George and Sarah Gerrard Barker by Ruth H. Barker
George Barker: March 3, 1795 - November 8, 1869
Sarah Gerrard: April 3, 1791 - 1830
George Barker was born March 3, 1795 to William Barker and Jane Knowles in Shelfanger, Norfolk, England and christened on November 11, 1795.
George first married Charlotte Brazeworth on May 13, 1813 in Shelfanger. However Charlotte died within a few months on July 27, 1813 at the age of 22. George then married Sarah Gerrard on December 18, 1815 in Shelfanger. Sarah was born on April 3, 1791 at Shelfanger.
In 1830 the English government furnished transportation to a number of poor families to America that they might emigrate to a better place to earn their living. Among these families were the George, Frederick, and James Barker families; as well as their sister, Harriet Barker Jarrel and her family from the Shelfanger and Diss area of Norfolk, England. George was 37 years old at this time. The family sailed March 23, 1830 on an old English war vessel, the New Brunswick, which was equipped with armory. The ocean crossing took about thirteen weeks and arrived at Staten Island on June 22, 1830. During the voyage, smallpox broke out and all the Barkers except James, son of George, were down with it at the same time. George’s wife, Sarah Gerrard, died of smallpox and James was the only one of the family to see Sarah lowered into her watery grave, which was done by tying hands and feet and attaching weights and sliding the body down a plank into the ocean. The New Brunswick must have had a rough crossing. No passenger list has yet been located for this arrival. Perhaps because of the smallpox and the ship’s being quarantined, the passenger list was tucked away somewhere and never was presented to the port authorities.
The Barkers settled near the shores of Lake Ontario at Le Ray or Le Roy or Le Rayville, adjacent to Watertown and absorbed into the expanding city of Watertown, New York about 320 miles northwest of New York City. Watertown is in Jefferson County, New York. George somehow managed to take care of his four children and did not remarry during this fifteen year period while he farmed or worked on farms in the Watertown area.
The Barkers while in England were either Methodists or members of the Church of England. The George Barker family and others heard the Gospel in 1842 from Jesse W. Crosbie, Benjamin Brown and Dimick Huntington. Most of them joined the Church that year. George was baptized early in September 1842 by Elder Thomas Dutcher at Adams, New York. In 1842 George traveled west to Nauvoo, Illinois, arriving there shortly after the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. George helped guard the temple site while others were completing the Nauvoo Temple during the winter of 1844-1845. In 1845 he made his way back to his family.
Mary Ann Barker, a cousin, had the gift of tongues and through this and the interpretation, it was revealed to them before the martyrdom that the Prophet Joseph would be assassinated and that many of the Barker family would journey westward with the Church to the Rocky Mountains. Mary Ann Barker, after the trek to Utah, on one occasion was face to face with death from hostile Indians who invaded her home. She spoke to them in tongues with such vehemence that they fled.
When the Barkers arrived at Nauvoo in 1846 they found it almost deserted because of the great exodus. They viewed the Temple and even climbed to its roof. The same day they crossed the Mississippi with their horse teams. They stayed a short time at Mount Pisgah, then, following counsel of their leaders, made their way to Indian Prairie, now Lebanon, Iowa in March 1846, where they recuperated and were able to fit themselves out for the journey to the mountains.
On June 1st, the George and Frederick Barker families arrived at Big Nisbatina and ferried across the river. They paid $.25 for a wagon and team to be ferried across. They camped that night at the a place called Indian Town and then traveled to the Little Nisbatina Ferry and again paid to ferry their team and wagon across the river. They arrived at Council Bluffs, Iowa, on June 8, 1849. Here a large company was organized for the long journey west.
On July 7, 1849, they left for the Rocky Mountains in Captain Allen Taylor’s company of 100, Enoch Rhees’ 50, and David Moore’s 10. Mr. Moore was also secretary of the 100 which consisted of 205 souls, 65 wagons, 292 oxen, 127 cows, 34 yearlings, 21 horses, 1 mule, 148 sheep, 9 pigs, 25 dogs, 15 cats, 2 geese, 5 turkeys, 14 ducks, 31 chickens and 2 doves. The doves, the first brought to Utah, were owned by Robert Porter, who, on leaving for California, May 2, 1850 gave them to Harriet Barker who was then 22 years old. David Moore attached his company of ten to A. H. Perkins’ fifty as the second ten.
President George A. Smith addressed the camps and gave counsel that each person should have plenty of food, clothing, and firearms. If they lacked food, they should not undertake the journey. If they had not plenty of clothing, they might stand in great need before they could make any more for themselves. Also, they would need firearms in passing through the Indian Dominions for the purpose of defending against attack. After exhorting the Saints to unity and faithfulness, the whole meeting was dismissed at about one o’clock p.m.
A letter written by David Moore dated July 19, 1849 addressed to President George A. Smith gives insight to the experience of the journey across the plains. It is as follows:
“Dear Sir;
Once more we deem it a privilege of writing a few lines to you, stating our progress from Elk Horn. We left Wednesday, July 11th and arrived at the Platt River and Old Liberty Pole at night, all safe with the exception of some teams in Capt. Reese’s Company, which took fright from a horse which broke loose from a wagon and some three or four teams set to running with their wagons and run over a woman’s arm and breast and over an old man but they have bot recovered. The two divisions traveled in sight till all arrived at the Looking Glass Creek. Camped there Monday night. The two divisions camped about a mile a part. Capt. Reese’s Company was ahead. At night a heavy shower of rain came on and about 3 o’clock in the morning, the cattle took flight, the cause not known, and broke out of the corral with a mighty rush. The ground jarred and trembled like an earthquake, throwing the camp into confusion and breaking two wagons to the earth and killing four sheep dead and four more injured so they had to kill them and broke off the horns of four head of cattle. Some of the horns were found in the earth and left. They were all found in the morning. Capt. Taylor came to Capt. Reese in the morning. He told him not to corral the cattle at night any ore, but he did not obey the orders. He corralled the cattle at night again but they, taking fright again, broke out of the corral injuring many more of the cattle and they were finally pacified and herded on the open prairie till light in the morning. They were then drove into the corral again and yoked up and many fastened together with chains, and seemed quite tame again, but some sheep taking fright at a dog, it started all the cattle to running again with yokes and chains, running over four men, hurting one of them severely, his life almost despaired of, and laming five or six of the cattle and breaking one sheep’s leg. Capt. Reese called a council of captains and they decided to separate into tens and keep their cattle separate. Accordingly they did so and scattered from Looking Glass Creek to Beaver River.”
(Signed “D. Moore”)
The wagon train arrived in Salt Lake City on October 20, 1849 and upon the advice of President Willard Richards, the Barker brothers and families, along with David Moore’s family were asked to continue on to Ogden. After spending one day, Sunday, hearing Orson Pratt preach, they continued to Sessions Settlement which is now Layton on October 22nd. On October 23rd they were at Brown’s Fort, now Ogden, and on October 24, 1849 they located for the winter on the north side near the junction of the Ogden and Weber Rivers known as Mound Fort. Mound Fort extended from the present 9th to 12th Streets and from the west side of Washington Boulevard to the west side of the mound. Built in 1854, the fort consisted of a wall, surrounding the large mound, nine feet high.
During that first winter the families lived on boiled wheat, milk and butter for about six or eight weeks with the exception of wheat or corn which was ground in coffee mills. The spring of 1850 was late with a big snow storm about April 16, which remained on the ground for three or four days. The crops were late being planted. About the first of June, the crickets came down from the mountains in great numbers and got very near the crops, when the gulls attacked them used them up in short time. By this kind providence the grain was saved.
George’s brother, Frederick and his wife, Ann Bligh, were divorced shortly after arriving in Utah and Ann married George with whom her children were raised.
[image of Ann Bligh and George Barker on their wedding day will not upload, ebf, 2010]
During the 1850s, some of the Ute Indians who lived in and around Ogden went to battle against another tribe. In the skirmish a Paiute woman and her nine month old child were taken prisoners. The mother made her escape and joined her own people, but the baby was purchased from the Indians by Ann Bligh Barker for a pair of blankets and some flour. Ann named the child, Rhoda. Two or three years later the Indian mother learned of the whereabouts of her child. Each year thereafter for several years she called at the Barker home for the little girl bu the child refused to go with her. Through this act of kindness, the Indians and the white settlers became much more friendly. Rhoda continued to live as a member of the Barker family until she was fourteen or fifteen years old when she died of tuberculosis.
Headstone reads:
In memory of Ann
Wife of Geo. Barker
Born Feb. 10, 1802
Died Sept. 18, 1876
Poem reads:
Farewell Friends And Children Dear
Weep Not For Me
For I Am Blest To Meet My God.
I Have No Fear.
I Hope to Have Eternal Rest.
Ann died on September 18, 1876 and is buried in the Ogden City Cemetery close to George’s grave site.
The Barker family shared in many thrilling experiences with the Indians, but always friendly and George was known among them as "Uncle” George Barker. He was a favorite for his plainness of speech.
George Barker died November 8, 1869 and is buried in the Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Utah. The Barker family plot in the cemetery is located west of 3rd Avenue and north of South Street.
Compiled and edited by Ruth H. Barker
Sources: Clarence Sharp Barker Life History, by himself
Materials in the possession of David McKay Barker
Journal of David Moore in possession of David McKay Barker