STRINGHAM, Briant b. 28 Mar 1823 Colesville, Broome, New York, United States d. 4 Aug 1871 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

1823 - 1871 (48 years)

Name	STRINGHAM, Briant
Birth	28 Mar 1823	Colesville, Broome, New York, United States
Gender	Male
WAC	27 Dec 1851
_TAG	Reviewed on FS
Death	4 Aug 1871	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
Burial	5 Aug 1871	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
Person ID	I55762	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

Family ID F27101 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Father	Living
Mother	HENDRICKSON, Polly , b. 3 Apr 1803
Family ID	F27102	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family ASHBY, Susan Ann , b. 1 Feb 1830, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United Statesd. 28 Apr 1896, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 66 years)

Marriage 21 Mar 1850 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States [3]

Children

+	1. STRINGHAM, Lucy , b. 29 Apr 1858, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United Statesd. 3 Jan 1893, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 34 years)

Family ID F25627 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 24 Jan 2022

Photos At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

Notes

Note: Please place all memories and data on the KWJC-NS9 record.

While a teenager in Springfield, Illinois, Briant excelled in English at the local high school and was soon tutoring other students in the subject for 50₡ a term.

When it came time for his family to leave Illinois, due to religious persecution, Briant followed them as far as Winter Quarters (near Omaha, Nebraska) where they separated when Mormon leader Brigham Young chose Briant to accompany him and 146 others on a trek into the North American wilderness to find a new 'Zion' for the faithful. After a little over 100 days, the pioneers reached the Valley of the Great Salt lake on July 24, 1847. The following spring, Briant was allotted 100 ½ by 100 ½ meters of land at what is now the southwest corner of Second South and Main Street. After building a home for his parents on half the land, Briant then built his own home and the valley's first butcher shop on the remaining half.

In the late summer of 1848 he welcomed his parents to the new village of Great Salt Lake City and was then sent east to help new Mormon immigrants. While on the expedition, Briant met Susan Ashby, a widow with 11 children. He married her daughter, Susan in 1850. Because it was Mormon Church doctrine at this time to take more than one wife, Briant marred two of Susan's sisters - Harriet Maria in 1852 and Martha Ellen, widow of Alandes Buckland, in 1856. His final marriage took place in 1858 when he married Nancy Garr Badger. Altogether Briant had 27 children from his marriages to four women and this necessitated a move to some larger quarters. He sold his Second South and Main Street home to his brother-in-law, Appleton Harmon, and moved to a 100 ½ by 100 ½ meter piece of property at the southwest corner of Third East and South Temple streets.

In 1855 Brigham young appointed Briant to be commissioner of all church land and livestock on Antelope Island. But, before he moved to the island, he was assigned the task of leading 10 men and 2,000 head of cattle into the then unsettled Cache Valley of northern Utah. They established a church farm between present day Wellsville and Logan. On June 5, 1856 he was made a probate judge for Cache Valley.

Although he served as livestock custodian on Antelope Island until his death, he spent some time in the city, for between 1854-56 he was a first councilor in the LDS 13th Ward congregation.

In late July of 1871 Briant was transporting livestock from Antelope Island to the mainland while a severe storm raged for three days. Briant's health suffered as a result of his efforts and fatigue from overexposure caused him to develop pneumonia. He died at a church owned farm near 17th South and the Jordan River in present day Salt Lake City, Utah.

Briant Stringham, one of the original pioneers of Utah, was born March 28, 1825 at Windsor, Broone Co New York, a son of George Stringham and Polly Hendrickson. After his arrival in Great Salt Lake Valley he located there and help to plant trees, build houses and otherwise develop the place. He was a lover of animals, could recognize fine points in stock, and engaged in horse trading. He was appointed Probate Judge of Cache County in 1856, but still engaged in raising fine stock and at the Fair, fostered by Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Company, he won prizes for his exhibits in 1857. For fifteen years he had charge of the tithing stock of the Church and during the Indian wars had charge of the commissary department. He died in Salt Lake City August 4,1871, survived by a large family.

BRIANT STRINGHAM
March 28,1823 - August 5, 1871 Pioneer of 1847 First Company
This brief sketch has been taken from the book
"Briant Stringham and His People"
published by Horizon Publishers
which was initiated by Henry Stringham, edited
by Nathaniel George Stringham, with
Bryant Stringham Hinckley compiling
and writing the principal parts of the
life story of Briant Stringham
Briant Stringham was bom March 28, 1823, in Colesville, Broome, New York. His father was George Stringham, bom March 16, 1790/91 and his mother was Polly Hendrickson, bom April 3, 1803 in Windsor, Broome, New York.
Manti, Utah -- March 25, 1899
Incidents and dates by Jerenjiah Stringham and Elmeda
Stringham Harmon relating to the early history of the
Stringham family, written by
Julia Harmon Kesler

" From our earliest recollection we lived on a farm near Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York. The country was heavily wooded; we had a four roomed log house, one room of which was father's workshop. He was a cooper, and made barrels, baskets buckets, and measures of wood. It took four years to clear the heavy timber from our four-acre farm. And then the land was poor, impoverished by the heavy timber and underbrush. It raised poor wheat and com, but produced good potatoes and other vegetables. We used com bread altogether, only when mother baked a short cake of wheat flour for breakfast on Sundays.
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We had sand on the floors instead of carpets. Each Saturday the floor was swept and scrubbed and clean white sand brought from the nearby creek and sprinkled quite deep over the board floor.
"Briant and Jerry helped with the farm work. While here at Jamestown, Mother and Father joined the Mormon Church (about 1832). Many meetings were held at our house before a meetinghouse was built, and we often saw the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early members of the Church.
"On account of the poor land and expense of clearing off the heavy timber, people were moving west to the prairie states of Indiana and Illinois. Everybody was talking of going to the prairies. We left Jamestown and traveled by horse team to Westfield, New York, where we remained a few weeks. We left New York State in the winter of 1834, camping in barns and outbuildings along the way. We arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, where the saints were gathering, that spring. We remained in Kirtland four years, living on a small farm. While here Briant earned his first wages of $12.00 a month, working at Mr. Barlow's dairy, milking cows. The Kirtland temple was finished in the winter time and Briant with other boys, cut wood to keep the fires to dry the plaster, while Elmeda, with other little children, gathered bits of glass and broken dishes which were broken quite fine and mixed with the mortar used in plastering the Temple.
"On July 4,1838 we went with a company of 500 saints to Springfield, Illinois. The Stringham family stayed in Springfield and the company continued to Missouri. Briant and his brother Jerry helped his father cut shingles. We remember as children of seeing a tall, quiet man standing at the shop door watching father cut shingles, and they said his name was Abraham Lincoln.
"Briant was a good singer and he actively participated in the campaign of William Henry Harrison for President of the United States. Harrison died one month after his inauguration.
"In 1840 we moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. The family became sick with malaria fever and moved back to Springfield in the summer of 1841. In 1845 the family moved for a second time to Nauvoo. Father was sick with the ague. Briant had all he could do to support the family. During the summer of 1846 the family moved to Winter Quarters, Nebraska. Briant Stringham left Winter Quarters with the first pioneers April 13,1847 and arrived in Salt Lake Valley July 24,1847.".
Briant Stringham was baptized June, 1841 by William Riley at Nauvoo. He was then eighteen years of age. As a young man of twenty-four years of age he was selected as one of the original company, under the leadership of Brigham Young, to find a gathering place for the saints in the Rocky Mountains.
Briant Stringham seemed in all respects eminently fitted for this important task. He belonged to the third ten which was composed of the following men: Phineas H. Young, Captain;
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John Y. Green, Thomas S. Tanner, Brigham Young, Anderson Everett, Truman O. Angell, Lorenzo D. Young, Briant Stringham, Joseph S. Schofield, and Albert P. Rockwood. Brian was among the youngest, if not the youngest of this group. He was assigned to drive Brigham Young's wagon.
Briant was physically robust, alert, happy and cheerful. In the brief diary kept of this journey, very few or any specific references are made to Briant Stringham, but the fact that he did his part, that he was not remiss in any task assigned him, that he enjoyed it, that it must have been a wonderful experience for this young man, is attested in the activities and accomplishments of his short life after having reached the end of the journey.
In the spring of '48, he started to build his house on the comer lot of East Temple and Second South Street; and he established there the first butcher shop that was opened in Salt Lake City. In a letter to his parents on March 5,1848 he wrote, "I am in hopes of raising an abundance of grain for you; at least, I have as fair prospects as most anyone. I will try my best at any rate and at the same time, I want you to do something for me. By the time you get here, I shall be literally naked, bareheaded, and without shoes or clothing. I hope, therefore, that you will do all in your power for me. I am trying to do this for you. If Jerry is there, tell him to fetch me a good wife."
He made the adobes for his house and shop; and went to the canyon and cut the timbers to make the door and window frames. He was in the butcher business for six years. In 1855 Brigham Young called him to take charge of the Church property; and he had exclusive charge of the lands, cattle, horses, and sheep, from then until his death sixteen years later.
Briant Stringham was a large man, six feet two inches in his stocking feet, normal weight about two hundred pounds. His hair was dark brown, with dark brown eyes and a ruddy complexion. He resembled more his mother's people than he did the Stringhams.
When Salt Lake City was first laid out in Blocks and streets, Briant Stringham acquired the lot 10 X 20 rods on the southeast comer of Second South and Main Streets. His father, George Stringham, secured the adjoining lot on the south also 10 X 20 rods. Here Briant built his first home and butcher shop and arranged for the erection of a home for his parents. After his appointment to care for the church's stock, he found it necessary to enlarge his land holdings and to supply suitable homes for his fast growing families. Accordingly, he disposed of the west part of his Main Street lot to Nicholas Groesbeck and the east 103 Vi feet to Appleton M. Harmon. He then acquired a piece of ground 20 X 25 rods on the southwest comer of Third East and South Temple Streets which was divided, a portion to each of his four wives.
In the great excitement which followed the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California and the Gold Rush which reached its peak in '49, many people in Utah got the fever and wanted to go— and many did go. Briant's father, George, went, and Briant concluded to go. He was ready to start, his wagon was loaded, when Brigham Young happened along, and upon
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learning that he was ready to start for California, put his hand on Briant s shoulder and said, "Briant, I want you to stay right here, and if you will, I promise you that you shall never want for bread." Without another word, Briant immediately proceeded to unload his wagon and obey the suggestion of his great leader.
The following is a small excerpt from the remarks that Brigham made to the people at this time. "The winter of 1848-49 in the Salt Lake Valley was cold. Many of the people had their feet badly frozen. President Young stood before the whole people and said, 'Some have asked me about going to the gold fields. I have told them that God has appointed this place for the gathering of his saints, and you will do better right here than you will by going to the gold mines. God will temper the climate, and we shall build a city and temple to the Most High God in this place. It is our duty to preach the Gospel, gather Israel, pay our tithing, and build a Temple. The worst fear that I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth".
On the 21st of March, 1850, Briant Stringham married Susan Ann Ashby. Harriet Maria Ashby married Briant Stringham April 20,1852. Martha Ellen Ashby Buckland, the wife of Alandes D. Buckland, deceased, and having a four-year old daughter, Ellen Buckland, was married to Briant in the office of President Young, August 12,1856. Brigham Young performed the ceremony with Heber C. Kimball and Jeddiah M. Grant, witnesses. Martha was then within a few days of being 24 years old — Briant 33.
Reviving the custom of the old Mosaic law, that when a man dies his brother should marry his widow and raise up issue unto his dead brother, he married Nancy Garr Badger for time only. Ceremony performed in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah, December 14, 1858. Nancy was then past 36 years of age, some 6 months older than Briant.
The marriage ceremonies performed by Brigham Young uniting Briant with each of the Ashby women was for time and for all eternity, as is the order of the Church. When the Endowment House was completed and made ready for use, Briant, with these three Ashby wives, knelt about the altar there and, for the purpose of making the record clear, had this sealing ordinance again performed uniting them for time and for all eternity. It is said that this same altar is now installed and in use in the west sealing room of the Salt Lake Temple.
Very little is known of Briant's love affairs and of how it came about that he married three Ashby girls. The following story may or may not be entirely true but it has been told so many times that their must be some measure of truth in it. At the suggestion of Brigham Young, Briant secured a traveling outfit and journeyed east to help any 1848 immigrants he should meet coming this way. Where it was that he met up with the company headed by Erastus Snow is not known, but in that company was a widow, Susan Hammond Ashby, mother of eleven children.
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Erastus Snow was glad of Brianfs help and upon arrival here Briant was shouldered with the responsibility of looking after this widow Ashby and her children. So there he was, a young unmarried man with a widow and eleven children on his hands. Obedient to the call, however, he did the best he could, and then soon after, he was placed in charge of Church stock he made "cowboys" out of the boys as they grew up and to get rid of the girls as they came of age, he married three of them. Result 27 children.
Upon the death of Fielding Garr, Brigham Young gave Briant Stringham charge of the stock belonging to the church, and he continued to have charge of them until his death in 1871. He was a good judge of superior horses and cattle, and as a result some very fine horses were imported to Utah and some were placed on Antelope Island.
For sixteen years Antelope Island occupied a large part of his life. Fielding Garr had charge of the Church stock when they first came into the valley. Following his death in 1855, Briant Stringham was given this responsiblity. The island is eighteen miles long and four miles in width.
In the early days, the island was considered one of the most desirable pleasure resorts, and many happy hours were spent there by President Brigham Young and his intimate associates. Brother Kimball describes a three-day visit of President Young to the island in 1860. The most important feature connected with this pleasure trip was the display of horsemanship. There were upward of a thousand horses on the island at that time, the majority of them being almost as wild as deer. Briant Stringham made it a point to corral every horse on the island at least once a year. At such times they were branded, handled, and looked after in a general way. You can readily imagine why life on the island was interesting, particularly to young people.
On this occasion President Young had invited some of the most noted horsemen in the territory to be present and participate. Among them were such men as Lot Smith, Judson Stoddard, Brigham Young Jr., Len Rice, Stephen Taylor, Ezra Clark, Heber B. Kimball, the Ashby and Garr boys, and others — every one of whom was recognized for his horsemanship. All these men were mounted on island-bred horses, which were known for their fleetness, sureness of foot, and their endurance and style.
Brother Kimball describes the activity. "At ten o'clock in the morning of the round-up, dust was seen toward the north end of the island. It had the appearance of a whirlwind moving southward at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour. Nothing could be seen but dust, until it had reached within two miles of the house. Everybody was on tiptoe, and the excitement was running high. Here they came — the speediest animals on the island, all of them white with foam, panting like chargers. There were about seventy-five of them in all; some of them as fine animals as could be found anywhere. Those present from the old country who had never witnessed such a scene, stood almost paralyzed with excitement. The air was full of excitement. The enthusiasm manifested by the onlookers was so great that it almost lifted them from their feet. Before they had recovered from the shock, another exhibition of horsemanship presented
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itself, which almost left the first in the shade.
"Lot Smith and Judson Stoddard, with their partners, mounted four large and beautiful horses and entered the corral, where the horses stood snorting like elk. Lot led the chase, with his partner close behind him, followed by Judson Stoddard and his partner. While these wild animals were on the run around the large corral, Lot threw his lariat over the front foot of one of them, and at the same moment, his partner lassoed the same animal around the neck; and with their lariats around the horns of their saddles, and in less than a minute's time, had thrown the horse and dragged it over the smooth surface of the corral, a distance of several rods, to a place where the fire and branding irons were, and in another half-minute, the horse was branded and turned loose. They had no more than gotten out of the way before Judson Stoddard and his partner had another horse ready for the finishing touch. So it continued until the band had been disposed of and turned loose on the range to make room for the next one, which was expected any moment."
The wild horses that once roamed over this island possessed characteristics peculiar to themselves. In many ways they seemed to be almost as intelligent as human beings. There were two reasons for this. In the first place they came from good stock. The Mormon Church, under the direction of Fielding Garr and Briant Stringham, invested thousands of dollars in valuable stallions and brood mares, which were turned loose upon the island. In the second place, they became nimble, wiry, surefooted, by continually traveling over the rough trails on the island, from the time they were foaled until they were grown. With all their perfections, they had a weakness that made many a man's face red with anger. They loved their island home. It was hard to wean them from it. Whenever a favorable opportunity presented itself, they would take the nearest cut to the island, swimming the lake wherever they happened to come to it, and kept going until they reached their destination.
Brother Kimball's records show that Briant Stringham died in 1871, and, sad to say, after that there was no interest taken in the island horses. There were then about five hundred head. They were allowed to run wild. For years they never saw a human being. The untimely death of Briant Stringham, no doubt, was the result of extreme fatigue and exposure, in his efforts to transport sheep from the island to Blackrock in a heavy storm which lasted for three days.
Briant Stringham and Martha Ellen Ashby had a girl bom May 11,1857. She was bom on Antelope Island. She was greeted by her four-year-old half sister, Ella Buckland. This new child was named Martha. Martha married Joseph Edmonds. Ella Buckland married William Loder.
Children bom to Briant Stringham and Martha Ellen Ashby Bucklin
Martha StringhamMay 11,1857Antelope Island, Utah
Chloe StringhamFebruary 7,1859 Salt Lake City, Utah
Jedediah (Jed) Stringham May 2,1861Salt Lake City, Utah
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Hammond StringhamMay 23,1863Salt Lake City, Utah
Ada StringhamDecember 1,1865Salt Lake City, Utah
Judith Theressa StringhamMay 11,1867Salt Lake City, Utah
Richard StringhamJune 7,1870Salt Lake City, Utah
In the Deseret News, dated August 4,1871, it said that Briant died of billious remittant fever. The article went on to say the following: "A profound feeling of sorrow was produced among the people of this city on receipt of the intelligence this morning that Brother Briant Stringham had died at half past five a. m. at his residence near the Jordan River. The sensation was all the more intense on account of such an event being totally unlooked for, but few people even being aware that he was sick. The disease with which he was afflicted and which terminated his life was billious remittant fever, with which he had been ill about nine days previous to his death although he had complained of feeling somewhat indisposed before being taken with the fever. Brother Stringham was as widely known in the Territory as a man could be. He was a man of unimpeachable life and character and sterling integrity, being respected and esteemed by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He was in his 47th year and was the eldest son of George and Polly Stringham and was raised in the Church from his early boyhood. He was one of the Pioneers to this valley having come here in President Brigham Young's company in 1847. His family followed him the next year. The remains of the deceased will be brought to town this evening and the funeral obsequies will take place at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow at the 13th Ward Assembly rooms. Brother Stringham leaves a numerous family to mourn his loss."
Among those present for the funeral included; First Presidency, Presidents Brigham Young, George A Smith, and Daniel H. Wells; also Elders Orson Pratt, Erastus Snow and George Q. Cannon of the Quorum of the Twelve. Briant Stringham died in the prime of his life. His oldest son was under twenty years of age and his youngest one yet unborn. Brother Stringham was not a wealthy man. He could not confer or offer legacies or financial endowments. He was not in a position to bestow favors, nor to grant gratuities of any kind. Many honored him by naming there children after him.
Among Briant Stringham9 s greatest endowments was the charm of his personality. He had the indescribable something that drew people to him; that intangible quality of friendship that inspires confidence and brings a sense of security and tranquility. You trusted him. Fear and apprehension vanished in his presence.
There was a combination of strength and gentleness, of modesty and courage about this man that attracted people. Modesty becomes a strong man. Briant Stringham was an exceedingly modest man but fearless in the presence of danger, calm in every crisis. He was so modest that never in his life did he have his photograph taken, neither was his portrait painted. He seldom, if ever, prayed or spoke publicly. This modesty made him the more attractive to those who knew his strength and his greatness. Bishop Edwin D. Woolley of the 13th Ward regarded his judgment so highly that he chose Briant Stringham as his first counselor in 1854,
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thinking that actual participation in the duties of the Bishopric would tend to overcome his diffidence, but while he served with faithfulness and distinction for two years in all matters pertaining to the needs of the people and the development of the ward, he was never known to respond to a call either to pray or speak in public. President Heber J. Grant married Briant's daughter Lucy. He said, "I remember your father as one of the finest men in face and form that I ever knew in my youthful days." He might have added, there were many superior men in those days.
Joseph A. Young, the eldest son of Brigham, whom the President often placed under Briant Stringham care was named Briant Stringham Young. Erastus Snow also called a son Briant Stringham Snow. This is proof of the high regard that his close associates had for him.
At Briant Stringham's funeral it was suggested that President Brigham Young should speak. He was compelled to decline, and, with tears running down his checks, directed that others should do the talking. He declared that Briant Stringham was too near and dear for him to be able to say anything.

STRINGHAM FAMILY 1855-1871 Briant Stringham succeeded Garr as foreman of the ranch serving from 1855 to 1871. Born in Colesville, New York in 1823, Briant joined the Mormon Church and participated in the great western trek, entering the valley with the first pioneers in 1847. He was a butcher, an explorer, a builder, a soldier, and a stockman. He had four wives and twenty-seven children. Stringham transported the stock to and from the island on a large flat-bottom boat. He grew grain and alfalfa, cultivated a large garden, and planted an orchard. During his tenure as a foreman, the church-owned livestock company invested in valuable stallions and brood mares which were turned loose to run and breed on the island. The band of horses sometimes numbered over one thousand. Briant was known for his kindness to animals, and he enjoyed the time spent caring for the horses. During these years, the Stringhams maintained residence in Salt Lake City, but the family spent considerable time at their Island Home. In July of 1871 Briant Stringham was caught in a storm on the lake and was soaked and exposed to the chilling wind. He became ill, developed congestion of the lungs, and died August 4. He had worked on the island for nearly sixteen years. Donated by descendants of Brian Stringham and wives, Susan Ann Ashby, Harriet Maria Asby, Martha Ellen Ashby and Nancy Garr Badger.

BRIANT STRINGHAM March 28,1823 - August 5, 1871 Pioneer of 1847 First Company This brief sketch has been taken from the book "Briant Stringham and His People" published by Horizon Publishers which was initiated by Henry Stringham, edited by Nathaniel George Stringham, with Bryant Stringham Hinckley compiling and writing the principal parts of the life story of Briant Stringham Briant Stringham was bom March 28, 1823, in Colesville, Broome, New York. His father was George Stringham, bom March 16, 1790/91 and his mother was Polly Hendrickson, bom April 3, 1803 in Windsor, Broome, New York. Manti, Utah -- March 25, 1899 Incidents and dates by Jerenjiah Stringham and Elmeda Stringham Harmon relating to the early history of the Stringham family, written by Julia Harmon Kesler " From our earliest recollection we lived on a farm near Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York. The country was heavily wooded; we had a four roomed log house, one room of which was father's workshop. He was a cooper, and made barrels, baskets buckets, and measures of wood. It took four years to clear the heavy timber from our four-acre farm. And then the land was poor, impoverished by the heavy timber and underbrush. It raised poor wheat and com, but produced good potatoes and other vegetables. We used com bread altogether, only when mother baked a short cake of wheat flour for breakfast on Sundays. 50 We had sand on the floors instead of carpets. Each Saturday the floor was swept and scrubbed and clean white sand brought from the nearby creek and sprinkled quite deep over the board floor. "Briant and Jerry helped with the farm work. While here at Jamestown, Mother and Father joined the Mormon Church (about 1832). Many meetings were held at our house before a meetinghouse was built, and we often saw the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early members of the Church. "On account of the poor land and expense of clearing off the heavy timber, people were moving west to the prairie states of Indiana and Illinois. Everybody was talking of going to the prairies. We left Jamestown and traveled by horse team to Westfield, New York, where we remained a few weeks. We left New York State in the winter of 1834, camping in barns and outbuildings along the way. We arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, where the saints were gathering, that spring. We remained in Kirtland four years, living on a small farm. While here Briant earned his first wages of $12.00 a month, working at Mr. Barlow's dairy, milking cows. The Kirtland temple was finished in the winter time and Briant with other boys, cut wood to keep the fires to dry the plaster, while Elmeda, with other little children, gathered bits of glass and broken dishes which were broken quite fine and mixed with the mortar used in plastering the Temple. "On July 4,1838 we went with a company of 500 saints to Springfield, Illinois. The Stringham family stayed in Springfield and the company continued to Missouri. Briant and his brother Jerry helped his father cut shingles. We remember as children of seeing a tall, quiet man standing at the shop door watching father cut shingles, and they said his name was Abraham Lincoln. "Briant was a good singer and he actively participated in the campaign of William Henry Harrison for President of the United States. Harrison died one month after his inauguration. "In 1840 we moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. The family became sick with malaria fever and moved back to Springfield in the summer of 1841. In 1845 the family moved for a second time to Nauvoo. Father was sick with the ague. Briant had all he could do to support the family. During the summer of 1846 the family moved to Winter Quarters, Nebraska. Briant Stringham left Winter Quarters with the first pioneers April 13,1847 and arrived in Salt Lake Valley July 24,1847.". Briant Stringham was baptized June, 1841 by William Riley at Nauvoo. He was then eighteen years of age. As a young man of twenty-four years of age he was selected as one of the original company, under the leadership of Brigham Young, to find a gathering place for the saints in the Rocky Mountains. Briant Stringham seemed in all respects eminently fitted for this important task. He belonged to the third ten which was composed of the following men: Phineas H. Young, Captain; 51 John Y. Green, Thomas S. Tanner, Brigham Young, Anderson Everett, Truman O. Angell, Lorenzo D. Young, Briant Stringham, Joseph S. Schofield, and Albert P. Rockwood. Brian was among the youngest, if not the youngest of this group. He was assigned to drive Brigham Young's wagon. Briant was physically robust, alert, happy and cheerful. In the brief diary kept of this journey, very few or any specific references are made to Briant Stringham, but the fact that he did his part, that he was not remiss in any task assigned him, that he enjoyed it, that it must have been a wonderful experience for this young man, is attested in the activities and accomplishments of his short life after having reached the end of the journey. In the spring of '48, he started to build his house on the comer lot of East Temple and Second South Street; and he established there the first butcher shop that was opened in Salt Lake City. In a letter to his parents on March 5,1848 he wrote, "I am in hopes of raising an abundance of grain for you; at least, I have as fair prospects as most anyone. I will try my best at any rate and at the same time, I want you to do something for me. By the time you get here, I shall be literally naked, bareheaded, and without shoes or clothing. I hope, therefore, that you will do all in your power for me. I am trying to do this for you. If Jerry is there, tell him to fetch me a good wife." He made the adobes for his house and shop; and went to the canyon and cut the timbers to make the door and window frames. He was in the butcher business for six years. In 1855 Brigham Young called him to take charge of the Church property; and he had exclusive charge of the lands, cattle, horses, and sheep, from then until his death sixteen years later. Briant Stringham was a large man, six feet two inches in his stocking feet, normal weight about two hundred pounds. His hair was dark brown, with dark brown eyes and a ruddy complexion. He resembled more his mother's people than he did the Stringhams. When Salt Lake City was first laid out in Blocks and streets, Briant Stringham acquired the lot 10 X 20 rods on the southeast comer of Second South and Main Streets. His father, George Stringham, secured the adjoining lot on the south also 10 X 20 rods. Here Briant built his first home and butcher shop and arranged for the ******** of a home for his parents. After his appointment to care for the church's stock, he found it necessary to enlarge his land holdings and to supply suitable homes for his fast growing families. Accordingly, he disposed of the west part of his Main Street lot to Nicholas Groesbeck and the east 103 Vi feet to Appleton M. Harmon. He then acquired a piece of ground 20 X 25 rods on the southwest comer of Third East and South Temple Streets which was divided, a portion to each of his four wives. In the great excitement which followed the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California and the Gold Rush which reached its peak in '49, many people in Utah got the fever and wanted to go— and many did go. Briant's father, George, went, and Briant concluded to go. He was ready to start, his wagon was loaded, when Brigham Young happened along, and upon 52 learning that he was ready to start for California, put his hand on Briant s shoulder and said, "Briant, I want you to stay right here, and if you will, I promise you that you shall never want for bread." Without another word, Briant immediately proceeded to unload his wagon and obey the suggestion of his great leader. The following is a small excerpt from the remarks that Brigham made to the people at this time. "The winter of 1848-49 in the Salt Lake Valley was cold. Many of the people had their feet badly frozen. President Young stood before the whole people and said, 'Some have asked me about going to the gold fields. I have told them that God has appointed this place for the gathering of his saints, and you will do better right here than you will by going to the gold mines. God will temper the climate, and we shall build a city and temple to the Most High God in this place. It is our duty to preach the Gospel, gather Israel, pay our tithing, and build a Temple. The worst fear that I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth". On the 21st of March, 1850, Briant Stringham married Susan Ann Ashby. Harriet Maria Ashby married Briant Stringham April 20,1852. Martha Ellen Ashby Buckland, the wife of Alandes D. Buckland, deceased, and having a four-year old daughter, Ellen Buckland, was married to Briant in the office of President Young, August 12,1856. Brigham Young performed the ceremony with Heber C. Kimball and Jeddiah M. Grant, witnesses. Martha was then within a few days of being 24 years old — Briant 33. Reviving the custom of the old Mosaic law, that when a man dies his brother should marry his widow and raise up issue unto his dead brother, he married Nancy Garr Badger for time only. Ceremony performed in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah, December 14, 1858. Nancy was then past 36 years of age, some 6 months older than Briant. The marriage ceremonies performed by Brigham Young uniting Briant with each of the Ashby women was for time and for all eternity, as is the order of the Church. When the Endowment House was completed and made ready for use, Briant, with these three Ashby wives, knelt about the altar there and, for the purpose of making the record clear, had this sealing ordinance again performed uniting them for time and for all eternity. It is said that this same altar is now installed and in use in the west sealing room of the Salt Lake Temple. Very little is known of Briant's love affairs and of how it came about that he married three Ashby girls. The following story may or may not be entirely true but it has been told so many times that their must be some measure of truth in it. At the suggestion of Brigham Young, Briant secured a traveling outfit and journeyed east to help any 1848 immigrants he should meet coming this way. Where it was that he met up with the company headed by Erastus Snow is not known, but in that company was a widow, Susan Hammond Ashby, mother of eleven children. 53 Erastus Snow was glad of Brianfs help and upon arrival here Briant was shouldered with the responsibility of looking after this widow Ashby and her children. So there he was, a young unmarried man with a widow and eleven children on his hands. Obedient to the call, however, he did the best he could, and then soon after, he was placed in charge of Church stock he made "cowboys" out of the boys as they grew up and to get rid of the girls as they came of age, he married three of them. Result 27 children. Upon the death of Fielding Garr, Brigham Young gave Briant Stringham charge of the stock belonging to the church, and he continued to have charge of them until his death in 1871. He was a good judge of superior horses and cattle, and as a result some very fine horses were imported to Utah and some were placed on Antelope Island. For sixteen years Antelope Island occupied a large part of his life. Fielding Garr had charge of the Church stock when they first came into the valley. Following his death in 1855, Briant Stringham was given this responsiblity. The island is eighteen miles long and four miles in width. In the early days, the island was considered one of the most desirable pleasure resorts, and many happy hours were spent there by President Brigham Young and his intimate associates. Brother Kimball describes a three-day visit of President Young to the island in 1860. The most important feature connected with this pleasure trip was the display of horsemanship. There were upward of a thousand horses on the island at that time, the majority of them being almost as wild as deer. Briant Stringham made it a point to corral every horse on the island at least once a year. At such times they were branded, handled, and looked after in a general way. You can readily imagine why life on the island was interesting, particularly to young people. On this occasion President Young had invited some of the most noted horsemen in the territory to be present and participate. Among them were such men as Lot Smith, Judson Stoddard, Brigham Young Jr., Len Rice, Stephen Taylor, Ezra Clark, Heber B. Kimball, the Ashby and Garr boys, and others — every one of whom was recognized for his horsemanship. All these men were mounted on island-bred horses, which were known for their fleetness, sureness of foot, and their endurance and style. Brother Kimball describes the activity. "At ten o'clock in the morning of the round-up, dust was seen toward the north end of the island. It had the appearance of a whirlwind moving southward at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour. Nothing could be seen but dust, until it had reached within two miles of the house. Everybody was on tiptoe, and the excitement was running high. Here they came — the speediest animals on the island, all of them white with foam, panting like chargers. There were about seventy-five of them in all; some of them as fine animals as could be found anywhere. Those present from the old country who had never witnessed such a scene, stood almost paralyzed with excitement. The air was full of excitement. The enthusiasm manifested by the onlookers was so great that it almost lifted them from their feet. Before they had recovered from the shock, another exhibition of horsemanship presented 54 itself, which almost left the first in the shade. "Lot Smith and Judson Stoddard, with their partners, mounted four large and beautiful horses and entered the corral, where the horses stood snorting like elk. Lot led the chase, with his partner close behind him, followed by Judson Stoddard and his partner. While these wild animals were on the run around the large corral, Lot threw his lariat over the front foot of one of them, and at the same moment, his partner lassoed the same animal around the neck; and with their lariats around the horns of their saddles, and in less than a minute's time, had thrown the horse and dragged it over the smooth surface of the corral, a distance of several rods, to a place where the fire and branding irons were, and in another half-minute, the horse was branded and turned loose. They had no more than gotten out of the way before Judson Stoddard and his partner had another horse ready for the finishing touch. So it continued until the band had been disposed of and turned loose on the range to make room for the next one, which was expected any moment." The wild horses that once roamed over this island possessed characteristics peculiar to themselves. In many ways they seemed to be almost as intelligent as human beings. There were two reasons for this. In the first place they came from good stock. The Mormon Church, under the direction of Fielding Garr and Briant Stringham, invested thousands of dollars in valuable stallions and brood mares, which were turned loose upon the island. In the second place, they became nimble, wiry, surefooted, by continually traveling over the rough trails on the island, from the time they were foaled until they were grown. With all their perfections, they had a weakness that made many a man's face red with anger. They loved their island home. It was hard to wean them from it. Whenever a favorable opportunity presented itself, they would take the nearest cut to the island, swimming the lake wherever they happened to come to it, and kept going until they reached their destination. Brother Kimball's records show that Briant Stringham died in 1871, and, sad to say, after that there was no interest taken in the island horses. There were then about five hundred head. They were allowed to run wild. For years they never saw a human being. The untimely death of Briant Stringham, no doubt, was the result of extreme fatigue and exposure, in his efforts to transport sheep from the island to Blackrock in a heavy storm which lasted for three days. Briant Stringham and Martha Ellen Ashby had a girl bom May 11,1857. She was bom on Antelope Island. She was greeted by her four-year-old half sister, Ella Buckland. This new child was named Martha. Martha married Joseph Edmonds. Ella Buckland married William Loder. Children bom to Briant Stringham and Martha Ellen Ashby Bucklin Martha Stringham May 11,1857 Antelope Island, Utah Chloe Stringham February 7,1859 Salt Lake City, Utah Jedediah (Jed) Stringham May 2,1861 Salt Lake City, Utah 55 Hammond Stringham May 23,1863 Salt Lake City, Utah Ada Stringham December 1,1865 Salt Lake City, Utah Judith Theressa Stringham May 11,1867 Salt Lake City, Utah Richard Stringham June 7,1870 Salt Lake City, Utah In the Deseret News, dated August 4,1871, it said that Briant died of billious remittant fever. The article went on to say the following: "A profound feeling of sorrow was produced among the people of this city on receipt of the intelligence this morning that Brother Briant Stringham had died at half past five a. m. at his residence near the Jordan River. The sensation was all the more intense on account of such an event being totally unlooked for, but few people even being aware that he was sick. The disease with which he was afflicted and which terminated his life was billious remittant fever, with which he had been ill about nine days previous to his death although he had complained of feeling somewhat indisposed before being taken with the fever. Brother Stringham was as widely known in the Territory as a man could be. He was a man of unimpeachable life and character and sterling integrity, being respected and esteemed by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He was in his 47th year and was the eldest son of George and Polly Stringham and was raised in the Church from his early boyhood. He was one of the Pioneers to this valley having come here in President Brigham Young's company in 1847. His family followed him the next year. The remains of the deceased will be brought to town this evening and the funeral obsequies will take place at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow at the 13th Ward Assembly rooms. Brother Stringham leaves a numerous family to mourn his loss." Among those present for the funeral included; First Presidency, Presidents Brigham Young, George A Smith, and Daniel H. Wells; also Elders Orson Pratt, Erastus Snow and George Q. Cannon of the Quorum of the Twelve. Briant Stringham died in the prime of his life. His oldest son was under twenty years of age and his youngest one yet unborn. Brother Stringham was not a wealthy man. He could not confer or offer legacies or financial endowments. He was not in a position to bestow favors, nor to grant gratuities of any kind. Many honored him by naming there children after him. Among Briant Stringham9 s greatest endowments was the charm of his personality. He had the indescribable something that drew people to him; that intangible quality of friendship that inspires confidence and brings a sense of security and tranquility. You trusted him. Fear and apprehension vanished in his presence. There was a combination of strength and gentleness, of modesty and courage about this man that attracted people. Modesty becomes a strong man. Briant Stringham was an exceedingly modest man but fearless in the presence of danger, calm in every crisis. He was so modest that never in his life did he have his photograph taken, neither was his portrait painted. He seldom, if ever, prayed or spoke publicly. This modesty made him the more attractive to those who knew his strength and his greatness. Bishop Edwin D. Woolley of the 13th Ward regarded his judgment so highly that he chose Briant Stringham as his first counselor in 1854, 56 thinking that actual participation in the duties of the Bishopric would tend to overcome his diffidence, but while he served with faithfulness and distinction for two years in all matters pertaining to the needs of the people and the development of the ward, he was never known to respond to a call either to pray or speak in public. President Heber J. Grant married Briant's daughter Lucy. He said, "I remember your father as one of the finest men in face and form that I ever knew in my youthful days." He might have added, there were many superior men in those days. Joseph A. Young, the eldest son of Brigham, whom the President often placed under Briant Stringham care was named Briant Stringham Young. Erastus Snow also called a son Briant Stringham Snow. This is proof of the high regard that his close associates had for him. At Briant Stringham's funeral it was suggested that President Brigham Young should speak. He was compelled to decline, and, with tears running down his checks, directed that others should do the talking. He declared that Briant Stringham was too near and dear for him to be able to say anything.

Sources

[S32] Unknown, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Trees.
http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=32128504&pid=12944
[S162] Ancestry.com, Unknown, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Original sources vary according to directory. The title of the specific directory being viewed is listed at the top of the image viewer page. Check the directory tit).
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=usdirectories&h=1012179792&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
[S853] Ancestry.com, Unknown, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001.Original data - Questionnaires compiled by Sons of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City.Original data: Questionnaires compiled by Sons of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City.).
Birth date: 1 Feb 1830 Birth place: Salem, Essex County, Mass Death date: 28 Apr 1896 Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Marriage date: 21 Mar 1850 Marriage place: Salt Lake City, UT Residence date: Residence place: Salt Lake City, UT Arrival date: 2 Oct 1847 Arrival place: Salt Lake City, UT Departure date: 2 Jun 1847 Departure place: Winter Quarter, Neb
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=suppionbind&h=2060&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

STRINGHAM, Briant[1, 2]

STRINGHAM, Briant^{[1, 2]}