Anne Eliza (Webb) Denning (1844 - 1917)

Born 13 Sep 1844 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Wife of James Leech Dee — married 10 Apr 1863 in Cottonwood, Utah

Wife of Brigham Young — married 7 Apr 1868 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States

Wife of Moses R Denning — married 19 May 1888 in Medina County, Ohio, United States

Died 7 Dec 1917 at age 73 in Sparks, Washoe, Nevada, United States

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Biography

Eliza (Webb) Denning was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Anne Eliza Webb was born to Mormon pioneers Chauncey Webb and Eliza Churchill on Sept 13, 1844 in Nauvoo, IL.^[1][2]

The family traveled to Utah with the Brigham Young Company which departed Nauvoo on June 5, 1848 and arrived in Utah on September 24, 1848^[1][3][4].

Eliza married James Leech Dee on April 10, 1863 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, and had two sons with James. Edward Wesley Dee and Leonard Lorenzo Dee were both estranged from Eliza shortly after reaching young adulthood. James and Eliza were either separated with a spiritual break or divorced, however those documents have not yet been located.

She then married Brigham Young on April 7, 1869 with a ceremony that was conducted by Heber C. Kimball, who was also a Mormon leader at that time. Brigham Young was the President of the Latter Day Saint Church at the time of their marriage, and he was 67 while Eliza was 24.

Becoming dissatisfied also with her second marriage, she filed a suit for divorce against Brigham Young in January 1873, asking for alimony and court costs. She was excommunicated from the church on October 10,1874. Her divorce from Brigham Young was finalized in January 1875 and she was ordered to receive $500 in monthly support. However, this award was set aside due to a court finding that the marriage was invalid, as polygamous marriages were not recognized by the federal government, and at that time Utah had no laws regarding marriage at all.

Ann Eliza wrote a book titled "The Nineteenth Wife" which detailed her life as a bride of Brigham Young, and for many years, she spent most of her time lecturing through the country against Mormonism. She was an instant celebrity due to the unusual circumstances of her marriage and her resolve to end polygamy and the new Mormon religion.

Ann Eliza married for the third time on May 21,1883 to Moses R. Denning^[5], a wealthy businessman who lived in Manistee, Michigan but this marriage also did not last. An article about Moses states he left their marriage after nine years.^[6] A 2014 article in the Manistee News Advocate recounted the tale of the couple, and stated their divorce was final on August 14, 1893. Her death certificate states she was a widow at the time of her death.

She died in Sparks, Washoe County, Nevada , and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery located in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada ^[7].

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} LDS Pioneer Overland Travel 1847-1868 database: https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/ann-eliza-webb-1844?lang=eng&timelineTabs=allTabs
2. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Digital film/folder number: 004181033; FHL microfilm: 25540; Image number: 10; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01405-7
   FamilySearch Record: MCS6-T76 (accessed 19 February 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HY-DRB7-B2K
   Ann E Webb (6) in Davis, Utah, United States. Born in Illinois.

   Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
   Chancey G Webb	M	39		New York
   Eliza J Webb	F	34		New York
   Chancey G Webb	M	14		Ohio
   Edward M Webb	M	12		Missouri
   Ann E Webb	F	6		Illinois

3. ↑ "Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9B-HJ4G : 10 February 2018), Ann Eliza Webb, 24 Sep 1848; from "Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel: 1847-1868," database, > The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/ : 2004-).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2W-TYF : Wed Oct 04 10:14:30 UTC 2023), Entry for C G Webb and Eliza J Webb, 1860. 9th Ward Great Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States
5. ↑ Denning Marriage "Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDJJ-1HC : 25 March 2020), Ann E. Dee in entry for Moses R. Deming, 1883.
6. ↑ Denning article at Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #136466492 (accessed 19 February 2024)
   Memorial page for Moses R Denning (1828-25 Jul 1910), citing Riverview Cemetery, Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA; Maintained by Conservative Patriot (contributor 47556898).
7. ↑ Death: "Nevada, U.S., Death Certificates, 1911-1965"
   Nevada Department of Health; Carson City, Nevada; Nevada Death Records
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 60974 #23361 (accessed 4 October 2022)
   Annie E Denning death 7 Dec 1917 (born 13 Oct 1847), daughter of C. G. Webb & Eliza J. Webb, in Sparks, Washoe, Nevada, USA

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #74547270
• FamilySearch Person: KWVC-B56
• Our Pioneer Heritage Vol 1, Brigham Young His Wives and Family
• Wikidata: Item Q3617629
• Ann Eliza Young