Dates

• Existence: 1807 - 1856

Biography

John McCleve (spelled McClave in Ireland) was born in Crawfordsburn, County Down (some sources say Belfast, County Antrim), Ireland, on August 18, 1807, the only child of John McCleve Sr. and Catherine Lamb. He married Nancy Jane McFerran on June 27, 1833 in Bangor, County Down, Ireland, and the couple had 10 children: Sarah (1834), Catherine (1836), Margaret Anne (1838), Mary Jane (1840), Isabel Wilkins (1843), John Taylor (1845), Joseph Smith (1847), Eliza Roxey (1849), Daniel Bell (1851), and Alexander Gilmore (1854). John was a shoemaker, and Nancy Jane was an expert needleworker and seamstress.

John and Nancy were introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elders James Ferguson and John D.L. McAllister in 1841 and quickly accepted it, being baptized in June of that year. Both John and Nancy were the only members of their families to join the Church, and while Nancy's parents remained kind and loving, John's family wanted nothing more to do with him. Sadly, Nancy's mother died a month later in July 1841. The McCleves survived the disastrous potato famine of 1845-1847, which killed thousands of their countrymen, due to the kindness of John's employer, Alexander Gilmore, an Irish lord who owned a plantation where John was the overseer; they named their youngest son after him. In 1846, John lost his mother, and Nancy her grandmother. Their four oldest children were baptized on August 26, 1850 in the Irish sea after dark, due to local religious persecution and misunderstandings of this foreign religion. Tragedy struck again in March 1852, when their son Daniel died at only 7 months old.

The family had always wanted to travel to Zion to join the Saints, but the cost of traveling all at once with such a large family was too high, so it was decided to send Sarah and Catherine first, and the others would come when they had saved enough money; the girls sailed to the United States on the Falcon, which left Liverpool, England, on March 28, 1853, and reached New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 18; they continued to Salt Lake City in the company of Captain John Brown, where they were quickly married, Sarah to John Young (brother of the prophet Brigham Young) on October 3, and Catherine to Phineas Wolcott Cook on December 18, 1853. Three years later, the rest of the family emigrated from Liverpool to Boston, Massachusetts, on the Samuel Curling, arriving on May 3, 1856; they made their way to Iowa City, Iowa, where they joined handcart company of Captain Daniel D. McArthur, leaving on June 11 and arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on September 26, 1856. Unfortunately, John had died two days earlier due to a broken blood vessel in his leg (some sources say he was injured while trying to prevent their handcart from going over a cliff, others that he was trying to keep a heavy chest from falling out of the handcart of the widow in front of them; still another says that while going up a steep hill, their handcart overturned and fell on him). He died in Echo Canyon that night and was buried along Bear River near Evanston, Wyoming (what is now Henefer, Utah).

Citation:

FamilySearch (multiple pages), accessed March 26-27, 2024 (John McCleve (spelled McClave in Ireland) born in Crawfordsburn, County Down (some sources say Belfast, County Antrim), Ireland, on August 18, 1807; only child of John McCleve Sr. and Catherine Lamb; married Nancy Jane McFerran on June 27, 1833 in Bangor, County Down, Ireland; 10 children: Sarah (1834), Catherine (1836), Margaret Anne (1838), Mary Jane (1840), Isabel Wilkins (1843), John Taylor (1845), Joseph Smith (1847), Eliza Roxey (1849), Daniel Bell (1851), and Alexander Gilmore (1854); John was shoemaker, Nancy Jane expert needleworker and seamstress; John and Nancy introduced to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elders James Ferguson and John D.L. McAllister in 1841, quickly accepted; baptized in June that year; both John and Nancy only members of their families to join Church; while Nancy's parents remained kind and loving, John's family wanted nothing more to do with him; Nancy's mother died July 1841; McCleves survived potato famine of 1845-1847, which killed thousands of countrymen, due to kindness of John's employer, Alexander Gilmore: Irish lord, owned plantation where John was overseer; named youngest son after him; 1846, John lost mother, Nancy lost grandmother; four oldest children baptized August 26, 1850 in Irish sea after dark: religious persecution, misunderstandings of foreign religion; March 1852, son Daniel died, only 7 months old; family had always wanted to travel to Zion to join Saints, but cost of traveling all at once with such a large family too high; decided to send Sarah and Catherine first, others would come when saved enough money; girls sailed to United States on Falcon: left Liverpool, England, on March 28, 1853, reached New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 18; continued to Salt Lake City in company of Captain John Brown; quickly married: Sarah to John Young, brother of prophet Brigham Young, on October 3, and Catherine to Phineas Wolcott Cook on December 18, 1853; three years later, rest of family emigrated from Liverpool to Boston, Massachusetts, on ship Samuel Curling, arrived May 3, 1856; made way to Iowa City, Iowa, joined handcart company of Captain Daniel D. McArthur; left June 11, arrived in Salt Lake Valley on September 26, 1856; John died two days earlier due to broken blood vessel in leg (differing stories: was injured while trying to prevent handcart from going over cliff, or was trying to keep heavy chest from falling out of handcart of widow in front of them, or going up steep hill, handcart overturned and fell on him); died in Echo Canyon that night, buried along Bear River near Evanston, Wyoming (now Henefer, Utah))

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