Catharine Maria Sedgwick’s Literary Network

Of the three A Woman of the Century authors of travel books during that nascent period, Catharine Maria Sedgwick has been credited with being the star of a literary coterie that attracted visitors to Massachusetts. In fact, from 1827 to 1837, Catharine welcomed at least four English women authors during their travels and most likely heard all about the demand for travel writing from prominent authors on both sides of the Atlantic:

Margaret Hunter Hall: In 1827, British travel writer, Captain Basil Hall and his wife, Margaret, visited Catharine in Stockbridge, and both mentioned her in their travelogues published in 1829 and 1831. Catharine included a disclaimer about Captain Hall in her novel Clarence published in 1830 and then recounted her pleasant travels around England with the Halls in her own 1841 travelogue.

Fanny Kemble: In 1832, Catharine befriended English actress and writer Fanny Kemble during her stay in America. Kemble later published a Journal of a Residence in America in 1835 in which she mentioned “Miss Sedgwick” in favorable terms. Fanny and Catharine remained friends throughout the latter’s lifetime, and Fanny contributed a posthumous sketch of Catharine’s life for the Life and Letters of Catharine M. Sedgwick book published in 1872. Although a cross-reference was included for Fanny Kemble under her married name of Butler in the A Woman of the Century, her biography was not included.

Harriet Martineau: In 1830, Catharine began corresponding with the English writer Harriet Martineau and hosted her twice on Martineau’s travels through America in 1834 and 1835. At one point, Catharine had hoped to join Martineau on a trip through the western states that never materialized. In 1835, Catharine gathered Harriet Martineau (English) and writers Lydia Sigourney (American), and Fanny Kemble (English) in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. All four writers would publish their travel writings within the next seven years. It would not be surprising if Lydia Sigourney mentioned her colleague, Emma Willard, at their meeting because Emma had already traveled to Europe in 1830 and published her Journal and Letters from France and Great Britain in 1833. Although their friendship later cooled, Catharine corresponded with Martineau for several years after her visit to Stockbridge. In a footnote, Catharine’s 1841 travelogue explained that she wasn’t able to visit with Miss Martineau on her trip to London because Miss Martineau was on the Continent at that time.

Mrs. (Anna Brownell) Jameson: Finally, in 1837, Catharine hosted another English author, Mrs. (Anna Brownell) Jameson, who was a friend of Fanny Kemble and Harriet Martineau, and had already published her 1833 travelogue of Europe in Diary of an Ennuyee and her Visits and Sketches at Home and Abroad with Tales and Miscellanies Now First Collected, and a New Edition of the “Diary of an Ennuyee” in 1834. Jameson would also publish in 1838 her Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada. In Catharine’s 1841 travelogue, Catharine mentioned seeing Mrs. Jameson daily at her English home and corresponded with Jameson for decades thereafter.

Thanks to technology, readers now have free access to digitized copies of most of these travel books that describe the people and places of a by-gone era.