Betsey Ann Stearns
Betsey Ann Stearns was an American inventor of the long nineteenth century. She is credited with developing a "Diagram and System for Cutting Ladies' and Children's Garments". The invention was first issued in 1864 and improved upon in 1867. It is described as being simple and accurate, easily learned, and economical.
As a child, she entered the weaving mills of Nashua, New Hampshire, saving her money from her work to educate herself. After marriage, she became well known for her dress-cutting invention, which was awarded the highest prize in the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, 1876. She went on to organize the Boston Dresscutting School, with branches in other states. She also published two books focused on garment cutting.
Early life and education
Betsey Ann Goward was born in Cornish, New Hampshire, June 29, 1830. Her father and mother, Isaac Goward and Abigail Lothrop, were born in Easton, Massachusetts, and removed from there in their early married life to New Hampshire, where they engaged in farming, clearing the new lands and raising stock and wool. From the wool they grew, her mother spun, wove and made up the clothing for her family. She was the youngest of nine children, her siblings being Isaac, Francis, Sally, Ruel, Watson, Louisa, Jason, and Fidelia.At the age of fourteen, Goward, with an older companion, left home to earn her own living, and engaged herself as a weaver of cloth in a cotton factory in Nashua, New Hampshire. She was able to provide for herself and to put money into a savings bank. After saving, she returned to Cornish to visit her family and to go to school. She attended the schools in Meriden, New Hampshire, and Springfield, Vermont.
Career
Goward was asked to teach a district school in East Mansfield, Massachusetts. After two terms of work there, she decided to go back to school. Afterwards, a relative in the tailoring business made her a good proposition, and Goward learned the tailor trade.On June 4, 1851, she married Horatio Hammond Stearns, of Acton, Massachusetts. They lived in Acton until 1875, and then in Woburn, Massachusetts. The couple had three daughters, Delia, Clara, and Flora.
Stearns recognized the need for a reliable method to cut her own and her daughters dresses. When the opportunity arose, she learned a system, though very imperfect, that was useful, and could be taught to others. Being a natural innovator, Stearns resolved to develop something more reliable and accurate in its proportions for public use. In 1864, her first invention was made. After the Civil War, she taught her system to many widows, helping them gain the skills to support themselves and their families. Stearns also invented the "Complete Guide for cutting men's and boy's shirts, comprising twenty different sizes, and convenient for families and shirt manufacturers."
Stearns organized the Boston Dresscutting School and several other branch schools in other states. She published A System for Cutting Ladies' and Children's Garments by Measure, with Stearns' Improved Folding Diagram in 1885, and A System for Cutting Ladies' and Children's Garments by Tailor's Method with Stearns' Improved Diagram, in 1892.