Marion Howard Brazier (used the name Marion Howard; September 6, 1850 – January 15, 1935) was an American journalist, editor, author, and member of women’s clubs in Boston. She wrote two books: Perpetrations, a Book of Humor and Cheer, Philosophy and Comfort.
Brazier worked as society editor of The Boston Post from 1890 to 1898; editor and publisher of The Patriotic Review from 1898 to 1900; and society editor of The Boston Journal from 1903 to 1911. She was a member of sixteen groups and helped start six, including the Professional Women’s Club, the Bunker Hill and Paul Jones Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.), and the Boston Parliamentary Law Clubs. She also belonged to the Authors’ Society, Drama League, Charity Club, Cremation Society, Boston Common Society, Boston Political Club, and the Woman’s Charity Club.
Early life and education
Marion Howard Brazier was born on September 6, 1850, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of William Henry and Sarah Jane (Sargent) Brazier. William Henry Brazier served in the Civil War and was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Family tradition suggests that Mr. Brazier’s ancestors included Sir Henry Brazier, who lived many years ago in Lincolnshire, England. Sarah Jane Sargent, Marion’s mother, was the daughter of David Sargent (the fourth in his family line) and Elizabeth I. Fille-brown. She was a descendant of William Sargent, who moved from Northampton, England, to Malden, Massachusetts, in 1638. William Sargent is believed to have been the son of Roger and the grandson of Hugh Sargent, both from Northamptonshire, England. On her mother’s side, two of Marion’s ancestors—David Sargent and Abraham Rand—were soldiers in the American Revolution. Abraham Rand served three years in the army. His mother, Anne Devens, was married to Thomas Rand and was likely the daughter of Philip Devens. She was closely related to the family of Judge Devens.
Marion graduated from the Bunker Hill School at the end of the Civil War.
Another ancestor, John Hicks II of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was killed by British soldiers during the retreat from Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. Charles H. Saunders, a former mayor of Cambridge and the first president of the Sons of the American Revolution, was also a descendant of John Hicks and a second cousin to Marion Brazier.
Career
After working as an accountant and cashier for many years, Brazier's health worsened. This required her to move to a new place and change jobs. She relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she had a sudden idea in 1888 to write about the city's scenes. In the same room where General Lew Wallace wrote Ben-Hur, Brazier wrote her first article for publication.
Until 1889, her health remained weak. In California, she provided special reports on many topics to local and New England newspapers. While traveling, she worked as a special correspondent for newspapers across the country. She organized her work into a system and created a syndicate, which was popular at the time. This effort earned her a significant amount of money. At one point, she supplied as many as 60 to 80 newspapers each week with letters.
Brazier managed a clipping bureau that collected personal news about important people. The bureau also shared notes and reports about women's clubs and patriotic groups. She worked as a society and club editor for the Boston Sunday Post, regularly wrote for the Boston Evening Transcript, edited a New York City society magazine, and contributed to many newspapers. In addition to journalism, she also wrote biographies.
Her writing focused on patriotic topics. In 1898, she founded The Patriotic Review, a publication about history. She was its editor and publisher, and the magazine had a large readership before it ended in 1904. That same year, she worked as the society editor for the Boston Journal and regularly wrote for the Sunday Herald and the Globe.
Brazier belonged to several organizations, including the New England Woman's Press Association, the Charity Club, the Actors' Church Alliance, the Daughters of Veterans, the USWV Auxiliary, the Daughters of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the Woman's Club House Corporation, and the DAR National Society. She founded two DAR chapters—Bunker Hill and Paul Jones. She also started the Parliamentary Law Club. Through her work, a naval hero from the American Revolution was honored in Massachusetts, and a school in East Boston was named after him.
In 1888, while in Paris, Brazier became interested in the connection between France and the American colonies during the Revolution. She searched for the resting place of John Paul Jones and pushed the United States to find his lost grave and move his remains to the U.S. She created the Paul Jones Chapter of the DAR in 1898. With help from patriotic groups, a public school in Boston was named Paul Jones School. The chapter also placed a bronze tablet to honor John Paul Jones, the founder of the American navy. Brazier planned the tablet's dedication on April 15, 1904, with the Massachusetts Naval Brigade escorting Governor Curtis Guild Jr., who gave a speech and presented the tablet to the city.
The Bunker Hill Chapter of the DAR was formed on June 17, 1896, in Charlestown on historic ground. It had 38 founding members, and Brazier was its founder and first Regent. She was a descendant of John Hicks, the first soldier killed at the Concord Bridge. Through her work, the chapter provided framed pictures of the American flag with dates showing when states joined the United States. These were displayed in Boston public schools.
Personal life and death
Brazier lived in Trinity Court in Boston before moving to Westboro, Massachusetts. She lived there for one year before passing away on January 15, 1935. A brother, Frederick W. Brazier from Forest Hills, Long Island, New York, survived her.