Penelope Pelham Winslow

On Wednesday, March 4, author Michelle Marchetti Coughlin will give a slideshow lecture at 7:00 p.m.at the Watertown Free Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room on the topic of her most recent book, Penelope Pelham Winslow. Mrs. Winslow, a member of the English gentry, and married to Plymouth Colony Governor Josiah Winslow, was one of the most powerful women in Plymouth Colony's history.  Like most of her female contemporaries, however, she has largely been forgotten.  Though she authored or is mentioned in few surviving documents, she left behind a trove of physical evidence---from surviving homes and possessions to archaeological artifacts---that provide great insight into her experiences.  They also offer a portal into the world of Plymouth Colony's women.  In her new book, Penelope Winslow, Plymouth Colony First Lady:  Re-Imagining a Life, Michelle Marchetti Coughlin discovers that blending historical records with material culture provides the keys to re-imagining Winslow's world in all its rich complexity.  Ms. Coughlin is an independent scholar who currently serves on the board of the Abigail Adams Birthplace and as Museum Administrator of Boston's Gibson House Museum.  All Historical Society of Watertown meetings are free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact Joyce at 781-899-7239.