New Hampshire Suffragist, Lecturer, Clubwoman, Civic Leader: Susan Cushing (Wood) Bancroft of Concord (1861-1948)

Posted on 12 June, 2019 by Janice Brown

Photograph of Susan Cushing Wood Bancroft from One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, by Henry H. Metcalf & ed. F. M. Abbott, 1919

Susan Cushing (Wood) Bancroft was b 15 March 1861 in Milford MA, daughter of Bartholomew & Jennette (Burke) Wood.  She died 19 April 1948 in Concord NH. She is buried in Blossom Hill Cemetery in Concord NH.

Susan married on 6 Aug 1884 in Newton Center MA to Charles Parker Bancroft, son of J.P. & Elizabeth (Spear) Bancroft. He was born 11 Jan 1852 in St. Johnsbury VT and died  14 Dec 1923 in Hanover CT. He was an allopathic physician practicing in Concord NH in 1878, licensed in 1897. Dr. Bancroft had privileges at Boston (MA) City Hospital, and the New Hampshire State Hospital for the insane. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in Boston in 1878. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire Suffragist, Actress, Civic Leader: Agnes Marie (O’Leary) Jenks of Concord (1873-1945)

Posted on 9 June, 2019 by Janice Brown

Photograph of Agnes Jenks from glass negative, Library of Congress,George Grantham Bain Collection, circa 1900. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014687861/

Agnes Marie O’Leary was the daughter of William Curran & Miriam Catherine (Keating) O’Leary. She was born on 25 Sep 1873 in Wakefield, Middlesex Co. MA and died 9 May 1945 in Boston, Suffolk Co. MA (and so of course Massachusetts can also claim her).  Her father was an artist and designer who died several months before she was born.  During most of the years where she worked on behalf of suffrage, she lived in Concord New Hampshire.

Woman’s Who’s Who in America 1914-1915 presents the best biography of her: “JENKS, Agnes W. (Mrs. Barton Pickering Jenks) Concord NH. Born Wakefield Mass; ed. Boston (Mass.) public and private schools; m. Concord N.H. Oct 23, 1892 Barton P. Jenks (pres. William B. Durgin Co., silversmiths, Concord NH). Children: Phoebe M. Pickering, Barton Pickering Jr., Lewis B. Was an actress; played important parts with Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett and Mme Helene Modjeska (stage name “Agnes Acres”). Mem. Professional Women’s Club, Concord Woman’s Club, various charity organizations and Peace Soc. of N.H. Favors woman suffrage, sec. New Hampshire Woman Suffrage Assn’n. pres. Concord Equal Suffrage Assn.” Continue reading →

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New Hampshire Suffragist, Newspaper Editor, Printer, Civic Leader: Mary Donker Musgrove of Bristol (1875-1944)

Posted on 7 June, 2019 by Janice Brown

Photograph of Mary D. Musgrove, from Bristol (NH)
Historical Society. My thanks to Lucille Keegan.

Mary Donker Musgrove was born on 22 October 1875 in Bristol, Grafton Co. NH, daughter of Captain Richard Watson and Henrietta Maria “Etta”(Guild) Musgrove.  She led a long and productive life, and died on 6 Sep 1944. To those who wonder about the unusual middle name of Donker, it was her paternal grandmother’s surname as you will see in the genealogy below.

Miss Musgrove was buried in her family’s plot in Homeland Cemetery, Bristol NH where generations of the Musgrove family lie.  It is what is in between those two dates that made her special. My thanks to Lucille Keegan of the Bristol (NH) Historical Society for her help with this story.

The book, “One Thousand New Hampshire Notables,” by Henry H. Metcalf, Francis M. Abbott [1919,  Hathi Trust], both compilers of which are also suffragists, is a wonderful source of biographical information as follows: ” Continue reading →

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New Hampshire’s Centennial Celebration of the 19th Amendment

Posted on 4 June, 2019 by Janice Brown

Oct 24, 1914 cover of The Suffragist magazine. Internet Archive.

There are at least three dates that are of particular interest to New Hampshire regarding suffrage. It was 100 years ago today, on 4 June 1919 that the 19th Amendment was passed by the United States Congress. This amendment granted women the right to vote. Victory was not easy. Decades of women and suffrage supporters tirelessly “lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience.”

Women however could still not vote or run for office. After passing Congress at least 36 states were needed to vote in favor of the amendment for it to become law.  On September 10, 1919, New Hampshire voted in favor of the 19th Amendment. Continue reading →

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Was Your New Hampshire Ancestor a Suffragist?

Posted on 3 June, 2019 by Janice Brown

Women picketing for suffrage. From Suffragist magazine 1918.

I remember my grandmother proudly speaking about the day that she had the right to vote. In 1920 when she first could, she was forty-one years of age, married and would within the next few years give birth to her 12th child.

I never asked her if she was a suffragist. I suspect she was, but probably not an activist–she would have been too busy taking care of all her household of children.  My mother was only a year old in 1920. Continue reading →

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