Wessman 12: Gammon Hayward

Gammon Hayward
b. 7 January 1828   Deal, Kent, England
c. 7 Mar 1828   Deal, Kent, England
m. 1 June 1850   St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Surrey, England
d. 27 February 1883   San Francisco, San Francisco, California
b. 1 March 1883   Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Wife: Sarah Ann Cripps
Father: John Gammon Hayward
Mother: Mary Clement

As previously mentioned, the best source on the Hayward family is the Wagstaff book, but here is a short biography of Gammon Hayward.

Gammon Hayward was born in Deal, County of Kent, England, January 7, 1828, the son of John and Mary Clement. His father was a boat builder and he worked with him until he left for America. He was married 1 June 1850, to Sarah Ann Cripps. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1850 and in common with the Saints of that time, the spirit of gathering was with them. They left England in April [February] 1853 with two children, a daughter Elizabeth and a son John Henry [Henry John]. They sailed in the ship International, arriving in Salt Lake in September 1853. 

As there was nothing to do in his line of work, he turned to carpentering and worked on the Constitution Building putting on the roof. He assisted in the building of the first grist mill in Cache Valley, working with George Surrine [Sirrine?] for a man named Allen in 1860. They had to work with their guns at hand as the bears were very troublesome. 

He built the first boat that was run on the Great Salt Lake. It was built for General Connor and was named after his daughter Kate Connor. It was used to carry ties across the lake to the Promontory at the time of the building of the railroad to California in 1868. He was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and was called to Echo Canyon at the time of the Johnson War [the Utah War].

When the families were ordered South he came home and finding that no preparation had been made for moving his family, he built a wagon and moved them. His family at this time consisted of his wife and three children. They moved to Provo and while they were there another son was born. He then worked for W.E. Godbe [sic; William S. Godbe].

After the return to their home, he went to Camp Floyd and worked at carpentering. He was one of the men who was sent to assist the hand-cart companies into the valley. He was also a member of the Nauvoo Cavalry. He went to Deep Creek with Howard Egan. He assisted in building the Social Hall. He also built a pleasure boat for Walker Brothers and boats for Hot Spring Lake. In common with the spirit of the pioneers he was always ready to assist others and do his share of civic work and he suffered the hardships of that life. 

He was the President of the Kent Road Branch of the church in England and when he left for Utah his father told him that if he ever wanted to come back the money was there for him to use at any time, so his home was in Utah from choice and not necessity. 

He kept the Lake Point Hotel in 1878. 

In 1879 he moved to San Francisco and died there in 1883. He was buried at Salt Lake City.

Anonymous. “Biography of Gammon Hayward.”

Coming tomorrow: a biography of Gammon's wife Sarah Ann Cripps Hayward.

Additional Sources

Chad G. Nichols made a nice compilation of primary sources [sources that were created at the time] about the voyage of the ship International. A copy is available here.

For an interesting look into the history of the church in England with an emphasis on the 1851 religious census (the article includes a mention of the Kent Road Branch), see the article, Cynthia Doxey, "The Church in Britain and the 1851 Religious Census," Mormon Historical Studies, Spring 2003, 106-138.

Photo of the Great Salt Lake from www.flickr.com/photos/aidanmorgan/3941986636/. Photo of a reenactment at Camp Floyd from www.flickr.com/photos/jotor/156771552/.