Hester Dorsey Richardson (, Dorsey;
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
, Selene; January 9, 1862 – December 10, 1933) was an American author of several historical studies of
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, as well as a
genealogist
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...
and clubwoman.
Among her publications were ''The Origin and Customs of English Manors: With an Account of Feudal Rights and Privileges in the American Colonies'' (1912; 1913) and ''Side-lights on Maryland History; With Sketches of Early Maryland Families'' (1913). Her work was commended in England as well as in the U.S.
[ ]
Early life
Hester Crawford Dorsey was born in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, January 9, 1862. She was the daughter of James L. Dorsey and Sarah A. W. Dorsey, both representatives of
Maryland's old colonial families.
[ ] Her siblings included librarian
Sallie Webster Dorsey, Mary, and Charles.
[ ]
Career
Hester, the best known of three literary sisters, made her first appearance in the Sunday papers of her native city. She wrote in verse a year or more, before turning her attention to prose writings. Not a few of her poems attracted favorable comment and found their way into various exchanges. In 1886, she wrote "Dethroned," a poem narrating the fate of
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I (german: Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, link=no, es, Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena, link=no; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor ...
, a copy of which, handsomely engrossed, was presented to
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the Grand title of the Emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg m ...
, to whom it was dedicated. The emperor accepted the dedication in a letter of thanks to the author. Then Hester, at the request of the Baltimore ''American'', began a series of articles on ethical and sociological subjects, to which she signed the pen name "Selene". Those "Selene Letters" at once attracted wide attention and excited controversy in literary circles. Her prose writings did much toward improving the hospital service in Baltimore, and a pungent letter from her pen helped to rescue the Mercantile Library from an untimely end.
She was a benefactor to the women of Baltimore. In co-founding the
Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore
The Woman’s Literary Club of Baltimore (1890–1941) grew out of the tradition of women’s clubs that flourished in late nineteenth-century America. A number of literary societies founded throughout the country during this time provided women ...
,
1891, she laid the firm foundation of a controlling force in the intellectual and social life of her native city. The club had more than 100 members, including many of the best known writers of the day.
Richardson resigned the first vice-presidency of the club upon her removal to New York, where she lived since her marriage, holding an honorary membership. She continued to devote herself wholly to literary work. She appeared several times in ''
Lippincott's Magazine
''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine'' was a 19th-century literary magazine published in Philadelphia from 1868 to 1915, when it relocated to New York to become ''McBride's Magazine''. It merged with ''Scribner's Magazine'' in 1916.
''Lippincott's'' ...
'', writing short stories,
and also contributed to ''The Philadelphia Press'', ''The Baltimore American'', and the ''Baltimore Sunday Sun''.
She was the author of ''The Origin and Customs of English Manors: With an Account of Feudal Rights and Privileges in the American Colonies'' (1912, as Mrs. Albert Levin Richardson; 1913 edition, as Hester Dorsey Richardson)
and ''Side-lights on Maryland History: With Sketches of Early Maryland Families'' (1913).
Richardson served as Special Executive Historian to represent Maryland in historic work at the
Jamestown Exposition
The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, it w ...
, 1907; and was the historical director, Maryland commission,
Panama–Pacific International Exposition
The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely se ...
,
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, 1915. She was the founder and president of The Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America;
president, Public Records Commission of Maryland, 1904–8; vice-president, Maryland Original Research Society; historian, Baltimore Chapter,
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 ...
;
[ ] and was a fellow of The Manorial Society of England. She was a member of the American Historical Association, the Maryland Historical Society,
[ ] as well as a life member, Societe Academique d'Histoire Internationale,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
Personal life
In January 1891, she married the journalist, Albert Levin Richardson.
They had at least one child, a son, Dorsey.
![Mrs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Mrs._Dorsey_Richardson_LCCN2016842849.jpg)
Hester Dorsey Richardson died at her home in Baltimore, December 10, 1933. Burial was at the Old Trinity Church Cemetery,
Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. At the 2020 census, the population was 32,531. Its county seat is Cambridge. The county was formed in 1669 and named for the Earl of Dorset, a family friend of the Calverts (t ...
.
Selected works
* ''The Origin and Customs of English Manors: With an Account of Feudal Rights and Privileges in the American Colonies'' (1912; 1913)
* ''Side-lights on Maryland History; With Sketches of Early Maryland Families'' (1913)
References
External links
*
*
Writingsat The Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Hester Dorsey
1862 births
1933 deaths
19th-century pseudonymous writers
Pseudonymous women writers
Writers from Baltimore
19th-century American short story writers
American women short story writers
Daughters of the American Revolution people
Clubwomen
Organization founders
Women founders
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century