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Marilla Marks Young

Marilla Marks Ricker

18 March 1839—12 November 1920

Born 18 Mar. 1839 in New Durham, Strafford Co., New Hampshire.1 Daughter of Jonathan B. Young and Hannah D. Stevens.2 Related to Brigham Young.3 Entered Colby Academy and taught at district schools, ca. 1849–1862.4 Attended the New London Literary and Scientific Institution, 1860–1861, in New London, Merrimack Co., New Hampshire.5 Married John Ricker, 1863.6 Joined the women’s suffrage movement; as a widow, challenged the right to vote by virtue of being a property owner and taxpayer, 1870–1920.7 Toured Europe, mastering the German language, 1872–1874.8 Studied law in Washington, DC, 1876–1882.9 Appointed to the program committee at the Washington, DC, suffrage convention, attended by EBW, 1879.10 Admitted to the bar of the Washington, DC, Supreme Court, May 1882; practiced law in Washington, 1882–1887.11 First female appointed as examiner in chancery and U.S. commissioner, 1884.12 Won the right to be appointed a female notary public, 1884–1914.13 Admitted to practice law in Utah Territory, 1887.14 Visited Utah and met with EBW, Nov. 1887.15 First female lawyer admitted to the New Hampshire bar, July 1890.16 Petitioned to be appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the United States of Colombia, 1897.17 Socialized with EBW at parties related to a Republican women’s gathering in Washington, DC, Mar. 1901.18 First female to run for governor of New Hampshire, though unable to vote, 1910.19 Author of “free thought” books published 1911–1917.20 Lifelong member of the Woman Suffrage Association.21 Died 12 Nov. 1920 in Dover, Strafford Co.22

Footnotes

  1. 1 “U.S. Passport Applications, 1795–1925,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com, accessed 13 Aug. 2018), Marilla M. Ricker. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 18 July 2020), Marilla Marks Young (G9RK-LJ4).

  2. 2 “New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754–1947,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com, accessed 13 Aug. 2018), Marilla M. Ricker. 1850 U.S. Census, New Durham, Strafford Co., NH, Marilla M. Young. John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 610, 613.

  3. 3 “This Woman of Seventy to Run for Governor of New Hampshire,” Altoona (PA) Mirror, 6 Apr. 1910, 13. “A Lady Lawyer,” Ogden Morning Herald (Ogden, Utah Territory), 6 Nov. 1887, 1.

  4. 4 “First Woman Voter,” York (PA) Gazette, 6 Dec. 1897, 5. John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 613.

  5. 5 Seventh Annual Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the New London Literary & Scientific Institution, New London, N. H. for the Academical Year 1860 (Concord: R. P. Cogswell, 1860), 13.

  6. 6 “This Woman of Seventy to Run for Governor of New Hampshire,” Altoona (PA) Mirror, 6 Apr. 1910, 13. John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 613. Strafford County, N.H., Directory, 1917 (Boston: Bass, 1917), 231.

  7. 7 “New Durham New Hampshire’s Educator, Lawyer, Suffragist, Humanitarian and Author: Marilla Marks (Young) Ricker (1840–1920),” Cow Hampshire (http://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2014/12/01/new-durham-new-hampshires-lawyer-suffragist-and-author-marilla-marks-young-ricker-1840-1920, accessed 19 Aug. 2018). John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 615.

  8. 8 “A Woman as an Ambassador,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 Mar. 1897, 31.

  9. 9 “Marilla Marks Ricker: A Biographical Sketch,” Dover Public Library (https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/library/history/marilla-marks-ricker.html, accessed 27 Aug. 2018).

  10. 10 “Washington Convention,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Mar. 1879, 202.

  11. 11 “Its First Woman Lawyer,” Boston Weekly Globe, 2 Aug. 1890, 5. “Miss Marilla Ricker,” Eaton (OH) Democrat, 13 Mar. 1884, 4. “New England News,” Londonderry (VT) Sifter, 24 Nov. 1887, 4. “A Lady Lawyer,” Ogden Morning Herald (Ogden, Utah Territory), 6 Nov. 1887, 1.

  12. 12 “Miss Marilla Ricker,” Eaton (OH) Democrat, 13 Mar. 1884, 4.

  13. 13 John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 614. “Mrs. M. M. Ricker, Pioneer in Fight for Suffrage, Dies,” New York Tribune, 13 Nov. 1920, 11.

  14. 14 “New England News,” Londonderry (VT) Sifter, 24 Nov. 1887, 4. “A Lady Lawyer,” Ogden Morning Herald (Ogden, Utah Territory), 6 Nov. 1887, 1.

  15. 15 EBW, Diary, 3 and 8 Nov. 1887. “Editorial Notes,” Woman’s Exponent, 15 Nov. 1887, 92.

  16. 16 “Daughters of Eve,” Evening Repository (Canton, OH), 4 Sept. 1890, 5. John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 447.

  17. 17 “First Woman Voter,” York (PA) Gazette, 6 Dec. 1897, 5. “A Woman as an Ambassador,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 Mar. 1897, 31. John Scales, History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1915), 614.

  18. 18 “Editorial Notes,” Woman’s Exponent, 15 Mar. and 1 Apr. 1901, 90, 91.

  19. 19 “Woman Candidate for State Governor,” Evening Telegram (Salt Lake City), 30 Sept. 1910, 6. “This Woman of Seventy to Run for Governor of New Hampshire,” Altoona (PA) Mirror, 6 Apr. 1910, 13.

  20. 20 Marilla M. Ricker, The Four Gospels (East Aurora, NY: Roycrofters, 1911). Marilla M. Ricker, I Don’t Know, Do You? (East Aurora, NY: Roycrofters, 1915). Marilla M. Ricker, I Am Not Afraid, Are You? (East Aurora, NY: Roycrofters, 1917).

  21. 21 “Marilla Marks Ricker,” The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, vol. 17 (New York: James T. White, 1920), 19.

  22. 22 “New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754–1947,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com, accessed 13 Aug. 2018), Marilla M. Ricker. “Marilla Marks Young Ricker,” New Durham, Strafford Co., NH; Find a Grave, posted 8 Jan. 2016, memorial no. 156868743 (http://findagrave.com, accessed 18 July 2020). “Mrs. M. M. Ricker, Pioneer in Fight for Suffrage, Dies,” New York Tribune, 13 Nov. 1920, 11.