Ninian Nelson-Immigration Story

By Faith All Things Are Fulfilled

Compiled by Leatrice Nelson Hunsaker

(Great Granddaughter of Ninian Nelson)

     In Ether 12:3 we read, "By faith all things are fulfilled.' That surely was true for the 457 Passengers on board the ship, The Constitution, who began their journey from Liverpool, England to the land of America on 24 June 1868,  They were a company of people who had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believing it was the True Church of Christ which had been restored upon the earth in this modern day.  On board that ship were 45 from Switzerland, Bavaria, Württemberg, and the Netherlands, and 412 were from the British Isles.  There were also a number of missionaries included in that group, returning from their missions:  Elders Joseph S. Horne and John Hoagland from the Swiss and German missions; Elders Harvey H. Cluff, C. P. Liston, Hyrum T. Spencer, and Nephi R. Fawcett from the British Mission.  Also Elder Hugentobler from the Switzerland Mission and Elder Van Stetter having served in the Netherlands Mission.  Elder Harvey H. Cluff was appointed president of the company with Elder Joseph S. Horne and C. P. Liston as has counselors.

     Ninian Nelson and his son Edward Nelson were among that group of people from Scotland who had joined that Church.  Ninian and his wife Christina were baptized in 1847.  It became their great desire and goal to come to America, which seemed to be the land of opportunity for them.  Things had not been going very well for them in Scotland.  They were not able to make that trip, however, until more than twenty years later, when Ninian and his oldest son Edward came to America in 1868 intending to prepare a place where they could soon bring the rest of the family.  Ninian left behind his wife and five children. 

     When and Edward got to Liverpool to board the ship, The Resolute, which they were scheduled to cross the ocean on, that ship was not in port.  There were two ships scheduled to bring the immigrants across the ocean at that time, The Emerald Isle and The Resolute.  They loaded The Emerald Isle and it left Liverpool on 20 June 1868.  The Resolute had not yet arrived in port.  The immigration officers went in search of another ship to carry the rest of the immigrants across the ocean.  The only ship they found was The Constitution, a ship that had been condemned and was considered to not be sea worthy.  They sought out the Captain of that ship, Captain Hatten and asked him if he would take his ship across the ocean one more time.  He hesitated at first about taking that old vessel on another ocean voyage.  Upon learning that the passengers would be Mormons, he no longer hesitated but agreed to cross the ocean one more time.  "You can't drown the Mormons!" he is reported to have said. 

     The passengers on board that ship soon learned that was indeed a brave statement.  That ship leaked so much that it was necessary to pump water out both day and night.  That was the last sailing vessel to carry a large group of Saints across the Atlantic Ocean.      

     Three days into their voyage they encountered a strong wind which caused the ship to sail faster across the ocean.  Captain Hatten said they were in the midst of a cyclone.  He said, "The fury of that storm somehow seemed to pass around us.  That was fortunate for us.  Our frail vessel could not have endured the full force of a cyclone."

     The ship was required to have a doctor on board.  Mr. Johnson was the doctor on board The Constitution.  His services were only called upon once during the entire voyage.  That was to see a child.  The mother of that child became alarmed when her son got sick and she desired the doctor to see her sick child.  Elder Cluff went to get the doctor and brought him to see the child.  Dr Johnson prescribed that the young boy be given one quart of beer and a pint of wine daily.  The doctor was unable to walk the deck along, so Elder Cluff helped him return to his room on the upper deck.  When Elder returned to the mother, he found the mother in tears.  He asked her, "Do you wish to follow the advice of the doctor?"  She said, "No!" "What would you like done for the child?" he asked.  "I desire the Elders to administer to my child."  Elder Cluff got the Elders and they administered to the child and the next morning the child was quite well.  The doctor entered a complaint to the ship's Captain because Mr. Cluff did not give that young boy one quart of beer and a pint of wine as he had prescribed.  He also complained because he was not called upon to visit the sick.  The Captain said to him, "Doctor, these people are Mormons and do not believe in doctors.  But, of course, the government compels us to have a doctor on board, hence, you are here, and unless Mr. Cluff requests your services you are not to go among the people."

     On Sunday 5 August 1868, late in the evening, after six weeks of rugged sailing, The Constitution arrived safely at Castle Gardens, New York, with 457 passengers on board four days ahead of The Emerald Isle, which was considered to be a good sea worthy vessel, which left Liverpool four days ahead of The Constitution.

     Elder Cluff is reported to have said this about that journey, "How can we feel grateful enough to our Heavenly Father for the blessings which He has so graciously bestowed upon the passengers of The Constitution?  Considering the kind of ship, the passengers crowed into a cave, as it were, and the leakage of the old tub, makes our preservation still more to be thankful for.  While it is true, we had some sickness, yet the perseverance of the Elders in watching their wards and looking after the health of the people, administering to the afflicted and giving comfort to the despondent and cheering up the downcast, we arrived in port at New York without losing a single passenger and without any contagion, four days ahead of The Emerald Isle which was considered a good sea worthy vessel.  Dr. Johnson was the most feeble person on board The Constitution.  He remained on his bed most of the time under the influence of opium."

     The Constitution was reloaded with cotton for the return trip to England.  On the third day out the ship went down but no lives were lost.  The crew were all rescued and most of the cargo was saved. 

     Leatrice says she is convinced that it was the combined faith of those emigrants and their diligent use of the power of humble prayer that engaged the Lord in helping them cross the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean safely.

Sources:  Church Records, Constitution Ship Roster, Ship, Rail and Wagon to Zion.