Utah, Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company Financial Accounts - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains ledgers, journals, a cash book, receipt books, bonds, promissory notes, and other financial records that kept track of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund's (PEF) use of money. The Perpetual Emigrating Fund was started by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1849 to assist Saints who wanted to come out west. Most of the people who utilized the PEF were British. They not only needed funds to travel across the ocean, but also to cross the plains. This was less a gift and more like a loan, as the users were expected to pay back what they used so others could also travel to the west. If you had an ancestor who traveled using money from the PEF, this may be a useful resource.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records may contain:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age and birth date of your ancestor
 * The loan amount

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate year of immigration

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Search the local church records for more information about the family
 * Search for birth, marriage, and death records on the state and county level
 * Use census records to locate the family through their journey West
 * Search the county where the family lived for land and probate records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Consult the Utah Record Finder to find other records
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Utah.
 * Utah Guided Research
 * Utah Record Finder
 * Utah Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1900-Present

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.