Lucy Audubon
Who was Lucy Audubon?
American biographer (1788-1874)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Lucy Audubon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Lucy Bakewell Audubon, born on January 18, 1787, in Derby, England, was a British-born educator and philanthropist. She moved to the United States with her family and played a key role in her husband John James Audubon's career and in the cultural life of early 19th-century America. Although her husband's fame often overshadowed her, Lucy made significant practical contributions thanks to her determination and dedication to education.
After marrying John James Audubon in 1808, Lucy took on the financial responsibilities of the household so that her husband could pursue his artistic and scientific interests. While John James traveled extensively across North America to observe and paint birds and later sought subscribers and publishers in Europe, Lucy supported her family by starting and running private schools in Louisiana. Her schools gained a solid reputation for their quality, and the income she earned was crucial in financing the eventual publication of The Birds of America.
Lucy was a committed teacher who provided rigorous education at a time when formal schooling, particularly in rural areas, was often unreliable. She operated schools in Louisiana's plantation areas, including at Beech Woods plantation, teaching children from wealthy families. Running these schools was not just a job for her; it was a true calling, maintained through substantial personal sacrifice.
After John James Audubon's death in 1851, Lucy worked to preserve his memory and legacy. She compiled and edited biographical material about him, which helped maintain knowledge of his life and achievements. Her work as a biographer made her significant in shaping early accounts of his life for future generations. Lucy lived to the age of eighty-seven, passing away on June 18, 1874, in Shelbyville, Kentucky.
Before Fame
Lucy Bakewell was born in Derby, England, in 1787, to a family with ties to the intellectual and business culture of late 18th-century Britain. Her family moved to the United States during her teenage years, settling in Pennsylvania near the Mill Grove estate where John James Audubon lived. This led to her meeting and marrying Audubon in 1808. Her upbringing gave her a strong sense of discipline and curiosity, which was helpful in the years to come.
In the early 1800s, there weren't many career options for women, with education being one of the few respected paths for a woman of modest means to find both independence and influence. Lucy's rise to prominence was shaped more by necessity and personal determination than by a desire for public recognition. As her husband's artistic pursuits frequently put their family in financial difficulty, she turned to teaching as a means of support and passion, establishing schools that gained respect in the communities she worked in.
Key Achievements
- Established and successfully operated multiple private schools in Louisiana, providing quality education in frontier conditions
- Financially supported the publication of John James Audubon's The Birds of America through income from her teaching
- Served as the primary provider for her family over extended periods while her husband pursued his naturalist work
- Compiled and edited biographical materials on John James Audubon after his death, contributing to the historical record of his life
- Maintained sustained philanthropic and educational work across decades in communities throughout the American South
Did You Know?
- 01.Lucy Audubon ran a private school at the Beech Woods plantation in Louisiana, where she taught the children of wealthy planters while her husband traveled across North America sketching birds.
- 02.The income Lucy generated through her teaching is considered by historians to have been crucial in financing the publication of The Birds of America, one of the most expensive books ever produced at the time of its release.
- 03.Lucy outlived her husband, John James Audubon, by more than twenty years, dying in 1874 at the age of eighty-seven in Shelbyville, Kentucky.
- 04.She took on the role of biographer after John James Audubon's death, editing and compiling materials related to his life to help preserve his reputation for future audiences.
- 05.Despite being born in Derby, England, Lucy Audubon spent most of her adult life in the American South and border states, navigating frontier conditions that were far removed from her British origins.