Lucretia Peabody Hale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucretia Peabody Hale
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c. 1850
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| Born | September 2, 1820 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | June 12, 1900 (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Journalist, writer |
| Parent(s) | Nathan Hale Sarah Preston Everett |
| Relatives | Edward Everett Hale (brother) Susan Hale (sister) Charles Hale (brother) Edward Everett (maternal uncle) Nathan Hale (granduncle) |
Lucretia Peabody Hale (born September 2, 1820 – died June 12, 1900) was an American writer and editor. She is best known for her funny stories called The Peterkin Papers.
Family and Early Life
Lucretia Hale was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father, Nathan Hale, was a newspaper editor and publisher. He owned and edited a newspaper called the Boston Daily Advertiser. Lucretia's mother, Sarah Preston Everett, was also a writer. Her mother's brother was Edward Everett, a well-known minister and politician.
Lucretia was one of eleven children, but only seven of them lived to adulthood. Her younger brother, Edward Everett Hale, also became a famous writer. Lucretia and Edward sometimes wrote books and articles together. Lucretia went to school in Boston at George B. Emerson's school.
Writing Career and Famous Stories
In 1850, Lucretia Hale and her brother Edward Everett Hale wrote a novel together called Margaret Percival in America. By 1858, Lucretia's own writings started appearing in magazines.
Many readers today know her best for her funny stories about the Peterkin family. These stories were published in popular children's magazines. The very first Peterkin story was called "The Lady Who Put Salt in Her Coffee." It appeared in Our Young Folks magazine in April 1868.
This story was so popular that more Peterkin adventures were published. They appeared in Our Young Folks and St. Nicholas magazines. Later, many of these stories were collected into a children's book called The Peterkin Papers in 1880. A part of this book was even reprinted in Children's Digest in 1951.
From 1870 to 1875, Lucretia Hale also helped edit her brother's magazine, Old and New. She wrote another Peterkin book called The Last of the Peterkins with Others of Their Kin in 1886.
Interest in Education
Lucretia Hale was always very interested in education. In 1874, she made history by becoming one of the first women elected to the Boston School Committee. This committee helped make decisions about schools in Boston. She served two terms on the committee.
She strongly believed that kindergartens were important for young children. She also thought that public schools should offer classes in cooking and sewing.
