Laura Fish Judd

Laura Fish Judd (April 2, 1804October 2, 1872) was an American missionary, teacher and historian noted for her works on the Kingdom of Hawaii. In 1827, she married Gerrit P. Judd, an American missionary who was appointed advisor and minister of finance to King Kamehameha III. Biography Laura Fish was born to a family of seven to Elias Fish and Sybil Fish (née Williams) on April 2, 1804, in Plainfield, New York. She grew up in poverty after her mother's premature death. Her father also had an accident that left him disabled. Judd had to stay among relatives' households and village schools until she started teaching at age 16. She continued to work in this capacity to raise money to fund her education at Clinton Female Seminary in Oneida County, New York. Judd became a Protestant missionary when she was nineteen and was involved in missionary work in Mexico, New York. Later, she enlisted in a foreign mission to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) in the North Pacific Ocean.