Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the spouse of the 4th President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817. She also irregularly acted as First Lady during the administration of Thomas Jefferson, fulfilling the ceremonial functions more generally associated with the President's wife, since Jefferson was a widower. Payne Todd was unable to manage the plantation successfully due to alcoholism and resultant illness. Madison tried to raise money by selling the relax of James' papers. Unable to discover a buyer for the papers, she sold the whole land to pay off excellent debts. Paul Jennings later recalled, "In the last days of her life, before Congress purchased her husband's papers, she was in a state of absolute poverty, and I think occasionally suffered for the necessaries of life.
While I was a servant to Mr. Webster, he often sent me to her with a market-basket full of provisions, and told me whenever I saw everything in the house that I thought she was in need of, to take it to her. I often did this, and infrequently gave her small sums from my own pocket, though I had years before bought my freedom of her." In 1848, Congress approved to buy the rest of James Madison's papers for the sum of $22,000 or $25,000. In 1842, she attached St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. This church was also attend by members of the Madison and Payne families. Dolley Madison died at her home in Washington, DC at the age of 81. She was initial interred in the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC., but later re-interred at Montpelier land, Orange, Virginia.
Date Of Birth | May 20, 1768 |
Place Of Birth | Guilford County, North Carolina |
Spouse(s) | John Todd, James Madison |
Occupation | First Lady of the United States of America |
Date Of Died | July 12, 1849 |
Place Of Died | Washington, D.C. |
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