Caroline Atherton Mason
Caroline Atherton Briggs Mason (27 July 1823 – 13 June 1890) was an American poet whose works include Do They Miss Me At Home? And The King's Quest. Many of her poems became popular hymns in the Unitarian church.
Also recorded as Caroline Atherton Briggs Mason
Caroline Atherton Mason
- Name
- Caroline Atherton Mason
- Born
- 27 July 1823
- Birthplace
- Marblehead, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Died
- 13 June 1890
- Place of death
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Occupation
- Poet
- Spouse
- Charles Mason
- Nationality
- United States
- Known for
- Do They Miss Me at Home?
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Caroline Atherton Mason • Born — 27 July 1823 • Birthplace — Marblehead, Massachusetts, U.S. • Died — 13 June 1890 • Place of death — Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S. • Occupation — Poet • Notable Works — Do They Miss Me At Home? The King's Quest Utterance: or Private Voices to the Public Heart Lost Ring and other Poems • Spouse — Charles Mason
Early life
Early life
Mason was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the daughter of physician Dr. Calvin Briggs and Rebecca Monroe. She was educated at Bradford Academy in Bradford, Massachusetts, and began writing when quite young. In 1852, her family moved to Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
Major works
Major works
One of her early poems, Do They Miss Me at Home? was set to music by S.M. Grannis and published by mid-1852. It obtained immediate and widespread popularity in the United States and in England. Its popularity carried into the Civil War, where Mason's lyrics, written as a homesick girl away from home at school, readily translated to the plight of the soldiers on both sides, and was among the songs soldiers would sing. Several of Mason's poems were honored, notably "The King's Quest".
Personal life
Personal life
Mason married Charles Mason, an attorney in Fitchburg, in 1853.
Selected works
Selected works
• Do They Miss Me At Home? • The King's Quest • Utterance: or Private Voices to the Public Heart • Lost Ring and other Poems • I cannot walk in darkness long • 0 God. I thank Thee for each sight • The changing years, eternal God
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1823
Caroline Atherton Mason born at Marblehead.
1890
Caroline Atherton Mason died at Fitchburg.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Marblehead.
Birth place
Fitchburg.
Death place
Published works
Her first poems were published in the Salem Register under the name "Caro". Mason was also published in The Congregationalist, The Liberal Christian, The Monthly Religious Magazine, The Independent and The Christian Union. She contributed largely to the hymnology of the Unitarian church, and her poetry generally is strong in the didactic element. She published a collection of poetry, Utterance: or Private Voices to the Public Heart in 1852 and a Sunday school story, Rose Hamilton in 1859. In 1891, she published Lost Ring and other Poems in 1891. She contributed largely to the hymnology of the Unitarian church, and her poetry generally is strong in the didactic element.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Caroline Atherton Mason, revision 1371372215 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 31 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Caroline A. SouleAuthor
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