Story of the Week 6-10-2008: Marriage & Journey to Nauvoo

On April 14, 1841, Jane Heath became the wife of Nicholas Thomas Silcock. After they were married, they continued to live with Jane’s family and Jane still helped her mother with the business. During the summer, her father’s last illness came and lasted for many weeks and all during that time her father clung to her and thought no one could lift or wait on him like Jane. On 8 September of 1841, John Heath passed away, having been an invalid for twelve years. Jane continued to help her mother with the business.

On February 6, 1842, a son was born to Thomas and Jane and they named him Alma. On October 6, 1842 Thomas bade farewell to his wife and child, his friends and country in order to immigrate with the saints to Nauvoo. Jane continued to live with her mother, but in October 1843 Thomas sent for her to join him in Nauvoo, Illinois. Consequently she bid her friends and kindred goodbye and started her long journey across the Atlantic Ocean with a child one year and eight months old in her arms.

Amos Fielding was the President of the Company of Saints. They sailed from Liverpool and went to New Orleans on the ship Champion which arrived in New Orleans 6 December 1843. They had a pleasant voyage of six weeks and three days. Arriving, in New Orleans the saints changed steamers and proceeded up the Mississippi River to enroute to Nauvoo. When Jane landed in New Orleans, she received a letter from her husband informing her that he had come down the river to meet her that she was to land at Island 69, Dickle County, Arkansas. On December 22, 1843 Jane reached her destination and found her husband in good health and he had employment for the winter. They spent their first winter among the planters on the plantations near the Mississippi River.

Prior to this time in September 1842, Nicholas Thomas Silcock started on his long and tedious journey to the new world, covering a period of eleven weeks. On landing in America, Thomas and a fellow passenger, who had also left a young wife and child in England, found employment in New Orleans before proceeding up the river to St. Louis. When work started on the Nauvoo Temple, Thomas was employed there. His specialty was stair building and he built the spiral staircase in the temple. In the summer of 1843 Thomas sent for his wife to join him in America, during the voyage Jane’s baby had the measles. Thomas and Robert Pixton, who was also expecting his wife to arrive on the same boat with Jane, went down the river to meet their wives and obtained work making a kill of brick for a planter. Their wives arrived in December and they remained with the planters until spring.

In May 1844, they took a steamer for Nauvoo where they arrived about May 15, 1844. They lived in a room in Parley P. Pratt’s house until they could build. They built a small one block from the temple. The change of climate broke Jane’s health and she never regained her health while she sojourned in the states. Soon after their arrival in Nauvoo they had the pleasure of meeting the Prophet Joseph Smith. They were in Nauvoo when the Prophet and Patriarch went to Carthage Jail and were martyred. They had the privilege of being present at the memorable meeting when the mantle of Joseph fell upon the Prophet Brigham Young and they testified with many others that verily he spoke with the voice of Joseph and looked like Joseph. This they testified to the rest of their lives.

Jane said, that the happiest time of her life was while she was watching the workman hurry the temple to completion. Jane sold spare clothing to buy food so that Thomas might do his part in the great building. Thomas was chosen to help do the hand carving on the finishing of the temple. During their sojourn in Nauvoo they met the Prophet’s mother. Jane had the pleasure of spending an afternoon in her company with other sisters in the home of Parley P. Pratt. They had a very pleasant visit and each one present gave the guest of honor some token of remembrance. They also were at a meeting one Sunday afternoon when President Young had Sister Lucy Mack Smith speak from the pulpit. She said her heart was with the saints, but she was so feeble she would like to stay and be buried with her dead.

On August 2, 1845, Thomas and Jane had a daughter born and named Elizabeth Jane. Late in the fall 1845 Jane’s mother, Barbara Hulme Heath, and her three brothers, Henry, Thomas and Fredrick came from England. January 1846 they received their endowments and were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple.

They witnessed the westward march of the church authorities, who crossed the river on the ice and turned their faces westward and started in search of a resting place for the saints. They were at the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple. They said over the pulpit in large gold letters was written, “THE LORD HAS BEHELD OUR SACRIFCE, FOLLOW AFTER US.” Shortly after the completion of the temple, they bid adieu to the beautiful city of Nauvoo, leaving everything standing in the house.

Taken from a biographical sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton.
Italics indicate text added by Marie Arnold.
For a copy of the "Champion's" Passenger List showing Jane & her son Alma e-mail me.
(See previous story of the week for more information)

Next week: Making their way west