Mrs. Rosa Vertner Jeffrey, one of the most beautiful of Kentucky
women, whose personal loveliness has caused some critics to forget she
was a gifted poet, was born at Natchez, Mississippi, in 1828, the
daughter of John Y. Griffith, a writer of considerable reputation in
his day. Her mother died when she was but nine months old, and she was
reared by her aunt. When Rosa was ten years of age her adopted parents
removed to Lexington, Kentucky, where she was educated at the
Episcopal Seminary. In 1845 Miss Vertner--she had taken the name of
her foster parents--was married to Claude M. Johnson, a wealthy
citizen of Lexington, and she at once took her place as a great social
and literary leader. One of her sons, Mr. Claude M. Johnson, was mayor
of Lexington for several years, and he was afterwards in the service
of the United States government. In 1861 Mrs. Johnson's husband died,
and she removed to Rochester, New York, where she resided for two
years, when she was married to Alexander Jeffrey, of Edinburgh,
Scotland, and they returned to Lexington, her home for the remainder
of her life. Mrs. Jeffrey died at Lexington, Kentucky, October 6,
1894, and no woman has yet arisen in Kentucky to take her position as
society's favorite beauty and poet. She began her literary career as a
contributor of verse to Prentice's _Louisville Journal_. Her pen-name
was "Rosa," and under this name her first volume of poems was
published, entitled _Poems, by Rosa_ (Boston, 1857). This was followed
by _Florence Vale_; _Woodburn_, a novel; _Daisy Dare and Baby Power_
(Philadelphia, 1871), a book of poems; _The Crimson Hand and Other
Poems_ (Philadelphia, 1881), her best known work; and _Marah_
(Philadelphia, 1884), a novel. Mrs. Jeffrey was also the author of a
five-act comedy, called _Love and Literature_. As a novelist or
playwright she did nothing especially strong, but as a writer of
pleasing poems her place in the literature of Kentucky seems secure.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. _History of Kentucky_, by R. H. Collins (Covington,
Kentucky, 1882); _The Register_ (Frankfort, January, 1911).