Susan Anne Ridley Sedgwick

Susan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick
Born May 24, 1788(1788-05-24)
Stockbridge, MA
Died January 20, 1867(1867-01-20) (aged 78)
Stockbridge, MA
Resting place The Sedgwick Pie
Nationality U.S.A.
Occupation Author
Known for Children's novels

Susan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick (1788–1867) was a 19th Century American writer specializing in children's novels. She is also painted a watercolor-on-ivory portrait of an ex-slave who came to work for her family.

Sedgwick was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, daughter of Matthew Ridley (1746–1789) and Catherine Livingston (1751–1813), his second wife.[1] Sedgwick's mother, Catherine Livingston, was the daughter of William Livingston, governor of New Jersey.[1] She married Theodore Sedgwick, Jr., (1780–1839).[2] Her husband's father, Theodore Sedgwick (1746–1813), was a delegate to Continental Congress, a United States Representative, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a United States Senator from Massachusetts, and a state supreme court judge.[3] As a lawyer, Sedgwick, Sr. represented Elizabeth ("Mumbet") Freeman, who had been a slave for forty years,[4] and won her freedom. Mumbet came to live as a servant in the Sedgwick household, and Susan Sedgwick painted her portrait (watercolor on ivory).[5]

Sedgwick's sister-in-law was Catharine Sedgwick (1789–1867), also a novelist. Before she married Catharine's brother, Susan was Catharine's schoolmate[6]

Sedgwick was one of the 139 people buried in the large circular family burial plot in Stockbridge, Massachusetts known as the Sedgwick Pie.

Works

References

  1. ^ a b "Matthew Ridley Papers 1717–1812". Library Collection Guides. The Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0042. Retrieved 10 Jan 2011. 
  2. ^ Brown (ed.), John Howard. Lamb’s Biographical Dictionary of the United States. Boston: Federal Book Company of Boston. http://www.archive.org/stream/lambsbiodic07browrich/lambsbiodic07browrich_djvu.txt. 
  3. ^ Baynes (ed.), Thomas Spencer. Supplement to Encyclopædia Britannica 9th Edition A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature. New York: J. M. Stottar. pp. 463. http://books.google.com/books?id=hmpHAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA463&lpg=PA463&dq=susan+livingston+sedgwick&source=bl&ots=uEhYu3U5R0&sig=Q748DOVm4R869x5rLYrSpdZ4K6o&hl=en&ei=3IUnTa-vB434sAOW9cDDCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CD0Q6AEwCTiWAQ#v=onepage&q=susan%20livingston%20sedgwick&f=false. 
  4. ^ "Elizabeth Freeman ("Mumbet")". African Americans and the End of Slavery in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/endofslavery/?queryID=54. Retrieved 10 January 2011. 
  5. ^ "(Portrait of) Elizabeth Freeman ("Mumbet")". African Americans and the End of Slavery in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/database/25use-onview-id. Retrieved 10 January 2011. 
  6. ^ Lucinda L. Damon-Bach; Victoria Clements (2003). Catharine Maria Sedgwick: critical perspectives. Northeastern University Press. p. xxvi. ISBN 1-55553-548-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=vZlvgas5yWcC&pg=PR26. 

External links