William Pitt (Mormon)

William Pitt
William Pitt
Born	August 16, 1813; Salt Lake City, Utah
Occupation(s)	Band leader, painter

William Pitt (August 16, 1813 – February 21, 1873)

Mormon pioneer

trek.

Pitt was born in Dymock, England. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1840. By 1842, Pitt had moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. There he organized a band that originally served as a band for the Nauvoo Legion but soon expanded to performing at a full array of community events.

During the

Mormons

' trek across Iowa in 1846, Pitt's band not only helped to keep people happy with its music but also raised money by holding ticketed events in communities through which they passed.

Pitt was falsely assumed to be in the original group to go to the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young in 1847. However he came in the Edward Hunter Company (1850). In 1852, Pitt served as a missionary in England for the LDS Church. Although his band existed in Utah Territory, it was not as prominent as it had been in Illinois.

Sometime during the 1970s, decedents of William Pitt started using the middle name "Hill" to distinguish him from the many William Pitts in the family line. There is not a single document from his lifetime supporting such a name.

References

^ "William Hill Pitt". Geni.com. 16 August 1813. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

Encyclopedia of LDS History, p. 926 ^{[full citation needed]}

References

Further reading