Frances Miriam Whitcher
Encyclopedia
Frances Miriam "Berry" Whitcher (1811–1852) was an American
humorist, born in Whitestown, New York
. Whitcher may have been the first significant woman prose
humorist in the United States
.
, Oneida County
, New York
. She was the daughter of Lewis Berry. She lived a fairly sheltered life, and was very close to her family. She was often ill, but managed to find the ridiculous in everyday life. On January 6, 1847, at the age of 35, she married Rev. Benjamin Williams Whitcher
, and in the Spring of that year moved with her new husband to Elmira, New York
where he became the Rector of Trinity Church
in April 1847. She had to put herself more into the public eye as a minister's wife. She died January 4, 1852 in Whitestown, New York
.
during the 1840s. Her humorous creation, The Widow Bedott, made her a celebrity. The characters she developed helped her satirize gentility, including issues such as fashion, social status, courtship, and hypocrisy. In 1855, The Widow Bedott Papers, was gathered from her writings and published in book form, featuring her chief character, the comic fool The Widow Bedott.
Afterwards, David R. Locke
fashioned a coarsely amusing play from it. Consult the memoir by M. L. W. Whitcher in Frances M. Whitcher's Widow Spriggins (New York, 1867).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
humorist, born in Whitestown, New York
Whitestown, New York
Whitestown is a town in Oneida County, New York, USA. The population was 18,635 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Judge Hugh White, an early settler.The Town of Whitestown is immediately west of Utica, New York...
. Whitcher may have been the first significant woman prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
humorist in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Family life
Frances was born November 1, 1811 in WhitestownWhitestown, New York
Whitestown is a town in Oneida County, New York, USA. The population was 18,635 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Judge Hugh White, an early settler.The Town of Whitestown is immediately west of Utica, New York...
, Oneida County
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. She was the daughter of Lewis Berry. She lived a fairly sheltered life, and was very close to her family. She was often ill, but managed to find the ridiculous in everyday life. On January 6, 1847, at the age of 35, she married Rev. Benjamin Williams Whitcher
Benjamin Williams Whitcher
Benjamin Williams Whitcher was born in Rochester, Vermont on December, 8, 1811. He was the son of Stephen and Esther Emerson Whitcher. His father was a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, being one of a large family, of which Thomas Whitcher, who came from England to New England in 1638, was the...
, and in the Spring of that year moved with her new husband to Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
where he became the Rector of Trinity Church
Trinity Church (Elmira, New York)
The parish of Trinity Church, Elmira, New York was founded in 1833. Trinity Church is a parish of the Chemung District of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, centered in Syracuse, New York. The present structure of Trinity Church is located at 304 North Main Street, Elmira, New York....
in April 1847. She had to put herself more into the public eye as a minister's wife. She died January 4, 1852 in Whitestown, New York
Whitestown, New York
Whitestown is a town in Oneida County, New York, USA. The population was 18,635 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Judge Hugh White, an early settler.The Town of Whitestown is immediately west of Utica, New York...
.
Material
Whitcher's keen observations of those around her were an unending source of materials for her sketches. Those she wrote about soon saw themselves in her prose, and this caused friction with her husband's parishioners. This may have caused him to lose his position in the church.Characters
She contributed poems to the Saturday Gazette and Godey's Lady's BookGodey's Lady's Book
Godey's Lady's Book, alternatively known as Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book, was a United States magazine which was published in Philadelphia. It was the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil War. Its circulation rose from 70,000 in the 1840s to 150,000 in 1860...
during the 1840s. Her humorous creation, The Widow Bedott, made her a celebrity. The characters she developed helped her satirize gentility, including issues such as fashion, social status, courtship, and hypocrisy. In 1855, The Widow Bedott Papers, was gathered from her writings and published in book form, featuring her chief character, the comic fool The Widow Bedott.
Afterwards, David R. Locke
David Ross Locke
David Ross Locke was an American journalist and early political commentator during and after the American Civil War.-Biography:...
fashioned a coarsely amusing play from it. Consult the memoir by M. L. W. Whitcher in Frances M. Whitcher's Widow Spriggins (New York, 1867).