Septimus Wagstaff Sears
Born 8 Mar. 1844 at Caldecot, Bedfordshire, England.[1] Son of John Sears and Sarah Wagstaff.[2] Son-in-law of EBW.[3] Served as president of the Liverpool conference, 26 Mar. 1864–Jan. 1866.[4] Married first Anna Cushing, 29 Jan. 1866, in Shipdham, Norfolk, England.[5] Emigrated from Liverpool aboard the SS John Bright; arrived in New York City, 6 June 1866.[6] Migrated to Utah Territory with the William Henry Chipman pioneer company; arrived by 16 Sept. 1866.[7] Wife died, 30 July 1866, while en route to Utah Territory.[8] Married second Isabel M. Whitney, daughter of Newel K. Whitney and EBW, 10 Apr. 1869, in Salt Lake City.[9] Participated in plural marriage.[10] Arrested in Chicago for unlawful cohabitation, 25 June 1885.[11] Served as secretary of the chamber of commerce and as the commissioner of the transportation bureau in Salt Lake City, 1892.[12] Served in the Utah territorial House of Representatives, 1894.[13] Died 7 Apr. 1903 in Salt Lake City.[14]
[1] Register of Births in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England, Septimus Sears, 8 Mar. 1844, as found in “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 21 Dec. 2017), Septimus Wagstaff Sears (KWJZ-Y96), Memories. “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake Temple, vol. F, 1866–1868, p. 64, line (1) 745, Septimus Wagstaff Sears, 8 Dec. 1866, microfilm 183405 (restricted access), Special Collections, FHL.
[2] Register of Births in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England, Septimus Sears, 8 Mar. 1844, as found in “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 21 Dec. 2017), Septimus Wagstaff Sears (KWJZ-Y96), Memories.
[3] Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2017), 504–505.
[4] London Conference Manuscript History and Historical Reports, 1837–1961, vol. 2, 1861–1880, LR 5006 2, CHL. “Correspondence,” Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, 13 Apr. 1867, 29:236.
[5] “Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754–1940,” database with images, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com, accessed 20 Dec. 2017), Septimus Sears and Anna Cushing, 29 Jan. 1866, p. 125, no. 249; from Church of England Parish Registers, Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, England.
[6] “Septimus W. Sears,” Saints by Sea (https://saintsbysea.lib.byu.edu, accessed 26 Dec. 2019.)
[7] “Septimus Wagstaff Sears,” Pioneer Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel, accessed 20 Dec. 2017).
[8] William H. Chipman, Notebook, 1866, MS 915, image 8/104, CHL.
[9] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. E, p. 273, Septimus Wagstaff Sears and Isabel Modalena Whitney, 10 Apr. 1869, microfilm 1149515 (restricted access), FHL.
[10] “Endowment House, Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. D, 1861–1866, p. 671, line 9092, Septimus Wagstaff Sears and Mary Ann Needham, 8 Dec. 1866, microfilm 1149514 (restricted access), Special Collections, FHL.
[11] “Local News,” Deseret News, 1 July 1885, 377.
[12] “Great Salt Lake Sensations,” Standard (Ogden, Utah Territory), 31 Aug. 1892, 1.
[13] “Members Elect of the Utah Legislature,” Journal (Logan, Utah Territory), 30 Dec. 1893, 5. Territory of Utah Legislative Assembly Rosters, 1851–1894, p. 62, Utah State Archives.
[14] “Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1849–1949,” p. 207 (1903), Septimus W. Sears; Salt Lake County Management and Archives, Salt Lake City. “Death of S. W. Sears,” Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Apr. 1903, 5.