Jane Cunningham

19 December 1828–23 December 1901

Born 19 Dec. 1828 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England.[1] Daughter of Joseph Cunningham and Jane Scott.[2] Emigrated with her family aboard the Hudson, arriving in New York 30 July 1841.[3] Living in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess Co., New York, by 1850.[4] Moved to New York City seeking journalism work, 1854; using the pseudonym Jennie June, wrote the women’s column “Parlor and Side-walk Gossip,” the first woman’s page in a newspaper, which appeared in Noah’s Sunday Times.[5] Married David G. Croly, 14 Feb. 1856, in New York City; four children.[6] Managed the woman’s department of the New York World, 1862–1872.[7] Published in several New York newspapers; editor of Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly, 1864–1887.[8] Published Jennie Juneiana: Talks on Women’s Topics, 1864, and Jennie June’s American Cookery Book, 1866.[9] In response to being excluded with other women journalists from a presentation by Charles Dickens at the all-male New York Press Club, organized Sorosis, dedicated to “the collective elevation and advancement” of women, 1868.[10] Organized the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, 1890, and the Women’s Press Club of New York, 1901.[11] Spoke at the National Council of Women, in Washington, DC; EBW attended her presentation, 1891.[12] First woman to teach journalism at Rutgers University, 1892.[13] Published History of the Woman’s Club Movement in America, 1898.[14] Died 23 Dec. 1901 in Lakewood, Ocean Co., New Jersey.[15]

 

[1] "" font-variant-ligatures:="" lucida="" span="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-family:" wesleyan="">("" class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW245622745" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)" data:image="" font-family:="" font-size:="" font-variant-ligatures:="" lucida="" solid="" span="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-family:">, England"" font-variant-ligatures:="" lucida="" span="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-family:">, "" font-variant-ligatures:="" lucida="" span="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-family:">Births and Baptisms, 1814–1837,<span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW245622745" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-family: " lucida="" sans",="" "lucida="" sans_embeddedfont",="" sans_msfontservice",="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 13.3333px;="" font-variant-ligatures:="" none;"="">” p. 32, Jane Cunningham, 19 Dec. 1828; London Public Record Office, London; microfilm 597075, item 4, DGS 8228591, image 313/535, FHL. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 21 Oct. 2020), Jane Cunningham (MPJW-WWF). 

[2] Wesleyan Church, (Market-Harborough, England), "Births and Baptisms, 1814–1837," p. 32, Jane Cunningham, 19 Dec. 1828; London Public Record Office, London; microfilm 597075, item 4, DGS 8228591, image 313/535, FHL. Church of England, Parish Church of Great Bowden, (Leicestershire), "Bishop's Transcripts for Great Bowden, 1563–1867: Christenings, Marriages, and Burials, 1563–1867," p. 10, no. 31, Joseph Cunningham and Jane Scott, 13 Sept. 1818; City Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester, England; microfilm 590850, DGS 7906213, image 307/440, FHL.

[3] New York Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820–1957, database, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020), Joseph Cunningham.

[4] 1850 U.S. Census, Poughkeepsie, Dutchess Co., NY, Joseph Cunningham.

[5] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).

[6] New York Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, "Register of Marriages, New York City, 1829–1887, Registers, vols. 1–3, 1829–1860," David G. Croly and Jennie Cunningham, 14 Feb. 1856; Municipal Archives, New York City; microfilm 1671673, DGS 7587142, FHL. “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).

[7] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).

[8] “Jane Cunningham Croly: American Journalist,” Encyclopedia Britannica (https:/www.britannica.com/topic/journalism, accessed 23 Oct. 2020).

[9] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).

[10] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).

[11] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020). “Jane Cunningham Croly: American Journalist,” Encyclopedia Britannica (https:/www.britannica.com/topic/journalism, accessed 23 Oct. 2020).

[12] Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2017), 311–312. EBW, Diary, 24 Feb. 1891.

[13] “Rutgers Remembers: October 1892, Jane Cunningham Croly,” Rutgers University (https://250.rutgers.edu/rutgers-remembers, accessed 23 Oct. 2020).

[14] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” History of American Women (https://www.womenhistoryblog.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).

[15] “Jane Cunningham Croly,” Evergreen Cemetery, Lakewood, Ocean Co., NJ, Find a Grave, posted 18 Apr. 2004, memorial no. 8653005 (http://findagrave.com, accessed 21 Oct. 2020).