Almira Jane Reid was born 22 May 1840 in Woodsville, Adams County, Illinois, United States to John Hendeson Reid (1815-1862) and Sophronia Prentiss (1817-1846) and died 23 July 1912 Lago, Bannock County, Idaho, United States of unspecified causes. She married Enos McMurray Huddleston (c1832-) 10 March 1854 in Scotland County, Missouri, United States. She married William Wood Hall (1832-1891) 3 October 1858 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States.
Vital Statistics
- Daughter of John Henderson Reid (1815-1862) and Sophronia Prentiss (1817-1846)
- 1840: 22 May - Birth at Woodsville, Adams Co, Illinois
- 1854: 10 March - 1st Marriage to Enos McMurray Huddleston in Scotland County, Missouri
- 1858: 3 October - 2nd Marriage to William Wood Hall (1832-1891), an English immigrant, at Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
- 1861: 1 June - Left Florence, Nebraska with the David H. Cannon company to travel across the plains to Utah, settled in Southern Idaho.
- 1912: 23 July - Died at Lago, Bannock, Idaho
Biography
Early Years
Jane was the elder daughter of twice-widowed John H. Reid, whose first wife Sophronia Prentiss had died at age 29, due to mob pressures near the time of the exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, leaving him with two little girls to raise. John had then married Sophronia’s younger sister, Almira, who had left her parents’ family to come live with John and take care of the babies. But she, too, died after about a year. The girls then were tossed from pillar to post, as John H. had to be gone a lot with his business and on a mission to Kentucky for the Church. He would pay well to have them with people, who proved untrustworthy. When he learned of abuses, he took the girls back with him, though they had to stay alone a lot. By this time, Jane, the older of the two was “past 12 years old.”
When Jane was about 14 years old, she had gotten tangled up with a couple of shady young men, and was subsequently kidnapped by them, transported by carriage and stagecoach across several state lines, and coerced into marrying one of them, Enos McMurray Huddleston, a fellow born in England, about three years her senior. But the young man was so abusive that, pregnant, she escaped and made her way back to her grieving father. Jane began working and living on her own for about a year, making a living for her and her baby boy. Then her father had begged her to come home, saying he needed her help in his work.
Life in Iowa
Tombstone of Almira Jane Reid Hall - Lago Cemetery Idaho
Her son Josey was born in Newton, Iowa, county seat of Jasper Co. (Nowhere near Hillsboro Co.) The town would later become famous as the headquarters of the Maytag Corporation. His mother was only 15 when he was born and she would soon thereafter leave his abusive father. She would later remarry to William Wood Hall who would raise Josey as his own son.
At age five, Josey went west to Utah with William and Almira Hall in the David H Cannon Company of 1861. Departure: 1 June 1861 / Arrival: 11-16 August 1861 / 225 individuals and 57 wagons were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha). His mother's journal are part of the historical record for this event.
1861 Wagon Train
The Hall Family were participants in the David Cannon 1861 Pioneer Company, a 79 day wagon train traveling from Florence (now Omaha, Nebraska) to Salt Lake City in the early summer. It was the first of 12 such wagon trains of the year. It was a large train of 68 wagons and nearly 300 passengers led by a young 23-year old missionary returning home from England, Elder David H Cannon. Several diary/biographical accounts exist.
At age 21, Almira Jane emigrated to Utah/Idaho with her son, Josey Hudleston, a child from her first marriage. Her sister, her non-member husband William Wood Hall (a recent English Emigrant), and a Welsh girl (Mary Davis) were also with Almira. They were part of the 1861 David H Cannon Pioneer Wagon Company. Her diary is a source reference material for that trek.
Life in the Rockies
In 1880 Almira Jane moved the family to Curlew Valley in Snowville Utah, to keep her son Josey from getting married to a woman she considered undesirable (due to her own experience with a bad marriage / per the journal of her daughter Sophronia.)
Marriage and Family
1st Marriage: Enos Huddleston
- Josephus (Josey) Sidney Alford Huddleston (1855-1934) - died in Payson, Utah, never married, no posterity.
2nd Marriage: Wm. Hall
- Sophronia Almira Hall (1865-1921) - 2nd wife to Hyrum Edwards (son of Patriarch Charles Edwards, a Mormon immigrant convert from Derbyshire England - see page 544, The Millenial Star, Liverpool), and married twice to John Phillips
- Cumorah Angus Hall (1867-1918) - m. Elna Christensen
- William Tracy Hall (1869-1901) - m. Susan Edwards, daughter of Hyrum Edwards above and his first wife (Elizabeth Coltrin) and also granddaughter to Zebedee Coltrin.
- Ether Mahonri Hall (1872-1893) - died at age 21 in Salt Lake City.
- Alphonso Prentiss Hall (1874-1913)
- Septema Ann Hall (1877-1877) - Born and died on 14-Sept-1877 at Uintah, Weber Co, Utah
- John Wood Hall (1880-1907) - m. Susan Edwards also, died at age 24 in drowning accident in Taber, Alberta
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Josephus Sidney Alford Huddleston (1855-1934) | 14 November 1855 Newton, Jasper County, Iowa | 25 February 1934 Price, Carbon County, Utah | |
Siblings
Ancestry
- Hall Prentiss Ancestry -
- Warenne Family Ancestry - ( AJReid, SPrentiss, PWarren, MWarrenII, MWarrenI, DWarren, JWarren, DWarren, John Warren 1585) - Early English Immigrant to America. Descendant of early English/French Royalty and the Earls of Warenne. Priscilla Warren (1792-1847) - Maternal Grandmother to Almira Jane Reid and direct descendant of the Warenne Family (Moses Warren II) lineage that goes back to early English royalty and Viking Norsemen.
- Rebecca Towne Nurse (1621-1692) - ( AJReid, SPrentiss, PWarren, PNurse, DNurse, WNurse, BNurse, RTNurse) - She was executed for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials. Ancestor of Priscilla Warren.
- Abraham Morrison - Great, Great Grandfather and family fought in civil wars in Northern Ireland over religion.
Research Notes
The following family links are incomplete:
- (MIA) Alphonso Tracy Hall (1900-) - child disappears after 1906 census. Grandson.
- (MIA) Sylvia Jane Rackard (1874-1891) - First wife of Cumorah. Cannot find record of parents. The dates for her birth at Camp Floyd (1874) don't match up to local history.
- GGGGF (MIA): William Hall (1790-1841) - (Father-In-Law) Farmer at Hopes Rough, Herefordshire. Research Challenge
- (WOH) Build FPC for family of Henry Hall - Waiting for access to 1841 English Census
- (WOH) Build FPC for family of James Hall (brother-in-law) - waiting for access to 1841 English Census
- (WOH) Build FPC for family of Hannah Hall (sister-in-law) - waiting for access to 1841 English Census
References
- LucasCountyan Blog - Story of Almira and her family in Iowa.
- Gravesite of A.J. Reid - Lago Cemetery Idaho - FindAGrave.
- Pioneer Biography of A.J. Reid - Digital Library Copy of her life story.
- LDS Pioneer Company History - 1861 David H Cannon Wagon Company.
Vital Records
1861 Cannon Wagon Train
- Almira Jane Reid Journal Extract - 1861 Cannon Wagon Train.
- [David Cannon 1861 Pioneer Company] - 1861 Company Research
- From the Journal of Bartlett Tripp - Entry for Friday - June 7th. Census of 61 wagons shows Eldridges and Halls sharing one wagon, during their overland journey from Nebraska to Utah.
(Friday - June 7th) "Came out about 7½ - 2½ mi to Ferry at Columbus swam the loose stock—Teams commenced crossing at 9 and were all across at 5. P.M.—Ferry extends about half way across the river. boat coming to the shore on the east side leaving a long distance on the west side to be forded—Quick sand forms it [at] bottom which renders the fording very difficult for loaded wagons—most passed with little difficulty. some teams afraid of the water—In camp near the west bank of the Fork with plenty of water and wood—a very fine Spring about ¾ of a mile from camp[.] our team came in today which raises our number to 61 wagons—They are as follows[:]"
A) Thomas Eldridge & wife. 3 chil. Wm. Hall. wife & 1 child[,] Sophronia Barlow. Mary Davis. 2 oxen. 4 cows. 1 wag.
1870 US Census
Taken in the community of East Weber, Weber Co, Utah - 03-July-1870.
- William Hall (M-38) Ocp: Farmer / born in England
- A Jane Hall (F-30) - born in Illinois
- Joseph S A Hall (M-14) - born in Iowa
- Sophronia Hall (F-5) - born in Utah
- C M A Hall (M-3) (Cumorah Angus) - born in Utah
- William Hall (M-5mo) - born in Utah
- Amelia Savage (F-18) - daughter of English family living next door, probably helping with the children
- John Stifle (M-28) - ocp: Railroad Hand
1880 US Census
Taken at Carlew Valley, Oneida Co, Idaho.
- William Hall (M-48 / Father)
- Almira Hall (F-40 / Mother)
- Sophronia Hall (F-15)
- Lumorah Hall (M-13)
- William F. Hall (M-10)
- Ether Hall (M-8)
- Alphonzo Hall (M-5)
- A. R. Prentiss (M-55) - Almira's Uncle - Alonzo Robert Prentiss (1825-1893)
1900 US Census
Taken at Carlew Precinct, Oneida County, Idaho - 26-Jun-1900
- Almira Hall (F-60) Head of Household / b May-1840
- John W Hall (M-18) son / b Aug-1881 / Ocp: Farmer
Footnotes (including sources)
MainTour, 174.126.80.177, Thurstan, 99.104.150.97, Robin Patterson