November 1862


1 November 1862 • Saturday

Saturday, Nov. 1st. 1862. We embarked on the cars this morning in company with Bro’s Staines, Brigham and Sloan — the former two going to Scotland — for Liverpool. We reached there about 3.30 P.M. and were met there about at the cars by Bro’s C. W. West and John MKay. We found all well. Georgiana looked very well and readily recognized her mother and me. She is able to say a many little sentences and tries to say everything she is told to do. She cannot walk yet; they have carried and held her too much. I think she has not grown so much in flesh or in height as she has in strength and in beauty. Met in council with the officers in the evening. I spoke for a short time.

2 November 1862 • Sunday

Sunday, 2nd. A Conference had been appointed for to-day. We met three times, morning, afternoon and evening. We had an excellent time. I spoke twice or three times and was blessed in instructing the Saints.

3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 November 1862 • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were spent in reading over letters &c. which had accumulated during my absence and in obtaining a knowledge of the condition of affairs and in writing and answering letters; also in writing an editorial: “A visit to the Missions on the Continent.” Bro. Warren S. Snow came in from Preston on Thursday. Bro. E. L. Sloan had a slight attack of paralysis in the face which drew his mouth awry and affected one half of his face to such an extent that he could not shut one eye. By being administered to he had improved considerably, being, able to shut his eye and work the muscles of his face somewhat.

8 November 1862 • Saturday

Sunday, Nov. 8th. Started for Leeds in company with Bro. C. W. West to attend Conference. Was met at the Station by Bro’s Joseph & Saml H. B. Smith, P. P. Pratt & Thos Taylor. Went to Sister Eastham’s. In the evening visited Mr. Geo. Fowles, a merchant tailor in this town, who is very favorable to us. We eat a very fine supper at his house and spent a very agreeable evening, being joined during the evening by a Mr Robinson. Mr. F. gave me £2 for the benefit of the Poor Saints, which I divided between Bro’s Kay and Snow in proportion to the numbers in their Conferences. Returned to Sr Eastham’s and found Bro. Staines there who had just arrived from Scotland.

9 November 1862 • Sunday

Sunday, 9th. Bro. Brigham, Jr, arrived this morning from Scotland. We spent the day very agreeably in Conference, all the Elders occupying a portion of the time.

10 November 1862 • Monday

Monday, 10th Nov. Spent a part of the day at Sr Eastham’s with the brethren conversing upon various subjects. Visited the Town Hall, which is stated to be one of the finest Town Halls in the kingdom. Attended, in the evening a Party with the Saints at their Hall.

11 November 1862 • Tuesday

Thursday <Tuesday>, 11th. Returned to Liverpool in company with Bro’s West and Bigler. Held meeting in the evening with the Council of the Liverpool B’h, their [there] having been a spirit manifested which I felt ought to be checked.

12 November 1862 • Wednesday

Wednesday, 12th. Occupied in the office.

13 November 1862 • Thursday

Thursday, 13th. Started for Birmingham to attend to the taking out of letters of administration for Ann Randall. Attended meeting with the Saints, one being specially called at their Hall, by Bro. Mills in consequence of my expected visit. Slept at Bro. Mills’.

14 November 1862 • Friday

Friday, 14th. Returned to L’pool. In the evening had a visit from Mr. Orlawski and his wife (the former a Pole.).

15 November 1862 • Saturday

Saturday, 15th. Bro. B. Young, Jr. and myself took cars for Manchester to attend District meeting on the morrow. We were met at the house Station and stayed all night at his house.

16 November 1862 • Sunday

Sunday, 16th. Took train for Oldham where we held meetings in the afternoon and evening. Bro. Miles P. Romney and Jas Lythgoe were present. Brigham and myself occupied the afternoon and I occupied the evening. I had excellent liberty. Had to leave meeting very hurriedly to reach the train for Manchester.

17 November 1862 • Monday

Monday. Nov. 17th. Returned to Liverpool. Brigham was seized with neuralgea in his face.

18 November 1862 • Tuesday

Tuesday, Nov. 18th. Confirmations in the evening of Bro. Laurenson & John Scott and family.

19 November 1862 • Wednesday

Wednesday, 19th. In company with Bro’s West & B. Young, Jr. went to Bro. Shearman’s and eat oysters.

Since my return from the continent various circumstances have occurred to arouse in my mind a suspicion that all was not right with Bro. Eugene Henriod, who has been acting as Asst Editor. When I returned from the States I did not think all was right with him and hinted my suspicions to Bro. Chauncy W. West, who was left in charge of the office. The principal thing that he had noticed in Bro. Henriod during my absence was the irregularity of his hours, which caused him to suspect that he kept bad company at nights. I found that his accounts in the Southampton Conference were in a very bad condition and that money was also missing of which he was President. He had been entrusted with money also to bring down to me from London Con. £10 of which he had used as he had said to loan to an uncle of his who would repay it immediately. The money belonging to the Liverpool B’h he said, he had loaned to his father. I was convinced in my own mind that these statements were fabrications and that he had spent these monies upon himself. I satisfied myself respecting the Southampton monies, as I had requested Bro. Bramall to furnish me a statement of the condition of the books, which I had compared with the books here and found there was £13 pounds missing that had not been accounted for by Bro. Henriod. I determined, when I had this evidence in a shape that I could bring it forward, to commence an investigation. I had not been satisfied with the course which Bro. [last name redacted] had been taking and I made up my mind that I would have a reformation. I commenced with Brother [first and last names redacted], hoping that if they were aware of Bro H’s movements that I would get a clue to his wrong doing. [first name redacted] confessed that his habits of late had not been such as to himself. He had been to theatres several times with Bro’s Henriod and [last name redacted], but he could not go into the same place that they did, as his means would not admit of it. He had found the desire to attend such places growing upon him. He disavowed all knowledge of any wrong doing on the part of Brothers Henriod and [last name redacted], remarking, however, “that they spent money very freely.” I cautioned [first name redacted] upon these matters and seriously warned him to discontinue such habits. I then called up brother [last name redacted], and I questioned him most closely respecting his own and bro. H’s operations. He knew nothing, he said, about any wrong doing of brother H’s with women and protested most solemnly that he was innocent upon that point; but confessed that he had been to various places of amusement theatres, singing houses, &c, together, and these habits had been very expensive. I questioned him respecting the money <with> which he had these extravagancies, and he acknowledged that, besides his wages, he had used about £10 of the Petty Cash that was entrusted to him for offices uses, without charging it to himself, but he solemnly protested that, beyond this, he was honest and had not made any false entries in his books. I was astonished at this disclosure for though I had not been satisfied with his course of late I could scarcely bring myself to think that he would be guilty of a breach of trust and my surprise was greater because I supposed I had a check upon him as I had requested from him a monthly statement of the Petty Cash which I had always carefully examined but there was a balance carried forward from one month to another which when I aw in figures I supposed was all right and never thought of asking him for it and it was this balance he had used without charging. He wept bitterly and expressed his keen regrets that he should have done anything to forfeit my confidence I talked to him very seriously and endeavoured to show him what results of such conduct would be unless he thoroughly repented and reformed. I then sent for brother Henriod who when he came up was very white in the face. I told him that I understood he had been out late at nights attending theatres and other places and I was afraid his conduct had not been what it should. I asked him if he had committed himself with women he put on a look of injured innocence and replied that he was as free from that sin as any of us were (meaning brothers West, Brigham & myself) He protested so strongly that I saw if I got any confession out of him I should have to change my tactics so I told him that I was very glad that he was innocent as I certainly had feared from what I had heard about his habits that something was wrong with him. I then asked him about his Southampton a/c. He professed to be able to explain everything and said that he had a paper in his carpet sack which he could explain to me in the course of an hour. I suspected he imagined this answer would satisfy me & put me off but I requested him to get me that paper as I wished to see it. He withdrew from the room for the ostensible purpose of doing so but after a few minutes returned saying as he entered “its no use brethren I cannot stand it any longer I have committed myself I have been filled with a lying spirit for some time.” [98 words redacted]. I told him that I had from good Authority that he had said brother Rich had a wife in this country. This he also denied strenuously until brother West who was preset and who was my informant asked him if he did not recollect telling him so at a certain time and at a certain place. When he found that brother West was the person who had informed me he instantly recollected having said so. This weakness of memory or call it by no worse name weakened my confidence considerably in the sincerity of his confession He said he told me about the money, he had not loaned it but spent it upon himself. His agony was terrible to behold & his description of the feelings which he had experienced since his fall (how he had tried to pray how sleepless he was at nights & unquiet by day how he had been tempted to commit self destruction) was sufficient to have moved upon the feelings of any person possessing any portion of the Spirit of the Lord. We had a long conversation and he seemed thoroughly broken down. I told him that I would be under the necessity of taking his papers from him.

20 November 1862 • Thursday

Thursday 20th Engaged in Office business.

21 November 1862 • Friday

Friday 21st Engaged in Office business. Brigham Jr was very ill.

22 November 1862 • Saturday

Saturday 22nd Started for Preston in company with brother West was met at the Station by bro’s Warren S. Snow, Prest of the conference and brother Walters. Took tea at bro Tomkin’s. Slept at the Conference House.

23 November 1862 • Sunday

Sunday 23rd Started for Accrington where I met with the Saints. Myself and bro West spoke. We had good meetings. Two were confirmed and two were administered to for health. Partook of a meal prepared in the hall. Returned to Preston and took tea at bro’ George Beck’s. Held meeting in the Saints hall I spoke & was followed by bro’s West and Snow.

24 November 1862 • Monday

Monday 24th Returned <to> Liverpool and found all well except brother Brigham who was still unwell.

25 November 1862 • Tuesday

Tuesday 25th Engaged in the Office

26 November 1862 • Wednesday

Wednesday 26th Brothers West, Kay & myself accompanied Eugene Henriod to the steamer in which he had engaged his passage to New York. Brother Robert Wilson arrived from Wales to travel in the Liverpool Conf’[.] In the evening called a meeting of the brethren in the Office at which were also present Elders C. W. West, John M Kay, W. H. Shearman, B. Young Junr and E. L. Sloan who has taken Henriod’s place as Assistant Editor. The brethren in the Office were Bro’s William. H. Perkes, John C. Graham, Duncan Mc Allister and Robert R. Anderson. I spoke very plainly upon the necessity for a reformation being entered into by the Brethren in the Office. I told them that if they stayed here they must change their habits & refrain from theatre going & late hours. [first initial and last name redacted] was also spoken to about his impudence, uncivil language & manners. A unanimous vote was taken to excommunicate Eugene Henriod from the Church. We had an excellent meeting & the brethren expressed their determination to try and amend.

27 November to 12 December 1862 • Thursday to Friday

Thursday, Novr 27th to Decr 12th As I have not kept a regular journal during this period I must summarize I spent the 30th November at the Derby Conference with the Elders and Saints. On the 7th of December at Sheffield in the same manner.

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November 1862, The Journal of George Q. Cannon, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1860s/1862/11-1862