Catherine Alexander Duer (March 8, 1755 – July 26, 1826) was a society figure and political hostess in the early American republic.

Early life

Catherine Alexander was born in 1755, the daughter of General

William Alexander William or Bill Alexander may refer to: Literature *William Alexander (poet) (1808–1875), American poet and author * William Alexander (journalist and author) (1826–1894), Scottish journalist and author *William Alexander (author) (born 1976), ...

and Sarah Livingston Alexander. Her father was called "Lord Stirling" (though his claim to the title was disputed) and she was sometimes known as "Lady Kitty". She was from a prominent New York family: her grandfathers were James Alexander, was a lawyer in colonial New York, and

Philip Livingston Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great Bri ...

. Her paternal grandmother was merchant

Mary Alexander Mary Spratt Provoost Alexander (April 16, 1693 – April 18, 1760) was an influential colonial era merchant in New York City. Early life Mary was born in New York City on April 16, 1693. She was the daughter of John Spratt (c. 1650–1697) an ...

. Among her great-grandparents were Robert Livingston and

Alida Schuyler Alida van Rensselaer Livingston ( Schuyler; 1656–1727) was a Dutch businessperson in Dutch colony in America who exerted a considerable influence in the life of the colony. Early life She was born in Beverwyck (Albany), in the New Netherlands ...

, daughter of

Philip Pieterse Schuyler Colonel Philip Pieterse Schuyler or Philip Pieterse (1628 – 9 May 1683) was a Dutch-born colonist landowner who was the progenitor of the American Schuyler family. Early life Philip Pieterse Schuyler was born in Amsterdam, Holland in the Repub ...

. Catherine Alexander's maternal uncles included

, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of ...

William Livingston William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congress, he sig ...

, first Governor of New Jersey, and

Peter Van Brugh Livingston Peter Van Brugh Livingston (bp. November 3, 1710 Albany, New York – December 28, 1792 Elizabethtown, Union County, New Jersey) was a Patriot during the American Revolution who was a wealthy merchant and who served as the 1st New York State Tre ...

, first treasurer of New York State. One of her first cousins was

Sarah Livingston Jay Sarah Van Brugh Livingston Jay (August 2, 1756 – May 28, 1802) was an American socialite and wife of founding father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a s ...

Society hostess and legacy

In 1779, George Washington attended the New Jersey wedding of Catherine Alexander and William Duer. Duer was a member of the Continental Congress, and a signer of the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...

. The couple later attended Washington's first

Inaugural Ball United States presidential inaugural balls are large social gatherings, both white tie and black tie, held to celebrate the commencement of a new term of the President of the United States. Planned and sanctioned by the Presidential Inaugura ...

. Her portrait was painted on ivory by

Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, and ...

. Duer's husband accumulated enormous debts, enough to be considered a cause of the

Panic of 1792 The Panic of 1792 was a financial credit crisis that occurred during the months of March and April 1792, precipitated by the expansion of credit by the newly formed Bank of the United States as well as by rampant speculation on the part of Will ...

; he was jailed in 1792 and died in debtors' prison in 1799. She maintained her social connections, though she moved to a small house in New York City; she hosted Harriet and Maria Trumbull, teenaged daughters of Connecticut governor

Jonathan Trumbull Jr. Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (March 26, 1740 – August 7, 1809) was an American politician who served as the 20th governor of Connecticut, the second speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticu ...

, when they visited New York in 1800-1801. In 1801, she remarried to a merchant, William Neilson. She died in 1826, aged 71 years. Her letters are in the William Duer Papers at the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum ...

Library. The Duers had eight children between 1780 and 1793. Her son

William Alexander Duer William Alexander Duer (September 8, 1780 – May 30, 1858) was an American lawyer, jurist, and educator from New York City who served as the President of Columbia University from 1829 to 1842. He was also a slaveholder, owning numerous ensl ...

was a judge and president of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

. Another son,

John Duer John Duer (October 7, 1782 – August 8, 1858) was a New York attorney, jurist, and co-founder of Children's Village. Biography Born in Albany, New York on October 7, 1782, he was the son of William and Catherine Duer. William Alexander Duer was ...

, was also a judge, Chief Justice of the New York Superior Court. Her grandson William Duer was a Congressman and diplomat. Later descendants were poet

Alice Duer Miller Alice Duer Miller (July 28, 1874 – August 22, 1942) was an American writer whose poetry actively influenced political opinion. Her feminist verses influenced political opinion during the Women's suffrage in the United States, American suffrage ...

and New York suffragist, socialite, and novelist

Katherine Duer Mackay Katherine Alexander Duer Mackay (1878–1930) was an American suffragist, socialite and writer from New York city. She was the founder of the Equal Franchise Society. Her involvement with the woman's suffrage movement "encouraged other wealthy w ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duer, Catherine Alexander 1755 births 1826 deaths Socialites from New York City American political hostesses