Mary Griffith (1772–1846) was an American writer, horticulturist and scientist. She published the results of her research in scientific and literary journals, as well as newspapers. She also published several novels and stories, including '' Camperdown, or News from Our Neighborhood'' (1836), as well as ''
Three Hundred Years Hence
''Three Hundred Years Hence'' is a utopian science fiction novel by author Mary Griffith, published in 1836. It is the first known utopian novel written by an American woman. The novel was originally published in 1836 as part of Griffith's coll ...
'', the first known
utopian novel
Utopian and dystopian fiction are genres of speculative fiction that explore social and political structures. Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author's ethos, having various attributes of another reality intended to appeal t ...
by an American woman.
Biography
Mary Corre was born in 1772.
Her father was Joseph Corré, who emigrated from France in 1776. He served as a cook to Major Richard Crewe of the British 17th Light Dragoons. Within a few months in October 1776, Joseph established his own
confectionery
Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...
and catering business in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, which expanded to include a hotel, tavern, ice cream shop and two theaters. He was self-promoted and innovative, which allowed him to excel in the social scene. This allowed for his daughter Mary to marry a socialite, John Griffith (1768–1815), a wealthy New York City merchant. John's family had connections in
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,743.
Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was r ...
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, and New York City. Many of his relatives were involved in New Jersey politics and societies.
After the death of her husband, Griffith spent time between her homes in Burlington, New Jersey and relatives and friends in
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later orga ...
, as well as between New York City and Philadelphia, where his daughter and son-in-law settled in 1817. She began writing short stories, and published them through her publishing connections at companies such as
Wharton Wharton may refer to:
Academic institutions
* Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
* Wharton County Junior College
* Paul R. Wharton High School
* Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University
Places
* Wharton, Ch ...
. While working with Wharton, she expanded her literary interests.
In 1820, Griffith purchased an estate, "Charlieshope", on the Raritan River west of
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Franklin Township, Somerset County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. This move led to her increased interest in natural phenomena. She performed experiments in horticulture, natural history, economic entomology, the earth sciences, epidemiology, and optics and vision, publishing her results in scientific and literary journals and newspapers. Griffith died in Red Hook,
Dutchess County
Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organ ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in 1846.
Selected works
* ''Our Neighborhood, or Letters on Horticulture and Natural Phenomena'' (1831)
* ''Camperdown, or News from Our Neighborhood'' (1836)
* ''Discoveries in Light and Vision'' (1836)
* ''The Two Defaulters'' (1842)
* ''
Three Hundred Years Hence
''Three Hundred Years Hence'' is a utopian science fiction novel by author Mary Griffith, published in 1836. It is the first known utopian novel written by an American woman. The novel was originally published in 1836 as part of Griffith's coll ...