Frances Manwaring Caulkins

Frances Manwaring Caulkins (April 26, 1795 – 1869) was a 19th-century American historian and genealogist, the author of histories of New London, Connecticut and Norwich, Connecticut. Through her father, she was descendant of Hugh Caulkins, who came with Richard Blinman, the first minister of the Plymouth Colony. On her mother's side, her ancestry was noted in early English history, Sir Ranulphus de Manwaring being justice of Chester, in 1189–99; another, Sir William, was killed in the streets of Chester, defending Charles I on October 9, 1644. Her father died before Fanny was born, and her uncle, Christopher Manwaring, was exceedingly fond of his talented niece, aiding her with his library, and for seven years, she lived with him. When she wanted to start teaching, he set apart a room as her schoolroom. The first of her writings, now known to have been printed, appeared in the ''Connecticut Gazette'' on April 17, 1816.

In 1849, Caulkins was the first woman elected to be a member of the oldest historical society in the United States, the Massachusetts Historical Society. Her histories of New London and Norwich aggregated the prominent features and details of the lives of the earliest inhabitants. Her private papers show that she was sometimes affected by depression, and especially felt that she had accomplished very little in life. Provided by Wikipedia