Cynthia Hicks (Van Name) Leonard (1828 - 1908)

Born 28 Feb 1828 in Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died May 1908 at age 80 in Rutherford, Bergen, New Jersey, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Scott Morgan [send private message]

Biography

Cynthia (Van Name) Leonard is Notable.

Cynthia (Van Name) Leonard was a part of the Suffragist Movement.

Cynthia Hicks Van Name Leonard was the mother of Helen Leonard, aka Lillian Russell. She was also a suffragist, writer, aid worker and worker for social reform. Perhaps most significantly, she was the first woman to run for the office of Mayor of New York City.

She married Charles E. Leonard had six daughters.

Cynthia first worked as a saleslady in Buffalo, NY.

The Leonards moved in 1856 to Detroit, Michigan and then by 1858 to Clinton, Iowa. Cynthia established the first soldiers' home in Iowa. In 1863 they moved to Chicago. By 1869, Cynthia is working with the Suffrage Movement and became friends with Susan B. Anthony.

Cynthia established the Good Samaritan Society. After the Great Chicago Fire, Cynthia organized homeless shelters to assist women who lost everything in the fire. Cynthia developed the concept of having women as prison guards especially for other women.

She wrote Adventures of Lena Rouden, or the Rebel Spy and Fading Footprints, or the Last of the Iroquois.

By 1878, she separated from her husband and then divorced Charles, and Cynthia took Helen and daughter Suzanne (Susan) to New York City to allow them to advance in music.

Cynthia developed the Science of Life Club and in 1880 managed a benefit for starving women and children in Ireland.

In 1884, she became the first woman to run for Mayor of the city of New York on a Women's Rights platform but received only four votes. In January 1888, Cynthia was accused of misusing the funds raised for the Irish women and children but found innocent.

In May 1908 Cynthia died in New Jersey.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCYC-FVJ : 12 April 2016), Cynthia Vanname in household of Rachel Vanname, Buffalo, ward 2, Erie, New York, United States; citing family 706, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ6K-5BR : 7 September 2017), Synthia Leonard, New York, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 406, sheet 615C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0886; FHL microfilm 1,254,886.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44022576/cynthia-l-leonard
• Wikidata: Item Q5200105, en:Wikipedia