Scope and Content Note
The papers of Dolley Payne Todd Madison (1768-1849) date from 1794 to 1852, although the bulk of the material falls in the period after the death of her husband, James Madison, in 1836. The papers consist primarily of correspondence but also include financial papers, invitations, visiting cards, and miscellaneous material. The collection is organized in two segments of original and reproduced items, with a chronological arrangement for each segment.
The correspondence is concerned mainly with family matters including the settlement of Dolley Madison’s estate as well as those of William Madison and James Madison. The disposition of her estate dominates the correspondence after 1849, particularly in letters between trustees John Young Mason and Richard Smith. Family members who figure prominently as correspondents include John Payne Todd, surviving son of Dolley Payne and John Todd (1763-1793), her nieces Anna Payne Causten and Rebecca Todd, and her nephews R. D. Cutts and Samuel Poultney Todd.
Other correspondence reflects the extent of Dolley Madison's personal friendships and the use of her influence and contacts to benefit others. Correspondents include Anthony Morris (1766-1860), a Philadelphia merchant and unofficial United States representative to Spain from 1810 to 1814, and his daughter, Phoebe; James Laurie of the American Colonization Society; Henry W. Moncure, a Richmond merchant who eventually bought Montpelier from Madison to ease her financial crisis; and Elizabeth Collins Lee, close friend and confidante.
Also in the collection are such items as inventories of household furnishings at Montpelier and in Washington, accounts with a grocer, and lists of visitors and visits returned by Mrs. Madison. Additional material, including a holograph letter to Dolley Madison from Henry Clay, 1836, regarding the manuscript of James Madison’s Notes of Debates on the Federal Convention of 1787, and a page from her diary or notebook, 1845, was added to the collection after the microfilm edition was completed.