W is for Wagstaff and Willie and William

(Note:  Due to my Dear Mother's recent death and funeral, I have fallen behind in this year's A to Z Challenge.  Please check back in the coming week for the missing posts S, T, U, and V.)

John Wagstaff  (photo source:  familysearch)

W is for Wagstaff, one of my main family lines, that has been researched back to 1490 in Bedfordshire,  England.  John Wagstaff, my great, great grandfather who was born in 1861,  is the ancestor on this line who emigrated from England to the United States in 1862, sailing from Liverpool England to New York City on the ship "William Tapscott" , then later continuing on to Salt Lake City, Utah.

W is also for Willie, another main family line that has been researched back to 1557 in Otterford, Somerset, England.  My great great grandfather, James Gray Willie was the Willie ancestor who who emigrated from Somerset England to New York City, where he married and then continued on to Nauvoo, Illinois, and Salt Lake City, Utah.  He later returned to England as a missionary for his church, and on the return trip home was asked to lead a group of pioneers traveling by handcart across the United States to Utah.  Due to circumstances beyond their control, they left late in the season and were trapped by early snows in Wyoming, many perishing before reaching their destination, but most were miraculously rescued and made it to their destination.  The movie 17 Miracles  is one source that documents this story.

W is for William, a good solid name that appears countless times on my family tree.  There is in fact a stretch of five continuous generations of William Wagstaffs in Bedfordshire between the years of 1693 and 1579.   There is a William Willie in born in Devonshire, England in 1763, who married and died in Somerset.  There are many other Williams in the other branches of my family tree.  Someday I need to take the time to count them all!