Tag: Fanny Alger

  • Transaction

    Transaction

    William McLellin, Letter to Joseph Smith III, July 1872, Community of Christ Archives: 1

    “Now Joseph I will relate to you some history, and refer you to your own dear Mother for the truth. You will probably remember that I visited your Mother and family in 1847, and held a lengthy conversation with her, retired in the Mansion House in Nauvoo. I did not ask her to tell, but I told her some stories I had heard. And she told me whether I was properly informed. Dr. F. G. Williams practiced with me in Clay Co. Mo. during the latter part of 1838. And he told me that at your birth your father committed an act with a Miss Hill [sic]—a hired girl. Emma saw him, and spoke to him. He desisted, but Mrs. Smith refused to be satisfied. He called in Dr. Williams, O. Cowdery, and S. Rigdon to reconcile Emma. But she told them just as the circumstances took place. He found he was caught. He confessed humbly, and begged forgiveness. Emma and all forgave him. She told me this story was true!! Again I told her I heard that one night she missed Joseph and Fanny Alger. She went to the barn and saw him and Fanny in the barn together alone. She looked through a crack and saw the transaction!!! She told me this story too was verily true.”

     

    Additional Study

    Fanny Alger (Wikipedia) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Alger

    References

    References
    1 William E. McLellin in a July, 1872 letter to the Smith’s eldest son, Joseph III, Community of Christ Archives – http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/william-mclellin-letter-to-joseph-smith-iii-july-1872/
  • Teen Brides of Early Mormon Prophets

    Teen Brides of Early Mormon Prophets

    Joseph Smith Jr.

    From the LDS Gospel Topic Essay, Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo found on LDS.org.

    ‘The youngest [of Joseph’s brides] was Helen Mar Kimball, daughter of Joseph’s close friends Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, who was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday.’

    Teen Brides of Joseph Smith Jr. – List of Joseph Smiths Wives – Wikipedia

    Fanny Alger—16  (JSJ—27 )
    Sarah Ann Whitney—17  (JSJ—36 )
    Flora Ann Woodworth—16  (JSJ—37 )
    Emily Dow Partridge—19  (JSJ—37 )
    Lucy Walker—17  (JSJ—37 )
    Sarah Lawrence—17  (JSJ—37 )
    Maria Lawrence—19  (JSJ—37 )
    Helen Mar Kimball—14  (JSJ—37 )
    Melissa Lott—19  (JSJ—37 )
    Nancy Mariah Winchester—14  (JSJ—37 )

    Brigham Young

    Teen Brides of Brigham Young – List of Brigham Young’s Wives – Wikipedia

    Miriam Angeline Works—18  (BY—23 )
    Harriet Elizabeth Cook —19  (BY—42 )
    Clarissa Caroline Decker —15  (BY—42 )
    Elizabeth Fairchild —16  (BY—43 )
    Diana Chase —17  (BY—43 )
    Emmeline Free —18  (BY—43 )
    Ellen Rockwood —16  (BY—44 )
    Mary Ann Turley —18  (BY—44 )
    Lucy Bigelow —16  (BY—45 )
    Mary Jane Bigelow —19  (BY—45 )

    Lorenzo Snow

    Teen Brides of Lorenzo Snow – Lorenzo Snow – Wikipedia

    Charlotte Squires—18  (LS—30 )
    Sarah Ann Prichard—18  (LS—31 )
    Eleanor Houtz—17  (LS—34 )
    Mary Elizabeth Houtz—17  (LS—43 )
    Phoebe Amelia Woodruff—16  (LS—44 )
    Sara Minnie Ephramina Jensen—16  (LS—57 )

    Wilford Woodruff

    Teen Brides of Wilford Woodruff – Wilford Woodruff – Wikipedia

    Sarah Elinor Brown—18  (WW—39 )
    Mary Caroline Barton—17  (WW—39 )
    Emma Smoot Smith—15  (WW—46 )
    Sarah Brown—19  (WW—46 )
    Sarah Delight Stocking—19  (WW—50 )

    —
    Nuptiality Measures for the White Population of the United States, 1850–1880 – Nuptiality Measures for the White Population of the United States, 1850–1880

    1850….Male 26.8—Female 23.1
    1860….Male 26.9—Female 22.8
    1870….Male 26.8—Female 23.2
    1880….Male 27.1—Female 23.4

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.
    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.
    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn
    Polygamy – Mormon Think

  • Jeffs and Joseph

    Jeffs and Joseph

    Image: Polygamist FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs.

    From the LDS church’s Gospel Topic Essay ‘Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo’ [footnote]Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo – LDS.org [/footnote]

    ‘Careful estimates put the number {of wives} between 30 and 40.’

    ‘The youngest was Helen Mar Kimball, daughter of Joseph’s close friends Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, who was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday.’

    ‘Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married.’

    ‘Several Latter-day Saints who had lived in Kirtland reported decades later that Joseph Smith had married Alger, who lived and worked in the Smith household…’ (Fanny Alger was ~16 at the time)

    Joseph Smith’s plural marriages:

    Wife Date Age Husband
    Emma Hale Jan 1827 22 –
    Fanny Alger 1833 16 –
    Lucinda Morgan Harris 1838 37 George W. Harris
    Louisa Beaman Apr 1841 26 –
    Zina Huntington Jacobs Oct 1841 20 Henry Jacobs
    Presendia Huntington Buell Dec 1841 31 Norman Buell
    Agnes Coolbrith Jan 1842 33 –
    Sylvia Sessions Lyon Feb 1842 23 Windsor Lyon
    Mary Rollins Lightner Feb 1842 23 Adam Lightner
    Patty Bartlett Sessions Mar 1842 47 David Sessions
    Marinda Johnson Hyde Apr 1842 27 Orson Hyde
    Elizabeth Davis Durfee Jun 1842 50 Jabez Durfee
    Sarah Kingsley Cleveland Jun 1842 53 John Cleveland
    Delcena Johnson Jul 1842 37 –
    Eliza R. Snow Jun 1842 38 –
    Sarah Ann Whitney Jul 1842 17 –
    Martha McBride Knight Aug 1842 37 –
    Ruth Vose Sayers Feb 1843 33 Edward Sayers
    Flora Ann Woodworth Spring 1843 16 –
    Emily Dow Partridge Mar 1843 19 –
    Eliza Maria Partridge Mar 1843 22 –
    Almera Johnson Apr 1843 30 –
    Lucy Walker May 1843 17 –
    Sarah Lawrence May 1843 17 –
    Maria Lawrence May 1843 19 –
    Helen Mar Kimball May 1843 14 –
    Hanna Ells Mid 1843 29 –
    Elvira Cowles Holmes Jun 1843 29 Jonathan Holmes
    Rhoda Richards Jun 1843 58 –
    Desdemona Fullmer Jul 1843 32 –
    Olive Frost Mid 1843 27 –
    Melissa Lott Sep 1843 19 –
    Nancy Winchester 1843 14 –
    Fanny Young Nov 1843 56 –

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.

    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.

    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn

    The Wives of Joseph Smith

  • Filthy Affair

    Filthy Affair

    Frances Ward (“Fanny”) Alger Custer (September 30, 1816 – November 29, 1889) is generally considered as Joseph Smiths first plural wife. Although undocumented, the marriage of Fanny and Joseph most likely took place in Kirtland, Ohio sometime in 1833 (before sealing authority had been restored). She would have been sixteen years old at the time.

    Joseph kept his marriage to Fanny out of the view of the public, and his wife Emma. Chauncey Webb recounted Emma’s later discovery of the relationship: “Emma was furious, and drove the girl, who was unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet, out of her house”. Ann Eliza again recalled: “…it was felt that [Emma] certainly must have had some very good reason for her action. By degrees it became whispered about that Joseph’s love for his adopted daughter was by no means a paternal affection, and his wife, discovering the fact, at once took measures to place the girl beyond his reach…Since Emma refused decidedly to allow her to remain in her house…my mother offered to take her until she could be sent to her relatives…” [footnote] Fanny Alger – Wives of Joseph Smith  [/footnote]

    In January 1838, some months after the Algers had left Kirtland, Oliver Cowdery wrote his brother concerning his indignation at Smith’s relationship with Alger. Cowdery said he had discussed with Smith the “dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger’s … in which I strictly declared that I had never deserted from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself.” [footnote] Oliver Cowdery, Letter to Warren A. Cowdery (Oliver’s brother), January 21, 1838  [/footnote]

     

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.

    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.

    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn

    Fanny Alger – The Wives of Joseph Smith