Born in Culpeper County Courthouse, Culpeper, Virginia, United States
Ancestors 
Daughter of William Lewis Herndon
and Frances Elizabeth (Hansbrough) Herndon
Wife of
Chester Alan Arthur
— married
25 Oct 1859 in New York, New York
Descendants 
Mother of
William Lewis Herndon Arthur, Chester Alan Arthur II and Ellen Lewis Herndon (Arthur) Pinkerton
Died
at age 42
in Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States
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| Created 27 Jan 2011
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Biography
Ellen (Herndon) Arthur is Notable.
Ellen was an only child and daughter of William Lewis Herndon and Francis Elizabeth Hansbrough. [1]
Ellen was born in 1837 in Culpeper, Virginia, while her father was assigned to sea duty as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. With her father gone so much of the time, Ellen and her mother were very close. Ellen was also very close with her aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1842. She became a member in the youth choir of St. John’s Church on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. She was known to have quite a singing voice. An activity that she also shared with her mother. She continued her singing throughout her life.
In 1847, Ellen and her mother moved to a family home on her mother's side in Fredericksburg, Virginia, while her father served during the Mexican War.
In 1851, Ellen and her mother returned to Washington, D.C. Ellen was now a young teen and her mother, being from an extremely wealthy southern family and her father's military career, allowed Ellen to socialize in the very elite upper class. She socialized with powerful politicians from around the world, the military, and other wealthy society people.
The family moved again in 1857 when her father became commander of a merchant steamship based in a port in New York. With the death of her father in 1857, Ellen and her mother were given many honors for the loss of her father. Ellen and her mother remained in New York, and after an appropriate mourning period, they resumed their social life.
While vacationing with her mother in Saratoga, New York, Ellen met a lawyer, Chester Alan Arthur, who was introduced to her by her cousin, Dabney Herndon, who was in medical school and sharing a room with Chester. Chester had first noticed her for her singing. A year later Chester proposed to Ellen or "Nell" as he liked to call her.
On 29 October 1859, at Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church in New York, Chester and Nell were married. They moved in with Ellen's mother. Ellen and her mother were able to introduce Chester into the wealthy lifestyle they lived in and meet New York's prominent people. As a lawyer and member of the Republican Party their social circle just kept growing. [2]
In 1860 they had their 1st child, William Lewis Arthur, sadly he died in 1863. They had two more children, another son in 1864, Chester Alan Arthur, Jr. and a daughter in 1871, Ellen Arthur. [3]
It is rumored that the marriage became strained during the Civil War due to her family in the south.
In 1878 her mother died while traveling in France. Ellen had the responsibility of going to France to retrieve her mother's remains and make all of the arrangements which put her under great emotional stress.
After attending a concert in 1880, as she waited outside in rain or snow or cold for a carriage, she caught a cold. Within a couple of days it had turned to pneumonia and she passed away in 1880. It is unknown if Chester, once summoned, ever got to her side while she was still conscious . She did not live to see him elected as Vice President or get sworn in as President after the assassination of President James Garfield.
Ellen's funeral was held at her parish, the Church of the Heavenly Rest, on 5th Avenue in New York City. [4]
Chester was distraught after the passing of his wife. After taking the office of the presidency, he commissioned a stained glass window to be dedicated to his wife at St. John's Episcopal Church, known as the President's Church. The memorial window is centered on the south transept facing H Street and Layfayette Park. At night, Chester could see it from the White House as the lights were kept up in the church. The inscription on the stained glass reads, "TO THE GLORY OF GOD : AND IN MEMORY OF ELLEN LEWIS HERNDON ARTHUR : ENTERED INTO LIFE, JANUARY 12, 1880."[5] Chester also had fresh flowers placed in front of her portrait at the White House every day.
Chester never remarried and occasionally used his sister, Mary Arthur McElroy, to serve as hostess for White House events. Ellen "Nell" was offically listed as Chester's First Lady by the White House even though she passed prior to him being elected.[6]
Sources
- ↑ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Presidential Families of the United States of America. First ed. Arco Company, 1975
- ↑
U.S., Newspaper Extractions from the Northeast, 1704-1930
- Name: Ellen L Herndon
- Father: William Lewis Herndon
- Event: Marriage
- Marriage Date: 25 Oct 1859
- Marriage Place: Calvary Church
- Spouse: Chester Alen Arthur
- Newspaper: New York Evening Post
- Publication Date: 28 Oct 1859
- Publication Place: New York, USA
- Call Number: 485767
- ↑
1860 United States Federal Census
- Name: Ellen Arthur
- Age: 22
- Birth Year: abt 1838
- Gender: Female
- Birth Place: Virginia
- Home in 1860: New York Ward 18 District 3, New York, New York
- Post Office: New York
- Dwelling Number: 795
- Family Number: 990
- Household Members:
- Name Age
- Ellen Arthur 22
- Elizabeth Herndon 40
- Elizabeth Hanigan 30
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7667/4236749_00436?pid=47331465&backurl=
1870 United States Federal Census- Name: Ellen Arthur
- Age in 1870: 32
- Birth Year: abt 1838
- Birthplace: District of Columbia
- Dwelling Number: 123
- Home in 1870: New York Ward 21 District 13 (2nd Enum), New York, New York
- Gender: Female
- Inferred Spouse: C A Arthur
- Inferred Children: Chester Arthur
- Household Members:
- Name Age
- C A Arthur 41
- Ellen Arthur 32
- Chester Arthur 7
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4276905_00132?pid=31431166&backurl= - ↑
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- Name: Ellen Arthur
- Maiden Name: Herndon
- Birth Date: 30 Aug 1837
- Birth Place: Culpeper, Culpeper County, Virginia, United States of America
- Death Date: 12 Jan 1880
- Death Place: New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, United States of America
- Cemetery: Albany Rural Cemetery
- Burial or Cremation Place: Menands, Albany County, New York, United States of America
- Has Bio?: Y
- Father: William Lewis Herndon
- Mother: Elizabeth H Herndon
- Spouse: Chester Alan Arthur
- Children: William Lewis Herndon Arthur
- Ellen Herndon Pinkerton
- Chester Alan Arthur
Menands, New York, Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards, 1791-2011- Name: Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur
- Birth Date: abt 1838
- Birth Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Death Date: 12 Jan 1880
- Age at Death: 42
- Death Location: New York City, New York
- Father: William Lewis Herndon
- Mother: Elizabeth Hansborough Herndon
- Spouse: Resident Chester Alan Arthur
- Section number of burial: 24
- Lot number of burial: 8
- ↑ Stained Glass Window: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/nell-arthurs-memorial-window
- ↑ White House First Families: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/first-families/ellen-lewis-herndon-arthur/
- Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 September 2018), memorial page for Ellen Herndon Arthur (30 Aug 1837–12 Jan 1880), Find A Grave: Memorial #5402, citing Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, Albany County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave.
See also:
- Wikipedia : Nell Arthur
- Wikidata: Item Q2306099, en:Wikipedia
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Categories: First Ladies of the United States | Spouses of US Presidents | United States of America, Notables | Notables
Please add Ellen to the category First Ladies of the United States.
Thanks
Maybe not? Ellen was dead before he was elected president but the First Ladies section of the Whitehouse website still lists her as his first lady?
Thanks .
Maggie US Presidents