Daniel Osborne

Daniel Osbone is the fourth of seven children born to Daniel Osborne and Susannah Rebecca Tillet, both of England.

The Osborne family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and desired to immigrate to America to be with other members of their faith. After sailing from England, Daniel, and Susannah and their four children joined the Willie Handcart Company.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, premature birth, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera, a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water, infected many of the travelers. Furthermore, the handcart company began the trek late in the season, putting the Saints in the path of frigid temperatures, snowstorms, and short food rations. Daniel grew ill and was placed on the handcart. He passed away on October 19, 1856, the very day that Brigham Young sent out a rescue group with supplies.

Before help could arrive, Daniel’s father died two weeks after his son. Six days thereafter, his mother Susannah passed away, leaving the three remaining children orphaned. One of the rescuers, John Saline, took the three girls to the Salt Lake Valley where they were adopted into the Silas Richards family.

From the Willie Handcart Company journal: “Sunday 19th … also Daniel Osborn, from Norwich, Norfolk, England died”

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