Edward Payson Roe (March 7, 1838July 19, 1888) was an American novelist, Presbyterian minister, horticulturist and historian.

Biography

Edward Payson Roe was born in the village of Moodna, now part of

New Windsor, New York New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. History The region was originally inhabited by the Munsee The Munsee (or Minsi or Muncee) or mə́n'si·w ( del, Monsiyok)Online Lenape Talking Dictionary, "Munsee Indians"L ...

. He studied at

Williams College Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kill ...

and at Auburn Theological Seminary. In 1862 he became chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S.V., and in 1864 chaplain of Hampton Hospital, in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. In 1866-74 he was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at

Highland Falls, New York Highland Falls, formerly named Buttermilk Falls, is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2010 census. The village was founded in 1906. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletow ...

. In 1874 he removed to

Cornwall-on-Hudson Cornwall-on-Hudson is a riverfront village in the town of Cornwall, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of New York City. The population as of the 2010 census was 3,018. It ...

, where he devoted himself to the writing of fiction and to

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, he wrote weekly letters to the ''New York Evangelist'', and subsequently lectured on the war and wrote for periodicals. He married Anna Paulina Sands in 1863 and had several children. His daughter Sarah married the Olympic fencer Charles T. Tatham, and daughter Pauline married the landscape painter Henry Charles Lee. Edward Payson Roe Memorial Park in

Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York Cornwall-on-Hudson is a riverfront village in the town of Cornwall, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of New York City. The population as of the 2010 census was 3,018. It ...

is dedicated to his honor.

Writings

His novels were very popular in their day, especially with

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

readers in England and America, and were translated into several

European languages Most languages of Europe belong to the Indo-European language family. Out of a total European population of 744 million as of 2018, some 94% are native speakers of an Indo-European language. Within Indo-European, the three largest phyla are Ro ...

. Their strong moral and

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

purpose, did much to break down a Puritan prejudice in America against works of fiction. One of his most consistent criticisms was that his work resembled

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...

s. Among his novels and horticultural writings were: *''Barriers Burned Away'' (1872), which first appeared as a serial in the ''Evangelist'' and made him widely known *''What Can She Do?'' (1873) *''Opening of a Chestnut Burr'' (1874)
''From Jest to Earnest''
(1875)
''Near to Nature's Heart''
(1876)
''A Knight of the Nineteenth Century''
(1877) *''A Face Illumined'' (1878)
''A Day of Fate''
(1880)
''Without a Home''
(1881) *''His Sombre Rivals'' (1883)
''Nature's Serial Story''
(1884) *''A Young Girl's Wooing'' (1884) *''An Original Belle'' (1885)
''Driven Back to Eden''
(1885) *''He Fell in Love with his Wife'' (1886)
''The Hornet's Nest: A Story of Love and War''
(1886)
''The Earth Trembled''
(1887) *''Miss Lou'' (left unfinished 1888) *''Play and Profit in My Garden'' (1873) *''Success with Small Fruits'' (1881) *''The Home Acre'' (1887) *''Found Yet Lost'' (1888) His first novel inspired an eponymous movie, ''

Barriers Burned Away ''Barriers Burned Away'' is a 1925 American silent historical drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starring Mabel Ballin, Eric Mayne, and Frank Mayo. It is set at the time of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The film is loosely adapted fro ...

'', released in 1925 by W.S. Van Dyke.

References

Biography

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roe, Edward Payson 1838 births 1888 deaths People from Highlands, New York 19th-century American novelists American male novelists United States Army chaplains People from Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York Auburn Theological Seminary alumni Williams College alumni 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American clergy