Can you find biographical information on Elizabeth B. Phelps, first
woman physician in New Jersey?

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 18 Jun 2003 13:24 PDT

Rarebooks --

I have found some references to Elizabeth B. Phelps' (and Dr.
Elizabeth Phelps) involvement with the Womens' Bureau and the Social
Purity League between 1869 and 1897.  It's hardly a complete
biography, as it's missing birthdate, date of death and even school
where she was educated -- so I hesitate to post it.

Did she at any point use her husband's name?  At one point I have Mrs.
Elizabeth Phelps Pearsall listed as a delegate to the Women's Suffrage
Congress at Paris?  And did she have any children?

I won't post this scattered information as an answer but whatever
additional information you have may help researchers provide a more
complete biographical profile.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Clarification of Question by rarebooks-ga on 18 Jun 2003 14:36 PDT

i do not know if phelps married
i do know she lived in orange nj
and i do know she was the first vp of nwsa as well as founder of the
woman's bureau and came from a wealthy family; gave anthony her 50th
birthday party -
she attended blackwell's women's medical college of the ny infirmary

but i need birth and death dates and where and where her money came
from, i.e. who was her family

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 18 Jun 2003 14:42 PDT

Rarebooks --

I'm going to stay on this one for a while.  It's going to require some
non-Internet (i.e., library) sources, I'm sure.  But I've got some
great gossip, though.  Did you know that she was arrested for
shoplifting in 1870 at Macy's, despite her wealth and leadership of
the National Women's Suffrage Association?

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Clarification of Question by rarebooks-ga on 19 Jun 2003 08:17 PDT

i wonder if your report about shoplifting at macy's isn't the woodhull
canard used in 1872 to try to blackmail phelps for money to keep
woodhull's journal afloat.  woodhull tried to blackmail several
prominent suffrage leaders including anthony.  in short, what is your
source for this?

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 19 Jun 2003 08:50 PDT

Rarebooks --

It sounds as if you're MILES ahead of the researcher on this one --
LOL!

Indeed Woodhull was the source and I was totally unfamiliar with the
background of this story.  However, it appears to have been picked up
by academic sources as legitimate --

The source that I have is:
"When Ladies Go A-Thieving: Middle-Class Shoplifters in the Victorian
Department Store," Elaine Abelson, (New York: Oxford University Press,
1989), pp. 9-10, 120-25.

and "True Love and Perfect Union," pp. 227-28, Leach (I'll have to
check the publisher).  However this book apparently picks up "Dry
Goods Trade," Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly, November 12, 1870 as
legitimate.

I suspect that both books use Woodhull & Claflin as source.  BTW, I
checked NY Times archives and find no mention of the purported arrest.

It appears that you're so far ahead of me on this that it's
intimidating.

BTW, I have citations regarding Elizabeth B. Phelps or Dr. Elizabeth
Phelps as late as January, 1897 (Social Purity League) from the NY
Times.  However, I've found no obituary for her, which is a bit
surprising.

My guess is that the best sources from here will be those profiling
the Suffragette movement.  As such, there may be other researchers who
have access to more relevant information than I.

Here's some interesting information on where she went to school -- and
note the founding date in 1868.  By September, 1869 she's involved in
a female suffrage/welfare organization called 'The Eunadelphia' with
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/blackwell/career.html

Now to the clarification: you're seeking birth date, death date &
family background (and of course whatever else can be found).  You've
undoubtedly found the Susan B. Anthony invitation by using "Elizabeth
B. Phelps" in a Google search!

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Clarification of Question by rarebooks-ga on 19 Jun 2003 09:46 PDT

Fascinating that the shoplifting was picked up as legit as in LIFE AND
WORKS OF SBAnthony it is quite clearly noted as note with all the
women being completely absolved at that time. Doubt she lived in
Genesee NY.  I have a letter addressed to her undated but around 1890
in South Orange, NJ.  I have all the info about suffrage in hand but
her medical career is a mystery.  Did she practice? Well, at least
I've got birth and death dates and husband's name and occupation. I
guess if she died in Rome, it would explain why the Times did not run
obit. And for all this I thank you. I have the admission ticket for
Phelps to study at NY Women's Medical College signed by Emily
Blackwell which is the occasion for the search.

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 19 Jun 2003 10:03 PDT

Rarebooks and Brett-GA --

I'd be a little careful about that birth/death notice.  I have a Jan.
31, 1897  article from the New York Times about the Social Purity
League that has "Dr. Elizabeth Phelps" reporting on a protest over the
Seeley dinner, a scandal from December, 1896 in which the New York
City police raided a private party because of the presence of a pair
of burlesque dancers.

That said: it's a litle difficult from these various unconnected
sources to ensure that "Elizabeth B. Phelps" in one article is "Dr.
Elizabeth Phelps" in another, except by common association with
organizations such as the National Women's Suffrage Association.

I have a hunch that we may be best pursuing some information on her
through the New Jersey Historical Society.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 19 Jun 2003 10:35 PDT

Another potential source: 
"The History of Womman Suffage," 4 volumes, 1884-1887, New York by
Stanton, Anthony, Ida Husted Harper, Matilda Joslyn Gage.

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Clarification of Question by rarebooks-ga on 19 Jun 2003 10:38 PDT

So you think the birth/death might not be correct?  Elizabeth B.
Phelps is what is listed on the entry card to Woman's Medical College
signed by Blackwell. And HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE as well as
Stanton's EIGHTY YEARS AND MORE and LIFE & WORKS OF SBA note her as
Elizabeth B. Phelps.  The Phelps family lived in Orange NJ and a
dealer there bought most of the family papers and says there is no
doubt that the suffrage "purity league" Eliz. B. Phelps is the doctor
Eliz. B. Phelps.  She certainly had money as she bought the building
where SBA set up her newspaper REVOLUTION.  Will await further info
about birth and death and husband's name.

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Clarification of Question by rarebooks-ga on 19 Jun 2003 14:40 PDT

thanks for the Wheeler info but I have that and Century of Struggle
and just about every other text on the suffrage movement.  The best,
imho, are still the primary sources of HISTORY, 80 YEARS, AND LIFE &
WORKS, ETC.
How about an obit from a New Jersey paper - since she lived in Orange?
It's the medical career that I can get a handle on, along with birth
and death dates and where the money came from!
She helped bail out SBA from debts incurred with Revolution that
George Train left her "holding the bag", so she had the money to by a
building and give thousands to a friend.

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 19 Jun 2003 15:26 PDT

Rarebooks --

Sometimes we reach a deadend with the sources that we have.  I've done
extensive searching in some private online databases, but have found
little but anecdotal data on her:
*  she held the National Women's Suffrage Association meetings at her
home, 49 East 23rd Avenue, New York City (except once in November,
1869 when  when she was seriously ill).
*  she co-chaired Women's Bureau affairs with Mrs. Horace Greeley,
even though at a later date the NWSA met with Greeley because of
differences over issues in his editorials.

I'm at a dead-end for sources and it appears that you have much better
print resources anyway.

I'd hoped to find a reference to family members by using the NY Times
archive but had no success.  I've already checked for an obituary: no
luck.  Few newspapers are indexed that far back; in searching for
family obits it's a very hit-or-miss affair.

Good luck with it from here!

Omnivorous-GA

I found the following using a search for "Elizabeth W Phelps":

IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH B. PHELPS BORN IN NEW YORK 13 SEPTEMBER 1813
DIED IN ROME 6 JUNE 1894 DAUGHTER OF ORATHY AND ELIZABETH STILES WIFE
OF THOMAS WOODBRIDGE PHELPS
---------------- 
MRS PHELPS POSSESSED A PROFOUND AND ALERT INTELLECT. SHE WAS AN ARDENT
REFORMER SHE WORKED WITH THE FOREMOST FOR WOMAN'S SUFFERAGE SHE AIDED
IN THE EFFORT TO GIVE INDEPENDENCE TO CUBA HER DAUGHTER ELIZABETH
WOODBRIDGE PHELPS KNOWING HER MOTHER'S DEVOTION TO LITERATURE IS GLAD
TO CARRY OUT HER WISH TO BE BURIED NEAR THE POET SHELLEY

It appears to be a transcription of her gravestone in the Protestant
Cemetery in Rome, Italy

I also found what could be this Elizabeth Phelps living at Bergen,
Genesee, New York in 1880, using the Census search on the LDS site at:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp

Elisabeth PHELPS  Self  66  b. NY  Keeping House  Father b. NY  Mother
b. NY
Truman PHELPS     Son   30     NY  Mail Carrier             NY        
   NY
Willie PHELPS     GSon  11     NY  At School                NY        
   NY
Charles REMINGTON Other 44     NY  Minister                 NY        
   VT

Using a search for "Thomas W Phelps" I came up with the following:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/designation/summaries/irvingplacehd_print.html

... The house at 49 Irving Place (originally 122 East 17th Street) is
the most architecturally distinctive in the historic district
(Manhattan) ... from 1854 to 1863 it was the home of merchant/banker
Thomas W. Phelps and his wife Elizabeth.

Once again, I can't be sure that these are the same people, but it
does seem likely, and offers another possible search strategy.

Hope this goes some way to helping with your research.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett

Rarebooks --

Interesting.  I believe that "The Revolution" only published 1868-1870
-- that may be another way to look for information.

BTW, A book called "One Woman, One Vote," by Marjorie Spruill Wheeler,
NewAge, 1995, details the Victoria Woodhull attempt at extortion. 
"Woodhull's extortion methods consisted of presenting her victims with
dummy copies of the front page of Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly that
featured detailed, wholly suprious allegations of supposed sexual
indiscretions," after which she demanded $500 to suppress the story. 
She tried this with Phelps and others.   (at later accused Henry Ward
Beecher, a respected clergyman, of seducing a number of female
parishioners).

Still few traces of Dr. Phelps -- and I went back to search for her
obit again in the New York Times.  Even if she'd died abroad, I'd have
expected a brief notice.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

Hi rarebooks-ga,

According to a citation I found in PubMed, the first woman physician
in New Jersey was not Elizabeth B. Phelps, but one Madana DeHart.

"Early women physicians in New Jersey," by C.E. Haycock. New Jersey
Medicine, vol. 90, no. 1, Jan. 1993, pp 38-40.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8419854&dopt=Abstract

Wish I could have found more for you.

Regards,
luciaphile-ga