Munford-Gunn

This is a dramatic, thrilling true story, taken from my own family records of two separate families, the Munfords and the Gunns, leaving England in the mid 19th century, to escape persecution for their religious beliefs, and to make the perilous journey to Utah, America. They travel by ship, a life-threatening journey at the time, taking six weeks. Ann Munford meets Charles Dickens on the 'Amazon'. Then, mostly walking the 1,300 miles beside their ox-drawn wagons, which carried the few belongings they were able to bring. They continue across the searing hot plains, perilously hauling the wagons over the mountains, to get to Salt Lake City. Many die along the way of starvation, dehydration and disease.

In Parowan, Utah, the two families meet up. Ann Munford marries George Gunn, only to have to set out immediately to clear land and build settlements - that is, until the Black Hawk Wars start.
 

SYNOPSIS OF “munford-gunn”

by margaret moxom

Ann Impey Gunn and family travels on the Chimborazo sailing ship, in 1855, and sets up home in Philadelphia, awaiting the arrival of the rest of her family.  Her son, William and family arrive in 1857.  Her son George, after a row with his wife, Eliza, about her spending money, travels on a working passage, by himself, in 1860, leaving his wife to follow on with his Uncle William and family.

Eliza gets raped on board ship. On Eliza’s arrival she has a raging fit, and wants to go home.   Instead, they all join an ox-drawn wagon train to Salt Lake City. During the trail, Eliza’s mental state deteriorates to such an extent (turning into hatred for George, who she blames for the rape), that the Mormons give her an exorcism. 

William’s wife, Emma, gets increasingly sick throughout the journey. Their daughter, Lois, brakes her collar bone when the oxen stampede one day.

John Adey, son-in-law of Ann Impey Gunn, accidentally shoots himself and dies.

The trail is full of struggles, illness, death and hunger, walking most of the way over a thousand miles of scorched land. They meet Native Americans, who teach them about Buffalo chips to make fires, as there are no trees. They have to ford numerous rivers, painstakingly putting the wagons onto rafts, cattle as well, and pulling the rafts over by rope. The trail passes into the freezing mountains, where they, using their last bit of strength, haul the wagons up narrow, dangerous chasms.

On arrival at Salt Lake City Eliza is taken to an asylum and George is given a divorce. George sets up a tannery in Parowan.

William, Emma and family are living in a mud hut, when Emma sadly dies. On her death bed Emma tells William to marry Elizabeth Judd, who they met on the ship over.

            The story then turns to the Munfords in Norfolk.  They travel on the ‘Amazon’ in 1863 – Ann, her son, mother, father and brother Thomas.  A brother, William, is to follow later.

On the Amazon, Ann meets Charles Dickens, who is on board, before sailing, to do a report on the Mormons.

The Munfords journey by wagon trail is followed to Utah.

Ann Impey Gunn, although 63 now, meets George Holyoak in Parowan, Utah and marries him.

Ann Munford meets George Gunn in Parowan, and they marry only to be sent, on their wedding day, to Panguitch, to build a new town and roads. They are living in a mud hut until they can build log cabins. There are Indian skirmishes, the start of the Black Hawk wars. Then, however, the army comes and tells them to pull down the log cabins to use to build a fort against the Indians. Ann and George down tools and return to Parowan.

Parowan itself is going to be invaded by the Indians. Everyone arms themselves but the Indians invade elsewhere.

Agreements are finally made with the Indians and the war ends. Ann and George can start to settle down properly.

George, unfortunately, dies of a stroke in 1876 at the age of 47.

There follow short descriptions of how the families’ lives develop.