John Van Cott
Encyclopedia
John Van Cott was a prominent member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving as a member of the Quorum of the Seventy
, as one of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy
, and also as president
of the Scandinavia
n Mission
.
who was seven years his senior. (John's mother, Lovina Pratt and Parley's father, Jared, were siblings.) Some accounts put this first introduction as early as 1833 but, unlike his cousin, he did not join for some time. In 1835 he married Lucy Sackett and they had four children in Canaan, New York
. Some members of the van Cott family confuse their family name to a famous old Van Cats family of Holland. There is no official proof of the connection, nor has any claims of the connection between these two different family names been accepted by any Dutch officials.
In 1843, Lucy joined the church. Historical material is somewhat sketchy here as most sources say that Van Cott himself was baptized by Pratt in Nauvoo
in 1844 or 45, but others imply that the family moved to Nauvoo after he was baptized. Records are consistent in saying that the family was in Nauvoo in 1846 and stayed for a time at Pratt's home and that Van Cott donated about $400 towards the completion of the Nauvoo Temple
.
. According to historical records, he was chosen to be a bishop at this time to watch after the families of men who had joined the Mormon Battalion
. He was ordained a Seventy on February 25, 1847.
As a Mormon pioneer
, John made the "trip across the plains" multiple times. In 1847 he, his wife, two children (their two other children died in New York), and 59 year old mother traveled with the Daniel Spencer/Perrigrine Sessions Company
, wherein John was appointed to be a "captain of 10" and a marshall. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 25.
After arriving in the valley, at the behest of Young, Van Cott went back out on the trail to assist other companies who were having difficulties. He assisted in the exploration of the new land. He was chosen to be the first marshal of Salt Lake City.
In 1852 Van Cott began a four year assignment as the president
of the Scandinavia Mission
, headquartered in Denmark. He was called to the same assignment again in 1859 and served for two and a half years. He became proficient in Danish as a result of his work there.
On the journey home to Utah, Van Cott led a group of church members from Scandinavia to the United States aboard the ship Waldemar, and then on the journey across the midwest to Salt Lake. He is listed as being the President of the Madsen and Liljenquist companies, leading a group of Scandinavian Saints to Salt Lake in July–Sept 1862. This may be the same group he led on the Waldemar, but further information is needed.
In 1862 Van Cott was sustained as one of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy. He died at his home a short distance south of Salt Lake City, February 18, 1883, after a lingering illness of several months.
. He had 5 wives and many children. His oldest child was born in 1844, his youngest in 1878. Some did not live to see adulthood, others did and some became prominent members of their communities. There are 25 children listed here, but many narratives say had had 28. He has thousands of descendants
His wives and children with each of them.
Quorums of the Seventy
Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, as one of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy
Quorums of the Seventy
Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, and also as president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
.
Early life and conversion
John Van Cott was descended from a Dutch settler named Claes Cornelissen Van Cott who came from Holland to what is now New York [Nieuw Amsterdam] in 1662. His father died of consumption when he was 10 years old. He first heard of The Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from his cousin LDS Apostle Parley P. PrattParley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
who was seven years his senior. (John's mother, Lovina Pratt and Parley's father, Jared, were siblings.) Some accounts put this first introduction as early as 1833 but, unlike his cousin, he did not join for some time. In 1835 he married Lucy Sackett and they had four children in Canaan, New York
Canaan, New York
Canaan is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,820 at the 2000 census.The Town of Canaan is in the northeast part of the county.- History :The first settlers arrived around 1759....
. Some members of the van Cott family confuse their family name to a famous old Van Cats family of Holland. There is no official proof of the connection, nor has any claims of the connection between these two different family names been accepted by any Dutch officials.
In 1843, Lucy joined the church. Historical material is somewhat sketchy here as most sources say that Van Cott himself was baptized by Pratt in Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
in 1844 or 45, but others imply that the family moved to Nauvoo after he was baptized. Records are consistent in saying that the family was in Nauvoo in 1846 and stayed for a time at Pratt's home and that Van Cott donated about $400 towards the completion of the Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
.
Pioneer and church servant
The winter of 1846 was spent at Winter Quarters, where Van Cott became well acquainted with Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
. According to historical records, he was chosen to be a bishop at this time to watch after the families of men who had joined the Mormon Battalion
Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular...
. He was ordained a Seventy on February 25, 1847.
As a Mormon pioneer
Mormon Pioneer
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah...
, John made the "trip across the plains" multiple times. In 1847 he, his wife, two children (their two other children died in New York), and 59 year old mother traveled with the Daniel Spencer/Perrigrine Sessions Company
Mormon Pioneer
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah...
, wherein John was appointed to be a "captain of 10" and a marshall. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 25.
After arriving in the valley, at the behest of Young, Van Cott went back out on the trail to assist other companies who were having difficulties. He assisted in the exploration of the new land. He was chosen to be the first marshal of Salt Lake City.
In 1852 Van Cott began a four year assignment as the president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the Scandinavia Mission
Missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
, headquartered in Denmark. He was called to the same assignment again in 1859 and served for two and a half years. He became proficient in Danish as a result of his work there.
On the journey home to Utah, Van Cott led a group of church members from Scandinavia to the United States aboard the ship Waldemar, and then on the journey across the midwest to Salt Lake. He is listed as being the President of the Madsen and Liljenquist companies, leading a group of Scandinavian Saints to Salt Lake in July–Sept 1862. This may be the same group he led on the Waldemar, but further information is needed.
In 1862 Van Cott was sustained as one of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy. He died at his home a short distance south of Salt Lake City, February 18, 1883, after a lingering illness of several months.
Family
Like several church leaders of his time, John Van Cott was instructed to practice plural marriagePlural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. He had 5 wives and many children. His oldest child was born in 1844, his youngest in 1878. Some did not live to see adulthood, others did and some became prominent members of their communities. There are 25 children listed here, but many narratives say had had 28. He has thousands of descendants
His wives and children with each of them.
Lucy Lavina Sackett
July 17, 1815 Stephentown, Columbia, NY USA – January 31, 1902 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Ut USA.- Mary Van Cott February 2, 1844 Elmira, New York, USA – January 15, 1884 Salt Lake City, UT (married Brigham YoungBrigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
) - Martha Van Cott February 29, 1838 in Canaan, Columbia, New York, USA - 25 Mar 1908, Salt Lake city, Salt Lake, Utah, USA (Married William Price)
- Fannie Van Cott April 18, 1850 Salt Lake City – December 21, 1930 Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua Mexico, Married Alexander Findlay Macdonald
- Lucy Van Cott December 16, 1839 in Canaan, Columbia, NY – September 9, 1843 Canaan, Columbia, New York, Buried near her Brother, John Losee Van Cott, and their grandfather, Losee Van Cott.
- John Losee Van Cott January 16, 1842 in Canaan, Columbia, New York, USA - November 6, 1843, Canaan, Columbia, New York. Buried there near the Van Cott family farm.
- Losee Van Cott August 23, 1847 Independence, Rock, Wyoming – March 18, 1851, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Byron Van Cott March 2, 1852 Salt Lake City – November 19, 1853.
Jemima Morris
August 4, 1831 North Coleford, Gloucestershire, England – March 23, 1851 Salt Lake City- Morris Van Cott
Laura Lund
February 26, 1843 Amaya, Denmark – December 1, 1913 Salt Lake City- Waldemar Van Cott December 11, 1859 Salt Lake City – January 15, 1940 Salt Lake City
- Frank Victor Van Cott August 7, 1863 Salt Lake City – August 17, 1938
- Lucy May Van Cott May 5, 1869 Salt Lake City – September 28, 1957
- Ernest Van Cott December 18, 1875 – August 27, 1924.
Caroline Amelia Pratt
June 20, 1840 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA – October 10, 1915 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Ut USA.- Orson Van Cott April 21, 1859 Salt Lake City – May 8, 1859.
- Anson Van Cott born and died on April 21, 1859 Salt Lake City
- Viola Van Cott June 19, 1860 Salt Lake City – May 17, 1931 in Salt Lake City
- Oscar Van Cott September 17, 1863 Salt Lake City – June 7, 1955 Salt Lake City
- Marlon Van Cott October 10, 1867 Salt Lake City – July 29, 1941 Salt Lake City
- Ray Van Cott October 27, 1869 Salt Lake City – March 18, 1944
- Harold Van Cott Jul 1873 Salt Lake City – May 15, 1934
- Edith Van Cott March 25, 1875 Salt Lake City – August 22, 1941 Los Angeles, CA
- Lovina Van Cott January 15, 1877 in Ephraim, San Pete, UT – October 27, 1964 Salt Lake City
Caroline Lena Cassia Erickson
June 27, 1833 Brevik, Skaraborg, Sweden – November 14, 1901 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Ut USA.- Selma Van Cott November 12, 1863 Salt Lake City – December 5, 1935 Salt Lake City (married William Whitaker TaylorWilliam Whitaker TaylorWilliam Whitaker Taylor was a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature, member of the Presidency of the Seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and a son of LDS Church president John Taylor. He was a half brother to John W...
, son of John Taylor) - Nephi Van Cott February 25, 1865 Salt Lake City – September 18, 1865
- Albert Van Cott December 25, 1868 Salt Lake City – November 10, 1959 Salt Lake City
- Olive (or Olivia) Van Cott April 27, 1875 Ephraim, San Pete, UT – August 27, 1935 Salt Lake City
- Enoch Van Cott Jan 1878 Salt Lake City – August 12, 1952.
Other People named John Van Cott
- According to historical records, a John Van Cott was "elected" a fireman in Brooklyn, NY on April 1, 1788. He held the post for 3 years. See this external link
- John Waldemar Van Cott, a grandson of John Van Cott was a professor at Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
and an author; among his books is "Utah Place Names."
External links
- Brief History of the Scandinavian Mission
- Mormon Pioneers Overland Travel Directory: John Van Cott
- Van Cott book at the library of Congress
- A narrative of the with jorney from Scandinavia to America by a passenger in the company of Van Cott
- Excerpt of a book about rescuing some stranded handcart companies, Van Cott was part of the rescue.
- John Van Cott chosen as a Bishop
- A letter written to John Van Cott about the Scandinavian saints crossing the plains in America
- He is number 14 on this family history chart