Martha Laurens Ramsay (November 3, 1759 – June 10, 1811) was an American woman from

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. A daughter of

Henry Laurens Henry Laurens (December 8, 1792) was an American Founding Father, merchant, slave trader, and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary War. A delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Laure ...

, she was married to Dr. David Ramsay. Her diary and private letters, which were published by her husband after her death under the title ''Memoirs of the Life of Martha Laurens Ramsay'', provide a historically valuable account of a Southern woman's life during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and the early years of the nation.

Early life

Martha Laurens was born in

on November 3, 1759, to Eleanor Ball and

. Her father, a wealthy plantation owner and slave trader, was an elected member of the South Carolina Assembly before joining the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

. She was able to read by the age of three. In 1770, her mother died and Martha was sent to live with her uncle, James Laurens. In 1775, Martha moved to England with her uncle and his family. However, when the politics became overwhelming, they moved to France. This European sojourn most likely is the reason why Martha’s letters reflect so little on the struggles of the Americans during the American Revolution. During the

, Henry Laurens became president of the

in Philadelphia, serving from 1777 to 1778. Later in the war, while on a diplomatic mission to Europe, he was captured at sea by the British and imprisoned in The Tower of London. In 1782, after his release, Martha's father joined her and the rest of the family in France. Martha spent 1783 and 1784 with her father, assisting him with treatment of his

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensit ...

Marriage and family

In 1784, she sailed back to

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, where she met her father's physician, David Ramsay. They were married on January 28, 1787; Ramsay had been married twice before. In addition to being a prominent physician, Ramsay was a politician and historian, who wrote the first history of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in the American Revolution. As Ramsay's wife, Martha experienced financial hardship; David Ramsay declared insolvency in the late 1790s, and was sued by Martha's brother in bankruptcy proceedings. She felt that her faith was being tested, leading her to a sense of religious resignation. She took it upon herself to take responsibility for the "kins-keeping" of the Laurens family; she and her husband adopted her niece Frances Eleanor Laurens, the daughter of her late brother

John Laurens John Laurens (October 28, 1754 – August 27, 1782) was an American soldier and statesman from Province of South Carolina, South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recr ...

, after his death as one of the last casualties of the Revolutionary War and his wife’s death in Europe. Martha Laurens Ramsay died in 1811 in Charleston, at the age of 51. She was buried in the churchyard of the

Circular Congregational Church The Circular Congregational Church is a historic church building at 150 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, used by a congregation established in 1681. Its parish house, the Parish House of the Circular Congregational Church, is a highly ...

in Charleston. Six weeks after her death, her diary and private letters were published by her husband, under the title ''Memoirs of the Life of Martha Laurens Ramsay''. Her memoirs remain historically valuable as a chronicle of the life of an educated privileged Southern woman during the

and the early years of the nation.

Children

Martha Laurens Ramsay and David Ramsay had eleven children, of whom eight survived to adulthood. Her children and stepchildren included:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsay, Martha 1759 births 1811 deaths American memoirists Writers from Charleston, South Carolina American women memoirists 18th-century American women writers 18th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century American women writers 19th-century American non-fiction writers