Hannah Corilla Free
Born 9 June 1829 in Belleville, St. Clair, Illinois.[1] Daughter of Absalom P. Free and Betsy Strait.[2] Migrated with family to Missouri; expelled with the Latter-day Saints and fled to Illinois, 1839.[3] Migrated to the Salt Lake Valley with her family in the Brigham Young pioneer company, arriving by 24 Aug. 1848.[4] Married Laurence Sterne Hotchkiss, 18 Nov. 1851, in Salt Lake City; divorced 11 June 1852.[5] Married Daniel H. Wells, 6 Aug. 1852, in Salt Lake City; eight children.[6] Sister wife of EBW.[7] Served a mission to England with her husband, who was a member of the First Presidency, 1864–1865.[8] Served as a Salt Lake temple worker, May 1893–Sept. 1898.[9] Died 6 Mar. 1913 in Salt Lake City.[10]
[1] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. A-A1, 20 Feb. 1851–24 Apr. 1854, p. 14, line 182, Laurence Sterne Hotchkiss and Hannah Corilla Free, 18 Nov. 1851, microfilm 183393, DGS 5270317 (restricted access), FHL. Hannah F. Wells, Papers, MS 2709 box 1 folder 3, CHL. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 20 June 2019), Hannah Corilla Free (LKVY-NQD).
[2] Hannah F. Wells, Papers, MS 2709 box 1 folder 3, CHL. “Hannah C. Wells,” Woman’s Exponent, Mar. 1913, 1.
[3] “Hannah C. Wells,” Woman’s Exponent, Mar. 1913, 1.
[4] Camp of Israel Schedules and Reports, 1845–1849, Brigham Young’s First 100, Dec. 1847–1848, MS 14290 box 2 folder 11, image 9/18, CHL. “Hannah Corilla Wells,” Pioneer Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/, accessed 3 Mar. 2020).
[5] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. A-A1, 20 Feb. 1851–24 Apr. 1854, p. 14, line 182, Laurence Sterne Hotchkiss and Hannah Corilla Free, 18 Nov. 1851, microfilm 183393, DGS 5270317 (restricted access), FHL. Brigham Young Office Files, CR 1234 1 box 67, folder 4, CHL.
[6] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. A-A1, 20 Feb. 1851–24 Apr. 1854, p. 53, line 678, Daniel Hanmer Wells and Hannah Corilla Free, 6 Aug. 1852, microfilm 183393, DGS 5270317 (restricted access), FHL. “Hannah C. Wells,” Woman’s Exponent, Mar. 1913, 1.
[7] Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2017), 504.
[8] “Hannah C. Wells,” Woman’s Exponent, Mar. 1913, 1. Missionary Department, Missionary Registers, 1860–1959, vol. A, 25 Apr. 1860–27 Apr. 1894, CR 301 22 box 1 folder 1, image 11/160, CHL.
[9] Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Temple Workers’ Roll, vol. A, p. 1; vol. B, p. 1, CR 306 60, CHL.
[10] “Utah State Archives Indexes,” database and images, Utah State Archives (https://archives.utah.gov, accessed 16 July 2019); Utah Department of Health Office of Vital Records and Statistics Death Certificates, series 81448, file no. 344/420 (1913), Hannah C. Wells. “Hannah C. Wells,” Woman’s Exponent, Mar. 1913, 1.