Leonora Cannon Taylor
Leonora Cannon Taylor (October 6, 1796–December 9, 1868) was a member of the Relief Society organization at the time of its origin and the first wife of John Taylor, the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Personal Life
On October 6, 1796 in Peel, Isle of Man, Leonora Cannon was born to George Cannon and Leonora Callister. As the oldest daughter in the family, when Leonora's father died when she was thirteen she went away to London to work and help support her family.[1]
While in London, she explored religion and joined the Methodists. Given the opportunity, she eventually moved to Canada where she met John Taylor, a Methodist preacher at the time. They married in Toronto, Canada in 1833. After having two children, they were introduced to the Latter Day Saint movement by Parley P. Pratt. The Taylors were baptized into the Church of Christ, the original name of the church founded by Joseph Smith, in 1836 and moved to America to join the other members of the church.[1]
The couple traveled with and served in the church all their lives. They had eight children together, many of whom did not survive into adulthood.[2] Leonora preceded her husband in death, dying of pneumonia in 1868 in Salt Lake City.[3]
LDS Church involvement
Taylor was an original member of the Relief Society when it was formed in March 1842. She and her family traveled around the country with the members of the LDS Church throughout her life, living in Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa Territory, and Illinois and eventually settling in Salt Lake City, Utah.[4] Leonora Taylor was said to be the first pioneer to plant fruit trees after arriving in the Utah territory, and had a large fruit tree orchard.[5] Throughout this time she cared for her family, especially her husband, John, who served in the church in many capacities. She was left alone with the children during her husband's missionary service in Great Britain and nursed him back to health when he was shot in the incident at Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed.[1]
On December 5th, 1847, her husband re-baptized, common during the Mormon Reformation.[6]
External Links
Leonora Cannon Taylor diaries, 1832 and 1846-1847
Leonora Cannon Taylor at Find a Grave
References
- ^ a b c Woodger, Mary Jane (2011). ""The Lord Often Led Me"". In Turley, Richard E., Jr.; Nash, Brittany Chapman (eds.). Women of Faith in the Latter-Days. Vol. 1. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company. pp. 407–419.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ^ "FamilySearch". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
- ^ Madsen, Carol Cornwall (1994). "Letters: Leonora Cannon Taylor". In Their Own Words: Women and the Story of Nauvoo. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company. pp. 101–107. ISBN 0-87579-770-9.
- ^ "Leonora Cannon Taylor". www.churchhistorianspress.org. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
- ^ Derr, Jill Mulvay (1999). ""I Have Eaten Nearly Everything Imaginable": Pioneer Diet". In Walker, Ronald W.; Dant, Doris R. (eds.). Nearly Everything Imaginable: The Everyday Life of Utah's Mormon Pioneers. Studies in Latter-day Saint History. ISBN 0842523979.
- ^ Press, The Church Historian’s. "Leonora Taylor - Pioneer Overland Travel". history.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2020-11-30.