How many sisters did Brigham Young have?

Answer 1

There seems to be a great deal of debate on the exact number.

• Some say that he had over 40 wives while he was alive, although that number wasn't all alive at once, and that number definitely isn't the number of wives that he slept with, because he married several women just because they needed someone to support them. There was one story I read in the histories of a woman that asked him to marry her sister, so that her sister would have a roof over her head, and that seems to have happened a few times, once there was precedent. :) So, the exact number depends on your definition of wife... whether you mean how many he ever had alive at one time, or how many he slept with, or how many he supported.
• Others say that he had 27 wives (see link below).
• He had children with 20 different wives.

Brigham Young had a total of 55 wives in his lifetime, although not all at the same time. He had children with 16 of his wives, and the majority of the others he never lived with and were never publically considered his 'wives' - they were mostly widows and divorcees that he had promised to take care of. At his death, he had been divorced 10 times and widowed 19 times. Although 23 wives were still living, his will mentioned only the 16 whom he had lived with. These 16 split his estate.

Brigham's first wife was Miriam Angeline Works. She died before Brigham was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the "Mormon" church).

He re-married Mary Ann Angell and joined the Church.

His first polygamous marriage was 8 years later, to Lucy Ann Decker, who had been abandoned by her husband.

Brigham then married Augusta Adams, who's husband had left her as well.

The next wives were Harriet Elizabeth Cook and Clarissa Caroline Decker.

His next wife, Emily Dow Partridge, was a widow.

Clarissa Ross was next, a 30 year old spinster.

Louisa Beaman and Eliza R. Snow were his next wives, also both widows.

He next married Elizabeth Fairchild, who divorced him after 11 years of marriage.

Clarissa Blake, Rebecca Holman, Diana Chase, and Suzanne Snively married him in October 1844. Diana divorced him only a few years later.

The next three marriages were to widows: Olive Grey Frost, Mary Ann Clark, and Margaret Pierce.

Mary Pierce and Emmeline Free came next, after which Brigham was sealed to Mary Elizabeth Rollins. Mary Rollins was married and living with a non-Mormon, and so was sealed to Brigham for "eternity only" meaning that she would not be considered his wife until the afterlife.

In January 1846, Brigham married Margaret Alley, Olive Andrews, Emily Haws, Martha Bowker, Ellen Rockwood, Jemima Angel, Abigail Marks, Phebe Morton, Cynthia Porter, Mary Eliza Nelson, and Rhoda Richards. All but Margaret, Martha, and Ellen were widows.

Zina Diantha Huntington, a widow, came next. She was followed by Mary Ellen de la Montague (a divorcee, who was divorced from Young and re-married to her previous husband only a few months later), Julia Foster (a divorcee), Abigail Harback (a widow), Amy Cecilia Cooper (a 41 year old spinster), and Mary Ann Turley (who divorced Brigham 5 years later).

Naamah Carter, a divorcee, was next, followed by Nancy Cressy and Jane Terry, both widows.

Lucy Bigelow, Mary Jane Bigelow, Sarah Malin (a 43 year old spinster), and Eliza Burgess were next. Mary and Sarah divorced him after 4 years.

He then married widows Mary Oldfield, Catherine Reese, Mary VanCott, and Elizabeth Jones; and divorcees Harriet Barney and Ann Eliza Webb. Ann divorced Brigham 7 years later. He married Eliza Babcock and Amelia Folsom as well. Eliza divorced him a short time later.

Brigham's final two wives, Lydia Farnsworth and Hannah Tapfield, were in a similar situation as Mary Rollins. They were married and living with non-Mormon husbands, so were sealed to Brigham for 'Eternity Only'.

Answer 2

Brigham Young had somewhere between 57 and 61 children by 16 wives, 46 of his children lived until adulthood.

The children of Brigham Young are:

Elizabeth Young Ellsworth

Vilate Young Decker

Joseph Angell Young

Brigham Young, Jr.

Mary Ann Young (died at age 6)

Alice Emma Young Clawson

Eunice Caroline Young Thatcher

John Willard Young

Brigham Heber Young

Sally Young (adopted)

Fanny Caroline Decker Young Thatcher

Ernest Irving Young

Shermira Young Rossiter

Arta deChrista Young

Feramorz Little Young

Clarissa Hamilton Young Spencer

Oscar Brigham Young

Jeanette Richards Young Easton

Nabbie Howe Young Clawson

Jedediah Grant Young (died in infancy)

Albert Jeddie Young (died at age 6)

Charlotte Talula Young Wood

Edward Partridge Young (died at age 7)

Emily Augusta Young Clawson

Caroline Partidge Young Croxall

Joseph Don Carlos Young

Miriam Young Hardy

Josephine Young Young (married Albert Carrington Young)

Lura Young (died in infancy)

Mary Eliza Young Croxall

Clarissa Maria Young Dougall

Willard Young

Phebe Lousia Young Beatie

Joseph Young (twin, died in infancy)

Hyrum Young (twin, died in infancy)

Moroni Young (died in infancy)

Alvah Young (twin, died in infancy)

Alma Young (twin, died in infancy)

Julia Young Burton

Brigham Morris Young

Ella Elizabeth Young Empey

Marinda Hyde Young Conrad

Hyrum Smith Young

Emmeline Amanda Young Crosby Mackintosh

Louise Wells Young Ferguson

Lorenzo Dow Young

Alonzo Young

Ruth Young Johnson Healy

Daniel Wells Young (died in infancy)

Ardelle Elwin Young Harrison

Evelyn Lousia Young Davis

Mahonri Moriancumer Young

Ida Ames Young Higham (adopted)

Zina Prescinda Young Williams Card

Eudora Lovina Young Dunford Hagan

Susan Amelia Young Dunford Gates

Rhoda Mabel Young McAllister Witt Sanborn

Alfales Young

Phineas Howe Young

Fannie Young Clayton

To learn more about the wives and children of Brigham Young, and to see a few photos of them, visit the "Related Links" below.

Answer 3

Brigham Young had six sisters and four brothers.

His sisters were:

Nancy Young Kent

Fanny Young Murray

Rhoda Young Green

Nabby Young (who died young)

Susannah Young Little

Louisa Young Sanford

Answer 4

Brigham Young had six sisters and four brothers.

His sisters were:

Nancy Young Kent

Fanny Young Murray

Rhoda Young Green

Nabby Young (who died young)

Susannah Young Little

Louisa Young Sanford

His brothers were:

Lorenzo Dow Young

Phineas Howe Hong

Joseph Young

John Young

Answer 5

Brigham Young had at least one officially adopted child and helped to raise at least 11 children from his wives previous marriages.

Ida Ames was adopted by Brigham Young and raised by his wife Martha Bowker.

Lucy Ann Decker had 3 children with her first husband, William Seeley. He abandoned her and she married Brigham Young. Brigham raised those three children and the couple had another 7 children of their own.

Zina Diantha Huntington had two children with her first husband, Henry Jacobs. Brigham raised these two children along with the one child they had together.

Harriet Emmeline Barney had four children with her first husband, William Sagers. Brigham raised these four children along with the one child they had together.

Ann Eliza Webb had two children with her first husband, James Dee. Brigham helped raise them until she divorced him in 1875.

Answer 6

Brigham Young was married to a total of 55 women in his lifetime, although not all at once. Most of these 'marriages' simply meant that Brigham looked after the women financially, not that he lived with them. Many were widows that could not provide for themselves. Ten of his wives divorced him and one died before he became a Mormon. He lived with and had marriage relationships with 16 of the 55 women.

Answer 7

Brigham Young had 53 children, one of these was adopted and 11 others were raised by him but born to his wives in previous marriages, so he had 41 biological children.

Answer 8

204

Brigham Young had:

26 wives

56 children

204 grandchildren

745 great-grandchildren

Answer 9

745 great-grandchildren

• 26 wives
• 56 children
• 204 grandchildren
• 745 great-grandchildren

Answer 10

35