Jennie Maria Drinkwater Conklin facts for kids

Jennie Maria Drinkwater Conklin (1896)

Jennie Maria Drinkwater Conklin signature

Jennie Maria Drinkwater Conklin (who also used the pen name Jennie Maria Drinkwater) was an American author and social activist. She was born on April 14, 1841, and passed away on April 28, 1900. Even as a teenager, she became well-known for her stories written especially for children. She wrote many books for girls and also for religious newspapers and magazines. Conklin was also the person who started an important group called the Shut-In Society. This group helped disabled women and girls connect with each other through letters.

About Jennie Maria Drinkwater Conklin

Jennie Maria Drinkwater was born in Portland, Maine, on April 14, 1841. Her father, Levi Drinkwater, was a retired sea captain. She went to public schools in Portland. She also studied at a school for young ladies in Brooklyn Heights, called the Greenleaf Female Institute.

Becoming a Writer

Jennie started writing when she was just a child. She often wrote for popular newspapers. She loved to read, and at age 12, she felt inspired to write her own book. She began writing stories whenever she had free time. Before that, she would gather younger children around her. She would tell them exciting adventures about a small heroine.

Her earliest memories of books were the Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress. Later, she realized how these early stories influenced her own writing. She was always very interested in biographies, which are stories about real people's lives. This interest made her want to write about people as they truly were. She used their struggles, good deeds, or mistakes to teach important lessons to others. Because of this, Conklin's stories were always interesting and had a strong moral message.

Starting the Shut-In Society

In 1874, Jennie became disabled herself. This made her think about other girls and women who were also "shut in" from the outside world. She had an idea for a group where they could comfort each other. She looked for other disabled women in similar situations. She then wrote about her new idea, the Shut-In Society.

By 1896, the Shut-In Society had grown very large. It had more than 2,000 members. These members were from every state in the U.S. and many other parts of the world. It was a well-organized group with an advisory board. They even published their own magazine every month, called the Open Window. Jennie's book, Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline, tells the story of some of the first members of this society.

Jennie's Popular Books

Jennie Maria Drinkwater wrote many books using her maiden name. Some of her most famous books include Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline and Bek's First Corner. Other well-known titles are Marigold, Dolly French's Household, Miss Prudence, and Fifteen.

Other popular books she wrote were Other Folk, Rue's Helps, and The Story of Hannah. Her books were very successful financially. Some editions sold as many as 30,000 copies! Her books were often called "Sunday-school Juveniles." This meant they were for young people, especially girls, and often had religious or moral lessons.

Jennie's Personal Life

Jennie Maria Drinkwater married Rev. Nathaniel Conklin on March 17, 1880. He was a pastor at the Presbyterian Church of New Vernon, New Jersey for many years. Sadly, he passed away in 1892. After her husband's death, Jennie lived in Newark, New Jersey. She died in New Vernon on April 28, 1900. She was buried in Hillside Cemetery.

Selected Works