HANNAH MIDDLETON HAWKEY SINFIELD
Hannah Middleton Hawkey Sinfield was born October 25, 1822, at Sunderland, Durham, England, daughter of John Middleton and Margaret Alderson. Hannah's father was a sailor and was aboard the ship that made the first voyage from Sunderland to Quebec, Canada.
When Hannah was twenty-four, she was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by John Gilles and confirmed the following evening by John Knox. The following year she married Foster Hawkey whose first wife had died. Foster was left with a young son, James. Foster and Hannah were active members of the Sunderland Branch of the Church. Three children were born to Foster and Hannah.
Foster was a shipwright by trade. While repairing a ship mast during a storm, he was swept into the sea and drowned. Hannah, along with many of the other Saints desired to immigrate to Zion. The Perpetual Emigrating Fund, a fund to help finance the Saints who desired to come west from Iowa and other eastern states had been approved at the October conference, 1849. It was later extended to include Saints abroad.
The year of 1855 saw the establishment of the handcart companies. The Saints were to be provided handcarts on which to put their provisions and clothing. They could walk and draw them across the plains, which would save them the immense expense for teams and outfits for crossing the plains. When the Saints read a notice in the Millennia! Star published by the President of the British Mission that stated they could go to Zion for $45, if they participated in this program, there was a great rush to secure transportation.
Hannah was among the group to participate in the program. Three sailing vessels were chartered to carry the Saints across the ocean. She was assigned to the Martin Company. There were 856 Saints on board the ship "Horizon," which left Liverpool, England, on May 25, 1856. Six weeks later, on the evening of June 28, 1856, the ship cast anchor in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. From Boston they made their way by rail to Iowa City, Iowa, where they were outfitted with handcarts. The handcarts were designed to carry one hundred to five hundred pounds of food and clothing.
It was getting well into the summer, and many Saints felt it wise not to make the long journey that season. The leaders advised them to wait, but the majority of the Saints was anxious to get to Zion and fully believed they could reach Salt Lake City before winter. Five large companies were organized. The first three left in June and went through without serious difficulty.
The last two companies, more than one thousand Saints, arrived at Iowa City in July and fully expected to find handcarts ready for them. Instead they were delayed about six weeks while they built their own handcarts. The axles of the handcarts were poorly constructed of wood instead of iron and the boxes were made of leather.
The Martin Company was the last to leave. The company left July 28, 1856, with 575 persons, 146 handcarts, and 7 wagons that were used to carry food and tents. The handcarts soon began to break down, and repairing them took precious time. Food became scarce and they were put on rations. As they climbed to higher altitudes, they were advised to lighten their loads.
The company reached Fort Laramie, Wyoming, on October 8th. Hannah's son, James, became ill, which was due to exposure to the cold, wet conditions, and over exertion. He died October 18, 1856, near the Platte River in Wyoming and was buried with other faithful pioneers who had died. The food supply was running out, and the Saints were rationed one-half pound of flour per person. The company reached the last crossing of the North Platte River on October 19th. A bitter wind came up, and snow began to fall.
On October 20th, the Saints walked ten miles in the snow and were forced to camp near the Platte River where it leaves the Sweetwater River in Wyoming. For three days snow fell, and they remained in camp. They then struggled on. On October 25th, they stopped again. The next morning, fourteen pioneers who died from the harsh conditions were put in a pile and covered with snow, because the ground was too hard to dig graves.
When Brigham Young learned of the plight of the Martin and Willie Companies, he called upon those who were able to take wagons, food, and clothing to assist the stranded Saints. Rescue outfits reached the Willie Company on October 19th and the Martin Company on October 28th. Hundreds from these two companies had perished. After the rescue teams arrived nearly one hundred more immigrants died.
With the help from the relief parties and the supplies they brought, the Martin Handcart Company reached Salt Lake City on November 30th. Hannah's feet were severely frozen, which caused her toes to burst open. The doctor later told her if she had not been wearing woolen stockings, which helped prevent infection, her feet would have had to been amputated. She was not able to walk until the following spring. During this time kind friends cared for Hannah and her children.
Hannah became acquainted with Samuel Sinfield, and they were married during the summer of 1857. They made their home in Ogden, and in 1869 they moved to Paradise. Their home was located one and one-half blocks north of the church on the northwest comer. Their farm was about one and one-half miles south of town.
They experienced the trial of fighting the grasshoppers, which destroyed their crops. Hannah would take her large apron and spread it over some of the garden vegetables to protect the foliage from the devouring insects, but it was to no avail. The grasshoppers chewed holes in the apron. Hannah and Samuel were concerned about the salvation of their ancestors, and soon after the dedication of the Logan Temple they performed the saving ordinances for many of their loved ones. Samuel was sealed to his first wife, Phebe Cross, and Hannah was sealed to her first husband, Foster Hawkey.
Hannah was a vigorous woman and enjoyed good health most of her life, despite the hardships she suffered while crossing the plains. She suffered a stroke and died April 28, 1903, at her home in Paradise and was buried in the Paradise cemetery.
