Papers of Angelica Schuyler Church 1716-1865

Location of collection:

University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library

University of Virginia

P.O. Box 400110

160 McCormick Rd

Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110

Contact for questions and access:

POC: Brenda Gunn

Email: bg9ba@virginia.edu

Phone: (434) 924-1037

Phone: (434) 243-1776

Fax: (434) 924-4968

Web: library.virginia.edu/special-collections

Web: library.virginia.edu/special-collections/services/reference-request

Summary

Extent:

84 items

Language:

English

Background

Scope and content:

There are 84 items, 1716-1865, chiefly letters of Angelica Schuyler Church(1756-1815) and other family members, including her husband John Barker Church, brother-in-law Alexander Hamilton(1757-1804), father Philip John Schuyler, and brother-in-law Stephen van Rensselaer(1764-1839). Other notable correspondents include: Justus Erich Bollman(1769-1821); Charles James Fox(1749-1806); Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826); Marquis de Lafayette(1757-1834); Abraham Lincoln(1809-1865); Winfield Scott(1786-1866); Baron von Steuben(1730-1794); Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord(1754-1838); and, George Washington(1732-1799).

Topics of interest include national politics and foreign affairs including the politics of Alexander Hamiltonand Thomas Jefferson, the French Revolution, Marquis de Lafayetteand his imprisonment, and the War of 1812; travel in Polandand Austriaand in England; trade in Americaand India; and, family and personal matters. Persons mentioned or discussed include Marquis de Lafayetteand his family, Marquis de La Tour(1770-1853); Philip John Schuyler; John Trumbull(1756-1843), Maria Cosway, Mary Jefferson Eppes[Mrs. John Wayles Eppes] (1778-1804), Martha Jefferson Randolph[Mrs. Thomas Mann Randolph] (1772-1808), and Madam de Corny.

Angelica Schuyler Churchwas the daughter of General Philip John Schuyler, a Major General in the Continental Army and a member of the Continental Congress. He later served as one of the first two United StatesSenators from New York. Angelica Schuylermarried John Barker Church, a British businessman, who was George Washington's Commissary General during the Revolution and later became a member of the English Parliament. Church had fled Englandafter a duel and later, using the name John Carter, eloped with Angelica Schuylerand became a successful entrepreneur. Mrs. Church traveled in social circles which included the most prominent figures of her time. In Paris, she was introduced to Thomas Jeffersonby her close friend Maria Cosway; Church's daughter Catharine ("Kitty") Churchwas a playmate of Jefferson's daughter, Mary ("Polly") Jefferson. These social connections made her instrumental in the release of Lafayette from the prison at Olmutz, Austria. Mrs. Church's sister, Elizabeth Schuyler, married Alexander Hamilton.

The Church archive contains correspondence from the period of the founding of America, including letters from two of the Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamiltonand Thomas Jefferson, whose personal and political differences helped shape the course of political dialogue in the early days of the country. The letters are rich in personal and historical detail. Both Hamilton and Jefferson write to Mrs. Church with a combination of intimacy and respect. These letters complement the recorded history of the private lives of two of the most prominent statesment in the early years of independence, and provides evidence of their practical concerns. There are other letters from Jefferson to Church held in the Library of Congress.

Following the biographical notes is an annotated listing of each letter and document. The majority of the correspondence has been described; letters written in French or other foreign language have not been described.

A digital exhibition drawn from these papers is available online.

Biographical / historical:

Following are notes on the family taken from A God-Child of Washington: A Picture of the Past by Katharine Schuyler Baxter.

Philip John Schuyler married Catharine van Rensselaer and had issue: John Bradstreet Schuyler, Philip Schuyler, Angelica Schuyler, Margaret ("Peggy") Schuyler, Elizabeth ("Betsy") Schuyler, Cornelia Schuyler, and, Catharine v[an] R[ensselaer] Schuyler. John Bradstreet Schuyler married Elizabeth van Rensselaer in 1787 and had issue: Philip Schuyler. Angelica Schuyler married John Barker Church and had issue: Philip hurchand Catharine ("Kitty") Church. Margaret Schuyler(-1801) married Stephen van Rensselaer ca. 1784 and had issue: Catherine Schuyler van Rensselaer(died age 12) and Stephen van Rensselaer; van Rennsselaer married Cornelia Patersonin 1802. Elizabeth Schuyler married Alexander Hamiltonon December 14, 1780. Cornelia Schuyler married Washington Morton.

Stephen van Rensselaer(1742-1824) married Catherine Livingston, daughter of Philip Livingston and Christiana Ten Broeckand had issue: Stephen van Rensselaer, Philip van Rensselaer, and Elizabeth van Rensselaer. Stephen van Rensselaer(1764-1839) married Margaret Schuyler ca. 1784. Philip van Rensselaer(1766-1824) married Anne de Peyster Cortlandt in 1787. Elizabeth van Rennsselaer(1768-) married John Bradstreet Schuyler in 1787; she married secondly, John Bleecker, in 1800. Catherine Livingston van Rensselaer, after the death of Stephen van Rensselaer, married Domini Eilardus Westerlo and had issue: Rensselaer Westerlo and Catherine Westerlo. Rensselaer Westerlo married Jane Lansing. Catherine Westerlo married John Woodworth.

Robert Livingston(1654-) married Miss [ ] Schuyler and had issue: Philip Livingston, Gilbert Livingston, and Robert Livingston. Philip Livingston had a son Philip Livingston, who was born in Albany, 1716, and died in York, Pennsylvania, 1778; he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Acquisition information:

Accession #11245 was purchased by the Library on June 26, 1996 from Ken Lopez, Bookseller. Accession #11245-a was purchased by the Library on July 20, 2005 from Mida van Zuylen Dunn.