Biddle family papers 01 Finding aid prepared by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories using data provided by Andalusia Foundation. Last updated on December 10, 2014. Andalusia Foundation Biddle family papers Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 5 Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 7 Related Materials........................................................................................................................................... 8 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................9 Collection Inventory.................................................................................................................................... 11 Andalusia Gardens.................................................................................................................................11 Autograph letters....................................................................................................................................11 "Biddle Papers, Andalusia"................................................................................................................... 12 Charles Biddle (1745-1821).................................................................................................................. 13 Commodore James Biddle letters (1783-1848).....................................................................................14 Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844)................................................................................................................ 15 Letitia Glenn Biddle (1864-1950)......................................................................................................... 16 Charles J. Biddle (1890-1972).............................................................................................................. 16 Henry B. Keep (1891-1918)..................................................................................................................17 Jane B. Lewis (1915-2004) auction items.............................................................................................18 Nicholas Biddle, Jr. (1917-2013).......................................................................................................... 19 James Biddle (1929-2005).....................................................................................................................19 Gerda Paumgarten (born 1943)............................................................................................................. 20 Other family members...........................................................................................................................20 - Page 2 - Biddle family papers Summary Information Repository Andalusia Foundation Creator Biddle family Title Biddle family papers Call number 01 Date [inclusive] 1747-2011 Extent 70 linear feet Language English Abstract Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844) was one of the most prominent men in early 19th century America, best known as President of the Second National Bank of the United States. Many of his family members were also prominent to their contemporaries and to history, including Nicholas's brother, Commodore James Biddle (1783-1848), who served in the Navy for decades and worked to open up trade with Asia. The Biddle family papers, 1747-2011, consist largely of original manuscript documents from a number of Biddle family members, notably Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), Commodore James Biddle (1783-1848), Letitia Glenn Biddle (1864-1950), Charles J. Biddle (1890-1972) and Katharine Legendre Biddle (1893-1973), and Nicholas Biddle, Jr. (1917-2013). In addition, there are some secondary-source materials pertaining to the Biddle family and the administration of Andalusia, the family's ancestral home. - Page 3 - Biddle family papers Biography/History "Nicholas Biddle [(1786-1844)] was one of the most prominent men in [early nineteenth-century] America, noted for his leadership in finance and his skill at extending diplomatic goodwill on behalf of the young nation. [He directed the Second National Bank of the United States for most of its existence, from its establishment in 1819 until shortly before it failed in 1841, and lobbied (unsuccessfully) for its federal rechartering.] Between Andalusia and his Philadelphia house, he entertained the likes of President John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Joseph Bonaparte, the former King of Spain. Biddle was not only the young nation's most powerful early 19th century banker, but also a poet, the editor of the Lewis and Clark Journals, an authority on architecture, an experimental farmer, and the foremost political and financial adversary of President Andrew Jackson." ("About Andalusia") "Commodore James Biddle (1783-1848), a brother of Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), served in the United States Navy for forty-eight years. James Biddle was a crew member of the ship Philadelphia that in 1803 ran aground off the coast of Tripoli during the Barbary Pirate wars. The release of the crew after nineteen months in prison was later celebrated in the Marine's hymn "to the shores of Tripoli." Biddle was awarded a medal and a sword for his exploits during the War of 1812. In 1817, he received orders to set the American flag at the mouth of the Columbia River to provide a stronger US claim to Oregon over Great Britain. James Biddle was a member of the team that arranged a trade treaty with Turkey in 1830 and was responsible for ratification of a treaty with China in 1845. Biddle's short stay in Japan's Jeddo Harbor a few months later has long been a point of controversy; some scholars insist that the Commodore failed in his attempt to open trade with Japan. However, Government instructions explicitly ordered him to proceed with utmost care to see if ports were open and make an attempt at gaining access, yet 'not in such a manner as to excite a hostile feeling or a distrust of the Government of the United States.'... "Charles Biddle (1819-1873), son of Nicholas and Jane Biddle, served with the US Army during the Mexican war when he formed his own company. He was breveted Major 'for gallant and meritorious conduct' during the take over of Chapultepec and was also present at the capture of Mexico City. During the Civil War, Biddle served as Colonel of the famous 'Bucktail Regiment' and later was a member of the United States House of Representatives. During the war, he became the proprietor and editor of the Philadelphia Democratic newspaper, The Age. "John Craig Biddle (1823-1910), another son of Nicholas and Jane, also served with the Army during the Civil War. He became a respected judge in Philadelphia County, serving in that capacity for over thirty years, ten as President Judge. He also devoted much of his spare time to maintaining Andalusia as a home for his family. "Long interested in gardening at Andalusia, Letitia Glenn Biddle (1864-1950), who was married to Charles Biddle (1857-1923), became a founding member of the Philadelphia Garden Club. In 1913, she and a small group of women met in the Billiard Room where they wrote the Constitution for the Garden Club of America. Charles and Letitia modernized the Big House [the main residence at Andalusia] by installing electricity in 1917 and plumbing a few years later. - Page 4 - Biddle family papers "When they married in the 1920's, Charles J. (1890-1972) and Katharine Legendre Biddle (1893-1973) became full-time residents [of Andalusia]. Charles Biddle, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, served with distinction during World War I as a member of the Lafayette Escadrille. An ace pilot credited with destroying eight enemy aircraft, Major Biddle was a recipient of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre as well as the American Distinguished Service Cross. He wrote of his experiences in a book, Fighting Airman, the Way of the Eagle, based on letters home to his parents. After the war, Biddle practiced law with this father's firm until the elder Biddle's death. In 1925 he became a partner in the firm of Drinker, Biddle and Reath. "Charles and Katharine's younger son, James Biddle (1929-2005), was curator of the American wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and served as President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. During his tenure at the National Trust, membership as well as influence of the Trust increased dramatically. After retirement, he resided in the Cottage at Andalusia and in 1980 created the Andalusia Foundation to help preserve his ancestral home." ("Andalusia History") Bibliography: Quoted text from: Andalusia Foundation. "About Andalusia" and "Andalusia History." 2013. Accessed April 2, 2014. http://www.andalusiapa.org/about/index.html and http://www.andalusiapa.org/about/ history.html. Scope and Contents This collection consists largely of original