Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920

Biography of Amy K. Cornwall, 1849-1940

By Marco Tibayan P. Malone, student, Colorado State University

Amy Keturah Cornwall was a Colorado suffragist who lived from 1849 to 1940. She was born in Brighton, Iowa, under the name Amy K. Bosworth. Her parents were David Bosworth and Lydia J. Case Bosworth. Bosworth married William Tingley Cornwall on April 19, 1870, in her hometown. Mrs. Cornwall gave birth to two children, Albert and Milo. Albert passed away when he was still an infant and Milo passed away at the age of 25; the causes of their deaths are unknown. Cornwall resided in Iowa, California, Montana, and Colorado. The dates that Amy spent in Iowa, California, and Montana are not clear. Records show that Mrs. Cornwall and her husband moved to Denver, Colorado, 1882. Mrs. Cornwall's grave is at the Fairmont Cemetery in Denver.

The start of Cornwall's suffrage activism and political participation in Denver is not clear. She was a charter member of the North Side and Denver Women's Club of Colorado. Mrs. Cornwall was also a charter member of the Colorado Equal Suffrage Association and served as the institution's president for several years, although the exact length of her presidency has not been recorded. Amy participated in politics more directly by assisting with the Denver suffrage campaign of 1893 and ran for a position as board supervisor for the Taxpayer party during Denver's city hall election in 1895. Mrs. Cornwall's participation in Denver's local politics declined as her husband, William T. Cornwall, became bedridden for a number of years.

As Mr. Cornwall's affliction kept him confined to his residence, Amy assisted him with his recovery as best as she could. Records indicate that she did not leave his side often as he was combatting his illness. The illness eventually took Mr. Cornwall's life in 1919. With Mr. Cornwall's passing, no records indicate further interaction on the part of Amy with any organization or with Denver's local politics.

Sources:

Rocky Mountain News. March 17, 1895, p. 12. Gale NewsVault, accessed April 15, 2017.

Rocky Mountain News. March 18, 1895, p. 4. Gale NewsVault, accessed April 15, 2017.

Rocky Mountain News. March 31, 1895, p. 12. Gale NewsVault, accessed April 15, 2017.

"Representative Women of Colorado" Genealogy Trails History Group. Accessed April 16, 2017. http://genealogytrails.com/colo/coloradostate/books/repwomancolo/denvercf.html#amycornwall

"Taxpayers Ticket". Svensk-Amerikanska Western. March 28, 1895, p. 4. https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=SAW18950328.2.47&srpos=2&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Amy+K.+Cornwall%22-------2-

"Obituary: William ‘Tingley' Cornwall". Tingley Vindicator. November 28, 1919. http://iagenweb.org/boards/ringgold/obituaries/index.cgi?read=355361

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