Annis Bedford

• Name: Annis Bedford
• Born: October 7, 1833 Dunholme, England
• Died: August 2, 1876 Toquerville, Utah
• Related though: Dan's grandfather Heber Otto Langford

Annis Bedford, the first wife of James Jackson Jr., was born at Dunholme, Halifax, England October 7, 1833. She had two older sisters, Susan and Lydia, and an older brother named Joseph. Her mother Mary Ann had a common-law marriage to a Samuel Smith. When Annis was born she lived with her mother in her grandparents' home. Annis joined the Church in 1857 when she was 23 years old. Her uncle James (Mary Ann's brother) and his wife Hannah had already joined the Church and perhaps had some influence on her decision. At any rate, after joining the church she left home at the request of her parents (Her mother had married a George Eastwood in 1853 and by 1857 had a little boy).

Annis wasted no time immigrating to America. According to the local branch records, there were three other single girls from the same branch who immigrated on the same ship. So it is conceivable that they may have come together at least part way. It is hard to imagine Annis traveling all by herself first by rail to Liverpool and then across the ocean and then across the plains in a handcart company. We know that she traveled on the same boat and in the same handcart company as her future husband, James Jackson, but whether they were acquainted during the journey we don't know.

In 1857 when the company arrived in Salt Lake, Annis was sealed to a Lorenzo Dow Rudd, but it was later canceled before she met James Jackson and married him in 1859. She never actually lived with Lorenzo; (It was not uncommon for men to be sealed to the single girls and take care of them until they found someone to marry, at which time the first sealing would be canceled).

There must have been good feelings between James Jackson's wives. When Annis died in 1876, just 43 years old, Martha named her next child after Annis. She must have loved her. Annis left four living children - Lydia about 16; Rose Ellen - our great grandmother who was 10, Adelaide who was 6 and a George Samuel, who was 18 months old. These children were well taken care of and provided for by their father and his other wives. One final note of interest is that when Rose Ellen was 19, and asked for in marriage by James Harvey Langford Jr., James Jackson gave his permission for him to marry his daughter only if he would also marry her older sister, Lydia, age 24. This he did, making the father happy but not necessarily the daughters! (According to those who remember). 

Article compiled and edited by Norene Green and Sharlene Gardner, July 1997. Thanks to them for posting it on their family history site. You  can view the original here.