author
Susan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick
1788–1867
A writer of early American children's fiction, she published moral tales and family-centered stories for young readers in the first half of the 19th century. She also left behind a striking piece of visual art: a watercolor-on-ivory portrait linked to the life of Elizabeth Freeman, known as Mum Bett.
1 Audiobook
The Young Emigrants; Madelaine Tube; the Boy and the Book; and Crystal Palace
by Susan Anne Livingston Ridley Sedgwick
About the author
Born in 1788, she came from prominent East Coast families: her father was Matthew Ridley, and her mother, Catherine Livingston, was the daughter of William Livingston, governor of New Jersey. She was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and later married Theodore Sedgwick Jr. in 1808.
She is remembered chiefly as an American writer for children, producing novels and tales for young readers. Her work belongs to the early tradition of 19th-century children's literature, with books such as The Young Emigrants noted among her publications.
Beyond writing, she was also an artist. She is associated with a watercolor-on-ivory portrait of Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, an important historical figure who had once worked for the Sedgwick family. She died in Stockbridge in 1867.