"As a Bird Sings": Hannah Tapfield King, Poetess and Pioneer

Authors

Leonard Reed

Keywords

Mormon studies, Hannah Tapfield King, poetry, pioneer, women

Abstract

Hannah Tapfield King (1807-1886), converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1850 in Cambridge, England, and emigrated with her family to Utah. She was a prolific and popular writer of poetry, essays, and educational pieces for Utah's newspapers, and she had a reputation as a woman of refinement. From her autobiography one can see her complete devotion to the Church. She and her family sacrificed a comfortable middle class life in England running the family farm, and they suffered considerably in Utah's desert. Her husband, Thomas King, eventually joined the Church but was never active or devout. In her later years, she was sealed to Brigham Young; the sealing was for the eternities only, and she never lived with Young. Her life serves as an example of one truly converted to LDS Church, willing to sacrifice and suffer along with her fellow Saints.

Recommended Citation

Reed, Leonard (2012) ""As a Bird Sings": Hannah Tapfield King, Poetess and Pioneer," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 51: Iss. 3, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol51/iss3/5