Mary C. Seward
Mary Coggeshall Seward | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Holden Coggeshall July 9, 1839 |
| Died | circa September 1, 1919 (aged 80) |
| Other names | Agnes Burney |
| Alma mater | New London Female Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Parliamentarian Poet Composer Philanthropist |
| Organization | International Sunshine Society |
| Known for | Leadership of charities and woman's clubs, major reforms in care for blind babies, carol The Christmas Bells |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | William Holden Coggeshall Sarah Latham (Ashbey) Coggeshall |
Mary Holden Coggeshall Seward (July 9, 1839 – circa September 1, 1919), commonly known as Mary C. Seward, was an American poet, composer, and prominent parliamentarian serving humanitarian and woman's club movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A number of her works were published under the pseudonym "Agnes Burney" , including several developed in collaboration with her spouse, Theodore F. Seward, an internationally known composer and music educator in his day. She became a groundbreaking advocate for the care and education of blind babies and young children during her later years, serving as president of the department for the blind of the International Sunshine Society (I.S.S.).