Martha McBride (1805-1901)

Gathered here is the most comprehensive repository of materials on the life of Martha McBride, mother of Adaline Knight and aunt of Henrietta McBride (wives of Utah Pioneer Gilbert Belnap) and spouse of Vinson Knight.  Click on the links below to access biographical and historical information by or about Martha McBride:

Biographies and Related Materials

• Centennial History in Honor of Utah Pioneer Gilbert Belnap, 1850-1950 (including 1952 and 1956 Supplements)
• Belnap, W. Dean. Heritage With Honor: Genealogy and History of the Ancestry and Descendants of Gilbert Belnap (1821 – 1899) (1974)
• Belnap, Flora, comp. Pioneer Incidents of Rev. Daniel McBride and Abigail Mead-McBride and Their Children of Utah, Michigan and New York (1952)
• Dotson, Flora Belnap. “Analysis of the Pedigree of James McBride and Betsy Mead, My Great Grandparents”
• Belnap, Brent J. “Life Story of Martha McBride Knight Smith Kimball” (1995) (prepared for DUP book)
• Joseph Smith Papers: “Kimball, Martha McBride” (contains links to scanned images of original primary sources)
• Gibbons, Francis M. Martha: A Historical Novel (2004)
• Martha McBride Knight (“Wives of Joseph Smith” biography)
• Compton, Todd.  In Sacred Lonelinesss: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997), p. 369
• Kimball, Stanley B. Heber C. Kimball: Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer (Univ. of Ill., 1981), p. 310
• Carter, Kate B., ed. Heber C. Kimball–His Wives and Family (1967), p. 3[01]
• Whitney, Orson F. Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 432
• Marion Adaline Belnap Kerr Collection, LDS Church Archives
• Kerr Family Collection (register), Weber State University

Internet Resources

• Wikipedia: Martha McBride Knight
• Wikipedia: Relief Society
• Wikipedia: Kimball-Snow-Woolley Family
• Heber C. Kimball Family

Letters

Letters from Martha McBride to:

• Martha McBride Knight, Nauvoo, IL, to Rizpah Lee Knight (mother-in-law), 8 Jul 1845
  • Holograph copy (with added transcription by Maureen Ursenbach Beecher) (received from Todd Compton) 
  • Page 1 (typescript copy)
  • Page 2 (typescript copy)
  • Page 3 (typescript copy)
  • Transcription
• Martha McBride Knight (mother-in-law) to Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and Henrietta McBride, 17 Jul 1859
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Transcription
• Martha McBride Knight (mother-in-law) and Andrew S. and Rizpah Knight Gibbons (in-laws) to Gilbert Belnap, 17 Apr 1860
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Envelope
  • Transcription
• Martha McBride Knight (mother-in-law) to Gilbert Belnap, 10 Apr 1865
  • Page 1
  • Transcription
• Martha McBride Knight (mother-in-law) to Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and grandchildren, 10 Feb 1869
  • Page 1
  • Pages 2-3
  • Transcription
• Martha McBride Knight (mother-in-law) to Gilbert Belnap and Adaline Knight, 6 Jun 1870
  • Page 1
  • Transcription
• Martha McBride Knight to Lucius McBride (nephew) (end comments to Lucius McBride’s letter), 20 Aug 1893
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Transcription

Letters to Martha McBride from:

• Almira Knight (daughter) to Martha McBride, 1875
  • Pages 1, 4
  • Pages 2-3
  • Transcription
• James Vinson Knight (son) and Celestial Roberts (daughter-in-law) to Martha McBride, 9 Jan 1893
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, 12 Jan 1875
  • Card Text
  • Card Front
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother to Martha McBride, 15 Jul 1877
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, 15 Feb 1878
  • Pages 1-2
  • Pages 3-4
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, Apr 1878
  • Pages 1-2
  • Pages 3-4
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, 29 Nov 1878
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Addendum
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, 31 Jul 1880
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride (Nauvoo Temple Baptisms for Dead Letter), 1 Nov 1886
  • Page 1
  • Pages 2-3
  • Image
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) (with additions from Reuben McBride’s wife, Mary Ann Anderson, and grandchild, Nellie McBride) to Martha McBride, 5 Oct 1887
  • Pages 1, 4
  • Pages 2-3
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, 6 Dec 1887
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride, 25 Dec 1887
  • Transcription
• Reuben McBride (brother) to Martha McBride (no date)
  • Pages 1-2
  • Pages 3-4
  • Transcription
• Mary Ann Anderson (sister-in-law; wife of Reuben McBride) to Martha McBride, 15 Jul 1877
  • Pages 1-2
  • Transcription
• Helen Dame (niece) to Martha McBride, 26 Mar 1891
  • Pages 1-2
  • Pages 3-4
  • Transcription
• Lucius McBride (nephew) to uncertain addressee; with comments from Martha McBride Knight, 20 Aug 1893
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Transcription

LDS Materials

• Patriarchal Blessing: Martha McBride, Ohio, 24 Jun 1835
  • Transcription
  • Transcription
• Patriarchal Blessing: Martha McBride, 16 Feb 1872
  • Transcription
• Smith, Joseph F. “Affidavit of Martha McBride Kimball.” Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage, p. 72: 8 Jul 1869

LDS Temple Record

• Martha McBride Knight Temple Record, about 1877
  • Page 1 (top)
  • Page 1 (middle)
  • Page 1 (bottom)
  • Page 2 (top)
  • Page 2 (bottom)
  • Page 3
  • Transcription

Newspaper Articles

• “Old Folks’ Excursion,” Ogden Standard Examiner, 16 Jul 1890
• “The Relief Society Jubilee,” Deseret News, 26 Mar 1892
• “Gleanings in the Local Field–Another Mile Post Passed,” Ogden Standard Examiner, 19 Mar 1893
• “Golden Wedding at Hooper,” Ogden Standard Examiner, 27 Dec 1895
• “Ogden Society,” Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Dec 1895
• “The Relief Society,” American Eagle, 9 Nov 1901
• “Death of Pioneer Woman,” Ogden Standard Examiner, 21 Nov 1901
• “Veteran Laid to Rest,” Deseret Evening News, 27 Nov. 1901, p. 7

Receipts

• Nauvoo Property Tax Receipt, 11 Mar 1844
• Nauvoo Property Tax Receipt, 1 May 1844
• Sylvester B. Stoddard Home Lease, 27 Apr 1845

LDS History/Other Materials

• Jorgensen, Lynne Watkins & BYU Studies Staff. “The Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Passes to Brother Brigham: A Collective Spiritual Witness.” BYU Studies, vol. 36, no. 4 (1996-1997), p. 193
• Gibbons, Francis M. “Sixteen Years as a Witness,” Ensign (May 1986), p. 75
• Covington, Kae. Gathered in Time: Utah Quilts and Their Makers, Settlement to 1950 (Univ. of Utah Press, 1997)
• Derr, Jill Mulvay, Cannon, Janath Russell & Beecher, Maureen Ursenbach. Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society

Census Records

• 1830 U.S. Federal Census, Perrysburg, Cattaraugus, NY
• 1840 U.S. Federal Census, Hancock County, IL
• 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Davis County, UT (1850)
• 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Tonaquint, Washington, UT (27 Jul 1860)
• 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Weber River Valley, Weber, UT (9 Jul 1870)
• 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Beaver, Beaver, UT (2 Jun 1880)
• 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Hooper, Weber, UT (8 Jun 1900)

Death Records

• [see above]

Photographs and Images

Individual Images

• Martha McBride, earlier 1800s
• Martha McBride, older 1800s

Group Images

• Gilbert Belnap with wives Adaline Knight (standing left) and Henrietta McBride (standing right), Adaline’s sister Rizpah Knight Gibbons (seated left) and Adaline’s and Rizpah’s mother Martha McBride Knight (seated right), late 1800s
  • Front
  • Back
• Gilbert Belnap with wives Adaline Knight (standing left) and Henrietta McBride (standing right), Adaline’s sister Rizpah Knight Gibbons (seated left) and Adaline’s and Rizpah’s mother Martha McBride Knight (seated right), late 1800s (same as above)
• Adaline Knight with Martha McBride Knight and others, early 1900s

Other Images

• Martha McBride Knight Quilt  [TO COME] 

Headstone

• Headstone: Ogden City Cemetery: Martha M. Knight, Aug 1990
• Headstone: Ogden City Cemetery: Martha M. Knight, Jul 2007 (taken by Brent J. Belnap)

Residence: Kirtland, OH

• Vinson Knight Home (early view)
• Vinson Knight Home, about 1978
• Vinson Knight Home, May 2003

Residence: Nauvoo, Illinois

• Vinson Knight Home (early view)  [TO COME]
• Vinson Knight Home with Della A. Belnap standing in front, 27 Sep 1966
• Vinson Knight Home (front/east side), 28 Jun 1978 (taken by Joy M. Belnap)
• Vinson Knight Home (front/east and south sides), 28 Jun 1978 (taken by Joy M. Belnap) 
• Vinson Knight Home (back/west and north sides), 28 Jun 1978 (taken by Joy M. Belnap) 
• Vinson Knight Home (north side), 28 Jun 1978 (taken by Joy M. Belnap)
• Vinson Knight Home (front), 2002

Spouses

• Vinson Knight (1804-1842)
• Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844)
• Heber Chase Kimball (1801-1868)

Children

through Vinson Knight

• Almira Knight (1827-1912)
• Rizpah Knight (1829-1895)
• Adaline Knight (1831-1919)
• James Vinson Knight (1833-1912)
• Nathaniel Knight (1835-1836)
• Martha Abigail Knight (1839-1844)
• Rodolphus Elderkin Knight (1841-1842)

through Heber Chase Kimball

• (son) Kimball (unknown-unknown)

Parents

• Daniel McBride (1766-1823)
• Abigail Mead (1770-1854)

Last update:  16 Jun 2020