Author: Brooks, Mary Abigail
Biography:
Brooks, Mary Abigail, formerly Gowen (c. 1794-1845: RPW)
pseudonym Maria del Occidente
Born in Medford MA, she was the daughter of William Gowen, a goldsmith, and Eleanor (Cutter) Gowen. In 1810 she married John Brooks (d 1823), the husband of her deceased sister; the couple had two sons. Her given name was Abigail but she changed it to Mary Abigail in 1819 and thereafter wrote as Maria or Maria del Occidente. After the death of her husband, she went to live with a brother in Cuba and inherited his estate. As a widow she travelled widely. She twice attempted to commit suicide because of an unhappy love affair. She made the acquaintance of Southey, who admired Zophiel and wrote to Caroline Bowles, "I do not know of any poet whose diction is so naturally good as Mrs. Brooks's." Brooks died in Matanzas, Cuba, and was buried in the graveyard of the church in Limonar. (RPW; Medford Historical Register [1898] 150-3)
Other Names:
- Mrs. Brooks
- Maria Gowen Brooks