199

Marriage certificate of a noted patriarch in Nauvoo.

Carthage, IL, 29 October 1845
Partly printed Document Signed twice by George W. Thatcher as County Clerk, with embossed county seal. One page, 6 x 8 inches, docketed on verso;  folds, minor wear.

  • Notes: The bride and groom were John Wilford Hess (1824-1903) and Emeline Bigler (1824-1862), the first of his 7 wives. This was a civil certificate, signed by an anti-Mormon clerk. The wedding ceremony was held nine days later in Nauvoo. Hess later kept an important journal of his service in the Mormon Battalion; he became a bishop and stake president in Utah.

    With--Kate Carter, "March of the Mormon Battalion," featuring a long extract from the Hess journal. No place: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, October 1945

    Provenance: collection of Larry Faria.
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November 20, 2025 10:30 AM EST
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