Emily Judson

Judson, Emily, née Chubbuck, who wrote under the nom deplume of “Fanny Forester," was born of very poor parents at Eaton, Central New York, Aug. 22, 1817. She was self-educated, and displayed literary power at an early age. In 1846 she became the third wife of Dr. A. Judson (p. 609, i.), and sailed with him from America for Burma the same year. She died at Hamilton, New York, June 1, 1854.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Judson, Emily Chubbuck. (Eaton, New York, August 22, 1817--June 1, 1854, Hamilton, New York). Baptist. Primarily self-educated, she taught school in her hometown, wrote for the local newspaper, and wrote children's stories under the nom de plume Fanny Forester. She met Dr. Adoniram Judson in January, 1846, and became his third wife on June 2, 1846. They embarked for Burma shortly thereafter. Two children were born of this marriage, the second dying at birth ten days after Dr. Judson's death (April 12, 1850).

She devoted herself to the work in Burma and prepared a biography of Sarah Judson, second wife of Dr. Judson. While still on board ship harbored off St. Helena, she penned a beautiful tribute to the second Mrs. Judson, one stanza of which states:

Mourn, Burma, mourn! a bow, which spanned
Thy cloud, has passed away;
A flower has withered on thy sand,
A pitying spirit left thy strand,
A saint has ceased to pray.

Her prose and poetry appeared in a collected edition with the title Alderbrook (1846), two volumes.

--Paul R. Powell, DNAH Archives