The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-27
Miss Mabel Mckinley Will Be
Tenth in Its History.
NOTED NUPTIAL ENTERTAINMENTS
Cennubial kuefs Which Have Been Tied
Has Taken Place in the President's House
since that OF President Cleveland In 1856
Probability that Miss Mabel Mekiales
Eill Be Married at Executive Mansion.

The announcement that Miss Mabel Nc
I Kinley, niece OF the President. will prob
ably be married in the White House when
she becomes Mrs Hermanus Baer. during
the coming spring or sun mer, serves 10
call attention to the fact that there has
not been a wedding in the White House
since the spring of 1856 fourteen years
ago, when President Grover Cleveland
was married to Miss Frances Folsom.
Residents Of Washington well remember
that event, which was one OF the most
/ brilliant hymeneal functions ever cele5rat-
I ed in the Executive Mansion. and if Miss
: Mabel Mckinley really Is to take her
/ VOWS in the national parlors, 1t is antici-
pated that the ceremony will be equally
as elaborate as that of President Cleve-
{ land There seems to be but little doubt
that this ceremony really will be cele-
brated at the White House. as Miss Nc
4 kinley is the Presidents favorite niece,
and has often visited the Executive Man
/ sion during the past three years.
Curious as il may seem, there have been
comparatively few marriages in the
White House. In the history of this coun-
try, there have been but nine such oere-
monies. Miss McKinley's will, therefore,
be the tenth, and considering this, she
certainly ought to consider herself most
fortunate young lady.
From old employees of the White House,
who personally remember the marriages
which have been celebrated there since
the civil war; and by means of old files
OF the National Intelligencer and ether
newspapers at the Library of Congress,
the following complete list of such White
House weddings in the history of the IA
nous edifice. has been carefully compiled:
g.e First Ceremony.
The first marriage which ever took place
| in the Executive Mansion was that Of
Miss Todd, of Philadelphia, a relative OF
President Madison's wife, and was SOL
emnized in the East Room in 1911. The
bridegroom was Edward B. Jackson. a
| Representative in Congress from Virginia,
and a great uncle of Stonewall Jackson.
! This Mr.. Jackson, while in Congress,
/ fought duel with Mr.. Eppes. another
/ Virginia Congressman. A child born OF
/ this first White House marriage was
1 named James Madison Jackson. and few
years ago there were many old people
| who remembered iim.
The next marriage within the same
building was that of President Monroe 5
daughter Maria, the bridegroom being her
first cousin on her mothers side, Mr..
Samuel L. Gouverneur at one time post
| master Of New York. This wedding oc-
CURED in March, 1920, and was a very
! handsome entertainment, though but a
| limited number of guests were invited to
/ it, including only the attendants, relations
and a few old friends After the cere-
mony the bridesmaids were dismissed till
week later, when the bride received
/ company at the White House, and her
mother gave up to her the place of hos
! tess ana herself mingled with the citizens
present.
| Commodore and Mrs. Decatur gave the
! bride the first ball of congratulation and
two mornings later Commodore Decatur
went out to fight his fatal duel with Bar
ron and was brought home corpse.
1.-The bridal festivities wrote Mrs
| William Winston Seaton, wife of the edi-
tor of the National Intelligencer, .'haye
received a check which will prevent any
further attentions 10 the Presidents fam
| lily, in the murder of Decatur" Invita-
| tons already sent out for entertainments
in honor of the bride and groom by Com
modore Porter, father Of Admiral Porter
had to be counterManded-
The late Mr.. Samuel Gouverneur, Of this
NlNsp ndo OOAli III INT w Lil6 Rouse OF the
marriage above noticed. He died in
| Washington some years ago.
An Adams Affair.
AS above mentioned. Mr. Gouverneur,
who married Miss Monroe in the Execu-
tive Mansion, was her cousin, and the
next couple welded there were also
cousins. This marriage occurred in the
Blue Parlor in 1876. John Quincy Adams
being President. and the couple united
were his son and private secretary, John
Adams, and elder brother Of Charles
Francis Adams, and Miss Helen, a niece
OF Mrs. Adams. The wedding occurred in
the evening in the Blue Parlor in the
presence of a very distinguished COM
pany. The late Columbus Monroe, of
Washington. and the late Gen. Ramsay,
at one time chief of ordnance, and Miss
Monroe and Miss Ramsay-the latter sub
sequently the wife Of Col. Turnbull.
United States army-were among the at
tendants at the wedding. all of whom are
now dead. 1t is said that this match was
not wholly agreeable to President Adams
and his family; at any rate, no mention
is made of il in his diary. But those
who spoke of being at the wedding said
that nothing was left undone to make
the occasion merry one. and that Presi-
dent Adams so far relaxed in mis- usual
austere dignity as to be the best talker
at table at the series of grand dinner
parties which were given at the Execu-
tive Mansion during the week following
the nuptials Of his son.
Old Washingtonians recall with zest the
elegance OF those banquets and the dis
play Of fine china-Dutch, French, and
Oriental-and of silver and gold ware
used on the table.
Two weddings occurred in the Executive
Mansion while Jackson was President.
First was that of Miss Mary Lewis, the
daughter Of Maj Lewis Gen. Jackson's
intimate friend and companion in arms.
Miss Lewis married NJ. Alphonse Joseph
Yoer Pageot, native Of Martinique, who
was secretary OF the French Legation at
Washington in 1886 and 1910, and was Min
lister from France TO this country from
1912 to 1913
The gossips said that Louis Philippe ap-
pointed him Minister that he might look
after his wife's property in Tennessee.
/ There are still some In Washington who
foEdly remember Nine. Pageot She died
over thirty years ago al Montpelier. In
France She made a lovely bride in is
recalled, and President Jackson gave her
away.
Tilted by Jaekson's Advice.
The other marriage while he lived In the
Executive Mansion was that of Miss East
en-. OF Tennessee, his niece, and Mr. Polk.
of the same State, a kinsman OF President
Polk. This lady was 10 have married
Lieut. Bolton Finch, Of the navy, an En-
glishman by birth. who in 1893 had his
name changed by Congress 10 Bolton. and
died in 1913 as Commodore William Comp
ton Bolton.
He was one Of the beaus OF the time, and
had been engaged 70 marry more than one
lady before he Was accepted by Miss East
en-, who Tilted him at the last moment,
though the day for the wedding was fixed
and the guests invited, when the LADY sud
fanlu ErnnnAa klnn and married AIr DALI