author
Edward F. (Edward Fitch) Underhill
1830–1898
A lively 19th-century writer, stenographer, and reform-minded observer, he moved easily between politics, journalism, and local history. He is especially remembered for writing about Siasconset on Nantucket and for his early support of the women's rights movement.
1 Audiobook
The History and Records of the Elephant Club
by Edward F. (Edward Fitch) Underhill, Q. K. Philander Doesticks
About the author
Born in 1830, Edward Fitch Underhill built an unusually varied career as a stenographer, lawyer, author, and poet. The National Park Service notes that, at just 18, he attended the first Woman's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848 with his aunt Martha Barker Underhill and signed the declaration in support of the movement.
He also made his mark in the world of shorthand and court reporting. Contemporary biographical material describes him as one of the first court reporters in the United States, and he later wrote instructional work connected with the typewriter and stenography. His books range widely, from political writing such as The Life and Public Services of Hon. James Buchanan to humorous and literary work published under the name Edward Fitch Underhill.
Readers interested in place writing may know him best for The Credible Chronicles of the Patchwork Village: 'Sconset by the Sea, a book closely tied to Nantucket's history and character. That mix of civic engagement, practical skill, and storytelling gives his work a distinctive voice today.