George Sant, son of John Sant and Mary Shaw Sant,
was born Dec. 15th 1833 in Middlewich, Cheshire, England.
He joined the LDS church in January 1848, was baptized
by Samuel Drinkwater January 17, 1848. He worked with his
father on a canal beat until he was 21. He saved enough money
to come to America, and sailed from Liverpool in the ship
Clara Wheeler in company of 452 Saints under the direction
of Henry E. Phelps. The company arrived in New Orleans
January 11, 1855, and in Salt Lake City September 3, 1855
with 46 wagons and 200 souls.
Before leaving England he promised Franklin D. Richards
he would go to Iron County to work on the Iron Works, the
first in Utah, but times were hard in that county at that time.
He lived in Cedar City, was often called with others to stand
guard to protect the citizens from the Indians. He married
Margaret Mustard Oct 2, 1858. In the winter of 1859, went
to Salt Lake. In 1880 he was hired to Dr. Ezra G. Williams
and came to Summit Creek,.where he was one of the first
settlers, and assisted in building the old Fort. He also
assisted in building the canals, meeting houses and such
work required of the early settlers. It was here during the
Indian troubles that two men were killed and one wounded.
He left Summit, later called Smithfield and with others was
called to settle Bloomington, Bear Lake Valley. Here he
built a home and planted a crop but it was frozen. He then
returned to Smithfield in 1865. Married Ann Treasurer in
1869. In 1871 moved to Idaho and settled a place now
called Treasureton..In 1885 moved to Star Valley where
he resided about 10 years then returned to Treasureton.
In 1901 came back to Smithfield among his old friends.
He was described as a typical pioneer, a man of "Steel"
in character and endurance, who had a cheerful disposition
and won the favor of all with whom he came in contact
even to the Indians in early days. He died the day before
his 94th birthday on December 14, 1927.
(buried in Smithfield City Cemetary)
(His story in his own words)
"I was born in Dec. 15, 1833, in Middlewich, Chestershire
England. About 1845, Elder Thomas McCann came to
our house and preached the gospel. Father was converted,
but mother was very bitter, and threatened to scald brother
McCann unless he left the place. Her prejudice soon wore
off and she accepted the gospel later. I was baptized in
1848 by Samuel Drinkwater. I came to America in 1854.
We left Liverpool Monday, November 27th, 1854, on
board the ship Clara Wheeler. There were 422 Saints
on board. Henry E. Phillips had charge of the company.
We put to sea, but a storm came up and we had to turn
back into the harbor, where we laid for seven days. We
then set sail and had a fairly good voyage to New Orleans
where we arrived January 11, 1855. We took steamboat
for St. Louis where we arrived January 22. We stayed
in St. Louis until May 10, when we took a boat up the
Missouri river for Mormon Grove near Atchinson,
Kansas. There we secured teams and wagons for the
long journey accross the plains. I drove four yoke of
cattle for Peter Burgess. John Hindley was our captain
We left Mormon Grove about June 10. There were
46 wagons and 200 Saints. We reached Salt Lake
September 3. I went to live with a Mr. Sutton.
Later I went to Iron County with David Muir to work
the iron mill there." "For a time I got work in a grist
mill with James Boswell. Then I went to live with
William Mitchel at Parawan. I was at Hamilton's Fort
when the massacre took place at Mountain Meadow.
Hognson's army came that fall and I went with Eliezer
Edwards to Toquerville, where we were to leach the
scraping of the cave floors to obtain saltpeter to make
gunpowder. We built vats and washed the scrapings
and ran the saltpeter in the other vats to crystallize.
We then went to the sulpher mines near Beaver and
got sulpher. We burned charcoal to mix with the
powder. Later, I was sent to the iron mill where I
worked as a feeder for eighteen months. We ran
the iron into bars which were sent to Salt Lake."
"While I was in Cedar City I was sent with a
company with team to move the people of Salt
Lake south, during the great move.
James Williamson of Wellsville was our captain. In my
wagon was a young lady named Margaret Mustard,
to whom I became attached and married on our arrival
at Cedar City October 2, 1885. Isaac C. Haight
performed the ceremony. We commenced house
keeping in a little dug-out. We had hardly anything
to keep house with. We mixed our bread in a wooden
box, and baked it on a hot rock in front of the fire.
We had two pottery plates and a pitcher. We often
drank bran coffee without sugar or milk. Our bed
was of straw without a tick, laid down on the floor.
We had only two quilts. While working at the mill
my meals mostly consisted of scalded cakes and water.
We moved to Hamilton Fort in the spring of 1859.
Our first baby was born that fall. In December, we
went to Beaver and then to Salt Lake to live with my
wife's mother." "In 1860, I hired to Ezra G. Williams,
a son of Fredrick G. Williams, the first historian of the
Church. We came with him to Cache County.
We located Summit April 15, 1860.
I worked for Mr.Williams that summer.
I also managed the build a little cabin
in the fort, and cultivated a garden.
Our cabin had a dirt floor and a dirt roof.
We did our cooking in a fire place."
In 1864 I was called to go to Bear Lake
to help settle that valley. We went as early in the
spring as we could. I raised a small crop that summer.
In December I went to Logan to get a grist ground. We
had to wait for it two weeks and when we started back
it began to snow. When we reached the divide beyond
Mink Creek we found the snow so deep that we had to
shovel a road over the summit and down into the canyon
below." We returned to Smithfeild in 1865, where we
remained until 1871 when we went to Treasureton
where we lived for 35 years. My father and mother
came to Utah and 1861, while we were living in the
old fort in our one room cabin. We all lived in one
small room that winter, 13 of us."
(photo of George Sant Sr., Margaret Mustard wife,
Hannah Millington, Euphema Bain sisters of GSS)
*This history was found in Grandpa's old tin box.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure where it originated from.
I get the feeling it was from a local newspaper and
then re-typed but I'm not sure which one.
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