Sarah Leeds Sleeper was the first wife of Andrew Hunter Scott.  Sarah was born July 21, 1816 in Vincentown, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Her parents were John Sleeper, Jr. and Mary Rynear.  Her father was previously married to Sarah Leeds and they had seven children:  Vincent, Aaron, Mahlon, John Leeds, William and Jonathan (twins), and Charles.  One of the twins, Jonathan Sleeper had three children:  Dr. William Murdock Sleeper, Ann Compton Sleeper and Mary Wall Sleeper.  Ann Compton married Dr. Job Ogborn and they had nine children.

After the death of his first wife, John Sleeper, Jr. Married Mary Rynear and they had Sarah and an older child, Benjamin.  The Sleeper families were early settlers in New Jersey and Sarah was the fourth generation to live in that state.

Sarah’s father was a tailor by trade.  He belonged to the Quaker faith and was a member of the mount Holly Monthly Meeting.  Her mother, Mary, belonged to the Methodists.  Sarah followed in her mother’s footsteps and was also a devout Methodist.

Andrew Hunter Scott came to Vincentown from Middletown Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (about 25 or 30 miles away) to work.  He was a tailor as was her father.  They were married February 18, 1838.  Their first child was George Comb who was born July 8, 1840.  Their first daughter, Emma was born February 21, 1843 and Hyrum was born April 1, 1845.

Shortly after they were married, Andrew began investigating the LDS Church and was converted to this new religion and was baptized 17 September 1843 in Vincentown.  He spent some time preaching the Gospel in Philadelphia and the surrounding area.  Later he filled another mission to southwest New Jersey and was gone about a month. All this church activity and his being away from home leaving her with 3 small children must have continually stung Sarah, because she was a devout Methodist and couldn’t believe his new faith, so as to appreciate his devotion.

After he returned he preached in his own area.  In November of 1845 he left his home and traveled to Nauvoo to obtain his endowments but the temple wasn’t yet completed.  After being there for about a week he decided to return to his home.  Her husband, of course, wanted to take his family to Salt Lake to be with the Church, and she was torn between her convictions and her sense of duty to her husband.  He commenced a labor with her to convince her of the truth of the Church and the need for gathering with the Saints.

Early in February 1846, Andrew became very ill and was unable to work.  He was stricken with jaundice and then with a violent inflammation of the lung.  He used up all the money he had saved.  After two years he started a restaurant business and made enough to leave New Jersey and gather with the Saints.

On 8 March 1849, twin daughters, Ann Eliza and Anna Margaret were born to Andrew and Sarah.  Ann Eliza died seven months later on October 12.

In the spring of 1850 Andrew started to settle his affairs so he could leave for the West.  He left for a few days to see the Saints in Philadelphia and when he came back, Sarah had taken Emma and the baby, Anna Margaret, and left the two boys, George and Hyrum with some neighbors.  Sarah could not accept Andrew’s religion and leave her home to travel to an unknown country.  She left a letter for him in which she wrote:  “It is hard to part with you and the boys, but I feel that the cord of love that should have bound us together is broken…My children are dear, very dear to me but I feel that the religion of Christ is dearer.  I now leave you with a just God, ever remaining to pray for you.  I desire to remain your sincere friend.”  With what must have been great courage and grief as well as loyalty to her husband in spite of everything, she left the two boys, George Comb, nearly 10 and Hyrum Smith, 5 for her husband to take with him.  This must have been an agonizing time for all of them.  She always hoped her sons would return to her, but they never did.

Andrew settled up his affairs and took his two boys and left for Philadelphia where they stayed a month before leaving with a group of Saints to begin their journey to the West.  Because he did not have enough money to continue to Utah, he and his two boys stayed a year at Council Bluffs, Iowa and bought a farm.

In July 1850 Sarah’s doctor, Samuel Woolston wrote Andrew Hunter Scott a letter while he was in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  In his letter, he writes, “Sarah and Benny (her brother) has opened a candy shop etc and are doing well.”

Sarah, who was about 34 years at this time, corresponded with Andrew for a time after he left but they were unable to settle their religious differences.  The letters she wrote reflected the great faith in God that she felt, but wrote that she “can’t embrace false doctrine”.  She also wrote of “those sweet hours we spent in talking of love and loving each other” and of the covenant they made together “to love each other as long as life should last”.  She professed her devotion and love for him and even considered going west to meet him if he will “love as your equal, be loved as a companion worthy of your warmest affection.”  She wanted him to renounce Mormonism and return to her.

Andrew married Sarah Ann Roe in January of 1851.  She was with the same group of Saints that he journeyed with from Philadelphia.  Sarah had been a housekeeper for Andrew and his two boys.

A few months after Andrew, Sarah Ann (Roe), George and Hyrum arrived in Salt Lake, Sarah and Andrew’s twin daughter, Anna Margaret, died on November 11, 1851 in New Jersey.  Tragedy came again when her son Hyrum Smith Scott died at 7 years of age in Provo in 1852.  His father was away at the time when he contracted erysipelas and after being sick only 3 days, he died.  His second mother, Sarah Ann Roe Scott had to wash him and lay him out herself as there was water flowing between the town and where they lived at the time.  A Brother Whipple felt impressed to go over to see if everything was all right, since Andrew was away and arrived just after Hyrum had died.  It was he who helped Sarah Ann and carried Hyrum through the water on his shoulders to be buried on Temple Hill (where BYU now stands).  It’s said that they took him at night because of the fear of the Indians.

Later Sarah married Thomas Lee and moved to a farm near Morgantown, Indiana.  According to the book The Sleeper Family of New Jersey and New York, Thomas and Sarah had three children:  Henry Lee who married Lottie, Rebecca Lee who married John Anderson and Frank was married and had a daughter, Gertrude, who married a Lockwood.  Information for the descendants of Sarah and Thomas was contributed by Gertrude Lee Lockwood of Trenton, New Jersey.  Sarah returned to New Jersey with her husband a short time before his death.

Later in life, she married Anthony R. Scott, a brother of Andrew, who was also a Methodist.  She was living in Bucks County Pennsylvania when Anthony died in 1893.  He named her in his will.

Sarah died September 7, 1900 at the age of 84 leaving a large posterity.  She was sealed to Andrew in the Salt Lake Temple on 26 September 1907.

Sarah and Andrew’s son, George, married Cornelia Elmina Kennedy and they were parents of eleven children (two died as children).  Their daughter, Mary Emma, married George W. Ivins and they had nine children.  This family lived in New Jersey.  Sarah has many descendants here in the west and many in the east, and even though scattered across the land they had a fine heritage in common.

Note:  This history is a compilation of 2 histories written or compiled by Lorraine R. Holman and Rose B Hinton.