Birth and ancestry Seraph Frissell was born in
Peru, Massachusetts, on August 20, 1840, the daughter of Augustus Caæsar and Laura Mack (Emmons) Frissell. Her grandparents were Thomas and Hannah (Phillips) Frissell; and Ichabod and Mindwell (Mack) Emmons. Her father and her paternal grandfather had both served as captains in the
state militia. William Frissell, her great-grandfather, was a commissioned officer in the
Revolutionary War, and a
pioneer settler in western Massachusetts. Her mother's father, Ichabod Emmons, was a relative of
Nathanael Emmons, and was one of the first settlers of
Hinsdale, Massachusetts. Her grandfather. David Mack, was the second settler to make a clearing in the town of
Middlefield, Massachusetts, then a wilderness, going to that locality in 1775, and was one of the founders of the town. He enlisted (from
Hebron, Connecticut) in the Revolutionary War, but saw no active service, arriving too late to take part in the
Battle of Saratoga. He was a Captain of troops engaged in suppressing
Shays' Rebellion, and afterward was Colonel of a regiment.
Childhood The first eleven years of Frissell's life were spent within sight of
Saddleback Mountain. As a child she was reportedly quiet and diffident, not mingling freely with her schoolmates, and with a deep reverence for religious things. Frissell's father died when she was eleven years old, leaving her mother financially responsible for herself and six children, Seraph being the third. At the age of twelve, Frissell was sent to live with an aunt for a year in
western New York, during which time she derided she would rather earn her own living, if possible, than be dependent on relatives. Returning home, the next year and a half were devoted to school life and helping a neighbor in household work, thereby earning necessary clothing. When she was fifteen, her oldest sister decided to seek employment in a
woolen mill, and Seraph accompanied her.
Education The next six years were divided between a factory girl's life and school life. During those years she earned her living and, besides contributing a certain amount for benevolent and missionary purposes, saved enough for one year's expenses in
Mount Holyoke Seminary. In the fall of 1861, she enrolled in the Seminary, where she remained for one year. Then followed one year of teaching, and a second year in the seminary. After four years more of teaching, in the fall of 1868 she resumed her studies and graduated in July, 1869, having completed the four years' course in three years, in the meanwhile teaching for five years. In 1867, Frissell received from the
American Board of Missions the appointment of
missionary to
Ceylon, but in deference to her mother's wishes, she did not embark upon the mission. The following three years were spent in teaching, during which time the question of taking up the study of medicine was often considered. She began the study of medicine in 1872, in the medical department of the
University of Michigan. She received her diploma from the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Michigan on March 24, 1875, having had hospital practice in
Detroit,
Ypsilanti, and
Boston. ==Career==