Albert Carrington

Question: What other challenges did Albert Carrington have after serving in Brigham Young’s Vanguard Company in 1847?

Birthplace

Answer: Albert Carrington was born January 8, 1813, in Royalton, Windsor County, Vermont, to Daniel and Isabella Bowman Carrington. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1833, and taught school and studied law in Pennsylvania. He married Rhoda Maria Woods on December 6, 1838. They had several children, many who died as babies or young children. (Three died in Nauvoo, and one at Winter Quarters. Only five of their children survived to adulthood.)

Albert was involved in lead mining when he became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wiota, Wisconsin, in July 1841. He was baptized by William O. Clark. Three years later he went to Nauvoo, where he worked on the Nauvoo Temple and received his endowment there. In 1846, he took part in the exodus. In January 1846, Albert married Mary Ann Rock in Nauvoo, and they had five children together (all born in the Salt Lake Valley).

At Winter Quarters, Albert was asked to be in Brigham Young’s Vanguard Company headed to the Salt Lake Valley. He was part of the 2nd Company of Ten led by Ezra Taft Benson. At some point, he returned to Winter Quarters, because he is recorded as crossing the plains again in 1851 accompanying a newly appointed federal judge back to the Valley with a handful of other men.

This was a small company of seven men, traveling to the Valley. Orson Hyde was likely the leader of the company due to his position as an apostle and his experience on the plains. The men were accompanying a new, federally appointed judge for the territory, Judge Perry Brocchus. The group of men arrived in the Valley on August 17, 1851.

Shortly after his arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, Albert was chosen as surveyor to accompany Captain Howard Stansbury of the U.S. Topographical Unit in exploring the Great Salt Lake. He also headed a committee to draft a constitution for the State of Deseret, and was editor of the Deseret News from 1854-59 and from 1863-66.

Albert was secretary to Brigham Young for 20 years and was the Mission President in the European Mission four times (1868-1870), (1871-1873) (1875-1877) (1880-1882). He was ordained an apostle in 1870, and was a counselor to Brigham Young.

Albert Carrington died in Salt Lake City on September 19, 1889, at age 76 and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. His headstone has since disappeared at his grave, but he is surrounded by family markers.

Source: “Biographies of the Original 1847 Pioneer Company,’ Deseret News, Church News, Updated, October 14, 2009; Church History, Early Mormon Missionaries; FindAGrave.com