Agnes Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agnes Taylor
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| Personal details | |
| Born | October 2, 1821 Westmoreland, England |
| Died | December 12, 1911 (aged 90) Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Spouses | John Rich Abraham Hoagland Wilhelm Schwartz |
Agnes Taylor Rich Hoagland Schwartz (born October 2, 1821 – died December 11, 1911) was an early settler who traveled west with a religious group called the Latter Day Saints. She was very important in helping her brother, LDS Church president John Taylor, stay safe from authorities. This happened during a time in the mid-1880s when the government was trying to stop certain marriage practices. Agnes was also the mother-in-law of a later church president, Joseph F. Smith.
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Agnes Taylor's Early Life
Agnes Taylor was born in 1821 in a small English village called Hale, in Westmorland. Her parents were James and Agnes Taylor. Her older brother, John, later became the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 1838, when Agnes was 17, she married John Rich in Carthage, Illinois. They settled in Nauvoo and had four children. Later, Agnes wanted to move west with the main group of Latter Day Saints. She and John divorced because of this.
Second Marriage and Family
In 1847, Agnes married Abraham Hoagland. She was 26 years old, and Abraham was 50. They had five children together. In 1861, they divorced. Their daughter, Sarah, later married Agnes's nephew, William Whitaker Taylor.
Third Marriage and Family
In 1862, Agnes was 41 when she married Wilhelm Schwartz. Wilhelm was a 24-year-old immigrant from Prussia. They had two children together. Their second child, Mary Taylor Schwartz, married Joseph F. Smith in 1884. Mary was 18, and Joseph F. Smith was 43.
Helping Her Brother, John Taylor
After Brigham Young passed away in 1877, Agnes's brother, John Taylor, became the new president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1882, John Taylor moved into the Gardo House. This large house was meant to be the official home for church presidents.
In 1882, the U.S. Congress passed a new law called the Edmunds Act. This law made certain marriage practices illegal. It also created problems for Utah's goal of becoming a state. Soon after this law was passed, John Taylor met with 16 church leaders at the Gardo House. They decided that they would not change their beliefs or practices for a state government.
To try and follow the new law, John Taylor moved his families out of the mansion. He asked his sister Agnes to move in and manage the house. He continued his duties as president from there.
As the government tried harder to enforce the law, John Taylor had to go "underground." This meant he moved around often to avoid being arrested. In March 1885, government officials called federal marshals raided the Gardo House to try and capture him. This raid and others after it were not successful. Agnes was a strong and determined woman. She often stood at the front door of the mansion. She would not let anyone in unless they had official papers signed by a federal judge.
After her brother died in 1887 while still staying hidden, Agnes moved out of the Gardo House.
Later Life and Legacy
Agnes Taylor passed away on December 12, 1911, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many people spoke at her funeral, including Joseph F. Smith, Francis M. Lyman, Charles W. Penrose, Frank Y. Taylor, and Hyrum M. Smith.
