Caroline Fillmore ( Carmichael, formerly McIntosh; October 21, 1813August 11, 1881) was the second wife of

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a De ...

, the 13th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

. They were married in 1858, five years after he left office.

Life

Caroline Carmichael was born October 21, 1813, in

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

, the daughter of Charles Carmichael and Temperance (Blachley) Carmichael. She married her first husband, widower Ezekiel C. McIntosh (1806–1855), a prosperous

Troy, New York Troy is a city in and the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany, New York, Albany. At the ...

, merchant and president of the

Schenectady and Troy Railroad The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was a railroad company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1836 and opened a line between its two namesake cities in 1841. It was consolidated with the New York Central Railroad in 1853. History The ...

, in November 1832. They had no children, and McIntosh's death at age 49 left her very wealthy. She married Millard Fillmore on February 10, 1858, in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

. He was 58; she was 44. At the time of their marriage, Caroline required Fillmore to sign a prenuptial agreement. The couple purchased a mansion on Niagara Square in

Buffalo Buffalo most commonly refers to: * True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo * Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo * Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...

, where they settled. They are believed to have had a happy marriage, and Caroline greatly enjoyed her newfound status as the wife of a former president, though her mental and physical health began to decline in the 1860s. Her husband's sudden death in 1874 (he had enjoyed relatively good health — especially when compared to hers — until just shortly before his fatal stroke) only succeeded in making her more infirm, eccentric, and temperamental. In her final years she frequently changed her will, and upon her death on August 11, 1881, aged 67, suits were initiated by various members of the Fillmore family contesting her directives.

Resting place

She is buried in the Fillmore family plot at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fillmore, Caroline Carmichael 1813 births 1881 deaths People from Buffalo, New York People from Morristown, New Jersey Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo) Caroline Carmichael People from Albany, New York 19th-century American people 19th-century American women