Biography

Frances (Francisca) Parkman visited Janet Seward and William Seward Jr. in 1870. During this visit, Janet wrote about how Miss Parkman was thrilled over the fall weather, wearing the fall leaves in her hair and sending them to her father. Janet mentioned that she and William would leave town for a while, so they enlisted Cora Richardson to watch Miss Parkman along with their children. In another letter from Janet to Augustus Seward, Jenny explains that "Miss Parkman is still with us, is going to Washington this winter, and with the convent for two or three months to study English" so it appears that Frances Parkman stayed with them in Auburn and DC. In letter written by Lazette Miller Worden to Augustus Seward, dated March 13, 1870, she includes clippings from newspapers indicating that Miss Parkman is from Mexico and that her father is originally from Aurora, NY. This fits the description of Samuel Paul Parkman who was born in 1804 in Aurora, NY and moved to Guanajuato, Mexico in the 1830s and married Antonia de Vega in 1835. They had 12 children together. Frances married Maximiliano Koelbe in 1888. Lazette mentions in her letter that Frances cannot speak English - only Spanish.