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Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 13 March 1842

Source Note

, Letter, , Lancashire, England, to JS and the , , Hancock Co., IL, 13 Mar. 1842; handwriting of ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes addresses and docket.
Bifolium measuring 13 × 8¼ inches (33 × 21 cm). The bifolium was originally part of a larger book used as a ship’s passenger manifest. Each preprinted page includes eight columns of varying widths demarcated by red vertical lines. Red horizontal lines create a header row containing column titles: “No. of Ticket.”, “NAMES.”, “Age.”, “Under 14.”, “Under 7.”, “Infts.”, “OCCUPATION.”, and “WHERE BOUND TO.” Below the header row, each page is ruled with forty blue horizontal lines. The text of the letter is written across the columns of the first three pages. The bifolium was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed with both the mailing address and return mailing information, and sealed with two red adhesive wafers. Remnants of the adhesive wafers are on the verso of the second leaf. The letter was later refolded for filing.
The document was docketed by , who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844 and as temple recorder from 1842 to 1846. It may be one of the 1842 letters from listed in inventories that were produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early docket as well as its possible inclusion in the circa 1904 inventories and its inclusion in the JS Collection by 1973 indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18, 30–31.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

  2. [2]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2]; “Index to Papers in the Historian’s Office,” ca. 1904, 7, Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  3. [3]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 13 March 1842 wrote to JS and the in , Illinois, concerning a new plan to acquire goods and funds to help streamline the migration of British Saints to the . In April 1841 the apostles in reported that voyages to were less expensive than voyages to but that “it will never do for emigrants to go by New Orleans in the Summer on account of the heat and sickness of the climate.” Therefore, the did not charter vessels in summer 1841. From September 1841 through February 1842, the church chartered five ships that carried approximately 990 converts to New Orleans. A sixth vessel, the Hanover, was scheduled to depart on 14 March 1842 for the Saints’ final voyage before summer.
In his 13 March 1842 letter, introduced and recommended , who planned to depart the following day on the Hanover. Fielding was an English convert who was appointed in April 1841 “to superintend the fitting out of the Saints from to .” Pratt explained that Fielding wanted to secure an emigration agent in and organize travel up the to . In addition, Pratt explained that Fielding would arrange for gold and fabrics from to be exchanged for flour and wheat from Nauvoo. Fielding would bring the flour and wheat with him when he returned to to assist with emigration starting in September. The plan to exchange gold and goods was believed to be mutually beneficial. Nauvoo was functioning as a barter society with an abundance of goods but little monetary wealth. Money was more readily available in Great Britain, but goods there were six times the price of goods in Nauvoo, according to Pratt.
suggested he would send the letter via , who departed for the three days after Pratt wrote the letter. The absence of postal markings suggests that the letter was hand delivered. JS responded to Pratt on 12 June 1842, noting that would return to England as Pratt requested.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “An Epistle of the Twelve,” Millennial Star, Apr. 1841, 1:311.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  2. [2]

    Sonne, Ships, Saints, and Mariners, 148. The ships were the Tyrian, Chaos, Tremont, Hope, and John Cumming.

    Sonne, Conway B. Ships, Saints, and Mariners: A Maritime Encyclopedia of Mormon Migration, 1830–1890. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987.

  3. [3]

    “An Epistle of the Twelve,” Millennial Star, Apr. 1841, 1:311.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  4. [4]

    In a January 1842 letter to Pratt, Joseph Fielding described the economy in Nauvoo, stating that “almost all things here are carried on without the use of money.” (Joseph Fielding, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, Jan. 1842, in Millennial Star, Aug. 1842, 3:79.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  5. [5]

    Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 4 Dec. 1841.

  6. [6]

    Letter from George J. Adams, 21 Apr. 1842.

  7. [7]

    Hyrum Smith and JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, Liverpool, England, 12 June 1842, CHL.

Page [1]

March 13th 1842
Dear Brethren President Smith and the , I Drop you a hasty line to Inform you that Br sets sail tomorrow Morning for With the Ship Hanover, 230 passengers. He is Coming on a visit, and on Buisiness, and I Can, with all Confidence Recomend him to you as an honest, prudent and trustworthy man Who has the Building up of and the of the People at heart.
Some Merchants here entirely unconnected with the have advanced us about 3,000 Dollars in Gold to Buy flour in , and vicinity to ship Back here for the supply of Our ships and other ships next fall and Winter. We have Laid out about 2000 Dollars in Wollens, Merinoes, Delanes [delaines], Muslins, and the most sale[a]ble goods, purchased at the Lowest Cash terms in the Market, will Bring these and some Gold to in Order to make an immediate exchange for flour, and some Wheat. to Bring Back with him, to be here by the first of September next, at Which time he must be here to attend to Emigration as no one can fill his place, as it takes much experience as well as care and prudence to Charter and fit up a ship and provision for Emigrants.
He also wishes to Cooperate with you in the Establishment of an Agent in , and a provision for River Navigation, as We now almost hold the keys of the port of [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 13 March 1842
ID #
787
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:243–248
Handwriting on This Page
  • Parley P. Pratt

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The Millennial Star advertised Pratt and Fielding’s charter of “the First Class American Ship, ‘Hanover,’” scheduled to depart on 12 March 1842. (“Emigration,” Millennial Star, Mar. 1842, 2:176; Sonne, Ships, Saints, and Mariners, 91–92.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

    Sonne, Conway B. Ships, Saints, and Mariners: A Maritime Encyclopedia of Mormon Migration, 1830–1890. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987.

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