Robert Shipley was born in England in 1816 and converted to Mormonism in 1847. He married Harriet Wright, who was born in England in 1830, in 1848. They emigrated to Utah in 1849 with their infant child, surviving a ship fire and cholera outbreak. They settled in Draper, Utah where they lived in a dugout and later adobe homes. Harriet gave birth to 10 children while living a pioneer lifestyle, raising crops, sewing clothing, and helping others. Both Robert and Harriet lived into their late 70s and 80s, passing away in Draper in 1896 and 1913 respectively.

1. PIONEERS 1849-50
Robert Shipley 1816-1896 &
Harriet Wright 1830-1913
Robert Shipley
Birth: 8 October 1816 at Belton, Lincolnshire, England
Death: 15 OCT 1896, Draper, Salt Lake, UTAH
MARRIED: 3 Dec 1848, Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
Harriet Wright
Birth:20 January 1830, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England
Death: 15 November 1913, Draper, Salt Lake, Utah
Robert Shipley.was born at Belton, Lincolnshire, England, 8 October 1816. He was the 1st of 7 children
born to parents Isaac Sykes and Mary Shipley. Robert Shipley was raised by an uncle who apprenticed
him to a blacksmith. Later he apprenticed himself to a shoemaker. There he was treated well and taught
a good Christian way of living. A couple of Robert’s friends invited him to the meeting of the LDS
Church to see what they were involved with. He listened and was converted to the Latter-day Saints
gospel becoming a member and baptized November 1847 at Crow, Oxfordshire, England, and was
ordained an Elder in his native country.
Harriet Wright was born January 20, 1830 at Wisbridge [or Weybridge] , England. She was the 3rd of 9
children of parents: John Pannell Wright 1805-1886 and Mary Hill Fish 1804-1901.
Harriet was raised in the city of Lincoln in Lincolnshire. Among other things she learned at school was
sewing. She always did her sewing with much pleasure and interest. All her sewing was done by hand.
She also had much interest in plays and operas.
Her father became a member of the LDS Church during 1845 and the rest of her father's family became
members the Church within a few years. Harriet became a member of the LDS Church during 1847.

2. Old friends shook their heads, but new friends, members of their faith, were often entertained in the
Wright family home. Among those was a young shoemaker of limited education, but of fervent faith,
Robert Shipley. Harriet saw in him the making of a good man and he was interest in her. Robert and
Harriet left Lincoln and were married at Hull, in St. John’s Parish, 3 December 1848. They were the first
of the family to leave their native land for the gospel's sake.
Robert and Harriet left Goole, England in January 1849 and went by boat to Liverpool and from there to
New Orleans in a sail ship. The journey across the ocean was a long and tedious one, covering nine weeks
from January to March their ship caught on fire but was put out before much damage was done. A child
died in mid-ocean and was buried at sea. At another time, two ships almost collided. One had lost its mast
in high seas.
Liverpool, England to New Orleans, Lousiana
Sailing Onboard
http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/Search/showDetails/db:MM_MII/t:voyage/id:550/keywords:Robert
+Shipley
Liverpool to New Orleans 29 Jan 1849 - 2 Apr 1849
Ship Name: “Zetland”
Departure: 29 Jan 1849 from Liverpool
Arrival: 2 Apr 1849 at New Orleans
“Mon. 29. [Jan. 1849] -- The ship Zetland sailed from Liverpool, England, with 358 Saints, bound for G.
[Great] S. [Salt] L. [Lake] Valley, under the presidency of Orson Spencer. It arrived at New Orleans
April 2nd, 1849”

3. PASSENGERS
http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/Search/showDetails/db:MM_MII/t:passenger/id:39654/keywords:Robert+Shipley
Last Name: SHIPLEY First Name: Robert
Age 32, Gender M, Occupation Mormon Laborer
http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/Search/showDetails/db:MM_MII/t:passenger/id:39655/keywords:Robert+Shipley
Last ame SHIPLEY First Name Harriet
Age 19 Gender F Occupation Mormon Laborer
“On the morning of April 5th, 1849, the emigrants left New Orleans on the steamboat Iowa, together
with a number of non-Mormon passengers, bound for St. Louis, Missouri. Soon after leaving New
Orleans, cholera -- which at this time prevailed in that part of the country -- broke out among the
passengers, and seven deaths occurred among the emigrants before the company arrived at Memphis;
two of these were Saints, who were buried on the island. When the boat arrived at St. Louis, Missouri,
April 12th, a number of the passengers were still sick, and three died on board the steamer the night after
reaching port.”
“From St. Louis the 'Mormon' emigrants continued the journey arrived at Kanesville, (Council Bluffs)
Iowa, May 17th, 1849 having suffered much from cholera while passing up the Missouri River to Council
Bluffs, Iowa. Then they joined the general emigration that crossed the plains for the Valley that year.”
Riverboats
Up the Mississippi River and Missouri River

4. John S. Smith met Harriet and Robert at Council Bluffs and gave them a home until Robert found work.
They stayed there a year and then left for Salt Lake. Robert cared for and drove a team of oxen across
the plains for their ride. On the way across, Robert took typhoid fever and he and Harriet drove the oxen
and at this time she was in constant fear of stampedes from Indians and buffaloes.
Wagon Trains
http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/companyDetail?companyId=283
1850 William Snow/Joseph Young Company
42 wagons were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Kanesville, Iowa
(present day Council Bluffs). This company was organized near the Missouri River.
Departure 21 June 1850
Arrival 1-4 October 1850
Number in Company 478, Captain William Snow
Name Age Birth Date Death Date
Shipley, Robert 33 8 October 1816 15 October 1896
Shipley, Harriet Wright 20 20 January 1830 15 November 1913

5. They arrived in Salt Lake in the fall of 1850 and the following spring they moved to Draper. They lived in
a dugout until they could get their house built. Their first house was built of black adobes. It was a one-room
house with an open fire place which was used for cooking as well as heating.
The first year of their arrival, Robert bought a cow for $40 which he paid in labor digging a ditch for
John S. Smith. Later clay adobe rooms were added to their home. They never went hungry but many
times they ate sego bulbs, greens of all kinds, and whatever was available. Molasses was used for
sweetening and this as well as flour was of their own raising.
In 1853 eight persons and a baby lived in the house as John P. Wright and his family came from England
and spent the winter with them.
Their salt rising bread was often flavored with sunflower seeds. They would borrow their rising for the
bread as well as fire. They raised flax and would prepare the fibers by breaking it, spinning it, and
weaving it into towels and sheets. Their clothing of wool was also corded, spun, woven, dyed, and tailored
at home. For dying they used Rabbit Brush, Sumack, Anador and Log Wood. The first sewing by
machine was done by Julia Durbin for $1.50 a day.
Harriet was the mother of ten children. She made her home in Draper until she died November 15, 1916.

6. Your tombstone stands neglected and alone.
The name and date are chiseled out on polished, marbled stone.
It reaches out to all who care. It is too late to mourn.
You did not know that I exist. You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you in flesh, in blood, in bone.
Our heart contracts and beats a pulse entirely not our own.
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled so many years ago.
Spreads out among the ones you left who would have loved you so.
I wonder as you lived and loved, I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot and come to visit you.

7. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/
fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9553621
Find A Grave:
Robert Shipley AND Harriet Wright
Prepared by J.E. Anderson for Aunt Rayola Smith (1916-2006)
Great Grand Daughter of:
Robert Shipley 1816-1898 AND Harriet Wright 1830-1913
PRIMARY SOURCES: FAMILY TREE > MEMORIES
Robert Shipley Obituary, Deseret News, Oct. 20, 1896 Contributed By Annette Tucker Matkin
Harriet Wright Shipley Contributed By TaylorJeanine7
Harriet Wright Shipley Contributed By robertronaldbowen1
Harriet Wright Shipley, 1830 – 1916 Contributed By Annette Tucker Matkin ·