Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Sources for Enoch Param Rollins

Conquerors of the West: Stalwart Mormon Pioneers Volume IV. Compiled by National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, pg 2251-2252. Submitted by Lorna Belnap

History of Enoch Perham Rollins, by Wesley D. Johnson

The Deseret News, December 19, 1877, page 731.

Enoch is mentioned in Records of Families of the Names of Rawlins or Rollins in the United States- John R. Rollins, pp.123:

(265.) Enoch P.6 (Ichabod5, Nathaniel4, John3, Thomas2, James1), md. widow Sophia (Philbrick) Lambert. Mr. and Mrs. Lambert had three children: William, the oldest, a mariner; Elizabeth and Miranda. The children of Enoch P. and Sophia (Lambert) Rollins were: Mary Jane, b. about 1826; Ann S., b. 1829, and Sabra, b. 1831. Enoch, with his wife and three daughters, started for the more promising fields of the West. On reaching New York they met with Joe Smith and were induced to renounce their early Christian teaching, joined the Mormons, and went to Nauvoo. Their subsequent history is not know, except that Ann became one of the spiritual wives of Smith. The genealogy of this branch may, perhaps be as well left to some one possessed of more patience than the ordinary Gentile.

As we read above in John R. Rawlins' work Ann wasn’t married to the Prophet Joseph, nor had the family ever met him. This causes one to question the research of John R. Rollins. He quoted no sources other than sources that had previously quoted him. Yet he is considered to be the eminent Rollins historian and most all references to this family have used his writing in one place or another.

The Rollins Family in the New Hampshire Provincial Deeds 1655-1771 by Alden M. Rollins, also questions some of the research John R. Rollins did. I have tried to contact Alden but have as yet not succeeded.

2 comments:

teacher1 said...

I tried to view the picture of the Rollins' home in Cache Valley Utah, but it wouldn't load. Could you possibly resubmit it? I would love to see it. I have more information on Mary Jane Rollins, Enoch's daughter also. Thanks,
Michele

teacher1 said...

You are right about the Rollins' not meeting with the prophet Joseph Smith , as he was already dead when they got to Nauvoo, but Ann was a "Spiritual" wife of William Smith, the prophet's brother and she apparently had a child that died around 2 years old. Her sister Mary Jane was also wed civilly to William Smith, but left him after 3 months and went to St. Louis. Ann then married Sydney Beckstead before travelling to Utah.