Caroline Chesebrough was an American author. During her career, her work was associated with the variety of magazines including Graham’s Magazine and Holden’s Dollar Magazine and served as a teacher at Packer Collegiate Institute.
Background
Caroline Chesebrough was born on March 30, 1825 in Canandaigua, New York, United States. She was descended from William Chesebrough, the first white settler and founder of Stonington, Connecticut, about 1649, who came in 1630 from Boston, England, to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled first in Salem.
His descendant, Nicholas Goddard Chesebrough, who was born in Stonington, removed to Canandaigua, New York, where he was a hatter, wool dealer, and postmaster. He married Betsey Kimball of Covendish, Vermont.
Education
Caroline was educated in the Canandaigua Seminary.
Career
About 1848 Chesebrough began writing stories and articles for magazines, first contributing to Graham’s Magazine and Holden’s Dollar Magazine. Two of her stories took prizes offered by newspapers and in a short time she was writing for the Knickerbocker, Putnam’s Magazine, and Harper’s Magazine. Her first publication in book form was a volume of tales and sketches, Dream-Land by Daylight (1852). Other volumes followed: Isa, a Pilgrimage (1852), The Children of Light (1853), The Little Cross-Bearers (1854) and others.
Most of these books were novels, some for children, some for adults, and she had a novel ready for the press at the time of her death. Her plots are emotional but slow in action and her dialogue is carried on by the continual use of “he said, ” “she exclaimed, ” “answered he, ” “returned she, ” and similar expressions. The sentiments expressed are old-fashioned and the moralizing is tedious. The scenes are laid in different parts of the United States, chiefly the East, during her own time, and some of the descriptive passages are vivid and realistic.
From 1865 until the time of her death Miss Chescbrough was a teacher of English composition at Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, New York. When she went to Packer Institute she acquired a home near Piermont, New York, where she died.
Personality
Chesebrough was known as a woman of gentle, serious personality, quiet in voice and manner, but accustomed to the attention of her pupils. As a teacher she had initiative, logical insight, and practical resources, and under her direction were trained several brilliant students who later became teachers in the Institute. One of these students recalls her as “of slight build, with blue eyes that could flash, full brows framed by brown wavy hair, features that indicated sensitiveness and ideality". Caroline was also a devoted daughter and in a period of family adversity showed herself not only unselfish but heroic.