Judith Sargent Murray was born on May 5, 1751 in Gloucester, Massachusetts to Winthrop Sargent, a merchant, and Judith Sanders Sargent. The Sargent family was a member of the upper class; Judith and her siblings were fifth generation Americans. Judith Sargent Murray was given a basic education in reading, writing, and domestic arts, as was the custom of her class and day; Judith, however, wanted to learn more than the basics. She availed herself of the family library and successfully educated herself. Judith Sargent married John Stevens in 1769. The loveless but satisfactory marriage lasted 18 years, until Stevens's death. A year later, in 1788, Judith married the widower John Murray, a Universalist minister with whom she had been friend

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First published 24 January 2002

Citation: Novak, Terry. "Judith Sargent Murray". The Literary Encyclopedia. 24 January 2002.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3269, accessed 9 February 2010.]