Mary Newmarch Prescott was born in
Calais, Maine, August 2, 1849. Her parents were Joseph Newmarch Prescott (1807–1881) and Sarah Jane (Bridges) Prescott (1811–1883). Mary had several siblings, including the writer,
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford, as well as Annie, William, Katherine, Otis, Edith, and Sarah. When Mary was still very young, the family removed to
Newburyport, Massachusetts, Many notable people were allied with the Prescott family, including Sir
William Pepperrell,
John Brydges, 1st Baron Chandos, and the historian,
William H. Prescott, while more recently,
Secretary of State,
William M. Evarts and the Hoar brothers,
Ebenezer and
George. Her father, Joseph Prescott, was then a lumber merchant in Calais; afterward, he studied and practised law. In 1849, he became attracted by the Pacific coast, and, leaving his family in their Maine home, went out among the host of
California Gold Rush pioneers to seek his fortune. He was one of the founders of
Oregon City, Oregon, and three times elected its mayor. In the midst of strenuous work, he developed lingering paralysis, that made him an invalid for life. At the age of 15, she published the first of the hundreds of sketches and poems. Her writings were almost entirely confined to the magazines of the day. Her contributions to
Our Young Folks and the several publications of the Scribners and Harpers were well-regarded by her readers. ''Matt's Follies'' was her only published volume. ==Death and legacy==