225:, wrote to his brother concerning his indignation at Smith's relationship with Alger. Cowdery said he had discussed with Smith the "dirty, nasty, filthy scrape of his and Fanny Alger's ... in which I strictly declared that I had never deserted from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself." As
198:
Many years later, an early acquaintance remembered the young Alger of
Kirtland as a "very nice and comely young woman ... toward whom ... everyone seemed partial for the amiability of her character." Her obituary reported that in Indiana she was "generally beloved by all who knew her and was noted
252:
Historian
Lawrence Foster disputed Compton's assumption, arguing that although "contemporary evidence strongly suggests" that Smith and Alger engaged in sexual relations, the evidence does not indicate that the relationship was "viewed either by Smith himself or by his associates at the time as a
229:
has noted, Smith "never denied a relationship with Alger, but insisted it was not adulterous. He wanted it on record that he had never confessed to such a sin." The best statement Smith could obtain from
Cowdery was an affirmation that Smith had never acknowledged himself to have been guilty of
244:, only to have a number of stories about her relationship with Smith arise during the late-19th century. All of these second-hand witnesses, Mormon and non-Mormon, agreed that Smith had married Alger as a plural wife. In his compendium of Smith's plural marriages,
248:
discusses this late-nineteenth-century evidence and its differing reliability, concluding that Smith's relationship with Alger, though fleeting, was more than a casual sexual affair and that she was "one of Joseph Smith's earliest plural wives."
430:, the two Custer children who survived their parents were Benjamin Franklin Custer (October 17, 1849 - July 16, 1923, d. Dublin, Indiana) and Lafayette Paul Custer (August 29, 1854 - August 19, 1930).
179:, and there Fanny met and, on November 16, 1836, married Solomon Custer, a non-Mormon, listed in various censuses as a grocer, baker, and merchant. Although her parents continued on their way to
864:
264:
After Smith's death, when Alger's brother asked her about her relationship with Smith, she replied, "That is all a matter of my own. And I have nothing to communicate."
230:
adultery. "That," wrote
Bushman, "was all Joseph wanted: an admission that he had not termed the Alger affair adulterous." In April 1838, Mormon leaders meeting as the
171:, the Algers left Kirtland. Joseph Smith asked Fanny's uncle, Levi Hancock, to conduct her to Missouri, but she accompanied her parents instead. The Algers stopped in
374:
869:
854:
889:
874:
711:
532:
884:
859:
241:
208:
721:
652:
629:
118:
747:
454:
423:
295:
879:
273:
141:, the fourth of eleven children. Samuel was a carpenter who had built a house for the father of future Church of Christ leader
894:
700:
520:
138:
783:
164:. In 1830, Samuel (and apparently Clarissa) were baptized into Mormonism and thus became some of its earliest converts.
378:
187:, the Custers remained in Indiana. Fanny bore nine children, only two of whom survived her. In 1874, she joined the
427:
670:
616:
261:
have been considered marriages, but we lack convincing contemporary evidence supporting such an interpretation."
122:
134:
44:
818:
603:
234:
773:
237:
excommunicated
Cowdery, in part because he had "seemed to insinuate" that Smith was guilty of adultery.
192:
176:
727:
849:
844:
621:
191:
church in Dublin. Her funeral was held at the Dublin church after she died at the home of her son in
743:
167:
In
September 1836, after Fanny had spent some time as a teenage servant in the home of Joseph and
545:
231:
769:
717:
696:
635:
625:
607:
804:
665:
611:
537:
180:
142:
752:. Independence, Missouri: Zion's Printing and Publishing Co. pp. 7–107. Archived from
149:, a stalwart member of what was to become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
826:
692:
647:
361:
226:
218:
172:
153:
146:
62:
426:. Alger's mother and father died in Utah in 1870 and 1874 respectively. According to a
333:
308:
222:
214:
184:
161:
157:
753:
838:
778:
254:
294:
has no date for Alger's death; however, a descendant has since discovered a clipped
684:
661:
245:
188:
253:'marriage.'" Foster noted that before Smith's first documented plural marriage to
168:
133:
Alger was born to Samuel Alger and
Clarissa Hancock on September 30, 1817, in
793:"Nauvoo Roots of Mormon Polygamy, 1841-46: A Preliminary Demographic Report"
639:
549:
117:(September 30, 1817 – November 29, 1889) was possibly the first
809:
792:
541:
240:
At this point, Alger disappeared from the historical record of the
213:
In
January 1838, some months after the Algers had left Kirtland,
360:, p. 26.Samuel was baptized by Samuel was baptized by
666:"Fanny Alger Smith Custer, Mormonism's First Plural Wife?"
521:"Plural Marriage, Singular Lives: Review of Todd Compton,
466:
Cowdery to Warren A. Cowdery, January 21, 1838, quoted in
478:
476:
199:
for her benevolence of spirit and generous-heartedness."
523:
In Sacred
Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith
438:
436:
375:"Clerk record photocopy in possession of Brian Hales"
257:
in April 1841, Smith's "earlier sexual relationships
16:
Alleged first plural wife of Joseph Smith (1817–1889)
96:
69:
51:
30:
23:
160:, ten miles southwest of the Mormon settlement at
334:"Fanny W. Custer | United States Census, 1880"
8:
309:"Fanny Custer | United States Census, 1860"
242:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
20:
808:
86:
865:History of the Latter Day Saint movement
791:Smith, George D. (Spring–Summer 2001).
586:
574:
506:
494:
482:
467:
442:
411:
399:
357:
291:
284:
716:. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books.
509:, p. 25–42, quotation from p. 25.
797:Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
562:
533:Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
7:
870:People from Rehoboth, Massachusetts
855:Child marriage in the United States
209:Origin of Latter Day Saint polygamy
713:Joseph Smith's Polygamy, 3 Volumes
14:
890:People from Cuyahoga County, Ohio
653:Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling
519:Foster, Lawrence (Spring 2000).
428:genealogy posted on the internet
875:Mormonism-related controversies
82:
203:Relationship with Joseph Smith
1:
139:Bristol County, Massachusetts
784:University of Illinois Press
656:. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
274:List of Joseph Smith's wives
885:People from Ashtabula, Ohio
860:Latter Day Saints from Ohio
221:to the authenticity of the
145:. Clarissa was a sister of
119:plural wife of Joseph Smith
911:
823:Mormon Polygamy: A History
206:
152:The Algers first moved to
671:Journal of Mormon History
617:Encyclopedia of Mormonism
123:Latter Day Saint movement
710:Hales, Brian C. (2013).
195:, on November 29, 1889.
819:Van Wagoner, Richard S.
604:Anderson, Richard Lloyd
45:Rehoboth, Massachusetts
880:American Universalists
774:Avery, Valeen Tippetts
648:Bushman, Richard Lyman
895:Wives of Joseph Smith
193:Indianapolis, Indiana
177:Wayne County, Indiana
121:, the founder of the
756:on November 15, 2014
689:In Sacred Loneliness
624:. pp. 335–340.
622:Macmillan Publishing
730:on February 1, 2014
770:Newell, Linda King
691:. Salt Lake City:
381:on January 8, 2017
298:in a family Bible.
41:September 30, 1817
744:Johnson, Benjamin
608:"Cowdery, Oliver"
497:, p. 324–25.
470:, p. 323-24.
414:, p. 323-27.
183:, and eventually
104:
103:
55:November 29, 1889
902:
830:
814:
812:
810:10.2307/45226772
787:
765:
763:
761:
749:My Life's Review
739:
737:
735:
726:. Archived from
706:
679:
657:
643:
612:Ludlow, Daniel H
590:
584:
578:
572:
566:
560:
554:
553:
542:10.2307/45226676
529:
516:
510:
504:
498:
492:
486:
480:
471:
464:
458:
452:
446:
440:
431:
421:
415:
409:
403:
402:, p. 39-42.
397:
391:
390:
388:
386:
377:. Archived from
371:
365:
355:
349:
348:
346:
344:
330:
324:
323:
321:
319:
305:
299:
289:
181:Nauvoo, Illinois
143:Heber C. Kimball
90:
88:
84:
58:
40:
38:
21:
910:
909:
905:
904:
903:
901:
900:
899:
835:
834:
833:
827:Signature Books
817:
790:
768:
759:
757:
742:
733:
731:
724:
709:
703:
693:Signature Books
683:
660:
646:
632:
602:
598:
593:
585:
581:
573:
569:
561:
557:
527:
518:
517:
513:
505:
501:
493:
489:
481:
474:
465:
461:
453:
449:
441:
434:
422:
418:
410:
406:
398:
394:
384:
382:
373:
372:
368:
362:Parley P. Pratt
356:
352:
342:
340:
332:
331:
327:
317:
315:
307:
306:
302:
290:
286:
282:
270:
227:Richard Bushman
219:Three Witnesses
211:
205:
154:Ashtabula, Ohio
147:Levi W. Hancock
131:
92:
80:
76:
65:
63:Dublin, Indiana
60:
56:
47:
42:
36:
34:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
908:
906:
898:
897:
892:
887:
882:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
837:
836:
832:
831:
815:
788:
766:
740:
722:
707:
701:
681:
658:
644:
630:
599:
597:
594:
592:
591:
579:
577:, p. 327.
567:
555:
511:
499:
487:
485:, p. 325.
472:
459:
447:
432:
416:
404:
392:
366:
350:
325:
300:
283:
281:
278:
277:
276:
269:
266:
223:Book of Mormon
215:Oliver Cowdery
204:
201:
185:Utah Territory
162:Kirtland, Ohio
158:Mayfield, Ohio
156:, and then to
130:
127:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
78:
75:Solomon Custer
74:
73:
71:
67:
66:
61:
59:(aged 72)
53:
49:
48:
43:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
907:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
842:
840:
828:
824:
820:
816:
811:
806:
802:
798:
794:
789:
785:
781:
780:
779:Mormon Enigma
775:
771:
767:
760:September 10,
755:
751:
750:
745:
741:
729:
725:
723:9781589581890
719:
715:
714:
708:
704:
698:
694:
690:
686:
685:Compton, Todd
682:
678:(1): 174–207.
677:
673:
672:
667:
663:
662:Compton, Todd
659:
655:
654:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
631:0-02-879602-0
627:
623:
619:
618:
613:
609:
605:
601:
600:
595:
589:, p. 40.
588:
583:
580:
576:
571:
568:
564:
559:
556:
551:
547:
543:
539:
535:
534:
526:
524:
515:
512:
508:
503:
500:
496:
491:
488:
484:
479:
477:
473:
469:
463:
460:
456:
451:
448:
444:
439:
437:
433:
429:
425:
420:
417:
413:
408:
405:
401:
396:
393:
380:
376:
370:
367:
363:
359:
354:
351:
343:September 15,
339:
335:
329:
326:
318:September 15,
314:
310:
304:
301:
297:
293:
288:
285:
279:
275:
272:
271:
267:
265:
262:
260:
256:
255:Louisa Beaman
250:
247:
243:
238:
236:
233:
228:
224:
220:
217:, one of the
216:
210:
202:
200:
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
165:
163:
159:
155:
150:
148:
144:
140:
136:
128:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
99:
95:
72:
68:
64:
54:
50:
46:
33:
29:
22:
19:
822:
800:
796:
777:
758:. Retrieved
754:the original
748:
732:. Retrieved
728:the original
712:
688:
675:
669:
651:
620:. New York:
615:
596:Bibliography
587:Compton 1997
582:
575:Bushman 2005
570:
558:
531:
522:
514:
507:Compton 1997
502:
495:Bushman 2005
490:
483:Bushman 2005
468:Bushman 2005
462:
450:
443:Johnson 1947
419:
412:Bushman 2005
407:
400:Compton 1997
395:
383:. Retrieved
379:the original
369:
358:Compton 1997
353:
341:. Retrieved
338:Ancestry.com
337:
328:
316:. Retrieved
313:Ancestry.com
312:
303:
292:Compton 1997
287:
263:
258:
251:
246:Todd Compton
239:
235:High Council
212:
197:
189:Universalist
166:
151:
132:
115:Alger Custer
114:
110:
107:Frances Ward
106:
105:
57:(1889-11-29)
18:
850:1889 deaths
845:1816 births
734:January 23,
25:Fanny Alger
839:Categories
782:. Urbana:
702:156085085X
563:Smith 2001
385:January 7,
280:References
207:See also:
169:Emma Smith
37:1817-09-30
129:Biography
821:(1992).
803:(1, 2).
776:(1994).
746:(1947).
687:(1997).
664:(1996).
650:(2005).
640:24502140
606:(1992).
550:45226676
455:obituary
424:obituary
296:obituary
268:See also
232:Far West
135:Rehoboth
97:Children
614:(ed.).
536:: 184.
91:
79:
720:
699:
638:
628:
548:
173:Dublin
85:
70:Spouse
610:. In
546:JSTOR
528:(PDF)
111:Fanny
89:)
81:(
77:
762:2008
736:2014
718:ISBN
697:ISBN
636:OCLC
626:ISBN
387:2017
345:2022
320:2022
87:1836
52:Died
31:Born
805:doi
538:doi
259:may
841::
825:.
801:34
799:.
795:.
772:;
695:.
676:22
674:.
668:.
634:.
544:.
530:.
475:^
435:^
336:.
311:.
175:,
137:,
125:.
113:"
83:m.
829:.
813:.
807::
786:.
764:.
738:.
705:.
680:.
642:.
565:.
552:.
540::
525:"
457:.
445:.
389:.
364:.
347:.
322:.
109:"
100:9
39:)
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.