Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ellen Arthur
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| Preceded by | Lucretia Garfield |
| Succeeded by | Frances Cleveland |
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| Born | August 30, 1837 Culpeper Court House, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | January 12, 1880 (aged 42) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Chester A. Arthur |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur (August 30, 1837–January 12, 1880) was the wife of the 21st President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur.
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[edit] Early Life
"Nell" Herndon was born in Culpeper Court House, Virginia, the daughter of William Lewis Herndon, a naval officer who gained national attention in 1857 when he calmly went down with his ship after having safely evacuated passengers and crew of the Central America amid a storm off Cape Hatteras, and Frances Elizabeth Hansborough-Herndon. She was also the niece of Matthew Fontaine Maury USN.
[edit] Romance and Marriage
Nell and Chester Arthur were introduced in 1856 by her cousin Dabney Herndon, a friend of Arthur, in New York City. Arthur proposed to her on the porch of the U.S. Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York after a brief courtship.
Arthur, aged 30, married Herndon, aged 22, on October 25, 1859, at Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City. The date was her father's birthdate. Arthur, who was from rural Vermont, is said to have learned the ways of high society from her prominent family. The couple's parties in their Lexington Avenue townhouse in Manhattan were legendary.
A talented soprano, Mrs. Arthur sang with the Mendelssohn Glee Club and performed at benefits around New York. The Arthurs apparently had a strong marriage, but one strained by both the political activities that consumed so much of his time and the Civil War. While Arthur was serving in the New York militia during the conflict, his wife privately sympathized with the Confederacy, for which many of her Virginia kinfolk were fighting.
[edit] Children
The Arthurs had a son and a daughter live to maturity:
- Chester "Alan" Alan Arthur, Jr. (1864-1937) - He graduated from Princeton University in 1885 and went on to Columbia Law School, but rather than follow in his father's footsteps, he chose instead to become a gentleman of leisure. President Arthur on his deathbed warned his son not to go into politics. Alan Arthur traveled extensively, maintained a fine stable of horses, and relied on polo for exercise. A celebrated playboy, he at age 36 married Myra Townsend, a California heiress. The couple separated after 16-years of marriage and divorced in 1927. Eventually he settled in Colorado Springs. In 1934 he married Rowena Graves, a real estate and insurance businesswoman.
- Ellen "Nell" Herndon Arthur-Pinkerton (1871-1915) - Still a child while her father was president, she was shielded from the press. She later married Charles Pinkerton and lived in New York City.
[edit] Death
Mrs. Arthur always feared the worst for her husband, but it was she who died first. In January 1880, she came down with a cold from waiting outdoors for a carriage after an evening concert. Always frail in health, she quickly developed pneumonia and died two days later, on January 12, 1880, at age 42. She was buried in the Arthur family plot in Albany, New York.
The president's sister Mary McElroy served as hostess and unofficial First Lady while agreeing to look after their children.
Arthur deeply mourned the death of his beloved wife. After taking office as president, Arthur, who could see St. John's Episcopal Church from his office, had a stained glass window dedicated to his wife where he could view it at night, as the lights were kept on. He also ordered fresh flowers placed daily before her portrait in the White House.
[edit] References
- O'Brien, Cormac, Secret Lives of the First Ladies, ISBN 1-59474-014-3, Quirk Books 2005.
- Paul Grondahl - The Times Union "President with 80 pairs of pants"
[edit] External links
- Whitehouse.gov : First Ladies' Biography
- Ellen Herndon Arthur biographical sketch--"posthumous first lady"
- President with 80 pairs of pants
