John William Sharp 1836-1923
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
Jesse Sharp 1874-Deceased John “W” Sharp
found on Familysearch.org
This history of John “W” Sharp, pioneer of 1861 was written by
himself at the request of his granddaughter, Lavera B. Evans Maxfield, for a school assignment in 1914.
I was born in Northampton England July 22, 1836, a son of George Sharp and Ester Richards. I was the sixth child and was christened John Sharp. After coming to Salt Lake City I took the initial (W) so as to identify myself from other John Sharps.
My father was a shoemaker by trade. When I was thirteen years old I started to work for my father fitting shoes. Later I worked for Able & Sons and learned the trade of boot fitting, which consisted of fitting and preparing the top of the shoe ready to be put on the sole.
Soon after I was fourteen my mother told me that she read in the paper an announcement of a course of lectures to be given by Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and said that she would like to go and hear them and asked me if I would like to go with her. So we went and after hearing these lectures we both decided to investigate further. My mother joined the Church in 1850 and I was baptized October 16, 1852 at Northampton by Elder Samuel Park and was confirmed the next day, October 17, 1852 by the same Elder. I was ordained a Deacon February 4, 1855 by Samuel Park and Henry Linner, and ordained an Elder May 25, 1856 under the hands of Elders James Lavender and William Bayliss. I was now nineteen years old and was called to go on a mission and labor as a traveling Elder in the Bedfordshire Conference under the direction of Elder William Bayliss who was President. I continued in this conference until January 1, 1858 when I was appointed to labor and travel in the Norwich Conference. It was while laboring here that I first met Maria Bailey, It was on or about January 10, 1858.
After I had labored here only a short time, Maria and her mother [Ann Maria George] arranged for me to make my home with them when ever I was in Shepdhan district. There was a branch here in Shepdhan, so I was there nearly every week and I grew very fond of Maria. I labored here under the direction of Elders Edwin Scott and William Jefferies until June 20, 1859. Then I was sent to Durham New Castle Upon Tyne pastorate, Carlisle Conference to travel under the presidency of Thomas Wallace and Joseph Stanford. While laboring here I received many gifts and small amounts of money quite often from Maria to help me. I labored there until April 1861.
On March 17, 1861 Maria and myself were married at Norwich England by Elder Eleas H. Blackburn. In April 1861 I was released from my mission to emigrate to Utah. We spent a few days visiting with relatives and friends and on April 20, 1861 we left Northampton for Liverpool and sailed for the United States April 23, 1861.
We crossed the Ocean on the Clipper Ship. It took thirty days to reach New York making the date May 23, 1861 and eleven days from here to Florence, Nebraska by way of Chicago, arriving there June 2, 1861. We stayed here a month. Before we left Chicago I spent the last of my money for medicine for Maria. We also met a missionary who had been to England on a mission and knew Maria. They talked for a while and had a short visit together while waiting for the train. When it was time to say goodbye he shook hands first with Maria and then with myself and he left a $2.50 Gold piece in my hand and wished us well. This was about all the money we had until reaching Salt Lake City. We left Chicago by train for Quincy [Illinois] then on the Mississippi River to Hannibal then by train to St. Joseph and from there by steam boat to Florence, Nebraska, arriving June 2, 1861. We laid over there until about July 2 or 4,1861waiting for the Church [wagon] train for Utah to come. Meanwhile we had to live in old lumber shanties and dugouts. We had to crowd in as best we could and at night spread our beds of blankets and quilts on the floor. We laid there like sardines in cans.
While waiting I took a job with Daniel Cliff and Thomas Hawkins to drive a freight team of oxen across the plains to Utah. I helped them herd their cattle here and was in one of the worst storms I could remember of being in.
After about two weeks of work Maria became very ill, so I thought it best to give up my job and go with the Church Train with my wife. This company was commanded by Captain Ira Eldridge. Finally the train was loaded and everybody ready. This was about July 4, 1861. We were on our way. We traveled only a few miles the first few days, so as to get accustom to camp life.
When we got to Devil Gate we had a general clean up and then to Sweet Water Wyoming. Maria and myself walked most of the way. We traveled over a thousand miles across the desert by ox team and by foot.
Sometimes we could find no wood or water and had to use buffalo chips to burn and go sparingly on water. Other places plenty of this but no feed for the cattle but we traveled on until we reached Salt Lake City, Utah, Sunday noon, September 15, 1861.
My brother, Charles, and David Adams were there to meet us. We were taken to Brother Adam’s home on the corner of 7th East and 1st South and had a real good dinner which we enjoyed very much. It was the first real meal we had since leaving England. After dinner we left with Charles to go to Union Fort where he lived. It was twelve miles from Salt Lake City. We arrived safely.
We rented a place from Silas Richards in the Union Fort to live in. The next morning which was Monday I helped my brother haul grain from the thresher. Everyone was threshing. The next day I helped stack straw and what ever there was I could do. They used the Tread Mill Machine to thresh the grain. The horses kept walking up hill and this kept the machine running.
Maria and myself stayed there until 1862. I worked for whoever I could for whatever I could get. I got work for two or three months for twelve dollars a month, taking chips and wet stones for pay as it was called in those days.
The day before Christmas 1861 Charles asked me if I would take the ox team and wagon and go to Salt Lake City to Brother Adams and bring his family to their home for Christmas. [When driving a team of oxen you walk beside them you do not sit up on a wagon seat.] So I went, it had been raining for sometime and was still raining. The roads were really bad. I went by way of Cottonwood as it was figured the best road. I got there and we all left about 4’clock Christmas morning to go to Fort Union. It was very dark and when we reached Big Field, what was later called Liberty Park, we found that we were lost. We let the oxen wander until daylight and we found ourselves on upper county road headed for Sugar House. We were muddy and cold and it started to snow. The flakes were nearly as big as half a dollar. By the time we reached Whisky Howard’s place in Cottonwood it was a blinding storm. We traveled on but became more confused and finally as a last resort we turned the oxen loose, that is we never tried to guide them in hopes they would find their way home. Sister Adams and family were in the wagon wrapped up in quilts to try to keep warm. The oxen led us up to a fence and a man was in the yard feeding his cattle, he asked me where we were going? I told him we were trying to find Fort Union but had lost our way. The oxen led us to their home before Charles Sharp had bought them. The man then instructed us which way to go and told us we had only about two miles to go. We thanked him and was on our way. We arrived home about 2’Oclock. My hair was frozen to my neck and we were nearly all frozen. This is how I spent my first Christmas in Utah. I continued to do whatever I could to earn a little to get by on.
It was here in the Union Fort on February 6, 1862 our first child was born. We named him John George Sharp, but called him George. About this time I got an opportunity to go to work for Brigham Young in his shoe shop. So in may1862 we moved to Salt Lake City. The only place I could find to move into was a dugout in the ground, about 10ft. by 9ft. with a dirt roof and dirt floor. We moved in and lived here until the fall of the same year, when I bought a piece of ground across the street which was on the corner of 1st South and 7th East. Here I built a large dugout and lined it with adobe bricks that I made myself. We lived here while I built a two room home of adobe brick on top of the ground. After we got moved in I added a kitchen on. We were very happy to be living above ground. We lived here for ten years. I continued to work for Brigham Young until 1864.
In 1862 I was sworn in as special policeman in Salt Lake City and a little later I was appointe4d Deputy City Marshall by J. D. F. McAllister. On May 16, 1863 I was ordained a Seventy in the Twenty-third Quorum of Seventies by Charles Lambert and later on January 1876 I was set apart as President of the Twenty-Third Quorum of Seventy by Charles Lambert. After the arrival of Connor’s Army, [Johnston’s Army] in 1862, I was on guard one night a week at the Simmons home and one night a week at the Lion House for a long time. In the spring of 1863 I spent one month on guard at the Twentieth Ward School house which was the place of rendezvous for Companies A and B of the Third Regiment of the infantry of the Nauvoo Legion.
I was also appointed special policeman to patrol different wards in the eastern part of the city at night in consequence of depredations that were being committed on citizens and their properties by the soldiers from Camp Douglass. An 1864 I went to work for William Jennings at the Hooper Tanning Company and worked for him in his store until he sold out to Z.C.M.I. in 1869. I then continued to work for the Z.C.M.I. In 1870 I was elected secretary of Engine Company No. 1 of the volunteer fire department and went in the Wooden Gun Rebellion in November 21, 1870 and was now the 1st Sergeant of Company B, 3rd Infantry of the Nauvoo Legion.
Times were hard, flour sometimes went up to $25.00 or $30.00 per hundred and wood was $40.00 a cord, but we made the best of it.
On one occasion Brigham Young and his Counselor had gone south on business, while they were away Daniel H. Wells was captured, [Most likely he was charged with polygamy.] and taken prisoner to Camp Douglas, On a Saturday night. On Sunday morning Brother Crow and I went to Camp Douglas to see Brother Wells and were detained to be Brother Wells bodyguard there until Monday morning. Then we guarded him on his way to court for trial and then we were released to go home.
On July 25, 1866 I enrolled to go and help fight the Indians. On August 9, 1866I was called to go to Sanpete County with a Company of 72 men under command of Major Andrew Burt and Charles Crow. We left Salt Lake City for the scene of trouble. I was Sergeant of the 2nd Platoon of Company B at this time under Captain C. R. Crow. We were gone for better than three months (112 days) to be exact. I was honorably discharged November 5, 1866. This was called the Black Hawk War.
In 1871 the citizens became excited over people who had small pox and there was an ex-Judge Strickland who had these small pox. The people demanded that he should be taken out of the City.
But, he and his family and his Doctor defied the request. So I was appointed Deputy City Marshall under J. D.G. McAllister and ordered to raise a posse of men and take Mr. Strickland up to the Post House on the hill South of Camp Douglas. This caused considerable excitement among Mr. Strickland’s friends and they promised that they would take him out of the City themselves; but instead they built a fence across the street at the North and South ends of the block that Mr. Strickland lived on so that no teams and wagons could pass down the street, but left it so people could walk down. I was ordered again my Mr. McAllister and Chief of Police Andrew Burt to take my posse of men and go get Mr. Strickland and take him to the Post House which we did.
I was one of the officers engaged in the spilling of liquors in the Englubrecht Case who refused to pay for his liquor license. As Deputy Marshal I assisted Marshal McAllister and other officers in closing the Saloons, in 1871 for not paying their license. Myself and Mr. C. H. Crow were in charge of James Corbett’s place in the Great Western Hotel located in the Snow building between State Street and Main Street.
In the meantime I had homesteaded 160 acres on State Street so in 1872 we sold our city property and moved to our farm. Daniel Jones and I hauled ore from Alta, a mining town at the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon, to Sandy City, to the sampling mills run by Arthur Cushing. We used a narrow track wagon and team of horses. It was figured a two day trip. We worked at this making one or two trips a week for several months. I had borrowed money from William Jennings to help build my home on State street, so I worked hard and saved all I could to pay this loan back. When the time came to pay it I had the amount of money I had borrowed saved, but not enough to pay interest. Brother Jennings, having known me so well told me to forget the interest as long as I had paid all the money back.
On June 11, 1874, I was in the City hall when Major Gordon came down from Camp Douglas with a troop of Calvary men and marched them through the City Hall and ordered his men to bread down the door of the City Jail and let out a soldier prisoner, which they did and took their man to Camp Douglas. The man’s name was Thomas Hackett who had been arrested for assault and battery on one ex-Judge McCardy. Then came August 1874 and there was an election in Sandy for Delegates to Congress. When Mr. Robert N. Baskin ran against George Q. Cannon I was one of the [ballot box] guards. The Liberals took the ballot box from Judge Harrison by force. I took a big risk and rushed into the middle of the mob and secured the ballot box; but was very badly beaten; a little later the mob got me and tried to tie me up, which they did and put me on the railroad track so the train would run over me, but I finally got loose and went back to my guard duty.
The mob found out I got loose and surrounded the town of Sandy determined to catch me when I was going home. I never went home on the train that was supposed to make a scoop at Midvale but I remained there until the later train came through Sandy going to Salt Lake City non-stop. I boarded this train and I talked with the conductor and told him my story and asked him if they would stop the train at Midvale and let me off. They did and I got off and ran most of the way home so as not to be caught on the street when and if the mob found out I took the train headed for Salt Lake City.
At the General Conference in Salt Lake City on October 6, 1876 they called me on a mission to the Southern States and on November 19th, or 20th, 1876 I left Salt Lake City for my mission in company with Elders Henry G. Moyle, William Calder, Joseph Angle and others. We traveled by way of Ogden, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis, Evansville, Nashville, and Columbia on the railroad. We arrived at Columbia on the evening of Tuesday November 28, 1876 at 9 P.M. We put up at Nelson Hotel which cost each of us $1.50 for a bed and breakfast next morning.
The next day, Wednesday November 29th, 1876, Brother William Calder and myself were appointed to labor together. We hired a light spring wagon from the livery stable for $5.00 and was driven by a Negro to Shady Grove. We arrived about noon. We were appointed to labor in the state of Tennessee with headquarters at R. R. Church and Shady Grove on the Duck River. When we arrived at Brother. R. R. Church’s They were not at home; but shortly after our arrival Brother J.E. Church came and invited us to come to his home and stay until his brother came back from Nashville’s On the 4th day of December 1876 Brother and Sister R.R. Church came home and was glad to see us. They gave us a hearty welcome to their home, telling us their home was our home as long as we were in that part of the country.
We stayed with them and visited many saints and had our meetings. During the winter there were several marriages and parties and we Elders were always invited. We enjoyed ourselves very much. We would assist Brother Church with the feeding of his livestock and what other chores that there were to do.
We not only preached the Gospel but we blessed and comforted many people. We also healed the sick. One or two cases of healing the sick were very humble circumstances and aroused the people to such extent that they came for miles around to see and hear us preach.
We made many friends among the people and we had more invitations to go preaching than we could find time for. In one case while I was traveling alone, I was; invited to visit a man who was a cousin of the Church family, who had forbidden any of his relatives who were Mormons to enter his house and they had not done so. But, as I had been asked, I went with one of his uncles, Charles Church and was introduced to them as a Mormon Elder from Utah. We soon got into a conversation and talked about almost everything pertaining to the gospel and religion of Mormon people. We conversed until about 2 O’clock in the morning. He asked me if I would preach to the people in his town. I told him if he could get a place for me to preach in I would be glad to stay over and preach to them and he was delighted. He had me pray and bless the food at his home. He obtained the use of the Methodist Church with lights free and all. I preached that evening and they were real pleased about the gospel and our way of marriage. When I left, Mr. Church also told me his home was mine whenever I was in that part of the state; and also, that the barn had a stall in which I could always put my horse in to grain and feed it. I pursued my missionary work in the State of Tennessee for a little over 1 ½ years.
In January 1877 my partner, Elder William Caldwell, became very ill and had to return home so he left me January 29, 1877. I labored by myself until February 24, 1877 when I was joined by Joseph Argyle. We baptized several members and organized a branch of the church at Lottys Bend. I experienced the power of God on many occasions. One in particular when a Sister was miraculously healed. It was about 5 PM May 25, 1877 when Brother Rufus Coleman delivered Sister Moore’s message to Brother Argyle and myself. She was very sick and not expected to survive the night and she desired the Elders to come and administer to her, We hardly knew what to do, our first desire was to go to the Sister at once but we had to conduct a meeting that evening and there was not time to make the trip before the meeting. We told Brother Coleman our problem and promised to go first thing the next morning but he replied that it would be too late as she would be dead long before morning if we didn’t come. We Eldeers then told him that we would go just as ssoon as we could make it. We also promised him that all would be all right with her until we got there and he left. Brother Argyle and I retired into the woods where no mortal eye could behold us; there we bowed our heads in humble supplication before our Father in Heaven presenting unto him Sister Moore’s case. We implored him that in as much as she had sent for us and our other duties had prevented us from 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 her behalf. After this we went to our meeting. We arose early the next morning saddled our horses and started out to visit Sister Moore. About half way there we were met by her brother, Mr. Bryant who informed us that the Moore’s were expecting us. Also that Sister Moore was much improved. We Elders inquired as to what time she had commenced to get better. He told us about sundown the evening before. It was about 9:15 AM May 6th, 1877 when Mr. Argyle and I reached the Moore’s home and found the patient resting comfortably not looking at all like a woman who the previous evening was so near death. We asked again about the time an improvement in her condition had first been noticed and the reply was late afternoon, just before sundown. Then we related how we had gone to the Lord in prayer inn her behalf. We two servants of the Lord now testified that thee Lord had truly heard and answered our petition.
After friends and neighbors had left and things had become calm and quiet we administered to Mrs. Moore. Brother Argyle anointing and I sealing the ordinances. We were invited to stay for dinner. We accepted and had dinner with the family and Sister Moore eating a hearty meal.
When we departed Brother Bryant accompanied us for a way and while riding along he told us how the evening before Mr. Moore had experienced a strange feeling, one that he could not comprehend. It was ass ;if some power had come over him and he felt like something must be going on somewhere; although, he had no idea what it could be. He noted that this feeling came over him about the time that Rufus Coleman should have reached the Elders with the message. He was outside at thee time and went 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 night’s sleep which was something she had not had for a long time.
To myself and Brother Argyle this was a double testimony that the Lord had indeed heard and answered our prayers. On May 29h, 1877 we again visited Sister Moore to see how she was getting along. We found her up and doing her work. She was much better. She related to us how angry her Doctor was when he found out she had called the Mormon Elders. This doctor was present the morning when we Elders made our first call but he remained quiet and left. However, he returned the same evening in a very indignant manner. He demanded all the medicine he had given her and declared he would not help people who called in the Mormon Elders.
Soon after this I became ill with Meason Poison which caused Malaria Fever. I was so sick that nothing they did helped. But, by the power of God through faith and the Elders faith I was saved and got well enough to come home. AS soon as Maria got word of my illnesses she went to Brother Charles H. Crow and he took her to Deseret National Bank and she borrowed $80.00 for my fare home. Mariah sent it to me the same day. When I arrived home I was very ill but with the good care my wife gave me I was on my way to recovery in a few months.
While still on my mission in 1877 there was a meeting in Salt Lake City and I was appointed to preside over the Sandy Branch of the Union Ward of Salt Lake Stake of Zion, which I held until September 23, 1881, when it was organized into a ward and Elder Ezekiel Holman was appointed and set apart as the first Bishop. I was still sick in bed when I took this office and I organized the Sunday School at Sandy while still in bed. Brother Thomas H. Smart took charge until I recovered.
In October 1878 I was set apart as Home Missionary in the Salt Lake Stake of Zion. I continued in this calling until 1884, and later labored in the Jordan Stake as Home Missionary for 6 years. In 1879 I went back to work at Z.C.M.I.
At the time of the anti-polygamy raids I was always on hand to help in whatever way I could. In 1882 when the anti-polygamy law was passed and the registration oath was to be taken by all voters, I spent one week in Sandy attending to this matter with Mr. Campbell who was a registration man and a bitter anti-Mormon.
In 1883 Captain Andrew C. Burt was killed and the Mayer and W. G. Phillips who was now appointed Chief of Police and Marshal of the City arranged for me to leave
Z.C.M.I. in 1883 and go to the City Hall on the regular police force. I was the right hand man to the Chief all of his term which was nearly three years and I continued during four years that Alfred Solomon was Chief. Then the Rebels came into power in 1890 and everyone was let out. The same year 1890 I was elected treasurer of the East Jordan Canal Company and held that position for twelve years. I was registration agent of Union for the 66th precinct for teen years, and was deputy tax assessor in Salt Lake County under B.B. Quinn for three years, and was also President and Director of the Union and East Jordan Irrigation Company for several years. In 1890 I was set apart as President of the 93rd Quorum of Seventies.
In 1893 at the time of the dedication of the Temple in Salt Lake City, I was called upon to examine all recommends at the entrance gate, and while doing so I caught several who were trying to get in with false recommends, also one who had found a recommend and tried to pass as the individual.
My brother Charles Sharp came to the United States in March 1856 and stayed in New York until 1857 when he came to Utah. He sent me some money to help me get to this country, so when I homesteaded my 1660 acres I divided it with my brother, Charles, each having eighty acres. I later gave each or my children ten acres or there about as they married and sold a little. But I kept about 20 acres for myself and sold this to my youngest son in 1917 and I lived with them. From 1890 I settled down to farming on my farm on State Street in Union Ward.
On February 23, 1910 my wife passed away, after being bed fast and paralyzed for three and one-half years. I misses her very much, and the home was very lonely without her.
On March 26, 1910 I was ordained a High Priest by Robert Elwood.
Grandfather had a true testimony of the Gospel and spent a good part of his life preaching the Gospel. Nearly fifteen years in all. He passed away at the home of his daughter Ann Maria Easter Bailey Sharp Evans, March 26 1923 after a lingering illness.
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