Samuel Gadd

Samuel Gadd is the fifth of nine children born to Samuel Gadd and Eliza Chapman both born in Cambridgeshire, England. The family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and with a fervent desire to be with other members, six days later they sailed o America on the ship “Thornton.” (Samuel was baptized on April 28, 1856.

After arriving in New York, they joined the Willie Handcart Company to journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers.

In histories from pioneers, another boy in the handcart company mentioned that he and Samuel jumped in a river to save someone from drowning.

According to Eliza Gadd’s history, Samuel caught a cold in Iowa City and it turned into pneumonia. Even though he was sick, when his little brother Daniel died, he had to bury him along the trail. Days later, Samuel passed away.” He is buried in a mass grave with 12 others who died the same day at Rock Creek, Wyoming.

Eliza said in her history, "Samuel was the most anxious to reach Zion, but it was not to be."

Eliza lost her husband, Samuel, days after her son Samuel died. She and the rest of their children went on to Utah.