Ella A. Bigelow (May 21, 1849 – October 23, 1917) was an American author, historian, and clubwoman. Among her publications were ''Prize Quotations'' (Marlboro, 1887), ''Venice'' (Marlboro, 1890), ''Old Masters of Art'' (Buffalo, 1888), and ''Letters upon Greece'' (Marlboro, 1891). Containing 124 watercolors commissioned by Bigelow, her ''Historical Reminiscences of the Early Times in Marlborough, Massachusetts'' (1910), is described in ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' (1999) as "the best source we have for

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

history before 1910".

Early life and education

Ella Augusta Fisher was born in

Malden, Massachusetts Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people. History Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on la ...

, May 21, 1849. Her father, Lewis Fisher, and mother, Ruth Benchley, were both of English descent. For many years, her home was in the town of

Milford, Massachusetts Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,379 according to the 2020 census. First settled in 1662 and incorporated in 1780, Milford became a booming industrial and quarrying community in the 19th c ...

. Her parents being in financially good circumstances, she received a good education. Developing a taste for music, she was placed with teachers in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. As a church singer, she was well known in

Fitchburg, Massachusetts Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private e ...

and various other cities, singing at intervals with such artists as Carlyle Petersilea and

Julius Eichberg Julius Eichberg (13 June 1824 – 19 January 1893) was a German-born composer, musical director and educator who worked mostly in Boston, Massachusetts. Biography Julius Eichberg was born in Düsseldorf, Germany to a Jewish family. His first mu ...

with his "Germania Orchestra." In 1873, she went to Germany, residing chiefly in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. There she studied with Ferdinand Sieber, court professor of music, and Fraulein Kess, both of whom gave her strong encouragement to choose a musical career.

Career

Becoming acquainted with Mr. and Mrs.

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...

, he being U.S. Ambassador to Germany at that time, the opportunity was given her, through their kindness, of meeting many celebrities and making many friends. Before returning to the U.S., she traveled through Europe. Bigelow published ''Prize Quotations'' (Marlboro, 1887), ''Venice'' (Marlboro, 1890), ''Old Masters of Art'' (Buffalo, 1888), ''Letters upon Greece'' (Marlboro, 1891), ''Entertaining and instructive prize game; one hundred and fifty questions on the old masters'' (Buffalo, 1889), and ''Historical Reminiscences of the Early Times in Marlborough, Massachusetts'' (1910). She served as editor of ''Mizpah'', the organ of the

Order of the Eastern Star The Order of the Eastern Star is a Freemasonry, Masonic List of fraternal auxiliaries and side degrees, appendant Masonic bodies, body open to both men and women. It was established in by lawyer and educator Rob Morris (Freemason), Rob Morris, ...

. For years, she contributed articles to various papers. Bigelow served as president of numerous literary and musical clubs. She was also a member of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

Personal life

On January 10, 1877, at Milford, she married Edward Lambert Bigelow ((1839–1915)), of Marlboro,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and thereafter resided in an old

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

house, full of antiques and souvenirs of travel. Ella Augusta Fisher Bigelow died in Marlborough, Massachusetts, October 23, 1917.

Selected works

* ''Prize Quotations'' (1887) * ''Old Masters of Art'' (1888) * ''Venice'' (1890) * ''Letters upon Greece'' (1891) * ''Historical Reminiscences of the Early Times in Marlborough, Massachusetts'' (1910)
Text

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bigelow, Ella A. 1849 births 1917 deaths Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century People from Malden, Massachusetts Writers from Massachusetts 19th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers Daughters of the American Revolution people Order of the Eastern Star Clubwomen