Pennell

by

James Sharp

James Sharp

James Sharp was born 7 January 1840 in Misson, Nottinghamshire, England to Thomas Sharp and Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp. His birth is confirmed by a certified copy of his birth certificate from the General Register Office (BXCC548222). It records his birth on 7 January 1840 in Misson, Sub-district of Bawtry, Doncaster. His father is listed as Thomas Sharp, Labourer, and his mother as Elizabeth Sharp, formerly Cartwright — who was herself the informant, registering the birth on 22 January 1840. I wrote about James’ parents, the family’s conversion to the LDS faith, and the trip to America in his brother William’s biography, Sharp-Bailey Wedding.

Birth certificate of James Sharp, GRO certified copy, BXCC548222, Misson, 7 January 1840.

The Sharp family emigrated to America aboard the ship James Pennell, which sailed from Liverpool on 2 October 1850 under the direction of Christopher Layton and William L. Cutler, carrying 291 Latter-day Saint passengers. After a difficult voyage that included a severe storm near the mouth of the Mississippi that disabled the ship and nearly exhausted the provisions on board, the James Pennell arrived at New Orleans on 23 November 1850. The passengers continued up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, where they found employment and shelter. The passenger manifest lists James Sharp, age 10, traveling with his mother Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp (age 45), brother William (age 24), and sisters Isabella (age 19) and Elizabeth (age 26). Their mother died in St. Louis on 17 February 1851, just months after their arrival. The account of the voyage is preserved at Saints by Sea.

Siblings William and Isabella eventually continued west with the Moses Clawson Company in May 1853, while James stayed behind with his sister Elizabeth in St. Louis. (Read more about Elizabeth here.) James and Elizabeth did not join the LDS faith with their mother (Elizabeth), William, and Isabella.

James married Eudora Elvira Mann 3 March 1863 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. Eudora “Dora” was born 1 May 1845 in Nashville. We do not know much of the life story, so how he met Dora and married her in Nashville we may never know. The two made their home in St. Louis though. James worked as a pork packer and initially started out in business with Patrick Muldoon around 1870. Here is the run down of the St. Louis directories.

1869 [FHL #980635] James Sharp with Muldoon and Sharp at 1612 Biddle.
1870 [Gould’s p. 797] shows the same.
1871 [Gould’s p. 601] the same, but also lists Sharp, James pork packer r[esident?] at 1119 N 17th. {FHL #980,636]
1872 shows Muldoon and Sharp at 1015 N 17th [N 17th goes from 1701 Market North to Angelica.]
1875 [p. 1171] Muldoon and Sharp, Pork Packers and Provision Dealers, 904 B’way.
1885 Sharp, James, Muldoon and Sharp 904 to 912 S 2d, r 2715 Mills. [There are now 7 pork packers listed, only 1 in 1875.]
1887, James C. Sharp is listed as a clerk at Muldoon and Sharp.
1888 is Sharp, James and Co., same address, te no. 2208.
1890 James Sharp and Co. now includes Sharp, James C. as cashier and Sharp, George as Clerk. All 3 at 3641 Finney Ave.
1895 Shows both James Sharp and James C. Sharp as packers, George W. Sharp as Manager and William M. Sharp as Clerk at James Sharp and Co., 904 S 2d. James C. now resides at 4354 Morgan, the other 3 still at 3641 Finney.
1896 and 1897 now show William M. as manager and George W. as supt.; James and James C. simply identified as with Co. 1898 directory is missing.
1899 Company not listed. James C. (same address) is broker; George W. is just listed, at 1811 Laflin; William M. and James are just listed, still living at 3641 Finney.
1900 James C. at Sharp and Westcott; George W., clerk at Manewal Lange Bakery, 3204 Morgan; William M. litho., at home.
1901 James Sharp now resident at 4573 Page boul; James C. com. mer. 736 Bayard av; George W. still clerk at Manewal-Lange Bakery, resident at 3009 Easton. [William M. not listed]
1902 James C. mngr. Sharp Mnfg Co., 411 Fullerton bldg., r. 736 Bayard av; George W. and William M. are both clerks, residing at 3156 Easton av.
1903 James still at 4573 Page boulevard; James C., ins., 721 Olive, r. 3732 Washington Boul.

Death notice of James Sharp, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 24 February 1908.

As you can probably tell from the information above, James put his children to work and included them in the business. James retired at 55 and turned the business over to his boys. By 1898 they had run the business in the ground, supposedly because of their like for being horsey (horse-racing).

James and Dora had 5 children.

Eudora Mann Sharp born 13 January 1864 and died 11 January 1938, both in St. Louis. She married Alexander A Bryden, who worked in the coal business.

Ida Lee Sharp born 8 October 1866 and died 23 December 1946, both in St. Louis. She was unmarried. She worked as a school teacher.

James Carlisle Sharp born 26 December 1868 in St. Louis and died 4 November 1952 in Valley Park, St. Louis, Missouri. He married Emma Manewal (and divorced) and Madeline C Grimm. He had a department store. Emma was the daughter of August Manewal, one of the confederation of bakers who formed the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO).

George W Sharp born 10 March 1871 in St. Louis and died in 1964 in Sand Springs, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Apparently he married a lady named Effie Olive, but we know nothing more about his life or her. He was badly disfigured after being kicked in the head by a horse at 3 years old.

William Muldoon Sharp born 4 October 1874 and died 24 March 1915, both in St. Louis. He also remained unmarried.

Eudora died 3 March 1894 of cerebral meningitis. She was listed as living at 3641 Finney Avenue. She was buried in the Bellefontaine Cemetery 5 March 1894.

James died suddenly on Monday morning, 24 February 1908, at the residence of his son-in-law Alexander A. Bryden at 4573 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, at the age of 68. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that he was a retired pork packer who was killed by a street car on Saturday night, 22 February 1908, at Page Boulevard and West End Avenue. He died two days later from his injuries. The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon from his late residence at 4582 Page Boulevard, conducted by Rev. Dr. William Elmer of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church — a further confirmation, alongside Annie Thompson’s account, that James never joined the LDS Church. He was interred at Bellefontaine Cemetery on 26 February 1908. The death notice in the same paper, published 24 February, gave his age as 68 years, consistent with his 1840 birth year confirmed by the birth certificate.

James was a founder of St. George’s Society and served as treasurer for several years. He was also a member of the Merchants’ Exchange and a veteran member of the St. Louis Lodge No. 5, I.O.O.F.

Funeral notice of James Sharp, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 1908.

For more on the Sharp family, see:

Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp — James’s mother, written by Annie Thompson
Sharp-Bailey Wedding — James’s brother William and Mary Ann Bailey
John and Elizabeth Quayle — James’s sister Elizabeth who also remained in St. Louis
Sons of Joseph and Isabella Carlisle — James’s sister Isabella who went on to Utah

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Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp written by Annie Thompson (27 August 1957)

I came upon this history and thought I would share it.  Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp is the mother of my William Sharp.  She was also the mother of Isabella Sharp Carlisle, Elizabeth Sharp Quayle, and James Sharp.  I don’t know where she got all of her information, hopefully from being passed down.  I will enter some updates in brackets.

LIFE HISTORY: Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp, written by Annie Thompson, (August 27, 1957).

“Elizabeth Cartwright Sharp was the daughter and only child, of George and Ann (Matthews) Cartwright, and was christened at Misson, Nottinghamshire, England, 20 December 1803. She died in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, probably late in the year 1850 [17 February 1851].

Elizabeth grew up a tall young lady, reared in an atmosphere of wealth and refinement. At the age of 17 her father died (burial 27 February 1820, age 46) and three years later, on 4 June 1823, her mother remarried to a widower named George Beighton. Little is known of this marriage except that George Beighton is purported to have gambled away at the races at Doncaster, the money belonging to Elizabeth’s mother.

On 29 December 1823, Elizabeth Cartwright was married at Mission to Thomas Sharp, and they became parents of eight children, four of whom died young in England; the other four, William, Isabella, Elizabeth and James emigrated to this country with their mother:

George Sharp, chr. 11 Nov 1824, Misson, Nottinghamshire, England
Mary Sharp, chr. 27 Nov 1825, “,”,”
William Sharp, born 10 Dec 1826, “,”,”
George Sharp, chr. 13 May 1826, “,”,”
Isabella Sharp, born 22 Dec 1831, “,”,”
Elizabeth Sharp, chr. 11 June 1834, “,”,”
Ann Sharp, chr. 29 July 1838, “,”,”
James Sharp, Born 7 Jan 1840, “,”,”
(Extract from the history of Isabella Sharp Carlisle)

Misson is a little town in the northern part of Nottinghamshire, in what used to be the Sherwood Forest, (made famous by the stories of Robin Hood). As well as having a historical setting, the place, at the time of Elizabeth Cartwright’s birth, was one of beauty, with its green pastures a bloom with cowslips.

Thomas Sharp died in 1841 at the age of 45 (buried 15 Jul 1841, Mission), leaving Elizabeth to care for the children.

Sometime about 1848, the LDS missionaries were preaching in the vicinity of Mission, and Elizabeth Sharp joined the LDS church, together with her eldest son, William, who was baptized 20 Jun 1848.

Elizabeth’s home was opened to the missionaries, and among the elders who stayed there was Elder George Emery.

Elizabeth Sharp decided to emigrate with her family to Utah, but her folks tried hard to discourage her from taking the hazardous trip; they told her if you leave for the west, “A red Indian will eat ye.” But Elizabeth’s determination prevailed, and in 1850 the family, consisting of the mother and her four children, booked passage for America. (The price of the ticket being twenty-five pounds sterling). They set sail from Liverpool, England, bound for New Orléans, Louisiana, USA, on 2 October 1850, on the sailing vessel “James Pennell”, commanded by Captain Fullerton. The voyage was a rough one and it took six weeks to reach their destination.

From New Orléans, they traveled by boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, a trip that was not a healthy one.

Shortly after the family reached St. Louis, the mother took sick and died, and was buried there. This left the children on their own. They found employment and Elizabeth and James married and stayed in Missouri.

William Sharp married Mrs. Mary Ann Bailey Padley, a young widow who had joined the church in England.

Isabella Sharp was baptized into the church while in St. Louis, and Joseph Carlisle. Elizabeth Sharp married John Quayle, and settled around St. Louis, and had a family of three children.

James, who was about twelve years old when his mother died, made arrangements to come to Salt Lake City, but the company he was to travel with finally turned back. He then found employment with a meat-packing concern in St. Louis (in which he later became a partner), and married Eudora Mann and had a family of five children.

Elizabeth Sharp Quayle and James Sharp never joined the church.

Both William Sharp and Joseph Carlisle were good athletes, and while in St. Louis, they challenged anyone to a wrestling match that cared to accept. They became well-known in this respect and they had few who accepted their challenge.

In 1853, both William Sharp and his family, which now consisted of his wife Mary Ann, his step-son Lorenzo Padley, and daughter Annie. Elizabeth who was born in St. Louis, and Joseph Carlisle and his wife Isabella Sharp Carlisle, started their journey across the plains. They drove a wagon for Williams Jennings, a Salt Lake merchant and freighter, (whether they drove one wagon or two is not known). They came in the Moses Clawson Co., arriving in Salt Lake City about September 15, 1853. (Journal History, Aug 18, 1853, pg. 5-7; Church Emigrations Vol. 2, 2, 1851 to 1863).

Joseph and Isabella Sharp Carlisle settled in Mill Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah; and William and Mary Ann Sharp settled in Plain City, Weber County, Utah.

Annie Thompson
August 27, 1957

My relationship: Elizabeth Cartwright- Thomas Sharp
William Sharp
Milo Riley Sharp
Edward William Sharp
Edward Junior Sharp