Louisa M. (Young) Sanford (1804 - 1833)

Born 26 Sep 1804 in Smyrna, Chenango, New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Joel Lowell Sanford — married 4 Mar 1824 in Sherburne, Chenango Co., NY

Descendants

Died 31 Jul 1833 at age 28 in Jackson, Missouri, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Linda Green [send private message]

Louisa became a member of the LDS Church between 1830 - 1848.

Biography

Born 26 SEP 1804 in Smyrna, Chenango County, New York, USA. ^[1][2] (Information from Mary Loretta (Shaffer) Vaughn states place of birth was Sherburne, Chenango Co., NY).

Marriage Husband Joel Lowell Sanford. Wife Louisa Young. Child: Mary Sanford. Child: Alice Sanford. Child: Chancellor Sanford Child: Jane Watson Sanford Child: Joseph N. Sanford. Marriage: 4 MAR 1824 in Sherburne, Chenango County, New York, USA. ^[3]Newspaper notice, October 1824, gives marriage date as 6 October 1824; by Gilbert Weed, Esq., of Aurelius.

Died 31 July 1833 in Independence, Jackson County, Missiouri, USA. ^[4] John Young GEDCOM file on Ancestral File states Louisa died 1 Aug 1833 in Independence, Jackson Co., MO. Also it incorrectly states that her spouse is Joel Hubbard Sanford. On July 25, 2000, I spoke with Bill Curtis of Independence, MO who says that he doubts Louisa died of cholera epidemic. Mr. Ronald Romig of RLDS Archives, Independence, Missouri, states Louisa is not buried on the temple site, but since she & Joel lived in Independence she is probably buried near there. He also stated that some graves of the Mormon settlers were unmarked because of fear of vandalism.

"In the spring of 1831 there was a two-day meeting of the Saints in the state of Pennsylvania, about sixty miles from where Lorenzo Young lived. He attended it and became fully convinced of the divine origin of the Latter-day work. The following summer (1832) he settled up his business and started for the Latter-day Zion in the state of Missouri... In due time Lorenzo arrived at Olean Point, on the Allegheny River, one of the streams that form the headwaters of the Ohio. Several families had gathered there with the view of descending the river in rude, low boats of their own construction. The party consisted of Phineas H. and Lorenzo D. Young, Daniel and Potter Bowen, Lyman Leonard, a brother from Canada, whose name is forgotten, and Joel Sanford, brother-in-law of the Young's by marriage with their youngest sister, Louisa, who afterwards died in Caldwell County, Missouri, soon after the Saints were driven out of Clay County."^[5]

According to Bob Jackson, creator of Louisa's Find-a-Grave memorial, Louisa was killed in July 1833, about four months after giving birth to Joseph N. Sanford. As of yet, the event with which her death was associated had not been identified. Whether it was an event involving only a few anti-Mormons assaulting a single home, or an organized mob involving other households is unknown. She came to the door after hearing a commotion outside and was standing in the doorway when she was shot. After being shot, she fell upon William (this is probably Chancellor, possibly middle name William) who was hiding behind her skirts. This story was told by William and was handed down many times as to how she died. Joseph was born in April 9, 1833 in Jackson County, Missouri so Joel and Louisa lived there then, and it is likely they were living there in July when she was killed. Only more research will show for sure. Louisa was buried in Jackson County, Missouri, where she was killed. It is said that her grave was marked only with a deer antler in order to keep the anti-Mormons from desecrating her grave.^[6]

Religion: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Baptized into the Mormon Church in April of 1832 by her brother, Brigham Young in New York. Remained with the church until her death in Missouri. ^[7]

Additional Biographical Information From Find-a-Grave memorial

Louisa Young was Brigham Young's sister. She was born married Joel L. Sanford on Oct.6, 1824 in Cayuga County, NY. Joel was a carpenter as was Brigham and it's said they worked in the same cabinet shop. Joel met Louisa through his association with Brigham. This marriage has long been oral history in the family, received from many sources. The marriage took place at the tavern of James Pine between Auburn and Bucksville, Cayuga, NY. They had five children: 1. Mary Sanford, born July 22, 1825 in NY 2. Alice Sanford, born October 06, 1826 3. Chancellor Sanford, born October 11, 1827 in Cayuga Co, New York, and died April 20, 1900 in McDonough Co, Illinois 4. Jane Watson Sanford, born March 12, 1830 in Hector, Schuyler Co, NY 5. Joseph N. Sanford, born April 09, 1833 in Jackson Co, Missouri

Joel and Louisa traveled with the Mormons from New York, to Missouri. Although they may have stopped in Ohio, there is no record of that. The following is taken from "Biography of Lorenzo Dow Young" and tells about a portion of their journey from New York: "…The impulse of the Young's to migrate to Missouri stemmed from their response to Joseph Smith's revelation (Doctrine and Covenants, section 57) that "this is the land of promise and the place for the city of Zion." Joseph Smith visited Missouri in the summer of 1831 and made plans for the establishment of the New Jerusalem in Jackson County, which envisaged the ultimate transfer of the headquarters of the Church from Kirtland, Ohio, to the Trans-Mississippi West. The infiltration of Mormons into the settled area of Missouri aroused the Gentile frontiersmen to violent protest, with the result that the Saints were driven, in 1833, into Clay County…

…In due time Lorenzo arrived at Olean Point, on the Allegheny River, one of the streams that form the headwaters of the Ohio. Several families had gathered there with the view of descending the river in rude, low boats of their own construction. The party consisted of Phineas H. and Lorenzo D. Young, Daniel and Potter Bowen, Lyman Leonard, a brother from Canada, whose name is forgotten, and Joel Sanford, brother-in-law of the Young's by marriage with their youngest sister, Louisa, who afterwards died in Caldwell County, Missouri, soon after the Saints were driven out of Clay County.

The company built three boats and started down the river in the month of November. The water was low and falling. It was the lot of Lorenzo Young with others, nearly every morning, to get into the water and work the boats off of the sandbars on which they were anchored at night. The water was always cold and at times the ice was half an inch thick. This very much aggravated the whooping cough with which Lorenzo Young was afflicted.

After journeying this way for three weeks they arrived at Pittsburgh, at the head of the Ohio River. Three days before arriving there Mrs. Persis Young was taken sick, and did not feel as though she could travel farther. The two brothers, Phineas and Lorenzo, concluded to remain awhile in Pittsburgh, as they were nearly destitute of money…

…One boat was retained, and the remainder of the company continued their journey. The way this company traveled would be thought a novel and hard way for Saints to gather in these days of railroads…"(25)

Louisa was killed in July 1833, about four months after giving birth to Joseph N. Sanford. As of yet, the event with which her death was associated had not been identified. Whether it was an event involving only a few anti-Mormons assaulting a single home, or an organized mob involving other households is unknown.

She came to the door after hearing a commotion outside and was standing in the doorway when she was shot. After being shot, she fell upon William who was hiding behind her skirts. This story was told by William and was handed down many times as to how she died. Joseph was born in April 9, 1833 in Jackson County, Missouri so Joel and Louisa lived there then, and it is likely they were living there in July when she was killed. Only more research will show for sure.

Louisa was buried in Jackson County, Missouri, where she was killed. It is said that her grave was marked only with a deer antler in order to keep the anti-Mormons from desecrating her grave.

The only boy old enough to have been behind his mother's skirts is Chancellor. It was common for Joel's children to be known by their middle names. So Chancellor's middle name was likely to have been William. The story has come from more than one source and cannot be ignored. Chancellor (William) would have been three years old at that time.

Joel L. Sanford has been confused with Joel H. (Hubbard) Sanford, who died in the 1840s. This is most prevalent in LDS Family Search web site. Marriage certificates, burial records/pictures and family history prove that Louisa married Joel L. Sanford. Family links: Parents: John Young (1763 - 1839); Abigail Howe Young (1765 - 1815) Spouse: Joel Lowell Sanford (1800 - 1888) Children: Chancellor Sanford (1827 - 1900)*; Jane Watson Sanford; Young (1830 - 1863)*; Joseph Sanford (1833 - 1907)* Siblings: Nancy Young Kent (1786 - 1860)*; Fanny Young Murray (1787 - 1859)*; Rhoda Young Greene (1789 - 1841)*; John M. Young (1791 - 1870)*; Susannah Young (1795 - 1852)*; Joseph Young (1797 - 1881)*; Phineas Howe Young (1799 - 1879)*; Brigham Young (1801 - 1877)*; Louisa M. Young Sanford (1804 - 1833); Lorenzo Dow Young (1807 - 1895)*; Edward Young (1823 - 1894)** (*Calculated relationship, **Half-sibling)

Burial: Non-Cemetery Burial (Created by: Bob Jackson, Record added: Dec 14, 2011)

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S571
2. ↑ Source: #S224
3. ↑ Source: #S90
4. ↑ Source: #S30 Certainty: 2
5. ↑ Source: #S101
6. ↑ Source: #S99
7. ↑ Source: #S21

• Source: S224 Original information from genealogy research of and family group sheets prepared by Gladys Sanford Weaver.
• Source: S30 LDS Family History Library Records
• Source: S571 My History of the Sanford Family by Bessie Sanford Tice, 1975
• Source: S90 Information on IGI submitted by LDS Church member indicates marriage to Louisa Sanford in 1825, Hopkinton, Middlesex, MA. LDS International Genealogical Index (IGI), Batch: 8408202, Sheet 14, Source 1395749 (Film).
• Source: S99 Find A Grave Memorial# 81970479
• Source: S101 Biography of Lorenzo Dow Young, by James Amasa Little, Utah Historical Quarterly, 14:1–4 (1946), 26–132
• Source: S121 Black, Susan Easton, compiler. Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848. 50 vols. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1989. Private Donor (This source incorrectly lists Joel Hubbard Sanford as Louisa's husband; all other information cited is correct).
• Find A Grave Memorial# 81970479 (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=81970479)