sister Moore ate a hearty meal. When they departed Brother Bryant accompanied them and while riding along he told them how the evening before Mr. Moore had experience a strange feeling, one that he could not comprehend, it was as if some power had come over him and he felt that something must be going on somewhere although he had no idea what it could be. He noted that this feeling came over him at about the time Brother Coleman should have reached the Elders with his wife’s message. He was outdoors at the time and he came into the house and told his mother about it. They soon noticed that his wife was showing signs of improvement and she continued to improve. She had a good nights sleep something that she had not had for a long time. To grandfather and Brother Argyle this was indeed a double testimony that the Lord had indeed heard and answered their prayers. On May 29, the Elders decided to again call on Sister Moore to see how she was getting along and they found her up and about her home feeling much better. She told them how angry her doctor had been because she had called in the Mormons. This doctor had been present the morning when the Elders made their first call, but he had remained silent; however he returned the same evening in a very indignant manner. He demanded all the medicines which he had left with her, declaring that he would not help people who called in the Mormon Elders. His attitude toward her was very abusive; saying the only reason he had refrained from telling the Elders what he thought of them that morning was because he had not wanted to hurt her feelings. How very consistent (considerate) -- he hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings that morning but when no one was there to help defend the poor weak woman he returned this courageous, noble minded gentleman and poured out his vile wrath upon a people and doctrine of whom he knew nothing. This incidence of the power of healing caused much excitement but mostly people refused to attribute it to the power of God.
Finally grandfather (John W Sharp) became very sick with age and fever and was brought down so 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 and did not fully recover for several years.
In June of 1877 he was set apart as a home missionary in the Salt Lake Stake which then consisted of all Sale Lake County. He served in this calling until 1884.
In 1879 he went back to work for the Z.C.M.I. and had charge of the packing department until 1883.
When Police Captain Andrew H. Burt was killed grandfather was employed by the city on the regular police force under William Philips. He acted on the police force until 1890 where for seven years he was the right hand man of the Chief of Police. He stood number one on the roll of honor as an officer who could be relied on to always perform his duties well and conscientiously. For 12 years he acted as registration agent for the 66th precinct of the Salt Lake County and for three years as deputy county assessor under B.B. Quin.
At the time of the anti-polygamy raid he 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 aid in protecting the brethren who were sought by the deputy marshals.
As an officer in the church he was universally known among the saints for his zeal and integrity to the truth. He labored as a missionary for five years in England, one year in Tennessee, six in the Salt Lake Stake and two in the Jordan Stake; total of 14 years as a missionary.
At 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 trying to get in on false pretenses; among others a regular tramp with a recommend he had found on the streets.
He was ordained a High Priest March 26, 1890 by Robert Ellwood. From 1890 he followed farming for a living. Hew as an ardent genealogical worker and the last years of his life he spent much of his time in the temple laboring for kindred dead and friends.
Grandmother died February 23, 1910 and he then lived alone until November 1917 when his son, Stephen, having bought the old home, moved his family in with him. He and grandmother were blessed with six children; four of whom lived to rear families; John George, Charles Philip, Ann Maria Ester Bailey, and Stephen William. At the time of this writing February 1852 (possibly meant 1952?)Joh George, the oldest, is still actively engaged in his church duties. He is our stake Patriarch and is loved and respected by all who know him.
Grandfather maintained his health and vigor of mind and body until death which took place March 26, 1923 at the age of 87 years, at the home of his daughter, Easter Evans, where he was visiting.
At the last he bore fervent testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel and testified that he had always tried to do his best and that he was now ready to go.
He is loved and revered by friends and family. He has left us his descendants, a good honorable name, a priceless heritage, let us seek to keep is such.
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