Robert McGavin, Sr & Janet Johnston
(Parents
of Robert McGavin, Father of Emma Isabella McGavin, Mother of Caroline Oleta Jensen, Mother of Alan J White)
We
know little of Robert's early life, but his father was a farmer. From 1841 to 1845
he was listed as a cotton yarn dresser, showing that he was a weaver. After his
wife and older children joined the L. D. S. Church they separated and he stayed
in Scotland for twenty years after his family left. He emigrated on the ship
"Wyoming", sailing on Sept. 2, 1874. After coming to America in 1874
he spent time visiting back and forth among his children.
He made his home primarily with his
sons James Dunn and Robert in Idaho. During the years he lived in Idaho he had
his feet frozen and lost several toes. He never joined the L. D. S. Church in
his lifetime. Other than Isabella who asked him to see her sail, his family
left Scotland without his knowledge, fearing he would keep the two boys. He was
bitter to the end at the family leaving him alone in Scotland.
Janet
Johnson (McGavin) was born in Scotland and had nine children, although one
daughter died at a young age. She heard the missionaries speak and knew that
the gospel was true. She wanted her family to join with the saints in Zion,
despite her husband’s disagreements. He believed it was a disgrace to even
speak to a Mormon.
In 1854, she decided to sail with her
children to America. However, in Scotland at that time, the father had complete
control of all minor children. Robert McGavin (Sr) learned of her plan, and
came to the ship to retrieve his two sons and stop his wife from taking them
out of the country. But he couldn’t find the boys or his wife aboard the ship.
The ship moved down the river, and then made a brief stop at a small town
outside of Glasgow where a small boat was rowed out to the ship carrying Mrs.
McGavin and her two small boys – Robert Jr., age 11, and James, age 9. The
father was heartbroken to have them leave. He eventually came to America, but
he never forgave her for taking his children, and he never joined the church.
Mrs. McGavin and her eight children sailed to
Holyoke, Massachusetts. They lived in boarding house there for a time while the
girls worked in a cotton mill and the boys attended school. They stayed there
until they had earned enough money for the trip to Utah. Most of the family
travelled together in the Eldridge Hooper wagon train in 1855.