Jane Gilmor Howard (March 29, 1801— November 29, 1890) was an American author from Baltimore best known for her work Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen. She was the wife of the politician Benjamin Chew Howard.
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Early life
Jane Gilmor was born to parents William and Mary Gilmor on March 29, 1801 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Charitable work
Howard was active member of the Great Southern Relief Association, becoming its president in 1865. As president, Howard raised $200,000 (equivalent to about $5.3 million today) to aid recovery for poor Southerners after the American Civil War.
Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen
One of Howard's most successful charitable endeavors was her cookbook, Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen, which she wrote to raise money for charity in 1873. Howard used the name Mrs. B. C. Howard for the book.
Personal life
Jane married American politician Benjamin Chew Howard at the age of 17. Together, the couple had either 12 or 16 children, but only eight survived until adulthood. All six of their sons served the Confederacy in the American Civil War.
Their surviving children are listed as follows:
Louisa Howard Hoffman (1819-1876)
Sophia Howard (1822-1852)
Ellen Howard Bayard (1833-1911)
Marian Gilmor Howard (b.1825)
Ann Williams Howard (b.1826)
Jane Gilmor Howard King (b.1827)
Juliana Howard Tyson (1830-1909)
William Gilmor Howard (1835-1877)
Howard died on November 29, 1890, at the age of 89, in her hometown of Baltimore. Her death was written about in The Baltimore Sun; according to the obituary, she died at 6:00 am in her home. She is buried at Green Mount Cemetery.