Frances Montressor Brush Buchanan Allen Penniman
She was the illegitimate daughter of a British officer, and her mother died while she was young. She was raised in the home of Crean Brush. She was already a widow when she married Ethan Allen at 24. She would remarry after Ethan’s death, and her story is highly demonstrative of the position of women in the 18th Century.
She was well trained in Botany and her records from the early 19th Century provide some of the best examples of early flora of Vermont. They are kept at the Pringle Herbarium at the University of Vermont.
Dear Fanny wise, the beautiful and young, The partner of my joys, my dearest self, My love, pride of my life, your sexes pride, And partner of Sincere politeness…
An Inscription in Fanny’s copy of Reason the only Oracle of Man
found in Charles Jellison’s “Ethan Allen: Frontier Hero”
Take a Virtual Tour of Fanny’s Garden On the Museum Grounds!
This portal is brought to you thanks to a grant from Vermont Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Note: Some of the cards describe medicinal uses of plants 240 years ago. They are presented here in a historical context, not as medical advice. We are not medical experts nor pharmacists, please consult your provider with medical questions.
Fanny’s Garden is a special place where the history of our natural environment is preserved, but it also gives us an opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty and tranquility.
Our Garden Team
