Hannah Peck (1797-1861) - Mormon Pioneer

Hannah Parsons and her Four Husbands

Mary Ann Kirk wrote:

HANNAH PARSONS is listed as the first child of 12 children born to Benjamin Parsons and Elizabeth Phillips. She was born 28 April 1797 in Northumberland, Saratoga, New York. Hannah's son Thorit later lists her name as Hannah Mattison on a pedigree chart, but it is unclear where the name Mattison comes from. Hannah's endowment record lists her birth date as 1798 and her patriarchal blessing lists her birthdate as 1797.

Hannah married Warren Peck about 1825 in Lock Cayuga New York. She was Warren's third wife. His first two wives were Abigail Owen and Roxy Standish. Some of the family history books list her last name as Pearson. Hannah and Warren were the parents of Thorit Peck born 30 May 1826. He was probably named after Hannah's brother Thorit. King Benjamin Peck born July 7, 1831 is also listed on the family ancestral file and other children may have been born to Warren and Hannah.

Hannah joined the LDS church sometime in the early 1830's with her brother Thorit and came to Jackson County Missouri in the fall of 1833 (probably mid Oct) with her son Thorit and probably other children. A few weeks later they were driven out by a ruthless mob with the other saints. They moved to Illinois with the Saints and other family members including her brother Thorit and his wife Mary Page. Hannah's husband Warren did not come with them. He died in New York in 1836.

Hannah married her sister-in-law's brother Ebenezer Page sometime in 1837-38 and she gave birth to a baby girl on 20 April 1839 named Elizabeth Jane Page. On August 5 of 1844, the Nauvoo baptism registry shows Hannah was baptized for her former husband Warren and his first two wives. Thorit who was now 18 years old, was baptized for his father's parents Abijah and Lucy Peck and his Uncle Joseph Peck.

Hannah and Ebenezer lived in Ramus, a small settlement outside of Nauvoo. Ebenezer and Hannah were among the large groups of Saints anxious to receive their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple prior to the mass exodus. They received their endowments on January 2, 1846. Ebenezer joined the Strangite apostate group and left to the north. Thorit and probably his mother and her children moved with the Saints to Council Bluffs during 1846.

Hannah came with the Saints to the Salt Lake Valley and was married to Nathaniel Riggs on 27 April 1848 although the marriage records show that she was married for time only. She received her patriarchal blessing in 1851. In 1851 she apparently is no longer living with Nathaniel Riggs because he is listed in the Provo Census Records and she is living in the Salt Lake 19th Ward.

On 3 April 1852, she was married to Bishop James Hendricks of the 19th Ward by Brigham Young. In 1856, she is living close to her son Thorit and his young family in Pleasant Grove with her daughter Elizabeth and several of James Hendricks children. About the same year that her son Thorit died,

Hannah's daughter, Elizabeth married Samuel Smith and they all moved to Salt Lake where Elizabeth, Samuel and their daughter were listed in the 1860 membership records of the Salt Lake 19th Ward. Hannah's death is listed in the Salt Lake death records in Volume A page 46 as 15 March 1861. Her name is accidently listed as Hannah Kendricks wife of James Hendricks.

In January 2011, Larry Peck wrote "Just recieved a Utah Founding Pioneer Certificate as my 3rd Great Grandmother, Hannah (Parsons) (Peck) (Page) (Riggs) Hendricks settled in Utah between July 1847 and Sep 1850. She must have had a hard life."

In 2009, Joy Peck wrote,
"The death record of Hannah Mattison Parsons Peck Page Riggs Hendricks is found at the Salt Lake City Cemetery in the 'Record of the Dead' on page 46. It reads:
Line 1290 Ward 19 Kendricks, Hannah wife of James Hendricks Plot E 10 16
"No birth nor death information is included.
"The preceding record's death date was March 14, 1861.
"The following record's death date was March 16, 1861.
"'Hannah Hendricks' is found in Ward 19 on the 1860 Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory, US Federal Census.There were no 'Kendricks' recorded in the 1860 Utah Census.
"I have seen the 'Record of the Dead' and Hannah's last name is written with a 'K.' Obviously, the spelling of Hannah's last name as "Kendricks" is a mistake. Even though the sexton could not change the ancient record, he did add "aka Hendricks" to the computer record of Hannah."

© 2014 Joy