Help with a Mormon problem Utah

[Trees]

I have now found four Mormon connections to our tree not direct line but nether the less interesting. BUT now I have hit a strange problem.
I'm looking at the North Devon Bale family and find that 4 brothers emigrated more or less at the same time . Three settled in Canada and appear on various censuses as Methodists. The fourth went to Utah and married there
"Anna Bibbins Chaffee Bale (1811 - 1881)  - Daughter of Amos Chaffee and Harmony Crary. Married Elijah Fordham, 3 Oct 1838, Ashford, Windham, Connecticut.  Children: Amos Pierre Fordham, Lydia Lovonia Fordham.
Married Joseph Bale, 27 Feb 1857, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah."
I have seen photos of her memorial on several An..ry trees
Anna Bibbins Chaffee Fordham Bale 24 March 1811-8 December 1881
she married in a plural marriage  Elijah Fordham, 3 Oct 1838, Ashford, Windham, Connecticut.
but Elijah Fordham did not die until 1879 well after she married Joseph Bale.
There are several accounts of Elijah#s life on line none mentioning a divorce although all mention his marriage to Anna
an anyone help to get to the true situation please.
Are there any censuses available that show Anna after 1857 were any of her Fordham children with her and Joseph for example. Are there records of Mormon divorce?
Hope some one can shine a light on the situation
Trees

[*Sandra*]

1850 Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory,

Anna B Fordham  40
Amos O Fordham  10 Born Iowa  Anna M Fordham  6 Born Illinois
Joseph Fordham  Born Iowa 4 Emily Fordham  0  Born Des
Achsa White  39
Henry White  20

1860 The daughter Anna, Joseph, Elija and Delia (probably Emily on the 1850  ) Fordham was with her father Elijah - Great Salt Lake City Ward 17, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory

Elijah Fordham  62 Amelia Fordham  47
Elizabeth Fordham  20  Amos P Fordham  18
Elijah Fordham  3 Joseph Fordham  11
George Fordham  30 Anna Fordham  15
Delia Fordham  10

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Have you read these entries on FIND A GRAVE they give some good accounts. Sadly not one for Anna Bibbins Chaffee Bale

Elijah Fordham -

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9347388

Daughter Anna Marie Fordham Deakin

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40051811

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Strange the children are with Anna and Joseph as well according to this 1860 census 3d Ward Great Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory. Under the spelling BAEL and Joseph as Josiah Bael 

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2W-RZB

Josiah Bael      48   Connecticut
Anna Bael      49      Connecticut
Joseph Bael   13   Iowa
Emily Bael      9   Utah
Anna M Bael   16   Illinois
John Gardner   54   England

Sandra


Anna married 1863 as per find a grave entry - Joseph Ellijah married 10 July 1870

[*Sandra*]

Joseph Bale - 13th Ward Gsl City - Salt Lake County - 1856

Joseph Bale - 8 S bet 2 and 3 E - Salt Lake City - 1879

Joseph Bale - 231 e Eighth South - Salt Lake - 1884

Joseph Bale - 1814 England - Died 27 March 1890 - Burial - 27 March 1890 - Salt Lake City, Utah.

Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848

Joseph Bale - 18 November 1814 - Father Joseph Bale Mother Prudence Curtis - Brick Mason - Spouse Anna Bibbons Chaffee 
Baptism Date - May 7, 1844 Patriarchal Blessing Date: December 4, 1842 Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois USA Officiator: Smith, H.

https://www.namesinstone.com/Sources.aspx?dec=581493

FIND A GRAVE

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40372661&ref=acom

Sandra

[Trees]

Sorry I had to disappear for a while.
Josh that is all very interesting so have Anna and Elijah already split up by 1850 or was it norm for plural marriage families to live quiet separately so it isn't odd that Elijah wasn't with the family? umm  I will read those links and get back to the thread
Many thanks I wasn't sure you would be able to get the censuses from the States as well as Canada I really do value your help

[Trees]

How odd the children under different surnames but with the same ages and place of birth on both censuses. I have found a situation before when the great con man of my tree Edwin Turner Osbaldeston appears on two different USA censuses with two different families in the same year ..in that case it was possible as the different states took the census on different dates. Is this a similar scenario i wonder. it looks like both parents have "claimed the children" How sad I hope they were not too traumatised. Anna doesn't mention her parents splitting up in her biography does she we can only wonder at it all at this distance through time.How odd too that Joseph has changed his birth place from Devon to Connecticut. Had Joseph and Anna left the Mormon  community do you think its all very confusing She must have been divorced as it looks like a formal marriage with Joseph Bale
Josh I wish these were closer to the trunk of my tree rather than being out on the limbs must e mail all this now to your name sake I have shown her a few corrections and pointed her to Roots chat I do hope she joins in.
H.

[Trees]

I did wonder if they separated when the authorities started arresting the men for polygamy but looking at the family I already have that seemed to be around 1887 so well after this apparent divorce. Would they have had to divorce before she married again though I suppose legally they weren't married at all. The one I know who was arrested the 2nd and 3rd wives also stood trial only the first wife was considered truly married. Am I right in thinking Anna married Joseph Bale with the name Anna Bibbins Chaffee not Anna Bibbins Fordham? That would mean it wasn't considered her legal name or would it? umm this is fascinating

[Trees]

Ahh I have found this https://familysearch.org/photos/images/7142860?p=3026102
It says "Elijah married Ann Bibbins CHAFFEE 3rd October 1838.....the sealing of Elijah and Anna Bibbins was cancelled 29 October 1851 it was later reinstated by their family she married Joseph Bale 27 February 1857 in salt Lake City and were sealed in the endowment house the same day" Apparently Elijah and Joseph worked together.
Now what does this mean is the cancelling of a seal the same as a divorce?  I am confused by the terminology is an endowment a marriage is the marriage legally accepted or only true with in the Mormon community? Oh help its very strange .