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Jeneverah M. Winton

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Jeneverah M. Winton (née, Pray; pen name, Mrs. J. M. Winton; May 11, 1837 – April 12, 1904) was an American poet and author. Many of her poems were set to music by Hart Pease Danks, Thomas Westendorf, and others.[1] In addition to signing her works as "Geneverah M. Winton", "Jeneverah M. Winton" and "Mrs. J. M. Winton", she used several unknown pen names.[2]

Jeneverah M. Winton
"A Woman of the Century"
"A Woman of the Century"
BornJeneverah(?)/Jenevehah(?)/Geneverah(?) Maria Pray
May 11, 1837
Orrville, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 12, 1904
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Resting placeMontrepose Cemetery, Kingston, New York, U.S.
Pen name
  • Mrs. J. M. Winton
  • several, unknown
Occupationauthor, poet, lyricist
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
Spouse
  • Eli Peelor (m. ?)
  • William H. Winton
    ​
    (m. 1874)​
Children3

Early life and education

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Jeneverah (alternately, "Jenevehah" or "Geneverah")[3][4][5] Maria Pray was born in Orrville, New York, May 11, 1837.[3][4][a]

She was the daughter of George Wesley and Elizabeth Burton Pray.[6][5] She belonged to a family with many branches throughout the United States. Three brothers of her father's ancestry came from France with Lafayette and joined the American forces. One of these gave his means and ships, another became an officer in the Continental Army, and the third gave his life for the American cause. Her father, a native of Rhode Island, was educated in Oxford University, England, and became a preacher. Her mother, the daughter of an English earl and otherwise related to some of England's nobility, was very highly educated and wrote considerable prose and poetry, some of which was published in book form, under a pen name.[3][7] Her siblings were: Mary (b. ca. 1813), Nathan (1815-1860), Orman (b. 1818), Elizabeth (1823-1882), Miles (1824-1892), George (1827-1891), Lydia (1835-1898), and Byron (1837-1837).[5]

Winton began to write early in life, and while attending Lima Seminary, Lima, New York, wrote much poetry.[3][7]

Career

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Many of Winton's poems were printed and copied extensively, under some pen name or unsigned, in magazines and other periodicals. In her younger years, she wrote much and was paid well. Being then in affluent circumstances, it was her custom to give what she earned to the poor and less fortunate.[3][7]

While living in Indianapolis, Indiana, and other cities of the West, her productions were identified and copied in various parts of the U.S. Many of her original poems were set to music by Thomas Westendorf and others. For several years, her residence was in Rochester, New York and Kingston, New York, where, up to the time of the death of her daughter, her manuscripts were given to the press. Since that event, which nearly killed Winton, too, few literary productions were sent out.[3][7]

Personal life

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She married, firstly, Eli Peelor (1832-?). They had three children: Emma Peelor (1855-?), Estella Peelor (1859-?), and Mary Peelor (1862-1882).[5] On May 23, 1874, she married, secondly, William H. Winton (?-1923).[6][8]

For nearly two years, to escape the hardship associated with a northern climate, she resided in southern New Jersey, among the rustic surroundings of her farm on Landis avenue, East Vineland. Later, she resided in New Haven, Connecticut.[3][7]

In 1899, she was involved in a land transfer by John H. Bailey to her, involving property on Melville park in Rochester, New York.[9]

For years, Winton was president of the Women's Missionary Society of the East Side Presbyterian Church, and she was an active member of the Presbyterian church nearly all her life.[1] Earlier in life, she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.[3][7]

Jeneverah Winton died at the family home in Rochester, New York, April 12, 1904.[1] She was survived by her husband,[10] and was buried Kingston, New York, in the Montrepose Cemetery.[11]

Selected works

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Poetry

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  • "At the Last"[12]
  • "Better Than Gold"[13]
  • "Charity"[12]
  • "The Children's Gift"[14]
  • "The Door to Memory's Hall"[15]
  • "Even-Tide"[16]
  • "Human Life"[12]
  • "If"[17]
  • "If I Should Die To-Night"[18][19]
  • "Over the River"[20]
  • "We are Changing"[14]
  • "Will the New Year Come To-Night Mama?"[20]

Songs

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  • "The Bride" (H. P. Danks, H. P., composer; Mrs. J. M. Winton, lyricist; 1880)[21]
  • "Write to me often darling" (Thomas Payne Westendorf, composer; Mrs. J. M. Winton, lyricist; 1878)[22]
  • "Sweet mem'ries of my childhood : song with chorus" (Thomas P. Westendorf, composer; J. M. Winton, lyricist; 1878)[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ According to familycentral.net, Geneverah Maria Pray was born in Rochester, New York.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mrs. Jeneverah M. Winton. Death of Active Church Woman and Authoress Known to Many". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. 13 April 1904. p. 11. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Marshall 1985, p. 68.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Moulton 1894, p. 370.
  4. ^ a b Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 792.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Geneverah Maria Pray". The FamilyCentral Network. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b Ancestry.com. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., Marriages, 1838-1911. 1873-1874 v. 6 image 294.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 793.
  8. ^ "Jeneverah Maria Pray 1837–1904 • K4N6-9SL". ident.familysearch.org. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Real Estate Transfers". Democrat and Chronicle. 8 March 1899. p. 9. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "In Surrogate's Court". Democrat and Chronicle. 6 May 1904. p. 12. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Blocked - Geneverah Maria Pray". www.familycentral.net. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Garrett 1910, p. 19, 103, 123, 145.
  13. ^ Garrett 1890, p. 174.
  14. ^ a b Arthur 1878, p. 8.
  15. ^ ""The Door To Memory's Hall", By Mrs. J. M. Winton". Ashtabula Weekly Telegraph. 6 February 1880. p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Thompson 1886, p. 512-13.
  17. ^ ""If", By Mrs. J. M. Winton". The Princeton Union. 19 February 1879. p. 6. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "IF I SHOULD DIE TO-NIGHT. by Mrs. Geneverah M. Winton". The Dunn County News. 29 December 1877. p. 7. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "IF I SHOULD DIE TO-NIGHT, Mrs. Jeneverah M. Winton". Ashtabula Weekly Telegraph. 11 October 1878. p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b Garrett 1891, p. 19, 28.
  21. ^ "The bride". Library of Congress. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Write to me often darling". Library of Congress. Cleveland: S. Brainard's Sons. 1878. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Winton, J. M." worldcat.org. Retrieved 14 December 2021.

Attribution

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Bibliography

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