Maria Louisa Bustill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Louisa Bustill
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| Born | November 8, 1853 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | January 20, 1904 (aged 50) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Occupation | Schoolteacher |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 6; including Paul Robeson |
| Parent(s) | Charles Hicks Bustill (father) |
| Family | Bustill |
Maria Louisa Bustill Robeson (born November 8, 1853 – died January 20, 1904) was a kind Quaker schoolteacher. She was married to Reverend William Drew Robeson, a minister in Princeton, New Jersey. Maria was also the mother of the famous singer and activist, Paul Robeson, and his brothers and sisters.
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Maria's Early Life and School Days
Maria Louisa Bustill was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her family had a mix of backgrounds, including Igbo, Lenni-Lenape Native American, and Anglo-American roots. Her parents, Charles Hicks Bustill and Emily Robinson, were well-known black Quakers. Quakers are a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs.
In the 1870s, Maria attended Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania. This was a special university for black students, called a historically black university. Maria was already a teacher when she met William Drew Robeson. Both she and her sister Gertrude married men who had studied at Lincoln University.
Her Family History and Marriage
Maria's family had been free for a long time, since the mid-1700s. Her great-grandfather, Cyrus Bustill, became free and started a successful bakery business in Philadelphia. Cyrus Bustill also helped start the Free African Society in 1787, a group that helped black people in Philadelphia.
Maria Louisa Bustill met William Drew Robeson I (1845-1918) while he was a student at Lincoln University. She was teaching at the Robert Vaux School, which was for black children. William had escaped slavery in North Carolina when he was 15. He came north with his brother and worked for the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Maria married William in 1878. By then, he had finished his college degree and studied to become a minister. They had seven children together. Sadly, two children died when they were babies, but five grew up to be adults.
Life in Princeton and Raising Children
Maria continued to teach school and tutor students. Her husband, William, was the minister at the Witherspoon Church in Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton had a fairly large black community at that time. It included families who had always been free, like Maria's, and others who had been born into slavery.
Maria and William both believed strongly in education for their children. They wanted their kids to succeed in life. Their first daughter, Gertrude, died as a baby. But their other children grew up to be very successful.
Their son, Dr. William Drew Robeson, Jr. (1881-1925), became a physician in Washington, D.C.. Their daughter, Marian M. Robeson (1894-1977), married another doctor and moved to Philadelphia. Benjamin C. Robeson (1893-1963) became a minister in Harlem, New York City.
Their youngest child, Paul Robeson (1898-1976), became very famous around the world. He was an amazing athlete, speaker, singer, and actor. He also worked hard as an activist for civil rights, fighting for equal rights for all people.
Maria's Death
By 1904, Maria was almost blind because of a condition called cataracts. She was badly burned in a kitchen accident when a hot ember from the stove set her clothes on fire. She passed away a few days later. Maria was buried in Princeton Cemetery.
