Susan Hanna Alley
Born 3 May 1830 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts.[1] Daughter of George Alley and Mary Symonds Hastings.[2] Baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, summer 1843, in Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois.[3] Migrated to the Salt Lake Valley with the Brigham Young pioneer company, arriving by 24 Sept. 1848.[4] Married Daniel Hanmer Wells, 16 Apr. 1856; four children.[5] Taught music lessons, made temple clothing, created needlework, and excelled with the spinning wheel.[6] Associated closely with her sister wife EBW.[7] Died 5 May 1924 in Salt Lake City.[8]
[1] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. A-A1, 1851–1854, p. 31, line 772, Susan Hannah Alley, 6 Mar. 1852, microfilm 1255545 (restricted access), FHL. Junius F. Wells, “The Wells Family Genealogy,” Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine 6, no. 1 (Jan. 1915): 10, 11. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 18 June 2019), Susan Hannah Alley (KWJZ-LWZ).
[2] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. A-A1, 1851–1854, p. 31, line 772, Susan Hannah Alley, 6 Mar. 1852, microfilm 1255545 (restricted access), FHL. Vital Records of Lynn, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, vol. 2 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1906), 19. 1850 U.S. Census, Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake Co., Utah Territory, p. 111, Susan Alley.
[3] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. A-A1, 1851–1854, p. 31, line 772, Susan Hannah Alley, 6 Mar. 1852, microfilm 1255545 (restricted access), FHL.
[4] “Susan Hannah Alley,” Pioneer Database, 1847–1868 (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/, accessed 3 Sept. 2019). Camp of Israel Schedules and Reports, 1845–1849, Brigham Young’s 1848 Emigration Division, Division Report, June 1848, MS 14290, CHL.
[5] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. B1, 1855–1856, p. 82, Daniel H. Wells and Susan Hannah Alley, 15 Apr. 1856, microfilm 183394 (restricted access), FHL. Junius F. Wells, “The Wells Family Genealogy,” Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine 6, no. 1 (Jan. 1915): 10–11. 1900 U.S. Census, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., UT, p. 142B, Susan H. Wells.
[6] Lorenzo Stenhouse, Utah Gazetteer and Directory of Logan, Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake Cities for 1888 and a Complete Business Directory of the Territory ([Salt Lake City]: n.p., 1888), 308. EBW, Diary, 15 Nov. 1896. Bryant S. Hinckley, Daniel Hanmer Wells and Events of His Time (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1942), 356.
[7] “Editorial Notes,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 June 1894, 140. EBW, Diary, 13 Mar. 1894. Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2017), 335.
[8] Salt Lake Co., UT, Death Records, 1849–1949, 5 May 1924, Susan Anna Alley Wells, Salt Lake Co. Management and Archives, Salt Lake City. “Widow of Early S.L. Mayor Dies,” Salt Lake Telegram, 6 June 1924, 9. “Susan Hannah Alley Wells,” Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., UT, Find a Grave, posted 15 July 2009, memorial no. 39467489 (http://findagrave.com, accessed 16 Sept. 2019).