Ferris was born in 1802 in Spencer, New York, where his father was a prominent citizen. He received his secondary education in Spencer and Canandaigua. He studied law at Union College in Schenectady and graduated in 1828. He began practicing law in 1829 in the Ithaca, New York offices of David Woodcock, whose daughter Elizabeth Cornelia (1809–1903) he married in 1830.[4]
He was District Attorney of Tompkins County, New York from 1840 to 1845. He was President of the Village of Ithaca in 1841 and 1852. He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Tompkins Co., 2nd D.) in 1851. He was Supervisor of the Town of Ithaca in 1855.
Mormon criticismedit
Ferris was appointed by President Millard Fillmore as Secretary of the Territory of Utah in 1852.[4][5] Ferris was a follower of Swedenborgianism and clashed with the Mormons during his six months in Utah. A biographer wrote: "He could not suppress his abhorence [sic] of Mormonism nor tolerate its influences, nor accept its devotees as his neighbors, and resigned his high position, thus sacrificing great possibilities in his very promising public career."[4]
From his Utah experience, Ferris wrote the 1854 book Utah and the Mormons,[6] and his wife published her letters from this period in the 1856 book The Mormons at Home.[7] These books were influential in building opposition to Mormonism in the American public.[4]
Ferris or his wife were suspected to be the author of Female Life Among the Mormons: A Narrative of Many Years' Personal Experience under the penname "Maria Ward". Recent scholarship has shown that they were not the author.[3][8][9]
A New Theory of the Origin of Speciesedit
Ferris was the author of A New Theory of the Origin of Species (1872 and republished 1883). The book advocated an unorthodox form of creationism. Paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope negatively reviewed the book in The American Naturalist stating that "his theory, that each new specific form is produced from the matrix of a pre-existent species by supernatural power, is only a form of the old belief in distinct creations, and is not a developmental theory in any sense. He produces no evidence in support of it, in fact, he does not appear to know what scientific evidence is."[10]
Published worksedit
Ferris, Benjamin G. (1854). Utah and the Mormons: The History, Government, Doctrines, Customs, and Prospects of the Latter-Day Saints, from Personal Observation During a Six Months' Residence at Great Salt Lake City. Harper & Brothers.
Ferris, Benjamin G. (1883). A New Theory of the Origin of Species. New York: Fowler & Wells.
Referencesedit
^Death date from "Ithaca Death Records 1891". Genealogy Connect - Plus. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
^"Arrivals" (PDF). The New York Times. August 26, 1853. Retrieved 2008-07-01. Among the arrivals from California by the last steamer was Hon. Benjamin G. Ferris, lately Secretary to the Territorial Government of Utah. Mr. Ferris left Salt Lake some months since, and went across the country to California. He has lived among the Mormons ...
^ ab"Ithaca Journal". March 3, 2008. Historians have suggested that the author, (whose pen-name was Maria Ward) was really Cornelia Ferris, and her husband was Benjamin G. Ferris, once a secretary of the Utah Territory, a lawyer, a district attorney and president of the Village of Ithaca.
^ abcdeBurns, Thomas W. (1904). Initial Ithacans. Ithaca, NY: Press of the Ithaca Journal. pp. 49–52. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
^Utah and the Mormons: The History, Government, Doctrines, Customs, and Prospects of the Latter-Day Saints, from Personal Observation During a Six Months' Residence at Great Salt Lake City. Harper & Brothers. 1854. ISBN9780608424125. In the early part of the summer of 1852 I was solicited to discharge the duties of Secretary of the Territory of Utah. ...
^"The Mormons in Utah" (PDF). The New York Times. June 30, 1854. Retrieved 2008-07-01. The History, Government. Doctrines, Customs and Prospects of the Latter-Day Saints. From personal observations during a six-months' residence at Great Salt Lake City. By Benjamin G. Ferris, late Secretary of Utah Territory.
^Ferris, Mrs. B.G. (1856). The Mormons at Home: With Some Incidents of Travel From Missouri to California, 1852-3, in a Series of Letters. New York: Dix & Edwards. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
^"Maria Ward". Retrieved 2008-07-01. According to Michael Homer and Massimo Introvigne, Maria Ward was the pseudonym for Elizabeth Cornelia Woodcock Ferris, the wife of Benjamin G. Ferris, who was Utah Territorial Secretary between 1852-53. This widely published anti-Mormon author claimed to base her accounts on personal experience in Utah Territory
^E. D. C. (1873). Reviewed Work: A New Theory of the Origin of Species by B. G. Ferris. The American Naturalist 7 (4): 231-232.
External linksedit
Review of Utah and the Mormons published in The New Englander in 1854.
benjamin, ferris, benjamin, gilbert, ferris, 1802, february, 1891, secretary, territorial, government, utah, lawyer, district, attorney, leader, ithaca, town, york, bornbenjamin, gilbert, ferris1802diedfebruary, 1891, occupation, secretary, territorial, govern. Benjamin Gilbert Ferris 1802 February 21 1891 1 was a Secretary to the Territorial Government of Utah a lawyer a district attorney and leader in Ithaca town New York 2 3 Benjamin G FerrisBornBenjamin Gilbert Ferris1802DiedFebruary 21 1891 age 89 Occupation s Secretary to the Territorial Government of UtahDistrict attorney for Tompkins County New YorkMember of the New York State AssemblyNotable workUtah and the MormonsSpouseElizabeth Cornelia Woodcock Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Mormon criticism 2 Female Life Among the Mormons 3 A New Theory of the Origin of Species 4 Published works 5 References 6 External linksBiography editFerris was born in 1802 in Spencer New York where his father was a prominent citizen He received his secondary education in Spencer and Canandaigua He studied law at Union College in Schenectady and graduated in 1828 He began practicing law in 1829 in the Ithaca New York offices of David Woodcock whose daughter Elizabeth Cornelia 1809 1903 he married in 1830 4 He was District Attorney of Tompkins County New York from 1840 to 1845 He was President of the Village of Ithaca in 1841 and 1852 He was a member of the New York State Assembly Tompkins Co 2nd D in 1851 He was Supervisor of the Town of Ithaca in 1855 Mormon criticism edit Ferris was appointed by President Millard Fillmore as Secretary of the Territory of Utah in 1852 4 5 Ferris was a follower of Swedenborgianism and clashed with the Mormons during his six months in Utah A biographer wrote He could not suppress his abhorence sic of Mormonism nor tolerate its influences nor accept its devotees as his neighbors and resigned his high position thus sacrificing great possibilities in his very promising public career 4 From his Utah experience Ferris wrote the 1854 book Utah and the Mormons 6 and his wife published her letters from this period in the 1856 book The Mormons at Home 7 These books were influential in building opposition to Mormonism in the American public 4 Ferris died in 1891 at the age of 89 4 Female Life Among the Mormons editFerris or his wife were suspected to be the author of Female Life Among the Mormons A Narrative of Many Years Personal Experience under the penname Maria Ward Recent scholarship has shown that they were not the author 3 8 9 A New Theory of the Origin of Species editFerris was the author of A New Theory of the Origin of Species 1872 and republished 1883 The book advocated an unorthodox form of creationism Paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope negatively reviewed the book in The American Naturalist stating that his theory that each new specific form is produced from the matrix of a pre existent species by supernatural power is only a form of the old belief in distinct creations and is not a developmental theory in any sense He produces no evidence in support of it in fact he does not appear to know what scientific evidence is 10 Published works editFerris Benjamin G 1854 Utah and the Mormons The History Government Doctrines Customs and Prospects of the Latter Day Saints from Personal Observation During a Six Months Residence at Great Salt Lake City Harper amp Brothers Ferris Benjamin G 1883 A New Theory of the Origin of Species New York Fowler amp Wells References edit Death date from Ithaca Death Records 1891 Genealogy Connect Plus Retrieved 2009 12 16 Arrivals PDF The New York Times August 26 1853 Retrieved 2008 07 01 Among the arrivals from California by the last steamer was Hon Benjamin G Ferris lately Secretary to the Territorial Government of Utah Mr Ferris left Salt Lake some months since and went across the country to California He has lived among the Mormons a b Ithaca Journal March 3 2008 Historians have suggested that the author whose pen name was Maria Ward was really Cornelia Ferris and her husband was Benjamin G Ferris once a secretary of the Utah Territory a lawyer a district attorney and president of the Village of Ithaca a b c d e Burns Thomas W 1904 Initial Ithacans Ithaca NY Press of the Ithaca Journal pp 49 52 Retrieved 2009 12 16 Utah and the Mormons The History Government Doctrines Customs and Prospects of the Latter Day Saints from Personal Observation During a Six Months Residence at Great Salt Lake City Harper amp Brothers 1854 ISBN 9780608424125 In the early part of the summer of 1852 I was solicited to discharge the duties of Secretary of the Territory of Utah The Mormons in Utah PDF The New York Times June 30 1854 Retrieved 2008 07 01 The History Government Doctrines Customs and Prospects of the Latter Day Saints From personal observations during a six months residence at Great Salt Lake City By Benjamin G Ferris late Secretary of Utah Territory Ferris Mrs B G 1856 The Mormons at Home With Some Incidents of Travel From Missouri to California 1852 3 in a Series of Letters New York Dix amp Edwards Retrieved 2009 12 16 1856 Mormon Tale History Detectives Retrieved 2008 07 01 Maria Ward Retrieved 2008 07 01 According to Michael Homer and Massimo Introvigne Maria Ward was the pseudonym for Elizabeth Cornelia Woodcock Ferris the wife of Benjamin G Ferris who was Utah Territorial Secretary between 1852 53 This widely published anti Mormon author claimed to base her accounts on personal experience in Utah Territory E D C 1873 Reviewed Work A New Theory of the Origin of Species by B G Ferris The American Naturalist 7 4 231 232 External links editReview of Utah and the Mormons published in The New Englander in 1854 Article from The History Center of Tompkins County about the History Detectives episode on Ferris and Female Life Among the MormonsNew York State AssemblyPreceded byElias W Cady New York State Assembly Tompkins County 2nd District1851 Succeeded byStephen B Cushing Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Benjamin G Ferris amp oldid 1145202524, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
