Born: 29 November 1788, United States
Died: 16 July 1858
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Abigail Goodrich
The following is excerpted from A Cyclopædia of Female Biography, published 1857 by Groomsbridge and Sons and edited by Henry Gardiner Adams.
Widely known as the benefactress of mothers, was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where her father, the Rev. Samuel Goodrich, was then setttled as pastor over the Congregational Church. He afterwards removed to Berlin, in that state, where Miss Goodrich was chiefly educated. Her family are remarkable for piety and talents; among these may be named her two brothers, the Rev. Charles A. Goodrich and the Hon. Samuel G. Goodrich, (Peter Parley,) who have long been known as able and interesting writers.
Miss Goodrich, under her wise and pious instructors, became in early youth devoted to the service of her Saviour, and, fortunately for her happiness, met with a congenial mind and heart in the Rev. Samuel Whittlesey, to whom she was married in 1806. He was then the settled clergyman in a country parish, where be continued, eminently successful, for many years, while his amiable wit became intimately acquainted with the habits, circumstances, and wants of women who live in the country. In this respect, he experience contributed to fit her for the post which she subsequently occupied; viz., that of a writer in behalf of mother, and particularly as the editress of a magazine devoted to their interests. In this relation to the literary and religious public she has long been known and deservedly admired. The periodical referred to was for many years conducted by her under the name of the “Mother’s Magazine.” She is now the editress of a new one, commenced a few years since, entitled “The Magazine for Mothers and Daughters.”
But Mrs. Whittlesey had other experience than that pertaining to the country antecedently to her entrance on the profession of authorship in the line above-mentioned, and which fitted her still further for this honourable and useful calling. After Mr. Whittlesey, at his own request, received a dismission from his pastoral relation at New Preston, he took in charge the “American Asylum of the Deaf and Dumb,” at Hartford, in which very responsible station Mrs. Whittlesey’s efficient labours, as well as those of her husband, contributed largely to the prosperity of the institution. Subsequently, they had charge of large and flourishing female seminaries in Canandaigua and in Utica, N.Y. Coming in contact, thus, with many of her sex in the forming period of life and in the process of intellectual and moral education in which she herself had a direct an agency, her observations and experience were of the utmost consequence to her in her appreciation of the wants of the mothers and daughters of the land. She saw, also, how necessary was the development of female character and influence.
With such a stock of knowledge and experience, and with an ardent desire to serve her Divine Master in doing good to her sex and the world, she projected the “Mother’s Magazine.” It was in the city of Utica that this important undertaking was matured and carried into effect; the publication commencing in the year 1833. The “Mother’s Magazine” was as original in its conception as it has proved to be able in its execution and useful in its influence. It was the offspring of much thought, consultation, and prayer, attended, indeed, with the usual anxiety and misgivings incident to new enterprises. The projector of the work, however, was probably less apprehensive of the result than many others, though even she could hardly have conjectured “whereunto this would grow” through the series of years it has continued. It is commonly found in experience, that they who have the talent and the grace to conceive and bring into existence important measures for human benefit are the most hopeful of success. They see beyond others in that particular in consequence of the thought and mental straggle which their project has cost them. They have considered more closely its bearings and relations, and feel more keenly the want which originated it. What other minds less gifted with foresight or more sceptical as to results rather desire than expect, is with them often reduced to a moral certainty.
Mrs. Whittlesey’s feelings were deeply interested in that portion of her sex which she wished more particularly to reach. This she some time previously evinced in procuring the tract “An Address to Mothers,” to be written. She was therefore the person, in view both of her ability and her zeal, her advantages and experience, to prepare a medium of communication with her sisters, the mothers of the land. She proposed in her Magazine the two-fold object of Enlightening the minds of this portion of her sex on the subject of their relation to the community, and to the church and the duties growing out of that relation; and at the same time of presenting the motives and encouragements to appropriate and effective labour in their own peculiar sphere. Then, she hoped to operate, through mothers, on all classes of the community; on the male part, as well as the female; on husbands, and fathers, and sons, as well as wives, and daughters, and the sex generally. But it was to do only woman’s-work by woman’s agency. It was in no Mary Wolstonecraft spirit that the good which she wished to bring about was to be sought. It was not by trenching on the province of men, nor by usurping their place, that she would effect a reformation or improvement. In the whole subject of the moral training of the young, and arm woman with her true power. Woman she would keep to her own influence, but it was an influence neither inconsiderable nor doubtful. It was not to be confined within narrow limits. It could not be easily evaded whenever or wherever it should appear. It was insinuating, permeating like the air; it was gentle as the dews, reaching and blessing alike the root and the branches of the living, intellectual, moral being. It was truly a material work that Mrs. Whittlesley through her journal sought to accomplish—the preparation and efficiency of mothers as agents in moulding the character of their offspring. It was a truly feminine, delicate, graceful, though dignified and potent work.
Having laid her own beloved ones in their infancy upon God’s altar, and sought by all appropriate means to train them for the service of their Divine Master, and having joyfully seen the most of them in the morning of life dedicating themselves to His service, she has, with convincing power and energy, urged the mothers of the land to employ those means in the education of their children which in her case God had so signally blessed. She has given great prominence to the cause of missions in the pages of her journal, and entreated parents to train up their children not only for the church at home, but with special reference to extending the triumphs of the cross in heathen lands. Many children of missionaries have been committed to her maternal care, and have obtained through her the means of education and support; but, not content with this, she gladly surrendered her first-born son to become a foreign missionary. His qualifications for usefulness and his long course of training were such as to excite the fond hope that he would be long spared to labour on earth; but the Master was in these fast ripening him for some higher post of responsibility in the upper sanctuary. A long life of service to the church at home could never have made him so holy a man as did the few years he was employed in missionary labour in India.
Maternal Associations have long been subjects of her fostering care. Through her influence and correspondence these institutions were greatly multiplied in this country, in America, and other foreign lands, before the commencement of her Magazine, one design of which to extend their influence and to furnish a means of communication between them.
In her personal appearance Mrs. Whittlesey is prepossessing and dignified; in her address easy and unaffected; in her conversation gentle, deliberate, and persuasive; in her natural temperament gentle, warm, and sympathetic; in her judgment sound and discriminative, arriving at her conclusions less, perhaps, by a formal process of induction, than by a native aptness and a sanctified taste. She was made for influence in whatever path of life she might have chosen. In that which Providence has actually assigned to her, she has sought to wield it for the noblest ends. We rejoice in its extent, since it is apparent that she views it only as a talent to be employed in her Saviour’s service. For her efforts to raise the standard of maternal hope and fidelity, to sow the seeds of domestic virtue and happiness far and near, and to improve and elevate the character of female influence in general, she is destined, we believe, to be long and affectionately remembered as a most efficient and noble benefactress.