Ancestry of Louisa May Alcott

Born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania (now a part of Philadelphia), Louisa May Alcott was the second of four girls born to noted transcendentalist Bronson Alcott and his wife, Abigail May. The March family everyone came to love in her books is based on her own family, with Louisa as her alter-ego Jo and her sisters as the other three "little women."

Louisa May Alcott died just two days after her father, on March 4, 1888 from long-term side-effects of mercury poisoning. She initially acquired this disorder from the drug calomel (which is laden with mercury) that doctors used to treat the typhoid fever she contracted while volunteering as a nurse during the Civil War. Louisa May Alcott is buried on "Authors' Ridge" in Concord's Sleepy Hollow Cemeter, with her family. Nearby, are the graves of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau.

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First Generation

1. Louisa May ALCOTT was born on 29 Nov 1832 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. and died on 6 Mar 1888 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Ma.

Second Generation - Parents

3. Abigail MAY was born on 8 Oct 1800 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Ma. and died in 1877.

Amos Bronson ALCOTT and Abigail MAY had the following children:

i. Anna Bronson ALCOTT was born on 16 Mar 1831 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa.

1 ii. Louisa May ALCOTT

iii. Elizabeth Sewall ALCOTT was born on 24 Jun 1835 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Ma. and died on 14 Mar 1858.

iv. May ALCOTT was born on 26 Jul 1840 in Concord, Middlesex Co., Ma.

Third Generation - Grandparents

5. Anna BRONSON was born on 20 Jan 1773 in Jerico, New London, Ct. and died on 15 Aug 1863 in West Edmeston, Ostego Co., N.Y.

Joseph Chatfield ALCOTT and Anna BRONSON had the following children:

i. Betsey ALCOTT was born on 4 Apr 1798 in Wolcott, New Haven, Ct. and died on 5 Nov 1798.

2 ii. Amos Bronson ALCOTT

iii. Chatfield ALCOTT was born on 23 Oct 1801.

iv. Pamelia ALCOTT was born on 4 Feb 1805 in Wolcott, New Haven, Ct. and died on 11 Feb 1849.

v. Betsey ALCOTT was born on 14 Feb 1808 in Wolcott, New Haven, Ct.

vi. Phebe ALCOTT was born on 18 Feb 1810 in Wolcott, New Haven, Ct. and died on 28 Jul 1844.

vii. George ALCOTT was born on 26 Mar 1812 in Wolcott, New Haven, Ct. and died on 12 Jul 1812.

viii. Junius ALCOTT was born on 6 Jul 1818 and died on 16 Apr 1852.

ix. Ambrose ALCOTT was born on 10 Sep 1820 in Wolcott, New Haven, Ct.

7. Dorothy SEWELL was born on 23 Dec 1758 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass. and died on 31 Oct 1825 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass.

Joseph MAY and Dorothy SEWELL had the following children:

i. Charles MAY was born on 2 Nov 1785 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass. and died on 21 Mar 1856 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass.

ii. Catharine MAY was born on 30 Dec 1786 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass. and died in 1814 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass.

iii. Louisa MAY was born on 31 Dec 1792 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass. and died on 14 Nov 1828 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass.

iv. Edward MAY was born on 26 Aug 1795 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass. and died on 29 Apr 1802 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass.

v. Samuel Joseph MAY was born on 12 Sep 1797 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass. and died on 1 Jul 1871 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass.

vi. Elizabeth Sewall MAY was born on 5 Dec 1798 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass. and died on 5 Mar 1822 in Portland, Cumberland Co., Maine.

3 vii. Abigail MAY

viii. Louisa C. Greenwood MAY was born on 2 Dec 1810 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass. and died on 23 Sep 1891 in Roxbury, Norfolk Co., Mass.

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