Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur
Encyclopedia
Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur (August 30, 1837 – January 12, 1880) was the wife of the 21st President of the United States
, Chester A. Arthur
.
, 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. She was also the niece of Matthew Fontaine Maury
USN.
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.
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 Arthur 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.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
.
Early life
"Nell" Herndon was born in Culpeper Court House, VirginiaCulpeper, Virginia
Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County. Culpeper is part of the Culpeper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Culpeper County. Both the Town of Culpeper and...
, the daughter of William Lewis Herndon
William Lewis Herndon
Commander William Lewis Herndon was one of the United States Navy's outstanding explorers and seamen. He chose to go down with his ship while other lives were still aboard and while in command of the steamer Central Americas 44th trip, which sank in a three day and night hurricane off Cape...
, 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. She was also the niece of Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury , United States Navy was an American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator....
USN.
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 YorkSaratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
after a brief courtship.
Arthur, aged 30, married Herndon, aged 22, on October 25, 1859, at Calvary Episcopal Church
Calvary Church (Manhattan)
Calvary Church is an Episcopal church located at 273 Park Avenue South on the corner of East 21st Street in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on the border of the Flatiron District. It was designed by James Renwick, Jr., the architect who designed St. Patrick's Cathedral...
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
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, 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
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. While Arthur was serving in the New York militia during the conflict, his wife privately sympathized with the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, for which many of her Virginia kinfolk were fighting.
Children
The Arthurs had a son and a daughter live to maturity:- William Lewis Herndon Arthur (1860–1863)
- Chester Alan Arthur II (1864–1937) - He graduated from Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1885 and went on to Columbia Law SchoolColumbia Law SchoolColumbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, 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 SpringsColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. In 1934 he married Rowena Graves, a real estate and insurance businesswoman. - Ellen Hansbrough Herndon Arthur (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.
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 pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and died two days later, on January 12, 1880, at age 42. She was buried in the Arthur family plot in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
The president's sister Mary Arthur McElroy served as hostess and unofficial First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
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
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
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.
External links
- Whitehouse.gov : First Ladies' Biography
- Ellen Herndon Arthur biographical sketch--"posthumous first lady"
- President with 80 pairs of pants