Mary Bayard Devereux Clarke

Mary Bayard Devereux Clarke
Photo of Mary Bayard Clarke from the late 1860s
Born (1827-05-13)May 13, 1827
Raleigh, North Carolina
Died March 30, 1886(1886-03-30) (aged 58)
New Bern, North Carolina
Other names Tenella, Betsey Bittersweet
Notable work "Carolina Carols: A Collection of North Carolina Poetry" also known as "Wood Notes", 1854

Mary Bayard Devereux Clarke (May 13, 1827 – March 30, 1886) was a writer, poet, and photographer who resided in North Carolina. Described by the Raleigh News and Observer as "one of its most gifted daughter's" Clarke set out to demonstrate the literary talent of her state while also learning from other cultures and styles of writing. Born and raised in Raleigh, Clarke began her work by compiling an anthology of North Carolina poetry, Wood Notes, before writing her own poetry which appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals in the United States and abroad.

Early Life and Family

Clarke was born on May 13, 1827 in Raleigh, North Carolina to Thomas Pollock Devereux and Catherine Anne Johnson Devereux. [1] Clarke came from a prominent, wealthy family. Her paternal great-grandfather was Jonathon Edwards, theologian and president of Princeton University.[2] Her grandfather, Thomas Pollock served as governor and acquired vast sums of land on which he built plantations. On her mother’s side, she was descended from Samuel Johnson, another early American clergyman and educator who was the first president of King’s College (today Columbia University).[2]

Clarke’s mother died when she was nine years old, leaving her to be raised by her father alone. Being a Yale graduate and lawyer, her father insured all of his children received an education. Clarke was paired with a governess who followed the course of study offered at Princeton and Yale[3]. She took particular interest in learning other languages, notably German, French, Spanish, and Italian, and translating their literatures into English.[2]

Clarke traveled much in her early years. Before turning 20, she had lived in the West Indies and Texas. When visiting her uncle, Bishop Leonidas Polk, in Louisiana, Clarke was reacquainted with a childhood friend, Major William John Clarke. He was veteran of the Mexican American War and made his living on a sugar plantation in Louisiana. The two were married on April 6, 1848 by her uncle. The couple lived in Louisiana for a few more years before returning to North Carolina and setting in Raleigh. [1]

Writing Career

Mary Bayard Devereux Clarke was a writer from a young age. In fact, her sister saved some of her letters from the 1830s because she was appreciative of her writing. [4] Her family valued her education and encouraged her to continue writing as she grew up. Clarke gained prominence first for her contribution and input on works that were not hers. With book reviews for publishers and compilations of other’s poetry, Clarke rose in popularity. Clarke’s career was varied because she contributed to a number of magazines, books, and collections of poetry, as well as other piece of literature. She was an editor of Southern Field and Fireside in 1865, writer for Peterson’s Magazine, [3] and a contributor for the Old Guard and Demorest's Monthly. Another of her notable works was her translation of French poet Victor Hugo’s works into English.[5]

Using pseudonyms, Clarke began her compiling and poetic career. One of her first works Woods-Note, also known as Carolina Carols: A Collection of North Carolina Poetry, which was published in 1854 gained recognition. [4] This was a compilation of the works of many people, however most of the poems were her own. Her newfound recognition resulted in her being published in both newspapers and magazines. Clarke decided she would not confine to the typical restraints that women usually conformed to, and her husband was very supportive in this process.[4]

Later Life

Between 1849 and 1858, Clarke had four children, but she also began her career at this time. By 1853, she had established herself as a prominent writer in North Carolina. Clarke then began working on her famous Wood Notes the following years.[4] She continued to work on her writing career while traveling to Texas, Florida, Cuba, and the West Indies.[2]

The American Civil War was harsh on the Clarke family. William Clarke joined the Confederate Army and was captured and held prisoner in Fort Delaware. He never completely recovered from these injuries and illnesses, bringing back heavier burdens on the Clarke household. He later developed a drinking problem that remained with him for the rest of his life. William Clarke returned home to set up his law firm in New Bern.[2] He eventually became a judge, but was consistently unable to earn a sizable income due to his drinking. [4]

Clarke continued to support her husband's dwindling income through her writings for the rest of their lives. Her health began to deteriorate in the 1880s. Clarke suffered a stroke in 1883, which paralyzed part of her body for the rest of her life.[2] Her husband died in January of 1886. Clarke began to rapidly fade after his death before suffering a second stroke on March 3. On March 30, 1886, she quietly ceased to breathe and was buried in New Bern. [2]

Legacy

Mary Bayard Clarke did not conform to the typical life of a southern mom of four. She wrote poetry and appeared in news articles all while raising her kids which was practically unheard of. [5] She persevered through the discrimination of the times and showed that women were more than capable of doing something other than tending to the whims and desires of her children. [5] Clarke gained recognition for many of her smaller works, but her most known work is Wood Notes, also known as Carolina Carols: A Collection of North Carolina Poetry. Although the collection was mostly of her own writing, some of the poems were other members of North Carolina society. [1] This work came to represent the society as a whole, it included the voices of men, women, chief justices, congressmen, lawyers, and teachers.[6] Furthermore, she gained recognition for her satirical political stories during the time of radical reconstruction.[5] Ultimately, Clark was not confined by her gender and pursued her passions.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Clarke, Mary Bayard Devereux (1827-1886), poet and editor | American National Biography". doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1600309.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rogers, Lou (1949). Tar Heel Women. Raleigh, North Carolina: Warren Publishing Company. pp. 106–113.
  3. 1 2 "Clarke, Mary Bayard Devereux | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Gillespie, Michele; McMillen, Sally G. (2014). North Carolina Women: Their Lives and Times. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820339993.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Censer, Jane Turner (2010). "Mary Bayard Clarke's Plain-Folk Humor: Writing Women into the Literature and Politics of Reconstruction". The Journal of Southern History. 76 (2): 241–274.
  6. 1 2 "Clarke, Mary Bayard Devereux (1827-1886), poet and editor | American National Biography". doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1600309.

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