Rebecca Rush
Rebecca Rush, born in 1779, is best known for her novel "Kelroy," published anonymously in 1812. She was the eldest daughter of lawyer Jacob Rush and Mary Wrench, growing up in a family connected to notable historical figures, including her uncle Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During her youth, she spent significant time caring for her uncle’s children, particularly during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Despite her mother's artistic background as a painter, Rebecca's literary contributions were largely recognized only after her mother's passing in 1806. "Kelroy," a novel of manners, struggled to gain attention upon its initial release, overshadowed by the War of 1812, but later received acclaim as one of the notable works of the early republic. Little is known about Rush's life after the publication of her novel, and there are no records of her personal or professional activities thereafter, aside from a brief mention in her father's will in 1820. Her legacy is primarily tied to her literary work, which continues to attract interest from scholars and readers today.
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Subject Terms
Rebecca Rush
Writer
- Born: January 1, 1779
- Died: 1850?
Biography
Rebecca Rush, born in 1779, left behind few written details about her life, and what is known about her immediate family has been pieced together from family archives. Her parents were Pennsylvanialawyer Jacob Rush and Mary Wrench (or Rench), who married in November 1777, two months after Jacob Rush joined the Pennsylvania bar. During Rush’s childhood, her father was a practicing attorney in Philadelphia and served as a Third Circuit Court judge; in later years, he was a judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. Mary Rush had been a painter before marrying, but she abandoned the occupation when she became a wife and mother. Rush was the oldest of the couple’s five daughters, the younger ones being Sarah, Mary, Harriet, and Louisa.
Rush’s uncle, and her father’s brother, was Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. When her family lived in Reading, Pennsylvania, Rush spent considerable time in Philadelphia with Benjamin Rush’s family, likely caring for his children, as she certainly did during the yellow fever epidemic in 1793, when she was fourteen years old. Mary Rush died in 1806 when her oldest daughter was twenty-seven, and she did not live to see the 1812 publication of Rush’s now- famed novel Kelroy.
Kelroy was first published anonymously as A Lady of Philadelphia. The novel of manners was largely ignored upon its initial publication because the War of 1812 was occupying most potential readers’ time and minds. However, in later years Kelroy attracted much attention and praise from literary critics. Some consider it among the best novels of the early republic.
Nothing is known about Rush’s subsequent life and career. Although she may have married at some point and may have written other books, there are no other recorded accounts of her life beyond the publication of Kelroy. The only known written reference to her later life came in 1820, when her father died and left his Cambridge Bible to her in his will.