Mary Upton Ferrin: Earliest Massachusetts Pioneer in Woman Suffrage by S. M. Smoller
My Hero | Early Days | Memorial of the Female Signers |  Address to the Judiciary Committee | A Woman's Defence | Women's Rights | Later Life & Obituary Sketches | There's a Good Time Coming Girls | Notes

Charitable Benevolent Association

According to the census of 1850, Mary U. Ferrin was living with her father's brother, her Uncle Eben, and his wife, Mary King, at 193 Lowell Street in southern Danvers.

She again circulated her petitions.  Her considerable determination was recorded in The History of Woman Suffrage, compiled by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Matilda Joslyn Gage.  Upton Ferrin  corresponded regularly with Gage.

"n 1850, as in 1849, no action was taken, the petitioners having 'leave to withdraw'.  Petitions of a similar character were again circulated throughout Salem and Danvers, in 1850, '51, '52, '53, making six successive years,  Charles Upham, remained "woman's steadfast friend" through all this period, and Phebe Upton King was constantly found among the petitioners.

"In 1852, the petitions were signed only by ladies over sixty years of age, women of large experience and matured judgment, whose prayers should have received at least respectful consideration from the legislators of the State.

Gentlemen: - Your petitioners, who are taxpayers and originators of these petitions are upwards of three-score years; ten of them are past three-score years and ten; three of them three-score and twenty.  If length of days, a knowledge of the world and the rights of man and woman entitle them to a respectful hearing, few, is any, have prior or more potent claims, for reason has taught them what individual rights are, experience, what woman and her children suffer for the want of just protection in those, and humanity impels them once more to appear before you, it  may be for the last time.  Let not their gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave for the want of this justice in your power to extend, as have several in their number whose names are no longer to be found with theirs, whose voices can plead never more in behalf of your own children and those of your constituents."

In 1853, a petition bearing only Phebe King's name was presented.  The "petition was put in the hands of a gentleman (Daniel P.King) to secure his mother's name (who had signed numbers of petitions before), and those of certain other ladies, but unfaithful to this trust, he forwarded the petition with but its single name, which, Mrs. Ferrin remarks, was powerful in in itself. "

A bill securing the control of their own property to all women married subsequent to the passage of the law, was passed.  The power to make a will without the husband's consent, was also secured to wives, though not permitted to will more than one-half of their personal property.  This law also gave to married women having no children, whose husbands should die without a will, five thousand dollars, and one-half of the remainder of the husband's property.

James W. North, a lawyer of Augusta, Maine, assisted Upton Ferrin by perfecting "the divorce petition, in circulation during her six years of petition work.  The following year the Divorce Law was amended, and shortly thereafter two old ladies, nearly seventy years of age, having no future marriage in view, but solely influenced by a desire to secure their own property to their own children, which without such divorce they would be unable to do, although one of their husbands had not provided for his wife in twenty years, now the other in thirty years, availed themselves of its new privileges.

There were two Mary Uptons living at 193 Lowell Street in the 1850's.  Mary Upton Ferrin (1810-1881) and her aunt, Mary King Upton (1786-1869). Although there is no record of a divorce between Jesse Ferrin and Mary Upton, she used variations of her name at different times.  Most often, her signature was "Mary Upton Ferrin", and sometimes "Mary U. Ferrin" or "Mary Upton".

For that reason, it is difficult to prove which Mary Upton was involved with Eliza Sutton and the Ladies Benevolent Society to establish housing for elderly, destitute women in 1867.

Eliza Sutton and Mary Upton Ferrin were of about the same age.  However, it is possible that Mary King Upton may have been involved with the plan to provide housing.  Her husband, Ebenezer, was a successful trader and merchant who was referred to as "somewhat of an atheist" in his later days.  He died during the 1860's, leaving his wife a substantial inheritance.

Given Mary Upton Ferrin's commitment to helping the needy and fighting for women who were abused or neglected, it it likely she had something to do, either directly or indirectly through her aunt,  with the arrangement that resulted in the creation of the Charitable Benevolent Association.

On Valentine's Day 1867, at a public meeting of the Ladies Benevolent Society, an organization providing for those in need since 1814, a letter was read.  It was addressed to three prominent men in the town: Henry Poor, Warren M. Jacobs and Elijah W. Upton.

"Gentlemen - having noticed a suggestion made by a prominent member of the Ladies Benevolent Association that it would be expedient to provide suitable homes or houses for elderly women of American patronage of this town who are in destitute circumstances, where they can be made comfortable and happy in their declining years, we the undersigned, this day jointly agree to place in your hands, as trustees, the sum of $2000 as the commencement of a fund for the purpose above indicated, the said amount to be securely invested until enough is added to this fund by donations or otherwise, to accomplish this object....benevolent enterprise, and we solicit the aid of those

"In making this gift we wish it to be understood as being the foundation of a benevolent enterprise, and we solicit the aid of those of our people who are blest with means, to unite with us in the furtherance of this obj3ect.

                                            Respectfully yours,
                                                    Eliza Sutton
                                                    Mary Upton

The idea of home for women "in destitute circumstances where they can be made comfortable and happy in their declining years" has been proposed to the Ladies Benevolent Society by member Lavinia P. Osborne n her will.  She also bequeathed $2000 towards the goal.

The Probate Court granted an act of incorporation for "The Charitable Benevolent Association of the Town of Peabody", on April 17, 1869.

To years later, the Association built a house on Washington Street above Oak Street.  On New Year's Eve, 1871, more than $847 was raised for the Association at a levee held by the group at Pierpont Hall.