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Pioneer 1848-1868 Companies

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Nancy LeMarchant DeLaHaye, 1868 (age 69)

Nancy LeMarchant DeLaHaye was born in St. Lawrence Parish, Jersey, Britain, on March 23, 1799, the daughter of Daniel LeMarchant, a refugee from the French Revolution, and Ann LeGros, a native of Jersey. Nancy was reared as an only child. Her Jersey ancestors were a proud and stubborn people. After all, it was their very own duke who, in 1066, won the Battle of Hastings and was thereafter called "William the Conqueror;" and the three leopards that have been part of the coat of arms of kings of England ever since Richard the Lionhearted are known as the "Arms of Jersey." Nancy's mother died while her father was away engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and upon his return, Nancy was living elsewhere. Since she was of marriageable age, her father determined to find her a husband of his choice, and told her that she must marry the man he had selected. She did not marry her father's choice, and was therefore disinherited. When Daniel remarried, he arranged his will so that Nancy would never inherit any of his money.

Nancy married Francis DeLaHaye on April 8, 1818, who ten and a half years later, on October 28, 1828, died, leaving her with three children, the youngest of whom was only eight months of age. Ann, the oldest child, married in 1841; Francis, the son, and Margaret both married in 1848. In September of 1849 the first missionaries brought the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Jersey, and on July 27, 1850, Nancy was baptized. On August 15, 1853, Nancy's widowed daughter Margaret joined the Church and married a native missionary, Charles Horman, the same day. In the years that followed, Nancy became very close to this son-in-law, and took great pride in his achievements in the Church. He became presiding elder of the branch at St. Helier and was instrumental in helping many of the members of the Church gather to Zion. Finally word came that the branch was to be discontinued. The Hormans were now free to come to Zion. For nearly eighteen years, Nancy had been a member of the Church, watching others leave Jersey for America, longing to go too, yet held by her family who, except for Margaret, were not members of the Church. Now Margaret was leaving.

Nancy was 69 years of age, but she chose to accompany her daughter and son-in-law on their journey to Zion. They sailed from Liverpool, England, the 24th of June, 1868, and arrived in Salt Lake City September 15, 1868. They had left Jersey well supplied with money. At Benton, where their journey by oxteam started, they purchased three wagons. There were ten of the family who made the long journey: Nancy, Margaret and Charles and seven children ranging in age from seventeen-year-old Margaret to eighteen-month-old Annie, four boys and three girls. Another family wanted to go with this company but didn't have a wagon, so Charles gave them one of the three he had purchased. The journey was hot and dry. They had left Benton on August 24th. Sometimes they walked; sometimes some of them rode on the wagons. Nancy, young Margaret and little Annie were riding one day when they came to a place where a flood had washed out the road. The wagon tipped over, spilling things and people out. Nancy's back was hurt. Young Margaret was severely injured. Only the baby emerged unscathed. The wagon was wrecked beyond repair. They piled what they could onto their last wagon, leaving many articles by the wayside because Nancy and Margaret had to travel in the wagon. They settled in Tooele, where many others from Jersey lived.

Nancy lived in Tooele for twelve years. She died there September 10, 1880, at the age of eighty-one.

Source: Our Pioneer Heritage © Carter, Kate B., ed. 20 vols. Salt Lake City: International Society, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1958-1977. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Documents and images are exerpted by permission from the LDS Family History Suite CDROM from Ancestry.