Biography

Janet "Jenny" Watson Seward was born on November 18, 1839, to Robert and Margaret (Standart) Watson. She attended school in Auburn, New York, and at Miss Anabel's Boarding School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Janet married William Henry Seward Jr., son of William and Frances (Miller) Seward, on June 27, 1860. During the American Civil War, she split her time between her mother's home in Auburn, the Seward home on South Street, and the Union camp of her husband who served during the war. Janet was the mother of three children, Cornelia, William III, and Frances. She and her husband inherited the Seward home on South Street after the death of William H. Seward in 1872.

Janet was a member of the Women's Educational and Institutional Union in Auburn, Home for the Friendless, Cayuga County Orphan Asylum, Seymour Library Association, and Daughters of the American Revolution. She identified as an anti-suffragist. Janet also authored the book entitled Personal Experiences of the Civil War, published by F.S. Blanchard (Worcester, MA) in 1899.

Janet died on November 9, 1913, at the age of 73.