Anne Bradstreet, an American poetess, born in Northampton, England, about 1612, died Sept. 16, 1672. She was the daughter of Gov. Thomas Dudley, and in 1628 married Simon Bradstreet, afterward governor of Massachusetts, with whom she emigrated to New England in 1630. Her poems were published in London in 1650. The volume was entitled " The Tenth Muse, lately sprung up in America," and contained, according to the title page, "a complete Discourse and Description of the Four Elements, Constitutions, Ages of Men, Seasons of the Year, together with an Exact Epitome of the Four Monarchies, viz., the Assyrian, Persian, Grecian, Roman." There was also a dialogue on politics, etc, between Old and New England, " with divers other pleasant and serious Poems." Her verses are distinguished by a great amount of curious and exact learning, especially in natural history, set forth with singular quaintness, and in the most literal manner. A second edition, published at Boston in 1678, contains her "Contemplations," a poem much superior to her other works.

Mrs. Bradstreet was the mother of eight children, to whom she alluded in some verses containing these familiar lines:

I had eight birds hatch't in the nest; Four cocks there were, and hens the rest. I nurs't them up with pains and care, For cost nor labor did I spare; Till at the last they felt their wing, Mounted the trees, and learned to sing.

A third edition of her " Tenth Muse " appeared in 1758; and her complete works, both prose and verse, edited by the Rev. G. E. Ellis, D. D., were published at Charlestown in 1868.