 1852 - 1920 (67 years) Has 2 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.
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| Name |
Thomas Gasquin |
| Birth |
1 May 1852 |
Missouri, United States  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
18 Mar 1920 |
Leamington, Millard, Utah, United States |
| Burial |
19 Mar 1920 |
Leamington, Millard, Utah, United States |
| Initiatory (LDS) |
5 Mar 2008 |
JRIVE |
| FamilySearch ID |
MMM2-GBD |
| Headstones |
 Submit Headstone Photo |
| Headstones |
Submit Headstone Photo |
| Person ID |
I118960 |
mytree |
| Last Modified |
25 Feb 2024 |
| Father |
John Powell, b. 31 Oct 1822, St. Sepulchre, Middlesex, England d. 3 Jun 1902, Fillmore, Millard, Utah, United States (Age 79 years) |
| Relationship |
Adopted |
| Mother |
Fanny Chamberlain, b. 14 Oct 1820, Barnstaple, Devonshire, England d. 18 Aug 1872, Fillmore, Millard, Utah, United States (Age 51 years) |
| Relationship |
Adopted |
| Marriage |
13 Nov 1842 |
London, Middlesex, England |
| Family ID |
F8116 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Thomas Gasquin's story, early on, is very compelling from what we kn o w . An orphan at an early age, Thomas came to Utah in the family of J o h n a nd Fanny Powell, English converts who arrived in the Salt Lake Va ll e y b y wagon in late September 1856 just before the ill-fated Marti n an d W illi e handcart companies would be caught in early snowstorms o n th e plai ns. Excerpts from John Powell's journal help fill in some ear ly de tail s o f Thomas Gasquin's otherwise sketchy later life. An Octobe r 185 4 ent ry a t St. Louis by John Powell relates the following:
"...when a visiting elder in the 5th section of the 6th War d, I w a s called to visit some emergrants (immigrants) who were sick; I w e n t t o see them and just as I came to the door of the house in which th e y w e re, the man had just bs last. The wife and three little b oy s we re on th e sidewalk crying bitterly. I felt very sorry to see thei r d is tress . I went and informed Elder Robert Hill, the visting Elder o f t h e secti on they were in, but he would do nothing for them. I return e d t o the su ffering family and took them to my house. The woman tol d m e he r husband 's name was Gascoign. The husband was buried the follo win g day. This fam ily staid (stayed) with my family for some time. In t h e meant ime, Mrs . Gascoign was taken with the Colrah. I went and go t a D r. to se e her . He said by all means to have her taken to the Hors epital. I too k his a dvise. My wife went to those in charge of the horse pita l and go t a perm it. The following day I hired a car. My wife wen t wit h her to t he horse pital. After aw[h]ile she sent word to us she w ante d to come ou t of th e horsepital. My wife went and hired a car an d broug ht her to th e house . Her children staid (stayed) with my famil y while t heir mother w as i n the horsepital. I rented a small house fo r the famil y. They wen t to l ive in the house I rented for them. The fa mily consis ted of thre e boy s and a married daughter. They had lived i n the house t wo weeks whe n th e woman came with her three boys again t o my house cryin g and wringi n g her hands. After repeatedly questionin g her, I found he r daughter w a s taken with the Colra. I then went to t he house and foun d the young w om an lying on the floor in great agony . I sent to her hus band to come a n d attend to his wife, but he would n ot come. I got a Bro. William Rober t s to help. We attended to her all t he day. I wished he r mother to st a y with her daughter the night, but s he declined. I sen t to the husban d a gain, but he would not go and eve n see his wife. I at tended her th e nex t day when she died. I had to g o to the City Registra, who sent a c offin. I could not get any person t o fix her for burial. While I was awa y t o get the coffin, someone wen t to the house and too k from the corps[ e's ] finger her gold wedding ri ng. After the burial th e mother returne d t o the house, and took to dri nking w[h]iskey. She ver y soon was take n sic k, sent for my wife, who w aited upon her. She becam e weaker ever y day al though my wife gave he r nousishing food. When my w ife was shake n (shakin g) up her bed (beddi ng) she found under the pillo w a bottle o f w[h]iskey. She talked to he r about drinking w[h]iskey whe n she confess ed to drink ing. She was die ing. She asked my wife to tak e her little bo y, Thomas, and be a mothe r to him. My wife said if I wa s willing she wou ld. Sh e asked me. I con sented. We took Tom. Bro. Ro bert Windley took th e tw o larger boys. I g ot her burried by the City an d Bro. Windley an d I divi ded the clothing )."
Another entry, dated 29 April [1856], confirms that Thomas was ind e e d i n company with the Powells when they left St. Louis for the West . T h e re cord says: "Bro. Canute Peterson was in St. Louis with a compa n y o f Dani sh Saints. I agreed to go to Florence, at five dollars per h ea d. My com pany consisted of myself, my wife Fanny, Mary, Fanny, Jessy , T h omas Gasco ign, Mrs. Smith, her son Joseph, and Jane White. Nine i n all . " By journ ey's end, John Powell's diary simply states: "We arriv e d i n Great Salt L ake City, September 21st [1856]. We made the journe y f ro m Florence to G. S.L. City in 87 days." No mention of Thomas howev er , no r any of the res t of the company for that matter, is made at th e ti me. One can only assu me that all made it, since no mishaps were men tion e d along the way.
After reaching Utah and settling in Millard County, not many blank s i n t h e life of Thomas are filled in by the Powell journal. Two 186 8 entr ie s r ecord that, "I and Thomas Gascoign cut 20 rod[s] of fencin g and pu t i t u p on my hay claim," and "Tom and I made adobes at Meado w Creek. " An d i n 1897 John Powell does write in his journal, "Jul y 4 - Thoma s Gasco[ i]g n came to Fillmore to see me..." Both John's con cern for Tom 's spiri tua l welfare and Tom's respect towards John in ref erence to hi m as "Fath er " are displayed in a reply letter sent from To m to John, wh ich is foun d k ept in John Powell's journal. The letter fo llows:
Leamington, Sept. 3, 1897
Dear Father, I received your letter some time ago, and in reply wi l l s a y that I will not have anything to do with the Leamington branc h . I do n' t think that I will stay very long here. In reply to helpin g yo u thi s fa ll, I will do what I can for you. I am pretty hard run a t pres ent. Alm a and Lilly told me they would help you when you needed i t. Hopi n g thes e few lines will find you well, as it leaves me at prese nt.
Yours respectfully,
Thomas Gascoign
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English
