The 2nd New Orleans–Lafayette Branch (1849–1850)
A Brief Summary of the Second “New Orleans and Lafayette Branch”—The Account of Its Organization from the Branch’s Record—A Transcription of the Branch’s Initial Membership Roll.
A second incarnation of “the New Orleans and Lafayette branch” was organized on Sunday, October 28, 1849, by Elder Thomas McKenzie, according to instructions given to him by Elder Orson Hyde, one of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. McKenzie was subsequently chosen and sustained as the branch president. His branch presidency did not include any counselors, although he seemed to rely on an Elder named Claude Clive whom he called as branch clerk.
- The Berlin arrived at New Orleans from Liverpool on September 5, 1849. Over two-dozen Latter-day Saints died en route due to cholera.
The branch was short-lived, however. On Sunday, April 7, 1850, “a conference … was held at New Orleans for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the branch.” The second New Orleans-Lafayette Branch was then dissolved, largely due to an epidemic of cholera. President McKenzie urged the Saints in attendance to relocate up-river, and by mid-May, McKenzie had arranged for himself and many of the Saints to travel up the Mississippi to St. Louis before finally returning to the temporary Church Headquarters at Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Below is part of the account made when the branch was organized and recorded in the branch record book, as reproduced by Andrew Jenson in the unpublished manuscript history of the Church’s activities in the state of Louisiana. Jenson appended a roll of the branch’s members, which must have been compiled either upon the branch’s organization or shortly thereafter. It’s clear that the roll is incomplete, however; it lists exactly 99 members, but according to the branch record at this same time, the New Orleans-Lafayette Branch actually had closer to 140 members.
[Sunday–October 28, 1849.] The Latter-day Saints <who had located temporarily at> New Orleans and Lafayette were called together at 58 St. Peter’s St. by Bro. Thomas McKenzie, a Seventy, who had been sent to New Orleans, by President Orson Hyde, to look after the emigration from England, to organize the Saints in New Orleans into a branch of the Church, and counsel them to continue the journey up the Mississippi river as soon as they were able, while at the same time endeavoring to keep in close touch with those who should remain temporarily in New Orleans, not be able to go up the rivers.
The Meeting was opened with prayer by Elder McKenzie, who then explained the necessity of the Saints being organized as a branch during their temporary stay in New Orleans. On motion of Elder Benjamin Peel, Thomas McKenzie was then chosen and sustained as president of the branch, which was named the New Orleans and Lafayette branch. Elder Claude Clive was chosen as clerk and Thomas McKenzie as treasurer of the branch. …
Following are the names of the members of the branch, as recorded in the branch record:
01 Thomas McKenzie [President]
01 Thomas McKenzie [President]
02 Mary McKenzie
03 Mary Maria McKenzie
04 John Kendal [Elder]
05 Claude Clive [Elder]
06 Charlotte Clive
07 Benjamine Eades [Teacher]
08 Richard Whittingham
09 Ellen Whittingham
10 Nancy Slack
11 Henry Dinwoody [Priest]
12 Ellen Dinwoody
13 Peter Gallaspie [Elder]
15 Alexander Gallaspie [Priest]
20 Caroline Parkin
21 Joseph Astle [Elder]
22 William Fluett
23 Joseph Grange [Deacon]
24 Caroline Peckam
25 William Corr
26 George Caffal [Priest]
27 Benjamin Peel [Elder]
29 James Ashton
30 John Brown [Elder]
31 Ann Brown
32 Mary Smith
33 Richard Smith [Teacher]
34 Charles Smith
35 William Smith
36 Hohn Smith [sic]
37 Thomas West
38 Harriett West
39 David Duncanson [Elder]
41 Thomas Seddon [Priest]
42 Jessee West
43 Isabella West
44 William Brown [Teacher]
45 Sarah Ann Reynolds
46 Mary Elvin
47 Edward Robins [Elder]
48 John Wilson
49 Jane Wilson
50 Charles Maxwell [Teacher]
51 Jane Maxwell
52 Joseph Maxwell
53 John Hindly [Priest]
54 Mary Hindly
55 Jane Tuckett
56 Charles Tuckett [Teacher]
57 Henry Tuckett [Deacon]
58 John Tuckett
59 Joseph Tuckett
60 Jane Tuckett
61 John Hibbert
62 John Burton Pears [Elder]
63 James Stevens [Elder]
64 James Hopkins [Priest]
65 Robert Frederick Walkingshaw [Deacon]
66 William Lane [Priest]
67 Sarah Lane
68 Job Salter [Elder]
69 George Shell
70 Frederick Gardner
71 John Henry Yandel [Elder]
72 Josephine Yandel
73 John Henry Yandel
74 Johanna Dowel
75 James Inkstone
76 Ann Inkstone
77 William Ashton
78 Henry Caffal
79 Eleanor Caffal
80 James Russel [Elder]
81 Richard Skinner [Elder]
82 Mary Skinner
83 Titus Barlow [Elder]
84 Mary Ann Barlow
85 Elias Hall [Elder]
86 Mary Hall
87 Mary Ann Hall
88 Elias Isaiah Hall
89 James Boulter [Priest]
90 James Pailing
91 Elizabeth Ann Pailing
92 Sarah Ann Vosborg
93 Zalion Latets
94 Henry Garfield
95 Maria Garfield
96 Joseph Richie [Elder]
97 Mary Richie
98 John Everett
99 David Wilson
