Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, (1809-1871) was the devoted and artistically gifted wife of the American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
All through her life, before her marriage to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sophia suffered from migraines brought on by mercury treatments as a child. Because of this, her mother and sisters believed her to be an invalid and treated her like one. They told her she’d never marry. She heard her mother say ‘Sophie will never leave me.’ She was constantly told ‘It’s a woman’s lot. It’s God’s will…’ but she refused to believe she was doomed to this fate.
Sophia was lonely growing up—her sisters ignored her, her mother didn’t have much time for her, and she didn’t have many friends. As a gifted psychic medium, she contacted many spirits, including witch victim Sarah Good and her daughter Dorcas. Though their lives were hell, she knew they were in heaven. Her peers believed her queer when she told them things about themselves and made predictions. She always enjoyed her own company and contacting spirits, but wanted friends and family to spend time with her. As a talented artist, she escaped in her paintings, and painted scenes of places she wished she could visit. As Nathaniel struggled to make a living with his writing efforts, she contributed to the household income selling her paintings.
While visiting Cuba, Sophia wrote her impressions in a journal. Her sister gave the journal to Nathaniel to read, without her permission. She bristled at this, but when Nathaniel told her how much her journal enthralled him, her anger vanished at his praise. His favorite passage was:
“Leaving Cuba was bittersweet, but I stayed busy those last days working on my first and so far, last restoration of a painting, Murillo’s Magdalena. I closed my eyes. The painting appeared to me in vivid detail and living color. I dipped my finger in some aromatic oil and touched a corner of the picture. A gorgeous crimson tint was revealed…I can still see Magdalena, the golden glory of the floating hair, the majesty in the upraised brow and lustrous eyes, the parted lips, so sadly sweet.”
Because of this and because of her family’s scandal (An aunt had had a baby out of wedlock, which she believed was perfectly acceptable), Sophia felt the need to rebel. She worked through the migraines, took magnetism treatments against her mother’s and sister’s wishes, and ignored their warnings that she’d cause the next scandal because of these unconventional remedies. Before she even met Nathaniel, she knew they were destined for each other, but she had to wait until the right time to meet him. She had a vision about meeting him, and would know when the time was right.
Sophia internalized the hurt her mother and sisters caused by treating her like an invalid, so she grew up shy and reclusive. Because Nathaniel and his sisters and mother were also this way, (They believed they were cursed due to their ancestor Judge Hathorne’s connection to the Salem Witch Trials), Sophia broke out of her shell once they met and courted. She didn’t personally believe in curses, but believed a person could fear they were cursed. However, she believed in prayer, too, as well as negative energy, and the damage it can do. So she exerted great effort to bring Nathaniel out of his shell. As they grew to love each other, they healed each other’s inner wounds. She soon was able to experience true love and live a life apart from home and a domineering family.
Although not accorded the renown of her husband, Sophia was larger than life: she took challenges over and above what was expected of a woman of her time, a quality we all wish we had. A woman of courage, she refused to accept defeat. And she saved her beloved husband from his perceived family curse by making peace with Judge Hathorne’s spirit and burying the past.
Works by Sophia Peabody Hawthorne
Notes in England and Italy 1869
Sophia Peabody Hawthorne Digital Collection New York Public Library – Letter and diaries
Sophia Peabody Hawthorne Online Book Page University of Pennsylvania
Today’s guest post is by award-winning author Diana Rubino, author of For the Love of Hawthorne.
For the Love of Hawthorne
by Diana Rubino
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s courtship of Sophia Peabody lasted over three years because he insisted on keeping it secret. He had his reasons, none of which Sophia agreed with. But she knew they were destined for each other, and he was worth the wait. When they married in 1842 “we became Adam and Eve alone in our Garden of Even” she wrote in her journal. But not all was paradise in their Eden-
Nathaniel bore a burden that plagued his family since 1692. His ancestor Judge Hathorne condemned nineteen innocent victims to death during the Salem witch trials. His heinous deeds brought shame and guilt upon the family through the centuries. In her last moments on earth, Sarah Good cursed the judge and his descendants from the hanging tree. Nathaniel’s belief in this curse haunted and tormented him until Sophia made it her quest to save him. A story of love, compassion, and forgiveness, For the Love of Hawthorne portrays the lives of two kindred souls whose legacy endures through the ages.
The post looks fabulous, Joan! Thanks so much for hosting me. You can be my guest again anytime.
Happy holidays!
Diana