Colonel Thomas Todd ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

[Berry and Allied Families.FTW]

From "Hathaway Family of America"

Colonel Thomas Todd, Minister to Russia

1812 - First wedding at the White House (First lady's sister Lucy Payne an d
Thomas Todd Supreme Court justice)

http://moderntimes.vcdh.virginia.edu/madison/washington/letters/main.html

Lucy Payne Washington had eloped with George Steptoe Washington, neph ew of George Washington, when she was only 15 years old. In 1809 Washingt on died, and Lucy, a widow, became a popular belle in the nation's capit al while she lived with the Madisons in the White House. In 1812 she remar ried, to Judge Thomas Todd of Kentucky; it was the first wedding to be he ld at the White House. For Mrs. Madison this meant, however, that anoth er of her sisters would move far away. The letter mentions another fami ly issue: the dissipated lifestyle of her surviving brother, John Payne. A nd Mrs. Madison tells Anna about living in the middle of intense politic al partisanship just months before President Madison would finally decla re war against Great Britain.


http://moderntimes.vcdh.virginia.edu/madison/washington/letters/anna.html

20th. March [1812]
My beloved sister
Before this reaches you Lucy will be married to Judge Todd of Kentucky! Ye s, sudden as it is, we must be reconciled to it from her choice of a M an of the most estimable character, best principles, & high talent s. He is a widower with five children, one daughter married. The others pr ovided for and not to live with them, residence in Lexington, very near o ur old fd. Taylor, where there is fine society good schools for her childr en, in short my dear Anna, tho it breaks my heart to find myself left f ar from my sister I rejoice at the Husband she will have & the Broth er we shall acquire. As a supreme judge he is oblidged to come h[ere] f or 2 months every winter & he binds himself to bring her to her fds. wh en she pleases to come. They have appointed tomorrow week to be marri ed & to go of for Hairwood next day, stay a week & with the Children, proc eed to Lexington. Lucy is in deep distress & you may supposes that my gri ef is not slight. My nights are miserable & so are my days. Jno. is sti ll in his old habits, & will do nothing for himself. He can do nothing b ut cry & I can scar[cely] refrain [him,] 'or can I realize the event, it h as been so expidiciously effected. I can say little else to you at this mo ment. All is bustle here electioneering yet. De Wit &. &. & The Smit hs & I know not who all, intend to break us down. The Federalists affront ed to a Man. Not one (I mean of the 2 houses of Congress) will enter Ms do or since the communication of (Henry) to Congress except Le Roy Livingst on who considers himself attatched by his appt. of Colo. to the Gov. Gen l. Dearborn has had a fall which, tho not serious, confines him to his hou se. I wish you were here [at] this momet. P M is still waiting for her Fat her Adeiu, I will send you something in a day or 2 & [ ] you shoes & ot her things from france. I will say little about the extravigance of Mr. L ee the duties charges &&. ¹

Thomas married Shelby, daughter of Isaac Shelby and Unknown.