Bon Voyage Briggs Family!

The first members of the Briggs line in my family tree to come to America left England on this day in 1851 aboard the ship Ellen.    There were 4 in the Briggs family.   James and Ann and their children, Thomas and Elizabeth.   On board were 466 passengers from the Mormon Church, all emigrating to America.

The Briggs family left England with the intent of moving to Utah.  The Ellen sailed from Liverpool to New Orleans, and then the family went up the Mississippi river to St. Louis where they settled in for what they intended to be a short time.   James and Ann both died in St. Louis, and Thomas did not make it to Utah until 1862.

The journey from Liverpool to New Orleans was quite the adventure.  The ship collided with another ship and spent 3 weeks undergoing repairs, rations were tight, winds were not always favorable and 12 people died.

Thomas wrote a journal which tells of the events leading up to the family's departure from England and the details of the voyage.

The story of the voyage, in Thomas' own words can be found here.   A general account of the voyage can be found here.

Passenger List - the Briggs Family is the last on this page.