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Rebecca Richardson Joslin (March 20, 1846 – August 30, 1934) was an American writer, lecturer, benefactor, and clubwoman. Joslin's education and affiliations were centered in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. She published one book and many essays, lectured on a wide range of topics, and traveled in the U.S. and abroad. Her will provided for several charitable bequests.


Early life and education

Rebecca Richardson Joslin was born in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, March 20, 1846. She was the daughter of Gilman and Mary A. (Cline) Joslin. Rebecca had two siblings, William Burt Joslin (1842–1918) and Gilman Joslin Jr. (1850–1872). Of old Colonial ancestry, she was a descendant of Thomas Joslin (Josselyn) who settled in
Hingham, Massachusetts Hingham ( ) is a town in northern Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Part of the Greater Boston region, it is located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore of Massachusetts. At the 2020 ...
, in 1635; of Thomas Richardson,
Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Also called Mishawum by the Massachusett, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Bost ...
, in 1635; also of Captain John Joslin Jr., after whom a chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...
(D.A.R.) is named. She was educated in Boston public grammar and high schools; special student at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(M.I.T.); student at
New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
; and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Joslin graduated from Posse Gymnasium (both Normal and Medical courses) with diploma, 1894.


Career

Joslin served as secretary (1897–98) and as president (1901–12) of the
Castilian Club Castilian Club was an American women's Study group, study Woman's club movement in the United States, club. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, February 8, 1888, by Abba Goold Woolson after a visit to Spain. Sibylla Bailey Crane was a co-foun ...
of Boston, a club devoted to the study of Spain. The ''Castilian Club Essays'', illustrated and bound into volumes, were deposited in the
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...
. She was the author of several essays including: "Essays on Early Years of Charles V. in Spain"; "War of the Comuneros"; "Philip of Anjou and the Archduke Charles", "Rival Claimants to the Spanish Throne"; "Queen Marie of Savoy, and the Princess des Ursins" (the Camarera Mayor); "French Influence in Spain"; "Moratin the Elder"; "The Club of the Fonda de San Sebastian"; "Iriarte and His Fables"; "Italian Literature in the Time of Charles III. of Spain"; "Moratin the Younger and Other Spanish Writers of His Period"; and "Spanish Generals of the Peninsular War". She wrote numerous brochures on subjects pertaining to Spain. She lectured on various topics, some of which included, "The Coronation Durbar at Delhi, 1911"; "Delhi and Its Rulers"; "William Tell and His Home"; "The Coat of Arms of the U.S."; "Beacon Hill, Boston, in Colonial Days"; "The House of Parliament on the Thames"; and "England in Her Hour of Stress". ''Chasing Eclipses: The Total Solar Eclipses of 1905, 1914, 1925'' (Walton Advertising and Printing Company) was published in England in 1929, and reprinted in Boston, 1931. She was a charter member of the D.A.R. John Hancock Chapter, vice-regent for eight years, and regent 1908–10; member, American Society of Colonial Families, and member, Daughters of Massachusetts. She served as president of the Posse Alumni Association, and was a member of the M.I.T. Women's Association, and the Massachusetts Society for University Education of Women. She was also a member of the Copley Society of Boston, American Folklore Society, Free Religlous Association, Author's League, Women's Municipal League, Hahnemann Association,
National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...
, Appalachian Mountain Club, Lyceum (
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
), New England Women's Club, Twentieth Century Club, Parliamentary Law Club, and the Women's City Club. Joslin traveled very extensively in the U.S. and abroad. She was a guest of the British Government at the Coronation Durbar at
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
, India, December 1911.


Personal life

Joslin resided at various addresses on Boston's Charles Street. In religion, she affiliated with the Unitarian church. Her past-time activities included gymnastics, boating, painting, the theatre, the opera, and foreign travel.


Death and legacy

Rebecca Richardson Joslin died at the Phillips House,
Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the original and largest clinical education and research facility of Harvard Medical School/Harvar ...
, Boston, August 30, 1934. Her will contained in public bequests including M.I.T., the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the School of Drawing and Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts. The Rebecca Richardson Joslin Fund is credited for the donation of the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
era, 680–81 A.D., "Guardian Lion" (唐龍門浮雕石獅子) of
Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
,
Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
Province, China, to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Rebecca R. Joslin Traveling Scholarship at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is named in her honor.


Selected works


Books

* ''Chasing Eclipses: The Total Solar Eclipses of 1905, 1914, 1925'', 1929


Essays

* "Essays on Early Years of Charles V. in Spain" * "War of the Comuneros" * "Philip of Anjou and the Archduke Charles" * "Rival Claimants to the Spanish Throne" * "Queen Marie of Savoy, and the Princess des Ursins" * "French Influence in Spain" * "Moratin the Elder" * "The Club of the Fonda de San Sebastian" * "Iriarte and His Fables" * "Italian Literature in the Time of Charles III. of Spain" * "Moratin the Younger and Other Spanish Writers of His Period" * "Spanish Generals of the Peninsular War"


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joslin, Rebecca Richardson 1846 births 1934 deaths 19th-century American essayists 20th-century American essayists 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers Writers from Boston Clubwomen Philanthropists from Massachusetts American Unitarians Daughters of the American Revolution people Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni New England Conservatory alumni Museum of Fine Arts, Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts alumni American lecturers History of women in Massachusetts