Burial at Sea…

The call to Zion was so strong among the people at the time, that even those who were not physically strong enough, nor even well enough to make the journey, attempted to do so regardless.

The times being what they were, and medicine not being understood fully for sometime yet to come, death was a part of most every emigrating company. As such some souls left this life upon the waters of the vast ocean and were committed to the deep as a final resting place.

Loss of life is always tragic for us, no matter where it occurs, or under what circumstance. However the Lord keeps track of us all and in due time He will reclaim that which is His… each and every one of us.

Westmoreland Sea Burials—

On April 25th 1857, the Westmoreland sailed from Liverpool, England, with 544 Saints, mostly Scandinavians, under the direction of Matthias Cowley. It arrived at Philadelphia May 31st. The emigrants reached Iowa City by rail on June 9th.

The autobiography of Caroline Hansen Adams gives us a description of how the dead were buried at sea abord the sailing ship Westmoreland—

I was born in Denmark January 14, 1849. My parents were Christian Hansen and Ingar Mortensen Hansen. When I was eight years old my parents and their children left Denmark to come to America. Father’s friend Ole Petterson and family wanted to come, but did not have the money. Father loaned them enough to make up their fare, they came with us. We left Copenhagen, Denmark with others for Liverpool, England. From there we boarded a sailing vessel named Westmoreland.

This ship sailed from Liverpool with 544 Saints, mostly Scandinavians. The Saints were under the direction of Matthias Cowley. The weather was unusually calm and our progress was very slow. We were thirteen weeks on the ocean. Many hardships were endured while on the water and a number of deaths occurred during the voyage. The dead were wrapped in sheets with a weight tied to their feet and placed on a board on their backs. One end of the board was placed on the side of the ship. The other was held level. After a short funeral service, the board was raised sliding the body, feet first into the ocean. The weights on the feet would sink the body almost instantly.

When we got good sailing weather we soon landed in the harbor of Philadelphia. We landed in a heavy rain storm. The next day we boarded a train and traveled west to Iowa City, arriving there on June the 9th, 1857.(1)

From the Autobiography of Lars Christian Christensen—

There were a few deaths. To me it seemed strange to see a person tied to a board with a rock tied to it, and after a little ceremony, shoved out into the ocean.

1. Kate B. Carter, Compiler, Our Pioneer Heritage, Volume 12, page 472.