William S. Hawley: Difference between revisions
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William Schroeder Hawley, his personal and family background, and his involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.<br>William S. Hawley (1829-1893)<br>Biographical Sketch<br><br>William Schroeder Hawley was a native of Peoria County in west-central Illinois with American forebears from Vermont and Tennessee. Moving from there to central, then western, Illinois, and finally to frontier Utah, Hawley was an American frontiersman and pioneer of southern Utah.<br>Hawley was born in Peoria, Peoria County in west-central Illinois. Hawley’s father and paternal grandfather were from Addison County near Lake Champlain in west-central Vermont; his maternal forebears, from Tennessee. In the early 1820s Hawley’s parents were married in Lawrence County in southeast Illinois. The family passed through Dupage County in north-east Illinois, then moved to the west to Lasalle County in central Illinois, then further west to Peoria County where William S. Hawley was born.<br>By the late 1830s they were in Shelby County in central Illinois. They heard the Mormon message and joined the Mormon exodus to the west.<br>In 1855, Hawley married Nancy Sebrina Matheny (1837-1914) who was born in Green County, Arkansas. She was a younger sister of Sims Lafayette Matheny. In 1857, Hawley along with his brothers George and John Hawley along with his wife and his brother-in-law Sims Matheny were original settlers in Washington in southern Utah.<br>In September 1857, William S. Hawley, 27, was sergeant under 2nd Lt. James Mathews' platoon, inHarrison Pearce’s Company I in John D. Lee’s 4th Battalion. According to John D. Lee, he was among the party from Washington who moved up to Mountain Meadows on Tuesday the 8th. Hawley’s exact role in the main massacre on Friday the 11th is uncertain.<br>Hawley was listed as "William Halley" in 1859 arrest warrant. According to John D. Lee, Hawley moved to Fillmore in central Utah and in fact Hawley and his family left southern Utah in 1858, settling in Fillmore, Millard County.<br>In the mid-1860s, a William S. Hawley was a deputy sheriff in Millard County. Hawley remained there until his death. He was survived by his wife and seven children.<br>Millard County newsman Frank Beckwith collected information on William S. Hawley including Mountain Meadows lore that Hawley opposed attacking the emigrants and was chained to a wagon wheel. But this is unconfirmed quadruple hearsay, being from Hawley to Nate Dodge to Josiah F. Gibbs to Charles Kelly. Gibbs held that Hawley died "insane" while Beckwith reported that some thought Hawley was "a bit off." (History of Washington County, 29, fn. 11; History of Millard County,138.)<br>References: History of Washington County, 29, fn. 11; History of Millard County, 138; Lee, Mormonism Unveiled; Lee Trial transcripts; FamilySearch.org.<br>Further information and confirmation needed.<br>Please comment below or contact editor@1857ironcountymilitia.com.Thank you!<br> | |||
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Revision as of 10:15, 9 June 2011
William Schroeder Hawley, his personal and family background, and his involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
William S. Hawley (1829-1893)
Biographical Sketch
William Schroeder Hawley was a native of Peoria County in west-central Illinois with American forebears from Vermont and Tennessee. Moving from there to central, then western, Illinois, and finally to frontier Utah, Hawley was an American frontiersman and pioneer of southern Utah.
Hawley was born in Peoria, Peoria County in west-central Illinois. Hawley’s father and paternal grandfather were from Addison County near Lake Champlain in west-central Vermont; his maternal forebears, from Tennessee. In the early 1820s Hawley’s parents were married in Lawrence County in southeast Illinois. The family passed through Dupage County in north-east Illinois, then moved to the west to Lasalle County in central Illinois, then further west to Peoria County where William S. Hawley was born.
By the late 1830s they were in Shelby County in central Illinois. They heard the Mormon message and joined the Mormon exodus to the west.
In 1855, Hawley married Nancy Sebrina Matheny (1837-1914) who was born in Green County, Arkansas. She was a younger sister of Sims Lafayette Matheny. In 1857, Hawley along with his brothers George and John Hawley along with his wife and his brother-in-law Sims Matheny were original settlers in Washington in southern Utah.
In September 1857, William S. Hawley, 27, was sergeant under 2nd Lt. James Mathews' platoon, inHarrison Pearce’s Company I in John D. Lee’s 4th Battalion. According to John D. Lee, he was among the party from Washington who moved up to Mountain Meadows on Tuesday the 8th. Hawley’s exact role in the main massacre on Friday the 11th is uncertain.
Hawley was listed as "William Halley" in 1859 arrest warrant. According to John D. Lee, Hawley moved to Fillmore in central Utah and in fact Hawley and his family left southern Utah in 1858, settling in Fillmore, Millard County.
In the mid-1860s, a William S. Hawley was a deputy sheriff in Millard County. Hawley remained there until his death. He was survived by his wife and seven children.
Millard County newsman Frank Beckwith collected information on William S. Hawley including Mountain Meadows lore that Hawley opposed attacking the emigrants and was chained to a wagon wheel. But this is unconfirmed quadruple hearsay, being from Hawley to Nate Dodge to Josiah F. Gibbs to Charles Kelly. Gibbs held that Hawley died "insane" while Beckwith reported that some thought Hawley was "a bit off." (History of Washington County, 29, fn. 11; History of Millard County,138.)
References: History of Washington County, 29, fn. 11; History of Millard County, 138; Lee, Mormonism Unveiled; Lee Trial transcripts; FamilySearch.org.
Further information and confirmation needed.
Please comment below or contact editor@1857ironcountymilitia.com.Thank you!
