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James Gemmell

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James Gemmell

Birth
South Ayrshire, Scotland
Death
6 Apr 1881 (aged 67)
Sheridan, Madison County, Montana, USA
Burial
Sheridan, Madison County, Montana, USA
Memorial ID
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Born in Scotland, Gemmell traveled to America when he was six years old with his parents. He lived in New York City until he was nineteen whereupon he traveled with his uncle to settle on some land near Toronto, Canada. Participating in the Canadian Rebellion, he was captured as a prisoner of war in 1837, but escaped to America. He went into business in Michigan and married. Grief-stricken at the death of his wife, he left his son with his mother and started west heading for Oregon in about 1847. Reaching Salt Lake City, he halted and found work in the new Mormon settlement. Sometime before marrying Elizabeth Mahala Hendricks, in 1850, he joined the Mormon Church. Later in 1850, he married Sarah Mariah Brown in polygamy. A year after Elizabeth died, he married another plural wife, Hannah Jane Davis, in October 1852. Learning that his mother had died and his son was without a stable home, he returned to Michigan in 1856. He then went to Texas to visit relatives. In 1857 he organized a company of Texas Mormons, accompanying them to Florence, Nebraska, from which place they set out for Salt Lake City. In November 1858 he was excommunicated from the Mormon Church and moved with one of his wives and their family to Montana in 1859. He spent the rest of his life in Montana, trading with Indians and engaging in business. He owned and operated a successful saw mill. His obituary stated that he was the father of twenty-two children and alcoholism may have led to his shortened life. Visit the James Gammell Chronicles biography blog at http://jamesgammellchronicles.blogspot.com/.
Born in Scotland, Gemmell traveled to America when he was six years old with his parents. He lived in New York City until he was nineteen whereupon he traveled with his uncle to settle on some land near Toronto, Canada. Participating in the Canadian Rebellion, he was captured as a prisoner of war in 1837, but escaped to America. He went into business in Michigan and married. Grief-stricken at the death of his wife, he left his son with his mother and started west heading for Oregon in about 1847. Reaching Salt Lake City, he halted and found work in the new Mormon settlement. Sometime before marrying Elizabeth Mahala Hendricks, in 1850, he joined the Mormon Church. Later in 1850, he married Sarah Mariah Brown in polygamy. A year after Elizabeth died, he married another plural wife, Hannah Jane Davis, in October 1852. Learning that his mother had died and his son was without a stable home, he returned to Michigan in 1856. He then went to Texas to visit relatives. In 1857 he organized a company of Texas Mormons, accompanying them to Florence, Nebraska, from which place they set out for Salt Lake City. In November 1858 he was excommunicated from the Mormon Church and moved with one of his wives and their family to Montana in 1859. He spent the rest of his life in Montana, trading with Indians and engaging in business. He owned and operated a successful saw mill. His obituary stated that he was the father of twenty-two children and alcoholism may have led to his shortened life. Visit the James Gammell Chronicles biography blog at http://jamesgammellchronicles.blogspot.com/.

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