Almira Hanscom statement, 1908 in "Autobiography of Hyrum Belnap"

The Hyrum Belnap autobiography may be found in a compilation by Della Belnap titled "Biographies of the Belnap and Knight Families" (typescript), copied by BYU library 1958; copy at BYU HBLL Special Collections—Amer BX 8670.1 .B41

Much of this autobiography appears to be based on contemporaneous journal entries regarding the events in question, as the following appears to be.

Almira Knight Stoddard Hanscom was a daughter of Vinson Knight and Martha McBride, and thus well-positioned to know of Nauvoo polygamy before receiving the proposal described herein. Note that despite the variant spellings in this document, her correct name is “Hanscom,” not “Hanscon.” “Hanscon” is likely a misreading by the transcriber.

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"Autobiography of Hyrum Belnap"

[p. 55 of whole compilation, p. 20 of Hyrum Belnap Autobiography:]

In the evening of the 23rd [of July 1908], I arrived in Akron, Ohio. The next day I visited Aunt Almira Knight Hanscom, my mother's sister. She was surprised but glad to see me. She is past 81 yrs. old.

I had heard that she had been asked by Hyrum Smith to be his 2nd wife. So I asked her. She looked startled and answered, "Yes and No." She said, "One day mother and I were in the front room and Jos. Smith came walking down the street and turned in at our gate. I had a hunch and as he entered the front door I went out the back and remained until he left. When I returned my Mother told me that Joseph had come at the request of his brother, Hyrum, to ask me to be his wife. And also asked Mother to ask me seeing I wasn't in. So when my mother said, Almira what do you say about it?" I said, "No."

She was about 19 at that time. I asked her if she knew polygamy was taught and practiced by Jos. and Hyrum Smith. She said, "It was not called polygamy, but Spiritual Marriage."

Almira left the church, before Jos. Smith was killed, and married S. B. Stoddard, a bitter apostate from the church. Later married Geo. Hanscon [Hanscom] and lived in Akron. I secured the following statement from her and signed by her:

July 24, 1908

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That I know that Spiritual Marriage, as it was called, was taught by Joseph and Hyrum Smith, when in Nauvoo, before they were killed, and that this spiritual marriage allowed men to have more than one spiritual wife at a time. This is one of the reasons that I declined to remain with the Mormon Church.

I also know that Emaline and Harriet Partridge came to me and said this was taught them and tried to convince me, although this was a hard trial.

I also heard at the time that Joseph Smith, the Prophet, so called and his wife, quarreled about this principle.

(signed) ALMIRA K. HANSCON [HANSCON]

Signed in the presence of

HYRUM BELNAP

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Hanscom, Almira, statement, 1908 in "Autobiography of Hyrum Belnap" The Hyrum Belnap autobiography may be found in a compilation by Della Belnap titled "Biographies of the Belnap and Knight Families" (typescript), copied by BYU library 1958; copy at BYU HBLL Special Collections—Amer BX 8670.1 .B41