• A daughter of William wrote that he came to Utah in 1850, but his obituary indicates he came in 1849. Further research is needed to narrow the exact year of his initial emigration and identify the name of the company he traveled with.

  In the winter of 1856, he also participated in the rescue effort to bring in new emigrants stranded on the plains of Wyoming the winter of 1856 does appear in the 1850 Utah census.

  William's birthday is confirmed by his diary. He mentions turning 23 years old.

  In 1860, he was in California. It has not yet been determined when he returned to Utah. If he returned in 1860, it's possible that he may have traveled with the Elisha Mallory company.

Unknown Companies (1847-1868)

• Age at Departure: Unknown

Rescue Companies (1856)

• Age at Departure: 22

Sources

• 1850 Utah Census.
• Cantwell, James, Autobiography, in Joel Edward Ricks, Cache Valley Historical Material [ca. 1955], reel 3, item 29.
• Daniel W. Jones, Forty Years Among the Indians (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1890), 62-75.
• "Died," Deseret News, 17 January 1877, 815.
• Find a Grave
• Haddock, Edith Parker and Dorothy Hardy Matthews, History of Bear Lake Pioneers [1968], 92.
• Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1896-2001, 15 December 1856, 16-37.
• Josiah Rogerson, "Martin's Handcart Company, 1856 (No. 9)," Salt Lake Herald, 1 December 1907.
• "Names of Persons Who Volunteer to Go as Teamsters" in Offerings for the assistance of the P. E. F. immigrants, 1856 October in Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company general files, 1850-1887.
• William Broomhead diary, 1856 October-1857 April.