Life Story of Francis Astle Written by his granddaughter, Sarah Astle Call

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Tuesday, 19 June - This is a very fine morning. The folks are up between three and four o'clock, packing up their things, ready for going up to New York this morning. The doctor came again, said we should be landed that day. The people were anxiously waiting to go ashore. Very few had anything to eat. We continued in suspense of going ashore all day. In the evening Brother Budge came on board and told us he had been very busy all the time making arrangements for our landing, but we could not land that night; but a steamer would be along side to Tapscott by six o'clock in the morning to take us away.
He also said he had purchased some bread, butter, and eggs to be sold to the Saints on board, and that some gentleman had given one soverign worth of bread to be given to the people. Brother Budge also said that he and Brothers Calkins and Williams had been exerting all their power to get us away, and that the doctor had done much to affect this object. I believe great praise is due to the doctor in this respect. Our beds being all packed, we got the night through as best we could.

William Tapscott Passenger List Page 1

Wednesday, 20 June - This morning about seven o'clock a steamer came with a barge along side the Tapscott and we all began to haul our luggage to the barge. The Saints got on the steamer and moved away to New York. Arrived safely about twelve o'clock at Castle Gardens. There was at the Garden, Brother Croxall and brethren ready to receive us and give such instructions as were necessary for the present. Brother Croxall said he would see us again in the morning and thought he should be able to send us all away by the next day. We had been six weeks and two days on the sea.

William Tapscott Passenger List Francis Astle and family on list Page 6

Thursday, 21 June - This morning Brother Croxall and the Brethren made their appearance among us and began to give counsel to the Saints. He gave me and my family counsel to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and accordingly we set off in a steamer about five o'clock p.m. for that place and arrived there about four o'clock next morning.

Friday, 22 June - At four o'clock this morning we arrived safely in Philadelphia. There were Brethren at the wharf to receive us. They made every preparation necessary for us on our landing. In course of conversation, I found that Elder Edwin Spencer from Arnold, Nottingham, was living at Bodine Street about two doors below Oxford. Accordingly I and two of the Brethren set out for his house and found him. He said we should go and live at his house until we could get somewhere else to be. We went there and took our luggage. In the afternoon Elder Spencer and I went up to Germantown to try to get work.
We found Elder Henry George's home. He said he could find James, Joseph, and John work at Crowson next Monday morning.

And so the new life began in America for the family of Francis Astle, after a tedious sea voyage from Nottingham, England, the land of their birth. This was a new experience in every way of life. They had been told that America was a land of freedom. These teenage sons had assumed the idea that everything was theirs if they so desired it. A brief lesson came to them very soon after arrival in Philadelphia. One time while out walking, they saw some apples on the trees that looked very desirous. Well, they each helped themselves to the fruit. The owner questioned them as to why they had taken the apples without permission. The boys answered, "Well, isn't everything free in America?" This proved a timely lesson to them. They soon learned that whatever they possessed in America was to be earned by honesty and hard work the same as in the old home in England.

During this time Grandfather, Francis Astle, had the privilege of visiting his mother, Rachel King Astle, and his sisters, who were still living in either Lebanon or Clinton, New Jersey. They had immigrated to the United States prior to 1846. It was a joyous reunion for the family, although his father, James Spannons Astle, had died in 1846. This gave Grandfather the privilege of gathering some interesting data and genealogy of his immediate family that proved very valuable in later years.

For a little more than two years, they remained in Philadelphia. Grandfather and the sons were employed at the Knitting Mills in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Grandfather was an expert in the Lace Mills in Nottingham, England and easily adjusted to the work in Germantown.

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