(Postponed)
On Wednesday, March 11, 18, and 25 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, the Bowne House Historical Society will offer tours that tell the story of the roles generations of little known Bowne/Parsons women played in the history of Flushing and the United States. Admission is $10 for Adults; $8.00 for seniors. Members of the Bowne House Historical Society are free of charge. www.bownehouse.org. For further information and for interviews, contact office@bownehouse.org or 718-359-0528.
Women’s History Month tours will focus on several Bowne/Parsons family women. Among them are Hannah Feake (1637-1678), the first wife of John Bowne, who was one of the earliest American female Quaker ministers. Visitors will also learn about John Bowne’s great-great granddaughters who, with other family members, founded and participated in the Flushing Female Association (1814) to provide education to African-American children.
On March 28, there will be a talk and slideshow “Restless Spirits: Three Generations of Women in Colonial Flushing and Beyond”by Kate Lynch, researcher, and Charlotte Jackson, Bowne House archivist. Discussion period to follow.
The speakers will discuss three generations of strong, unconventional women connected to the Bowne House. Elizabeth Winthrop, who defied Puritan society in life and love; her daughter Hannah Feake Bowne, one of the first American Quaker missionaries; and Hannah‘s daughter-in-law, Mary Beckett Bowne, who of her own volition crossed the ocean at age eleven to join William Penn‘’s new colony. In the 17th century, the frontier attracted bold women, while the new Quaker faith empowered them to speak for themselves and for God. The Bowne women of the 17th century embodied these heady currents. The speakers will share letters and other original documents to shed light on their still mysterious lives.
Where: The Bowne House, 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, NY
When: Saturday, March 28, 2020, 1:00-1:30 (Q & A to follow); Free with $10 Museum Admission for Adults, $8.00 for Seniors; Free for Members of the Bowne House Historical Society.