Addison Pratt family papers, 1827-1963

Written by S. George Ellsworth

The life of Addison Pratt may be divided into four major periods. First, as seaman on whaling vessels into the Pacific, the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean, including six months on Hawaii. Second, as a married man, a farmer, and convert to Mormonism, at Ripley, New York (1831-1838), and Pleasant Garden, Indiana (1838-1841). Third, from Nauvoo, Illinois, on a mission to the Society Islands (French Polynesia), the major concern of his life from 1843 to 1856, including his travels in western America: San Francisco to Salt Lake City, from Salt Lake City (October 1849 to February 1850 to San Bernardino and from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Fourth, following the Utah War, separation from wife and church, residing in California (1858-1872) till death.

Addison Pratt was born 21 February 1802, Winchester, New Hampshire, the son of Henry Pratt, famous organ builder. Addison, the fourth of twelve children, at an early age determined to follow the sea, and when nineteen years old he left home and went to sea. His maiden voyage was with the whaler Rambler, Captain William Worth II, which took him around the Horn and to Hawaii, where he skipped ship and remained on Hawaii six months, working for merchant James Hunnewell. He obtained a berth on the whaler Hope back to Boston. Thereafter his voyages took him into the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic. He was at sea about eight years.

Visits home between cruises led him to become acquainted with his sister's close friend, Louisa Barnes. They were married 3 April 1831 and established themselves at farming at Ripley, New York, facing Lake Erie. Her brother Horace joined them in the enterprise which allowed Addison an occasional opportunity to captain a boat in the lakes shipping. Three children were born to them here.

Louisa's sister Caroline and husband Jonathan Crosby had joined the Mormons and upon Louisa's invitation went and taught the Pratts. Soon the Pratts became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and according to expectations sold out and headed for western Missouri--the gathering place for Latter-day Saints during the 1830s. But conflicts in Missouri led to Mormon expulsion. Awaiting developments the Pratts and Crosbys halted at Pleasant Garden, Indiana, until the founding of Nauvoo on the Mississippi. The Pratts arrived in Nauvoo the fall of 1841; the Crosbys arrived the spring of 1842.

The population of Nauvoo grew rapidly. Male converts became missionaries who brought their converts to the gathering center, Nauvoo. Missionaries went where they had relatives or old friends, or where they had been and knew their way around. So it was with Addison Pratt. Talking to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he mentioned having been a whaler and had been to Hawaii and thought the natives would be interested in the Book of Mormon. Soon a group was composed, called, and set apart to a mission in Hawaii. They were: Addison Pratt, Noah Rogers, Benjamin F. Grouard, and Knowlton F. Hanks. The four parted from their families on 1 June 1843.

Henceforth, for the next twelve or more years, Addison Pratt's life was absorbed in the Polynesian mission of the Church. His involvement is the central event in his life. All else tends toward it or from it. His wife became a "missionary widow". By 1858, they had been separated one half their married life, he on missions, and threatening to go again and remain there.

He and his companions boarded the Timoleon, Captain William Plaskett, and set sail 6 October. When they reached the island Tubuai the end of April 1844, the attractions were so great that Addison accepted the pleadings of the natives. Pratt was to remain on Tubuai 19 months, and converted most of the people on that island. His companions (Hanks had died and was buried at sea) proceeded to Tahiti, but found they had come in the middle of a shooting war between the English missionaries and natives and against the French. Failing to gain many converts, they moved to the outer islands. Rogers went west, was unsuccessful, and returned to the Church. Grouard went east and was welcomed with open arms by the Tuamotu people. Grouard needed help, so he went to Tubuai and induced Pratt to return with him to the people of the low reef islands. On Anaa, Grouard and Pratt divided the field, Pratt keeping the young branches healthy and strong, and Grouard, in his native outrigger pahi paumotu explored and visited and converted and organized into branches.

At the outset, during the first four months, Grouard had baptized 620 members organized into five branches. On his exploration by way of pahi paumotu he baptized 116 persons. There were soon 866 persons in ten branches in the islands. The mission was thriving; more missionaries were badly needed. The elders planned: Grouard to remain in the islands, marry a native, build a boat for the mission, manage the Church in the islands; Pratt to return to the States, find the Church and his family, and carry an urgent request for more missionaries at once; and bring families of new missionaries. (Noah Rogers had taken ship Three Brothers home.)

Pratt reached the Church and his family with them in Salt Lake Valley, September 1848, after a separation of five years and four months. The October conference voted to send the needed missionaries, Brother Pratt to return at once and preside. Five families and three young men were called to go. Addison Pratt and James Brown left October 1849; the second group left the spring of 1850. Pratt and Brown reached Papeete 24 May 1850; the second group including Sister Pratt and daughters; her sister Caroline Crosby and others arrived at Tubuai October 21, 1850. The two elders found themselves restricted until certain conditions were met. Confined during the period of from 24 May to 21 October, Pratt began to write his memoirs, 20 August 1850.

Regarding Pratt's absence to find the church and his family and return, it is notable that he, then he and Brown, were involved with the early tracing of trails of significance to Western American travel. For example: (a) from San Francisco, across Sierra Nevada, to Salt Lake Valley, the California Trail in reverse, Summer 1848; (b) from Salt Lake Valley, with Captain Jefferson Hunt's Party of 49ers, via the Muddy and Vegas, to Cajon Pass and San Bernardino, beginning in October 1849. (c) from San Bernardino area via El Camino Real, visiting missions en route to San Francisco, early 1850.

The new company of missionary families included the following:

At length French requirements were met and Addison and Brown were free to join the other missionaries on Tubuai, where the brethren were building another ship for use in the mission. Finished in every detail, the ship was launched 18 April 1851. Conference was held. Missionaries received their appointments: The white women would stay on Tubuai, the men would visit various islands. The Ravaai served well the mission and was able to engage in some commerce. Grouard was appointed captain of the ship. Pratt visited the older branches and went to islands long promised a visit.

The work performed by the white women on Tubuai was most noteworthy. See S. George Ellsworth, "Called to Tubuai: Missionary Couples in French Polynesia, 1850," Ensign, 19 (October 1989), 35-39.

Early in 1852 the Protectorate legislature passed laws which so restricted the missionaries that they could no longer operate legally. For example: a law was passed making missionaries' houses public property; another ordaining that there shall be but one minister in one district, and that no minister shall visit other districts without an invitation in writing; and a law which deprived the churches of the power to elect their own pastors. And all visitors must have means to support themselves while in Tahiti. President Pratt saw their work stopped altogether so planned with the Saints how they should carry on without missionaries there to dictate. The elders trained the native Saints in church order, procedures. Shortly the missionaries closed the mission and headed Zionward.

And so it was, the island Saints did the best they could to perpetuate church organization, procedures, doctrine, and teachings.

The Pratt and Grouard families left Papeete on 16 May 1852. The Crosbys and others followed as they earned enough money to pay passage. After 1856 only Sidney A. Hanks remained and he was on Takaroa, far away in the Tuamotus, having gone native, almost.

The missionaries returned to Gold Rush California, times in flux. There were two centers of Latter-day Saints composed of persons who came to California on the ship Brooklyn, returned soldiers from the Mormon Battalion, and Pacific area missionaries. In northern California, Saints gathered around people at San Jose (southern San Francisco Bay area), and the designated gathering place, San Bernardino.

The Pratt family divided between the two. It was San Francisco and San Jose from spring until December 1852, earning money from sewing and other work. At the end of December, the Pratts moved down to San Bernardino where foundations of a home were laid. But there was little chance for that since the church authorities called brothers Pratt and Grouard to another mission, this time to return Grouard's native wife to her people. Addison was on this third mission from October 1853 until March 1854. Nahina was put aboard a vessel for Tahiti, and the elders returned to San Bernardino.

During the 1850s there developed divisions within the communities. In the course of time Benjamin F. Grouard fell away, over religion but particularly politics. He offered himself for political office and for that act he was brought before the High Council, developments culminating in his disfellowshipment, and then excommunication. Somehow some of that dark cloud cast a shadow on Pratt, at least in people's minds.

At that time, April 1856, Pratt was called on yet another mission. On this his fourth, he reached Tahiti, but was forbidden to do or say anything. After three months of nothing and under close French control, Pratt returned to San Francisco and reached San Bernardino on 1 April 1857.

With the outbreak of the Utah War and Brigham Young's call for all in outlying settlements to move into the central valleys of Utah, San Bernardino Saints had to decide: (1) move to Utah, (2) remain in San Bernardino. It was judged faithful to sell out, pack up, and move to Utah. To remain was considered lacking in faith, even apostasy. Many factors affected Addison and Louisa. Their past differences, their tension between faith and reason, their differences over polygamy, and much more, led Pratt to remain in California while Louisa Pratt moved to Beaver, Utah, where she spent the rest of her life.

There was no divorce, nor disfellowshipment, or excommunication, not even a reprimand. There were exchanges of letters, gifts purchased and mailed to the family, stockings woven. And Addison named his dog "Beaver". Frances had her father; her mother had Ann Louise and Ephraim; for varying times she had Lois and family, and Ellen and family.

In 1864 Pratt made the effort to go to Utah and try to remain. It came near succeeding, but the cold winter of 1864-65 and the offer of a free ride to San Bernardino ended the brief experiment.

Addison Pratt died 14 October 1872

Louisa Barnes Pratt died 8 September 1880.