I, Mary Goble was born in Brighton, Sussex, England, June 2, 1852. My father was William Goble, son of William and Harriet Johnson Goble. My mother was the daughter of John and Sarah Penfold.

My childhood days were spent the same as most children. When I was in my twelfth year my parents joined the Latter-day Saints. On November 5th, I was baptized. The following May we started for Utah. We left our home May 19, 1855. [1856] We came to London the first day, the next day came to Liverpool and went on board the ship, Horizon, that evening.

It was a sailing vessel and there were nearly nine hundred souls on board. We sailed on the 25th. The pilot ship came and tugged us out into the open sea.

I well remember how we watched old England fade from sight. We sang, "Farewell Our Native Land, Farewell."

While we were in the river the crew mutinied, but they were put ashore and another crew came on board. They were a good set of men.

When we were a few days out a large shark followed the vessel. One of the Saints died and he was buried at sea. We never saw the shark anymore.

After we got over our seasickness we had a nice time. We would play games, and sing songs of Zion. We held meetings and the time passed happily.

When we were sailing through the banks of Newfoundland we were in a dense fog for several days. The sailors were kept night and days ringing bells and blowing fog horns.

One day I was on deck with my father when I saw a mountain of ice in the sea, close to the ship, I said, "Look, father, look." [p.1] He went as white as a ghost and said, "Oh my girl," at that moment the fog parted and the sun shone brightly till the ship was out of danger, when the fog closed on us again. We were on the sea six weeks, then we landed at Boston. We took the train for Iowa City where we had to get an outfit for the plains, it was the end of July. On the first of August we started to travel with our ox-teams unbroken, and we did not know a thing about driving oxen. . . . [p.2]

. . . the 11th of December . . .we arrived in Salt Lake City 1856. . . .[p.5]

BIB: Pay, Mary Goble, Autobiography (Formerly in Msd 2050) (Reel 10: Box 13: Folder 5: Item 6), pp. 1-2, 5. (CHL)
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