Maria Jane Bancroft Browne

Biography

Maria Jane Bancroft Browne was born in 1819 and spent her life around Springfield, where she quietly championed family, home, and service to neighbors. Her thoughtful presence helped steady households and offered a welcoming listening ear to early reformers and educators alike.

She worked behind the scenes with temperance supporters and Sunday schools, offering counsel that kept countless small institutions on steady footing. Even after her death in 1908, those whose lives she touched recall a woman of resilient faith and generous hospitality.