Sophia Foord Timeline

Grave marker at Dedham Cemetery

1802 – June 8, Sophia Foord born to parents James and Hannah Foord of Milton, MA

1820 – Nov 12, Admitted into membership at First Parish Church in Dedham. (Harding article)

1822 – Sept 26, father, James Foord dies at age 60  (Grave marker)

1828 – March 22, sister, Hannah Foord dies at age 30  (Grave marker)

1829 – April 3, sibling, Waitstill Foord dies at age 34 (Grave marker)

1831 – First depositor of the Dedham Institution for Savings in the sum of $50. (records, Austin Meredith)

• Oct 18 – sister, Jane Foord dies at age 27 (Grave marker)

1833 – Teaches at the First Middle School in Dedham, MA (Dedham historical Register, 50)

1842 – Donating member of the New England Non Resistance Society

1843 – Arrives at the Northampton Community for Education and Industry (May)

• April 15 – Signs register as Sophia Foorde. (Austin Meredith)
• May 8 – writes letter to friend about the “Railroad Underground” from Northampton, MA
• Aug 1 – slated to speak at the celebration of the emancipation of the West Indies (Liberator July 23)
• Oct 3 – mother Hannah Foord dies at age 79 (Grave marker)
• Nov 9 – part of a business committee that adopted several resolutions for the Norfolk County Anti-Slavery Society (Nov 17 Liberator)
• Dec. 8 – signs notice for Social Reform in New England along with David Mack of Northampton (Liberator)

1844 – Still at Northampton

• Jan/Feb -Amos and Abigail Alcott visit Northampton and Hopedale Communities looking for a place for their family. (Eden’s Outcasts pg 165)

1845 – Moves from Northampton to Concord to live with the Alcotts

• April 1 – Alcotts move to Hillside house (The Wayside). (Eden’s Outcasts)
• June 12 – Withdraws from the Northampton Community. (Austin Meredith)
• Sophia and Charles Lane along with Bronson Alcott begin teaching in Alcott’s school. (Document from Alcott house, dated 1846)
• Sept 5 – Abigail Alcott writes in her journal that Sophia Foord has decided to leave before the winter. Sophia also judges Abigail’s parenting skills as impotent and desultory, the children as indolent. Abigail states that she is not ready for associative life. (My Heart is Boundless)
• Sept 14 – AB Alcott has left to visit his brother Junius who was suffering a mental problem (My Heart is Boundless)
• Sept 19-22 (est) Louisa May Alcott writes to Sophia Gardner about Miss F, her governess, taking the girls and children wading in Flint’s Pond one day as well as climbing trees in an orchard. (Louisa May Alcott: An Intimate Anthology).
• Sept 19 – Abigail comments on the favorable influence of Miss Ford on Louisa. (My Heart is Boundless)
• October – Charles Lane leaves the Alcott house and returns to his Quaker community.
• December – Abigail writes to her brother Sam that the girls are attending the District School. (My Heart is Boundless)

1846 – Still teaching in Concord, moves in with Emerson to tutor his children at some time in April.

• Feb 4- Thoreau speaks at the Lyceum on Carlyle. (todayinliterature.com)
• April 15-16, attends the annual meeting of the Norfolk County Anti-Slavery Society, Treasurer (The Liberator April 24)
• April 21 – Visited the Alcott’s in the evening along with Mr. Bradford. (Lizzie’s Journal)
• April 28 – Sophia went to the Alcott’s for supper. (Lizzie’s Journal)
• April 30 – Sophia came to the Alcott’s to trim the May Pole after a morning rain. (Lizzie’s Journal)
• May 1 – celebrates May Day with the Alcotts at Emerson’s home (Journal of Bronson Alcott)/Miss Foord, Cary Pratt and Ellen came to march the May Pole to Emerson’s, but Bronson borrowed a hay cart to drive them there. They danced around the May Pole. Emerson was going to take them for a ride in the woods, but it rained and returned home. (Lizzie’s Journal)
• May 6 – Lizzie Alcott visits Miss Foord at the Emerson’s and stays to hear her read a story to Cary Pratt. Lizzie wants to attend Miss Foord’s school. (Lizzie’s Journal)
• May 12- Lizzie Alcott visits Miss Foord wanting to go for a walk with her, but Miss Foord reads to her instead.
• May 13 – Lizzie gets her walk with Miss Foord who takes her to Mr. Moore’s grove to pick som Pirola.
• May 21 – Miss Foord takes her students Ellen Emerson and Cary Pratt to the woods where she joins up with Lizzie Alcott.
• June 8 – Miss Foord gains two new pupils, Lizzie and Abby Alcott.
• June – Miss Foord teaches from, “Coburn’s Arithmetic”, “A Record of a School”
• June 13 – Miss Foord gives Lizzie a poem, The Chickadee. [The poem is possibly Sophia’s original work, but unsure] (Lizzie’s Journal)
• June 22 – Durning a botany lesson, they look at parts of flowers under a microscope! (Lizzie’s Journal)
• June 24 – Lizzie’s birthday. Sophia gave her a wreath at her birthday supper. (Lizzie’s Journal)
• July 1-3 – The Alcott’s are in Boston at possibly Elizabeth Well’s home, Lizzie’s cousin.
• July – The Alcotts, Emersons, and Mrs. Brooks go to Dedham (Sophia’s hometown) for the day. (My Heart is Boundless) Probably on the 4th.
• Aug 22 – Lizzie notes that Miss Foord went away.
• Sept 6 – Miss Foord visits the Alcott’s.
• Sept 14 – Miss Foord come home (to Emerson’s) and she starts teaching again.
• Sept 27 – Miss Foord is no longer teaching Lizzie and Abby.
• Early Oct. – Abigail takes in Elizabeth Stearns whom she calls a totally irresponsible being.
• Oct. Sophia takes ill
• Nov. 29 – Louisa’s 14^th birthday and also Amos’s birthday is celebrated. Louisa receives a pen from her mother, Amos a ½ ream of paper. (My Heart is Boundless)
• Dec 4 – Eliza Stearns still with Alcotts (My Heart is Boundless)
• Dec. – John, a fugitive slave takes up residence with the Alcotts (My Heart is Boundless)
• Dec. 31 – The girls are attending no schools. (My Heart is Boundless)

1847 – Sophia Leaves Concord

• Jan 31 – Abigail writes to her brother about a fugitive slave (John, probably) who stayed with them for two weeks. (My Heart is Boundless)
• Feb 2 – A fugitive slave stays with the Alcotts for a week. (Journal of Bronson Alcott)
• March – Sophia Leaves Emerson home
• Nov. 14 – Thoreau receives a letter from Sophia Foord proposing marriage (Published letter to Emerson)

1849 – Sophia is discussed in a letter by Thoreau’s Aunt Maria about Sophia considering suicide over Henry’s rejection of her. Henry won’t speak of it and received a letter that upset him and he was determined to put a stop to it. (Harding Article, Canby book)

1850 – Living in Dedham with Esther Foord (1850 census record, 23 Aug. 1850)

• Oct. 23 -24, Attends the National Women’s Rights Convention at Worcester, MA (www.wwhp.org/Resources)

1854 – Governess for Elizabeth Buffum Chase children in Valley Falls, RI

• Confides to Elizabeth Buffum Chace or her daughter Lillian that Thoreau is her soul’s twin and that in the Other World her spirit and his would be united. (Elizabeth Buffum Chace, 1806-1899. by Lillian Buffum Chace Wyman and Arthur Wyman, pg 130-131 quoted in Walter Harding’s “Thoreau’s Feminine Foe”)

1861 – April 22, brother, Enos Foord dies  age 64 (Grave marker).

1862 -May 6, Henry David Thoreau dies.

• May 11 -Louisa May writes to Sophia Foord of Thoreau’s death. (Louisa May Alcott: An Intimate Anthology)

1885 – April 1, Sophia Foord dies on  at age 82 (Grave marker)

• April 3- Obituary appears in Boston Transcript. (Harding Article)
• April 11-“In Memoriam Sophia Foord” is published by Louisa May Alcott in Woman’s Journal. (Louisa May Alcott: An Intimate Anthology)

1890 – Dec 12, sister Esther Foord dies on at age 90 (Grave marker)