Esther Cherrington

Esther Cherrington is one of 14 children born to John Cherrington and Sarah Belcher, both of England. After immigrating to America, the family joined the John Smith Company to travel to Salt Lake Valley with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Before they began their journey, whooping cough broke out among the Saints. Although many were sick and weak from the sickness, the company began their trek.

Records indicate that the Cherrington family were sick and weak the entire journey. The John Smith Company left the family in Green River in hopes that they could regain their health and strength. However, Esther and her younger brother, Hyrum, died at Green River. Within three weeks of being left in Green River, the Oscar O. Stoddard Company picked up the remaining family members. Five miles out of Green River, Esther’s sister, Lucy, died.

From Company journals: “The whole family was ill while they were crossing the plains. Captain John Smith decided to leave this family in Green River so they could recover their strength and continue to the Salt Lake Valley. It is said John had Mountain Fever. If the children also had Mountain Fever or something else is unknown. Little Hyrum died while this family was at Green River. His sister Ester also died while here and sister Lucy died 5 miles out, once the Oscar O. Stoddard Company picked them up 3 weeks after John Smith's Company had left them.”