Background
Abbott was born 10 April 1808, the daughter of Reverend Abiel Abbott, a Beverly, Massachusetts clergyman, and Eunice Abbott.
Abbott was born 10 April 1808, the daughter of Reverend Abiel Abbott, a Beverly, Massachusetts clergyman, and Eunice Abbott.
Abbott (sic) designed the hugely popular card game Doctor Busby, which was published by West. & South. B. Ives of Salem, Massachusetts on March 7, 1843. lieutenant sold 15,000 copies in its first eighteen months
Abbot authored her second game The Racers which was sold in Salem, Massachusetts through J. P. Jewett on January 13, 1844. The Racers was not published by West. & South. B. Ives as it is not advertised with other published West. & South. B. Ives games in her book, DOCTOR BUSBY AND HIS NEIGHBORS which was typeset by November 24, 1844 but not released for sale until December 28, 1844.
She released her third game Master Rodbury, September 14, 1844.
This time she again used West. & South. B. Ives as the publisher. Abbot published her first book, WILLIE Rogers sometime before November 24, 1844, quickly followed by her second book, DOCTOR BUSBY AND HIS NEIGHBORS on December 28, 1844.
Before 1991 Anne Wales Abbot was credited for authoring The Mansion of Happiness board game which was released by West. & South. B. Ives on November 24, 1843. The Mansion of Happiness was originally released in England in 1800, and authored by George West. M. Fox.
She may have collaborated with South. B. (Stephen Bradshaw) Ives, but neither Anne nor Stephen, authored the West. & South. B. Ives published version which was an almost exact copy of the English game.
Before 1992 Abbot was credited for authoring the extremely long lasting card game of Authors which was published in 1861 by A. Augustus Smith of G. M. Whipple and A. A. Smith. They were also publishers in Salem, Massachusetts but the publishing house was one block away from the original West. & South. B. Ives bookstore at 230 Essex Street. That bookstore and publishing house, 232 Essex Street were now owned by Henry P. Ives, South. B. Ives son.
Actually, the game of Authors was invented by "a coterie of bright young ladies" of Salem and presented by a gentleman to A. Augustus Smith for publication.
By 1861, Anne Abbot would have been in her fifties, not fitting the description of the designers of Authors. In July 1850, Abbott reviewed Hawthorne"s The Scarlet Letter for the North American Review, declaring she liked the preface better than the tale.
Abbott disapproved of Hawthorne"s subject matter and believed he had allowed his good judgement to be carried away by "the magic power of the style." Hawthorne referred to Abbott as one of that "damned mob of scribbling women."
Abbott served gratuitously as editor (1851–1858) of The Child"s Friend, a literary journal for young people. In 1853, Abbott"s Autumn Leaves: Original Pieces in Prose and Verse was published by John Bartlett of Cambridge.
Children"s books by Abbott include Doctor Busby and His Neighbors, Kate and Lizzie, or Six Months Out of School, Lost Wheelbarrow and Other Stories, and The Tamed and the Untamed and Other Stories.
Abbott died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1 June 1908.