Sophia Esther (Packer) Martin (1826 - 1868)

Born 1 Nov 1826 in Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom

Wife of Ezra Francis Martin — married 31 May 1855 (to 1868) in Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 21 Jun 1868 at age 41 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Biography

Sophia was born in 1826 in Reading, Berkshire, England. She was the daughter of Isaac Packer and Sophia Bren.

Like her younger sister Emma, she converted to Mormonism and set off across the seas and plains towards the promised land of Utah.

In 1850 in Reading she married Israel Martin. He may have been a relative of her second husband and it appears he passed away before 1855.

In 1855, in Reading she married Ezra Francis Martin, a boot and shoemaker. He was the son of Francis Martin and Hannah Beesley. They had 4 children:

• Emma Sophia Martin 1850–1924 (possibly Israel's daughter?)
• Isaac Francis Martin 1857–1857 died in infancy - born in New York state
• Albert Ezra Martin 1858–1880
• Esther Jane Martin 1861–1862 died in infancy crossing the Plains

Within 2 years of their marriage the couple were in New York, following the path of Sophia's sister Emma who had left Berkshire to make the long journey to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. They set off across the Great Plains in August 1862, reaching their destination in October, where they were met by Emma and her family.^[1]

She passed away in 1868. By then her husband had already taken a second wife, and would marry twice more before he passed away in 1912.

Find A Grave: Memorial #120499791

Sources

1. ↑ Ezra kept a journal of the journey.

• Familysearch: Sophia Esther Packer

• Needs sources added from Familysearch, and categorisation, and Migrating Ancestor sticker.