National Republican., 1884-06-28
SINGERS WIDOW.
DEATH OF THE WIFE OF ONE OF THE IN
vESTOR OF THE SEWING MACHINE.
Remarkable Career Of a Very Remarkable
Man--Tho Husband OF Five Wives and the
Father Of Twenty.fouI Children.
NetD York sun, June "a.


Among tho death notices in a morning
newspaper yesterday in this city was this
ne;
Mrs. Singer was the first wifo of the
lato lspac Merritt Singer, inventor Of the
Singer sowing machine. He died leaving
$14,OO0,0 900, but Mrs. Singers name was
not mentioned in his will. A divorce
obtained by Mr.. Singer twenty-four years
ago, and twenty -four years after they had
ceased to live together, Mrs. Singer always
declared was obtained wrongfully. She
continued oil her life to call herself Mrs
Singer. While MI. Singer was alive FIVE
women laid claim TO him as husband, and
twonty.four children were recognized by
him as his own.
The first Mrs. Singer, whose funeral
took place yesterday, was married to Mr..
Singer in Palmyra, Wayne county, in
this state, where he was employed as q
mechanic. Her maiden name was
Catherine N Haley, and she went to
Palmyra when n child with hor parents
from what was then known as Collaberg,
now Croton Landing station on tho
Hudson River railroad in Westchestor
county. Mr.. Singer was known to have
genius, but he was lazy, and the young
poor as long as they lived together. From
Palmyra they removed to Port Gibson,
| N. Y, aud afterward to Waterloo.
About 1885 they came to this city, and
soon afterward Mr.. Singer left his wife to
| join o company of players which gave en-
tertainments in small towns in the south
and west, Mrs. Singer remained in this
city. In one Of tho performances of the
troupe in Baltimore Singer was struck
with the beauty of a Miss Sponsler, and
he sought her acquaintance, representing
that he was single man, Miss Sponsler
accepted his attentions. Mr.. Singer re-
turned to his first wife, but they quarreled
and separated, Mrs. Singer taking the
children. Singer brought Miss Sponslor
to New York. After hearing his account
of his marriage with his first wife, she
agreed to live with him on his promise
that divorce was to be obtained. Then
Mr.. Singer, who played on tho violin, and
Miss Sponsler, who sang, travelled through
the country picking up precarious
living playing at temperance entertain
ments In churches While in Chicago he
found that ho could mako more money by
inventions, and he took out patents, first
for reaper, and afterward for machine
to carve type. In 1850 he invented i'm
provements on the sewing machine, by
WHICH no ulteTWhru Tcdpou uio kloht
fortune. He lived with Miss Sponsler at
IA Fifth avenue. Ten horses and six
carriages were a part Of the establishment.
Bet Ween 1887 and 1857 Miss Sponsler bore
ton children to him. To give the family
an airing in the park he had gorgeous
eauipage built to hold twenty-five per.
sons and dragged by eight horses.
Ten years after Singer took up his resi-
dence in New York in Fifth avenue hi
procured decree of divorce from his first
wife. 1t has since been contended by her
and by her friends that she did not know
|, that divorce proceeding was in danger
of being carried to an issue until the now
reached her that decree had beer
granted. Mrs. Singer had, she said, I
legal paper served on her, but was after
J ward convinced that the divorce suit haC
been withdrawn, and that the service o
the document was Of no effect. Singer
. counsel declared that there was no de
l Tense, and the decree went into effect
: Mrs. Singers friends say that she was to-
! poor and too shrinking in disposition t
4 recover her legal rights.
3 Mr.. Singer, after the divorce was OBJ
a tanned, lived an irregular life. Six month
after the divorce Miss Sponsler discoveret
= that he had been living with Miss Mar.
n Ann McGonigal as Mr.. and Mrs. Mathews
1t She quarreled with him, and he knocked
h her down, it is said, and left her senseles
Z and bleeding in the hall of his Fift
i avenue house. She had him arrested. III
v gave bonds, and soon afterward went t
n Europe for q year. Then 1t came out tina
. he had been living also with Miss Mar
2 E.Walter, under the name of Mr.. and Mr.
h Merritt. Both Miss McGonigal and Mis-
e Walter had children by him. Miss Spons
T. Ter sued for divorce, and Singer compro
n missed by giving her property. In 1S6
~ IL he married Isabella Eugenia Sommerville
q whom he met in Paris. He built castl
'. on the Hudson, near Yonkers, but di
le not occupy it long. With his wife h
lived most of the time in Paris. Whe
over 60 years old he started to build
castle in Oldham, Parqueton, near Tol
quay, watering place in England, but d
e. died in 1875 before 1t was completed.
b. Mrs Catharine NJ. Singer, with other
ic contested the will offered for probate be
10 fore Surrogate Coffin. in White Plains,
70 September, 1875. Her son, William
Is Singer, was named for $500, and III
The heirs named in tho will compromise
with her by paying her $50, 900. She pu
chased farm in Florida with some of Il
money, and her son managed it. N
e. long ago she gave him the farm and
he sold it. For many years Mrs. Singer HI
no lived quietly with her daughter in Sche
ID merhorn street. She died of cancer
n. the breast Mrs. Singer was an attenda
N N Mt DR.. Talmage's church. The Rev. NJ
~ Pearson, his assistant, conducted ii
funeral services, They were very bri
A score of carriages followed the. hears
10