Nancy Brown is the daughter of Captain James Brown and Martha Stephens Brown. Nancy was born on December 17 [27], 1830 at Flat Creek Swamp, Davison County, North Carolina in the middle of eight brothers.
Nancy moved with her family to Adams County, later Brown County, in Illinois. When education was possible in this sparecely settled community, she was assisted by her father and mother's instruction.
Nancy's mother died when Nancy was eight years old, leaving her in the care of her father and brothers. Captain James Brown married Susan Foutz on the 25 of January 1941, but Susan died in August of 1842. James then married Esther Jones Roper a few months later on November of 1842.
Nancy was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons.
When Nancy was about fifteen years old she married Eleazer Davis of Calhoun, Harrison County, Iowa [born around 1827], and went there to live after their marriage. Eleazer there joined the Church. [Then joined the Mormon Battalion as a private with Company D at Winter Quarters. Sgt William Coray wrote referring to the wife of Eleazer Davis. Eleazer completed the journey to California and was discharged in Los Angeles, California on July 16, 1847.
In a Salt Lake Tribune [Herald] interview on Sunday May 26, 1901 with Melissa B. Coray Kimball, Mrs. Kimball stated that the wife of Eleazer Davis, a private in Company D, as being the fifth woman to make the entire journey with the Battalion, [quoting from her husband's journal.] --Heart Throbs of the West Vol. 2, DUP 1940 Page 69.
(The 1856 State Census for Calhoun, Harrison, Iowa, Page 412, shows Eleazer Davis, 29, born in New York, Nancy Davis, 26, born in North Carolina, and two children namely: Loella Davis, age 6, born in California 1849, and James Davis, age 3, born in Iowa.)
From California they then moved to Utah during the 1850's but became dissatisfied and moved back to Iowa.
Nancy and Eleazer had one daughter who they named Martha Louella "Ella" Jane Davis and one son: James Edward Davis. Ella married Albert Wakefield, and they had four children: Albert Wakefield Jr., Charles D. Wakefield, Della Wakefield, and Dean Davis Wakefield. [James Edward Davis married Mary Druzilla Hale]
Later [between 1860-1869] Nancy and Eleazer were divorced and she returned to Ogden. Nancy built a two story frame home on the land which her father had left to her. It was situated on the north side of 28th Street, about a half block west of Washington Boulevard.
Nancy joined the Methodist Church and was a devoted member of it. Due to her different religious opinions she did not feel very close to her father's family so she sold her home in Ogden and went back to Iowa [Idaho}where she died 12 February 1895 [ There seems to be some confusion about where Nancy died, her Obituary states she died in her home in Ogden]
Nancy was tall, dignified and rather exclusive in her manner. She never seemed to seek after the association of her relatives, the Brown's or the Stephens'. She had been away from them for so many years, and all of them born, except herself and her eight brothers, in Utah, where she had only lived a short time when she first came here. While her oldest half-sister, my mother, Mary Eliza Brown Critchlow, lived just around the corner from her on Main Street, now Washington Boulevard, neither sister visited the other.
[Nancy re-married sometime after 1860-1869, to John Sanford, who was born in New York around 1822. John had previously married Margaret Utley in Kentucky with whom he had a daughter, Rosy Benella Sanford, Rosy married James Alexander Knight on September 7, 1892 in Kentucky. Rosy and James had three children. John and Nancy had one son.]
As I was always inclined to visit and be sociable with my relatives I occassionally went to see Aunt Nancy. Nancy's home seemed like a palace to some of her nieces. She had it furnished elegantly with "states" carpets, a parlor, grand piano, and overstuffed furniture covered with "horse hair" cloth, and lace curtains at the windows and all these things I had read about but never had seen up to my eleventh year (Hattie had been born 1864 so her 11th year would be 1875]. At that time Aunt Nancy proposed that father plaster her kitchen and have me take music lessons from her daughter Ella as payment. I was in ecstasy of delight.
Her daughter, Ella, who was widowed lived with her and taught school in Riverdale for a while. Ella drove to school every morning in her horse and buggy, she had to leave home by eight in the morning, she was always in a hurry. She also gave music lessons on the grand piano her mother had. [Ella had four children by Albert Wakefield] Hattie had to take her lessons by half past seven. Ella was always in a hurry that I didn't understand what she was talking about. I was supposed to go every morning and practice and she would give me a lesson when she had time. A s a resutlt my enthusiasm died out and I quit taking lessons as I had learned not even the notes. This practically ended my assocaiton with Aunt Nancy as she soon moved back to Iowa!! [Idaho?}
[Eleazer Davis died on March 8, 1898.]
Erold adds:
A small photo of Ella Davis Wakefield accompanied this article. What a priceless description we have of her Aunt Nancy's home. Of all our Brown relatives, this little girl probably knew her best. It was Donald Miller, a descendant of Obedience Brown Boss, who told me Hattie was writing a book on the two James Brown's--Captain James Brown Jr., and James Stephens Brown. He gave me [Erold}a copy of the poem Hattie had in her manuscript about the Brown Family. I included it in my book on David Brown's descendants. Donald didn't know what became of her manuscript, but he had seen it. He had typed it for her. He also gave me some corrections as he ws reading over my manuscript.
Erold found a birth record for a child born to Eleazer Davis and Nancy Brown Davis in 1849 in San Diego, California. The 1856 State Census for Calhoun, Harrison, Iowas, Page 412, shows Eleazer Davis, 29, born in New York, Nancy Davis, 23 [26], born in North Carolina, and two children namely: Loella Davis, age 6, born in California, and James Davis, age 3, born in Iowa. This puts both as participants with the Mormon Battalion.
Joan Henefer Clark should be given the credit of finding Nancy in Utah. She found her cemetery record which led us to Ella Davis Wakefield and Nancy in Idaho.
Hattie mentions Ella was widowed [around 1876], her daughter Della was born in 1875 and Dean was born in 1881 in Idaho. ???
Who is Mr. Sanford? Is he buried in Idaho? Is his first name Price? living in Cardwell, Ontario in 1881??
Where did Nancy and David marry?
Did the siblings, Charles and Della Wakefield die in Idaho?
Where is Ella buried?
It is interesting Ella would bring her mother and son back to Ogden for burial. [Now we know Nancy was living in Ogden at the time of her death]
[Della Wakefield at1880 Census was 5 yrs old living in Eagle Rock, Willow Creek and Cedar Butte, Oneida, Idaho, Ella Davis Wakefield was 30 years old.]
[Company "C" 29th Regiment Iowa Volunteers Infantry - All mustered out at New Orleans, Louisiana, 10 August 1865. Albert Wakefield enlisted 18 Aug. 1862, rank 3rd Corporal, wounded and captured 30 Apr. 1863 Civil War battle of Jenkins Ferry, Grant County, Arkansas. See at: http://www.itsjudy.com/harrison/1868townships/comc.htm ]
Sources:
PAF - Archer files = Captain James Brown + (1) Martha Stephens > Nancy Brown.
Brown Book of Remembrance written by Hattie Critchlow Jensen and Loella Brown Tanner.
Erold Clark Wiscombe contributed additional research and information.
Nancy's Obituary contributed to this site by Joan and Albert Clark.
"A Database of the Mormon Battalion - An Identification of the Original Members of the Mormon Battalion" Compiled and edited by Carl V. Larson. Page 79 and 80.
See 1880 Census at Eagle Rock, Willow Creek, and Cedar Butte, Oneida, Idaho.
Shows Ella Wakefield as 30 years of age. Birthplace: California.
Source Information:
Census Place Eagle Rock, Willow Creek And Cedar Butte, Oneida, Idaho
Family History Library Film 1254173
NA Film Number T9-0173
Page Number 335B
ORSON PRATT BROWN WEBSITE HOMEPAGE
