Maggie Van Cott
Contributed by Karol Hugh - article found in her family files.
Mrs. Maggie N. Van
Cott, Evangelist
1830-1905
First Woman Licensed
to Preach by the Methodist Church in America.
Picture Caption:
Will Celebrate Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Her Birth To-Morrow, and on Monday
Next Will Start for Iowa, Where Until the Middle of June She Will Personally
Conduct Revival Meetings.
Our justly-esteemed
townswoman, Mrs. Maggie Newton Van Cott, who at her home on Liberty street
to-morrow will celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of her birth, furnishes
conclusive refutation of the theory of “Chloroform-at-Sixty” Osler. Born in
the city of New York on March 25, 1830--her father, William K. Newton, occupying
the position of manager of real estate, and having under his control at
different periods the estates of Peter Lorillard, Isaac Greenwood and the
enormous real property of John Jacob Astor--she was wedded at an early age, two
daughters (the survivor being Mrs. John I. Olney of this village) blessing the
union. Mr. Van Cott died on March 1, 1866, and in 1868, while Mrs. Van Cott was
visiting Mrs. John Battersby of South Durham, she began her first revivals in
Greene county. On Sept. 6, 1868, she received from Windham Center Conference an
exhorter’s license, and on March 6, 1869, a local preacher’s license from
the Conference of Stone Ridge, Ellenville District.