Saints by Sea(The following account was provided by John Alma Ovard's family)
Thomas and Hannah Ovard joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints about 1855 and like all converts wanted to come to Utah for the gospel’s sake. Their finances were meager, so they were all working and saving toward the anticipated trip to America. Times were hard and it seemed like the goal would never be reached. Then it seemed like a miracle happened. Joseph, their 10-year-old son was working in the grain fields keeping the crows from eating the grain. He had to get up at 4 o'clock each morning and walk through the woods, where he worked until dark. One morning as he was running to his work he stumbled and fell. As he rose to his feet, he saw something to his amazement -- it was money! He took his treasure and showed it to his parents. Oh! What joy! The money he had found was enough to complete the fund to bring the family to America.
In 1857 Hannah and Thomas and their children left their home and set sail on the steam ship George Washington. They at sea. Their eight children were; Henry, Sarah, Esther Stowe, Joseph, William, Mary Ann, George and Betsy. Another daughter of theirs also named Esther died from burns when she was two years old, and as was the custom if a child died, very often if another was born, it was named the same as the deceased brother or sister. Passenger list for ship “George Washington" sailed Liverpool, England on Saturday, March 28. 1857 with 817 Saints under direction of James P. bound for Utah via Boston lists: Thomas, Sarah. Esther. Joseph, Mary Ann. ‘William George, Elizabeth and Hannah.
Mary Ann Ovard’s account of arrival in Salt Lake City stated, "arrived on 5th September l860 with Jessie Murphy captain of the train." Church Chronology states: 1860 Thurs., Aug. 30 arrived in Salt Lake City, Capt. J. E. Murphy having left Florence June l9."
The following account was provided by Sara Eliza Smith-Nowell, daughter of Mary Ann Ovard and William Joseph Smith: Mary Ann Ovard, was born 12 April 1848, and when she was nine years old, they sailed from Liverpool for the United States. They came in a sailing vessel and made the trip in thirty days which was a record at that time. Grandma (Hannah) was sick in bed all the way across the ocean. They had some excitement on the sixth day. Sharks began following the ship and the captain had the ship searched for a dead body but could not find anything. More and more came and the captain started a new search emptying everything they came to, and in the steerage, in a compartment, they found a dead baby. The mother had hidden it so they would not throw it overboard. but the captain ordered it wrapped in canvas with heavy weights fastened to it and it was lowered into the water; and that was the end of the sharks. They began to fall back at once.
All went well until the third week when a big storm came up and all was ordered below deck. But, mother (Mary Ann) was curious to see it all and washed overboard and would have drowned but for a big colored sailor who jumped overboard and saved her life. They finally landed in the States, and when Grandpa got a room he was broke and with only a few ship biscuits for food, he had to go in search of work. As he was a farmer and could do nothing else, it was to the country he had to go. The trip had been very hard on Grandma and so she was in bad shape all day.
The four children watched for their father, but night came and no sign of him. They watched all the next day until in the when Aunt Sarah saw her mother had fallen asleep, wanted to see some of the ships unload their cargo of oranges, coconuts, and many other precious things they had never seen before. They were so interested in what they saw that they didn't realize that they had gone so far from their home and mother. They knew she would be worried. It was dark when they started back. It was hard in the dark. They walked and ran, and still could not recognize anything that looked like the place they lived in.
All of a sudden, a man asked them why they were crying, and they recognized the sailor that had saved mother's life. He wanted to know where they lived and they were so frightened they didn‘t dare to tell him. They did remember a few things, but were so scared. He said he couldn't help them unless they could tell him of a landmark to guide him and, then mother, being the younger, said they lived across from the colored sailor‘s. So he said. "You should have told me. We are soon there." When he got them back, he went straight in the house that was in total darkness. He asked why no light and Uncle Joe said that they didn't have anything to make light with, no food, and they would starve because his father was lost. He asked Grandma where her man had gone and she told him he had gone to find work and that the only work he could do was farm work. So the sailor told her not to worry as the farms were a long way there and if he had to walk, it would take him a long time to find work. So he told her all would be all right, and left; but in less than an hour, he returned with a lamp and a basket of food. He lit the lamp, and again he was back in a few minutes with a basket of coal and kindling, and told Aunt Sarah to get her Mammy some tea, so she could get well, and he said he would see them in the morning.
The third day faded away and still no signs of Grandpa. They were plenty worried but near midnight, he returned. He had landed a job near Lowel and in the morning they were moved to their new location where they were given a small house to live in and a cow for their use. All were to do their part; the children doing what they were able to do, such as chores, and Aunt Sarah doing house work. In the fall, they were sent to school and after school they were allowed to pick cranberries. They sold them for 5 cents a quart and later they gathered wild nuts for winter. Every cent was carefully saved to get to Zion.
After three years of hard labor they had gotten a yoke of oxen and a new wagon. At that time. a company was being organized to leave for Utah, so Grandpa joined the train which was to leave in the early Spring. Finally, the long-looked-for trip was started. Jessie Murphy was the captain of the train and there were two hundred wagons, all well equipped for the trip. Mr. Murphy had made two trips previous to this so he was not a greenhorn. He was bringing the first threshing machine to Utah and a young girl was being brought as charity by the captain and train. Each family donated their share, and the young girl gave her services when and where needed. This girl was wanted by an aunt who knew her parents had gone to Utah three years before and each train had been attacked by Indians when three days out. and Murphy knew this.
So he decided to put her in the threshing machine as he knew the Indians’ superstitions of things that were strange. So, for the first three days, all was well until the evening when one of the scouts came riding in a hurry and said he had seen a bunch of Indians coming toward the train. The captain had the train circle and eight braves rode up. Mr. Murphy went up to meet them and inquired what he could do for them. The leader showed him a picture of the girl about three years old. but she had changed in three years. Murphy wanted to know what the Indian had to do with all of this and the Indian demanded he tum the girl over to them and produced an order from the aunt. At this the captain asked if no harm would come to his train if he let them search the wagons and the Indian agreed. The captain had them leave their weapons outside the wagons and 64 Indians went to search for the girl while two remained outside with six of Murphy's men staying to see that the two Indians did no double-crossing.
The Indians searched the wagons thoroughly, all but the threshing machine and they were afraid of that so would not go near it. Then Murphy wanted to know if they were satisfied she was not there and was assured they were satisfied as no one among the women or girls looked like the picture they had. They left in a very friendly mood.
Nothing more of consequence happened until they got to Laramie, Wyoming, when they ran into Indians again; but the troops saved them that time and they reached Salt Lake City, Utah, safe after four months of tiresome travel. Here they said goodbye to Betsey Lenom. the young girl and Brother and Sister Lenom were surely happy to have their beautiful daughter with them. But it was not for long as in three months she got sick and died. They lived across the street north and a little west of the old 11th Ward Meeting House.
Grandpa Ovard went south to Spanish Fork, but Grandma wanted to be nearer Salt Lake City, so they moved to American Fork where they lived and died. Signed, Eliza Ann Smith daughter of William Joseph and Mary Ann Ovard Smith (Mary Ann was the 6th child of Thomas Ovard and Hannah Stowe).
“Thomas and Hannah Stowe Ovard Family” n.d., "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch, (www.familysearch.org : accessed 14 July 2023), entry for Thomas Ovard (KWJD-SCG), undocumented family tree, public memory.
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