Marilla Marks Young
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]
[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] “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] “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] “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] 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] “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] “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] “A Woman as an Ambassador,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 Mar. 1897, 31.
[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] “Washington Convention,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Mar. 1879, 202.
[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] “Miss Marilla Ricker,” Eaton (OH) Democrat, 13 Mar. 1884, 4.
[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] “New England News,” Londonderry (VT) Sifter, 24 Nov. 1887, 4. “A Lady Lawyer,” Ogden Morning Herald (Ogden, Utah Territory), 6 Nov. 1887, 1.
[15] EBW, Diary, 3 and 8 Nov. 1887. “Editorial Notes,” Woman’s Exponent, 15 Nov. 1887, 92.
[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] “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] “Editorial Notes,” Woman’s Exponent, 15 Mar. and 1 Apr. 1901, 90, 91.
[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] 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] “Marilla Marks Ricker,” The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, vol. 17 (New York: James T. White, 1920), 19.
[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.