Lucy Gillett Maycock

(Part of first ‘church train’ pioneer group, early settler of Bountiful, UT)
Lucy was born in 1804 in Ash Hern, Warwick England. She married Joseph Haycock in 1822 and they had 8 children.
She was baptized into the Mormon church in 1852. Her husband died in 1859 and she later had him posthumously
baptized in 1870 in the Endowment House in the Salt Lake Valley.
She left England in 1862 at the age of 58 on board the John J. Boyd a sailing ship out of Liverpool with 702 immigrating saints under the direction of Elder James S. Brown. It is believed she went as guardian of her grandchildren James,
Hannah and Elizabeth Garrett though their names don’t appear on the company register. The voyage lasted 39 days
which was longer than usual because of headwinds. Elder Brown stated in a letter later printed in the Millennial star “
As regards the Priesthood called to assist me in the charge of the company, I am happy to say that they were always
at hand to assist in everything that was to be done, and I never had charge of a better company of people.”
After landing in New York, and because of the Civil War, it’s possible that they traveled into Canada through Niagra
Falls and re-entered the U.S. in Chicago then traveled by rail to Florence, Nebraska where they joined a company of
pioneers in the Homer Duncan Company, one of the first “Church Trains” to the valley. The Church started sponsoring
down-and-back wagon trains sent to bring emigrants to Zion. By this time, there were plenty of oxen and wagons in
the valley and each town or ward in the valley was asked to furnish wagons and oxen and young men to serve as
drivers. The young men liked to volunteer because they would get the first look at the new girls coming into the
valley. The church also used these trains to carry produce back to the east to sell. Those who could not pay for the passage could get loans from the Perpetual
Emigration Fund and pay it back later. It was a great way for Saints who couldn’t afford a wagon of their own to avoid joining a handcart company. They were well
organized with 12 people assigned to a wagon and provided a tent, bedding and cooking supplies to the travelers and men were appointed to guard cattle and
set up tents and supplies.
Many in the company mentioned the amazing sight as the ox teams with their drivers entered the camp to pick up the 500 saints traveling with the company.
Prayers were held in the camp night & morning at the sound of the bugle and the Captain gave counsel and issued orders for the day. Flour and bacon was
furnished to everybody but of course every family had to do their own cooking. For many coming from the cities and relative comforts of England it was really
a great trial to learn to work with the oxen, travel many miles a day on foot and cook their food outdoors in the heat, the wind and the smoke. Fifteen to sixteen
miles was an average days travel. Everybody was warned to keep close to the wagons on account of danger from Indians who were seen nearly every day in large
numbers. The oxen stirred up a lot of dust and the people sweating with the hot days and in the dust naturally got quite dirty before the days drive was done. On
Sundays and in bad weather the party would stop for a time and where the oxen could get plenty of grass to eat the company would lay over and rest. At night
around the camp fire company members would sing, or tell stories of their conversions, their trips across the ocean or the countries they left behind. There was
also music and dancing. Their train was one of the fastest to ever make the 1000 mile journey having no major trials or incidents.
Lucy arrived in the valley in 1862 and was met by her daughter Maria and other family members who had gone before her. She settled in Bountiful Utah where
she died in 1878.