James' Story
Birth: March 25th, 1852 | male | in Brighton, Sussex, England
Death: November 6th, 1856 | 4 years old | near Devil's Gate, Wyoming
Memorial: Stone 6 | left column
James Goble is the son of William Francis Goble and Mary Ann Penfold, both from England. After the family immigrated from England to America, they joined the John A. Hunt Company to journey west to the Salt Lake Valley. They were instructed not to follow the Willie or Martin Handcart Company.
Among the many hardships the company experienced was the severe bitter weather conditions. Four-year-old James passed away on November 6, 1856 and is buried near Devil’s Gate.
From a journal written by one of James' sisters who survived the journey: “When we arrived at Devil's Gate [Weber Canyon, Utah] it was bitter cold. We left many of our things there....My brother James, was as well as he ever was when we went to bed that night. In the morning he was dead.... My feet were frozen; also my brother's and sisters'. It was nothing but snow. We did not know what would become of us."