Emily H. Woodmansee
Encyclopedia
Emily Hill Woodmansee was a nineteenth century Mormon poet and hymnwriter. Although only one of her hymns "As Sisters In Zion" is included in the 1985 LDS English language edition
of the LDS Church's hymnbook, previous LDS Church hymnbooks have included more of her works.
, Wiltshire
, England
and was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) when she was twelve. Among those who she would walk to church with at this point was Edward Tullidge
. Her family initially opposed her joining the church but through the efforts of John Halliday they were reconciled with the notion enough for her to be baptized. In 1856 Emily Hill and her sister Julia sailed for the USA. They sailed on the "Thornton" in the Latter-day Saint company under James G. Willie
. The Hill girls crossed the plains in the Willie Handcart Company.
In 1857 Emily married Dr. William G. Mills. He latter left on a mission to England. After returning to the United States with money he had raised from church members in England he denounced the church, abandoned his families and Emily never saw him again.
In 1864 she married Joseph Woodmansee. They had eight children together.
Woodmansee wrote a "Hand-cart Song" that captured the cheerful mood of the Saints as they started westward. Woodmansee wrote a poem about the sufferings in the handcart experience, drawing from her firsthand knowledge, in 1881. She saw her works published in the Improvement Era
, the Young Women's Journal and the Women's Exponent. She also wrote a poem for the "Mormon" Women's Protest of March 6, 1886 against the Edmunds-Tucker Act
.
Woodmansee was involved in the real estate business in Salt Lake City. She also served as the treasurer for the Women's Cooperative Store.
Woodmansee wrote the Jubilee hymn for the Sunday School. Woodmansee was also involved in the Women's Suffrage Movement.
Woodmansee was an acquaintance of President Heber J. Grant
.
A compilation of Woodmansee's poetry was published in 1986.
In 2004 some of her poems were again published in Discoveries: Two Centuries of Poems by Mormon Women published by the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University
.
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official hymn book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
of the LDS Church's hymnbook, previous LDS Church hymnbooks have included more of her works.
Biography
Emily Hill was born at WarminsterWarminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) when she was twelve. Among those who she would walk to church with at this point was Edward Tullidge
Edward Tullidge
Edward Wheelock Tullidge was a literary critic, newspaper editor, playwright, and historian of Utah Territory.-Biography:...
. Her family initially opposed her joining the church but through the efforts of John Halliday they were reconciled with the notion enough for her to be baptized. In 1856 Emily Hill and her sister Julia sailed for the USA. They sailed on the "Thornton" in the Latter-day Saint company under James G. Willie
James G. Willie
James Grey Willie is one of the most well-remembered leaders of the Latter-day Saint handcart pioneers....
. The Hill girls crossed the plains in the Willie Handcart Company.
In 1857 Emily married Dr. William G. Mills. He latter left on a mission to England. After returning to the United States with money he had raised from church members in England he denounced the church, abandoned his families and Emily never saw him again.
In 1864 she married Joseph Woodmansee. They had eight children together.
Woodmansee wrote a "Hand-cart Song" that captured the cheerful mood of the Saints as they started westward. Woodmansee wrote a poem about the sufferings in the handcart experience, drawing from her firsthand knowledge, in 1881. She saw her works published in the Improvement Era
Improvement Era
The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
, the Young Women's Journal and the Women's Exponent. She also wrote a poem for the "Mormon" Women's Protest of March 6, 1886 against the Edmunds-Tucker Act
Edmunds-Tucker Act
The Edmunds–Tucker Act of 1887 was passed in response to the dispute between the United States Congress and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding polygamy. The act is found in US Code Title 48 & 1461, full text as 24 Stat. 635, with this annotation to be interpreted as Volume...
.
Woodmansee was involved in the real estate business in Salt Lake City. She also served as the treasurer for the Women's Cooperative Store.
Woodmansee wrote the Jubilee hymn for the Sunday School. Woodmansee was also involved in the Women's Suffrage Movement.
Woodmansee was an acquaintance of President Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
.
Legacy
In the 1927 LDS Church hymnbook there were eight hymns by Woodmansee. On of these was "O the Daughters of Zion, The Friends of the Poor". One of her poems was featured in the 1941 Relief Society Centennial Anthology of Verse by Latter-day Saint women. In the 1948 hymnal there were two hymns by Woodmansee. These were "Up! Arouse Thee, O Beautiful Zion" (with music by Leroy J. Robertson) and "When Dark and Drear the Skies Appear". In the 1985 hymnal "As Sisters in Zion" was for the first time published as a hymn. It was recast as part of a very popular medley in 1999.A compilation of Woodmansee's poetry was published in 1986.
In 2004 some of her poems were again published in Discoveries: Two Centuries of Poems by Mormon Women published by the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
.