Transcriber's note

Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice. Printer errors have been changed, and they are indicated with a [mouse-hover] and listed at the [end of this book]. All other inconsistencies are as in the original.

Some page numbers in the list of Illustrations reflect the position of the illustration in the original text, but links link to current position of illustrations.

Some page numbers in the Index reflect the position of footnotes in the original text.

Dorothy Payne Todd. Courtesy of Miss Lucia B. Cutts.

Dorothy Payne, Quakeress
A Side-Light upon the Career
of " Dolly" Madison

By Ella Kent Barnard

Philadelphia:

FERRIS & LEACH

29 SOUTH SEVENTH ST.

1909

Dedicated to
Annie Matthews Kent

FOREWORD

There is little time in this busy world of ours for reading,—little, indeed, for thinking;—and there are already many books; but perhaps these few additional pages relating to Dolly Madison, who was loved and honored during so many years by our people, may be not altogether amiss. During eleven administrations she was the intimate friend of our presidents and their families. What a rare privilege was hers—to be at home in the families of Washington, of Jefferson, of Madison, of Monroe; to know intimately Hamilton and Burr and Clay and Webster; to live so close, during her long life, to the heart of our nation; to be swayed by each pulsation of our national life;—to be indeed a part and parcel of it all, loved, honored and revered!

It seems almost incredible that the simple country maiden, reared in strict seclusion, by conscientious Quaker parents, should have been transformed into the queen of social life, at whose shrine the wise men of their day did homage, and at whose feet the warriors laid the flag of victory.

She has left small record of her thoughts; none of her creed, excepting in her life,—and that was pure and good. The outward symbols of her faith were laid aside, but in her daily life we see the leading of the "Inner Light."

We have searched amongst the driftwood of the century for traces of her early life, and found many records, letters and references, published and unpublished, and from them all our story has been woven.

The Friends' records of North Carolina, of Virginia and of Philadelphia have given us very accurate and definite information relating to her family, and the old letters, the cherished treasures of many homes, have given a glimpse of Dolly herself in earlier and later days;—of her Quaker girlhood in Philadelphia and of her marriage in the old Pine street meeting-house. And then of days in Washington,—brilliant days, in the full glare of sunshine; and finally a picture when the days were far spent and the evening shadows falling.

For much of this material I am greatly indebted to many persons, and especially to the following I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for assistance so kindly given: George J. Scattergood, Philadelphia; Edward Stabler, Jr., Baltimore; Eliza Pleasants, Lincoln, Va.; Maud Wilder Goodwin, New York City; Priscilla B. Hackney, North Carolina; Rosewell Page, Richmond, Va.; Lavinia Taylor, Hanover County, Va.; Lucia B. Cutts, Boston, Mass.; L. D. Winston, Winston, Va.; Christine M. Washington, Charlestown, W. Va.; George S. Washington, Philadelphia; Eugenia W. M. Brown, Washington, D. C.; Julia E. Daggett, Washington, D. C.; Lucy T. Fitzhugh, Westminster, Md.; Margaret Crenshaw, Richmond, Va.; Charles G. Thomas, Baltimore, Md.; Mrs. Moorfield Story, Boston, Mass.; Julia S. White, North Carolina; Thomas Nelson Page, Washington, D. C.; Richard L. Bentley, Baltimore; Thomas F. Taylor, Hanover, Va.; Mary W. Slaughter, Winston, Va.; Liza Madison Sheppard, Virginia; Samuel M. Brosius, Washington, D. C.; Elizabeth McKean, Washington, D. C.; Mrs. William DuPont, Montpelier, Va., and Norman Penney, London, England.

Ella Kent Barnard.

Baltimore, November 15, 1909.

CONTENTS

I.Early Years and Scenes[17]
II.Marriage and Widowhood[59]
III.Washington and the White House[88]
IV.Later Years[110]
Index[126]

ILLUSTRATIONS

Dorothy Payne Todd, at 21[Frontispiece]

From a Miniature on ivory, now in possession of Mrs. Richard D. Cutts.

Heading—Drawn by Ella K. Barnard[17]
Friends' Meeting House, New Garden, North Carolina[18]

From an old drawing.

Patrick Henry[20]

From a painting by Sully in the State Library, Richmond, Va.

Colonel William Byrd[30]

From a painting at Brandon.

Scotch Town, Hanover County, Virginia[34]

From a photograph.

Negrofoot House[36]

From a photograph.

The Dandridge Home[50]

From a photograph.

Hanover Court House[52]

From a photograph.

Heading—Drawn by Ella K. Barnard[59]
Pine Street Meeting House[66]

Drawn after a photograph.

Harewood, from the Garden[80]

From a photograph.

The Parlor, Harewood[82]

Wherein James and Dolly Madison were married.
From a photograph.

James Madison and Dolly Madison[86]

From the portraits by Gilbert Stuart, owned by The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Heading—Drawn by Ella K. Barnard[88]
Colonel Samuel Washington[89]

From a painting at Harewood.

Montpellier, the Madison estate in Orange County, Va[101]

From a photograph.

The Octagon House, Washington, D. C.[108]

From a photograph.

Mantel in the Octagon House[109]

From a photograph.

Detail of Madison China from the White House[109]

After drawing by Harry Fenn.

Heading—Drawn by Ella K. Barnard[110]
Dolly Madison in later years[113]

From a Water-Color by Mary Estelle Cutts, now in possession of Miss Lucia B. Cutts.

Madison House, Washington, D. C., North View[114]

From a photograph.

Madison House, Washington, D. C., West View[115]

From a photograph.

St. John's Church, Washington, D. C.[123]

From a photograph.

Tailpiece—Franklin Stove[125]

Drawn by Ella K. Barnard

Tailpiece—James Madison's Cloak-Clasp[128]

Drawn by Ella K. Barnard