Pages

Showing posts with label Newport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newport. Show all posts

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Eileen Gillespie Slocum: The Story of the Last Grand Dame

Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society. From the Gilded Age to her death in 2008. Behind the Hedgerow
Eileen Gillespie was born on Dec. 21, 1915, in Manhattan. Her father, Lawrence Lewis Gillespie, was a banker. Her mother, Irene Muriel Sherman, was the granddaughter of John Carter Brown, the philanthropist and bibliophile whose book collection formed the basis of the John Carter Brown Library for research in history and humanities at Brown University. His father, Nicholas Brown Jr., was the benefactor for whom the university named itself, changing it from College of Rhode Island in 1804. Other Brown family members included slave traders and abolitionists. From Bruce Weber, New York Times Eileen G. Slocum, 92, Dies; Society Doyenne and Republican Stalwart

A Scandal is part of this story, but the video is loaded with history on Rhode Island from early settlement.
In 1933. the society pages were flooded with photographs of Mrs Slocum, then known as Ms. Eileen Gillespie, and the announcement of her engagement to John Jacob Astor. In this interview she shares her reasons for breaking off her engagement to Astor. She married John Jermain Slocu.....the rest is in the video!





















Friday, December 13, 2013

Levi and Catherine White Coffin Quaker Abolitionist Family


Levi Coffin (October 28, 1798 – September 16, 1877) New Garden, Guilford, North Carolina son of Levi Coffin and Prudence Williams    Levis Will

Levi married on October 28, 1824 Catherine White (September 10, 1803-May 22, 1881) daughter of Stanton White and Sarah Stanley
Children:
Jesse Coffin (1825-1899)   See Picture Below
Addison Coffin (1828 – 1830)
Thomas F Coffin (1831 – 1832)
Henry W. Coffin (1836 – 1916)
Anna U Coffin  (1839 – 1850)
Sarah Emeline Coffin (1843 – 1868)


Youth's Visitor
Showing the top of the front page
Issue courtesy Levi Coffin Association

The Coffins were Quakers and Abolitionist. It is documented that they help over 2,000 slaves escape and gave 50,000 to aid the movement. The Coffin Home was part of the Underground Railroad and Levi was known as the President. In 1853 the Coffins founded The Freedmen's Bureau. and in 1854 The Colored Asylum of Cincinnati. They also opened a :free labor store. Between 1864 and 1867 Levi went to serving in Europe as an officer of The Freedmen's Convention.



Levi Coffin

Photo by Lisa Ryan ryanlindemann@hotmail.com


Links and Sources
For more portraits and photos of Coffin family 
Another great family from the Quaker Coffin line of Tristram and Dionis Coffin. See Post 
Some great pictures and stories from this blog on the Coffin home
Levi Coffin House
More on the Wagon 
Quakers in the World
Quaker Quilts 
A Little Leeway 
Underground Railroad
Escape with Slaves