Making the Twelfth Night Cake

A reproduction Twelfth Night cake.

It’s almost Twelfth Night, which means our “Salutations of the Season!” celebration is nearing! To be fully prepared, what do you need most? Why a Twelfth Night cake, of course! This cake was the centerpiece of Twelfth Night celebrations. It was typically white cake with white frosting. Small gum figures decorated the top. But don’t forget the most important part—the bean! A bean was baked into the Twelfth Night cake, and the person who got the bean in their slice of cake was the king or queen of Twelfth Night. If you don’t want to bake a bean into your cake, equally historically accurate to the time period is handing out slips of paper. Whoever gets ones marked with an x is the queen or king of Twelfth Night.

Do you want to try making your own Twelfth Night cake? Here’s our recipe—enjoy!

Twelfth Night Cake

Ingredients

½ lb. unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ lb. sugar

½ tsp. grated nutmeg

5 eggs, beaten

½ lb. raisins, soaked in brandy

¼-cup brandy

1 cup blanched almonds, chopped

½ lb. all-purpose flour

1 dried bean (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until pale and lemon-colored.

3. In a separate bowl beat the eggs. Add the eggs and brandy to the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in the flour and the spices and mix thoroughly. Add the raisins (reserve the brandy), almonds, and (optional) good-luck bean. Mix thoroughly.

4. Butter a 12-inch cake tin and line it with buttered wax paper. Pour in the cake mixture and bake for three hours. If the top browns too much during cooking, cover with foil.

Glaze

Ingredients

1 cup confectionary sugar

¼ cup brandy

Directions

1. Mix the raisin-soaked brandy with the sugar until smooth.

2. Pour over the top of the cake.

3. Garnish with additional powdered sugar if desired.

Three 18th Century Recipes for Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night cookies.

Our “Salutations of the Season!” celebration is getting closer and  closer! Do you want try your hand at 17^th and 18^th century recipes? The first one, Schuyler Spice Cookies, is inspired by a  recipe said to be made in the Schuyler household. Spices were  popular—especially around Twelfth Night—and these cookies  are rather Dutch in style. Even if the Schuylers didn’t use  this exact recipe, it is likely a similar cookie was common in the  Schuyler household during the Christmas season.

The other two recipes are adapted from a local Dutchwoman’s  18^th century cookbook. The author, Maria van Rensselaer (1749-  1830), lived at Cherry Hill, just down the road from Schuyler  Mansion. Her recipes range from the 18^th to 19^th centuries in  date.

The first of her recipes we’re sharing are Seed Cake  Cookies.  These cake-like cookies are easy to make—great for a beginner! Sometimes, they’re still made in Crailo’s 17^th century hearth today.

The last recipe, the van Rensselaer Tea Cookies, is likely the oldest Dutch American cookie recipe in existence.

Now let’s get baking!

Schuyler House Spice Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cloves

¾ cup butter

1 Tablespoon coriander

1 egg

1 Tablespoon ginger

¼ cup molasses 

Small dash black pepper (Dutch culinary habit)

2 cups all-purpose flour 

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together butter and sugar.

3. Add egg and molasses.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger and pepper; gradually add to mixture.

5. Mix together and roll into small balls. Roll in sugar, then flatten and place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Seed Cakes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 stick butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.

3. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

4. Add flour and seeds a little at a time, stirring well.

5. Roll the dough into small balls about the size of a grape.

6. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

Seed Cakes

van Rensselaer Tea Cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks (1/2 pound butter)

6 oz. cold water

1 ½ cups sugar

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream the butter with an electric mixer.

3. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue creaming.

4. Add the water, alternately with the flour.

5. Take the dough out with a spatula, wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.

6. Roll into ½-inch balls and bake 16-18 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.

The Creation of Twelfth Night

Singing Round the Star on Twelfth Night
by Conrelius Troost; courtesy of Mauritshuis, The Hague

By Jessie Serfilippi

While originally a Christian religious holiday celebrating the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem, by the 18th century Twelfth Night had transformed into a mixed religious and secular holiday by European colonists in the Americas. In the 18th century, Twelfth Night was celebrated with feasting, drinking, songs, and revelry. It was not celebrated uniformly throughout the colonies, but festivities were common in New York, and the Schuyler household would have been no exception.

As a Dutch family living in an Anglicized colony, they likely drew on both Dutch and English traditions in their celebrations. One of the most iconic Dutch traditions was captured in a painting by Dutch artist Cornelius Troost. This tradition included revelers dressed as the Three Kings carrying an illuminated lantern in the shape of a star going from home to home, singing traditional carols.

Feasting and Drinking

In preparation for the event, tables were carefully decorated with pyramids of apples and oranges, and laden with tiered displays of sugary confections, sweetmeats, cookies, cakes, and nuts. Spices, such as cloves, coriander, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon, were commonly used in Twelfth Night recipes, such as in spice cookies, which were a Dutch tradition. The centerpiece of the table would have been the Twelfth Night Cake, also known as the King or Queen’s Cake. These cakes were typically white and filled with fruit, then covered in hard white icing topped with sugar and gum figures.

Twelfth Night cake at Schuyler Mansion

The Twelfth Night cake also reflected status. The exotic fruits, the spices, the sugar in the frosting and on top of the cake, and the gum figures were costly, and often imported from plantations in the Caribbean and elsewhere. People enslaved by the Schuylers would have prepared the bulk of Twelfth Night foods, alongside making food for the Schuylers and their own families as they typically would on a daily basis. The Twelfth Night cake itself is one item Catharine van Rensselaer Schuyler may have made herself. It was not uncommon for the lady of even a wealthy household, such as the Schuylers’, to take the lead in preparing this elaborate centerpiece of the festivities herself, displaying her own household abilities and attracting the compliments of the guests.

Ornate, costly, and delicious, Twelfth Night cakes were also meant to be a game. A bean was baked inside the cake, and the person who was given the slice containing the bean was crowned the queen or king of the party and placed in charge of the following year’s festivities or, in some households, paying for the feast! 

Punch bowl at Schuyler Mansion

Drinking was another central element of Twelfth Night. One common drink was wassail, a hot spiced wine typically served in a punch bowl. The exact recipe varied depending on the wealth of the family. The drink itself was thought to promote good health and humor. 

Along with wassail came the custom of toasting. This tradition is believed to have originated from the name “wassail,” which had linguistic roots from the expression “to be in good health” in both Old Norse and Old English, and started with a simple “was hail” from the toaster, to which the rest of the party replied “drink hail.” The tradition changed until it reached the 18th century version, much like the current one, of toasting specific people and hopes or wishes.

Decorations

Elaborate decorations such as Christmas trees and stockings did not exist in most North American homes until the 19th century. Instead, interiors were decorated with greenery, such as decorative ropes of pine and small sprigs hung in the windows to brighten an otherwise darker time of the year. Small green wreathes may have adorned doors and mistletoe may have been hung in the house. Vases of holly may have been on tables or mantel pieces. 

Greenery at Schuyler Mansion

Many of these decorations can be connected to Christian beliefs, which in turn descended from Pagan beliefs of greenery representing new life to come in the new year. The green represented new life and hope, and in a more Christian interpretation, harkened to “the hope of victory over death, a green and pleasant eternity.” By the 18th century, these signs of light and life in a dark time of year had become an important part of English tradition, which the Schuylers subscribed to as much as, and later even more so it seems, they did their Dutch roots.

Games

In Dutch tradition, children would await a visit from Sinterklaas, leaving a shoe filled with straw and carrots inside for his horse. If the children were good, they received small gifts like coins, fruit, or candy. If they were bad, they received coal!  

Children were also invited to celebrate Twelfth Night with the adults. All ages enjoyed the toys and games present at most Twelfth Night parties. One game they may have played was Bullet Pudding. To play, a dish mounded with flour had a bullet (or cranberry, or button, etc…) placed atop it. Players took turns “slicing” the “cake.” If the bullet fell on someone’s turn, they had to retrieve it with their mouth, which—with the flour and laughter that was likely to ensue—could have made quite a mess. 

Another game was Hide the Slipper. The players made a circle of chairs, while the person designated “it” stood outside the circle as a shoe was passed around under the sitters’ legs. “It” had to find and tap the shoulder of the person holding the shoe. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds because players would often fake passing the shoe to each other! 

All these aspects of Twelfth Night came together to make for a fun and lively holiday. Are you curious about what it was like to experience Twelfth Night in the 17th and 18th centuries? This year, Crailo and Schuyler Mansion State Historic Sites are virtually hosting their “Salutations of the Season!” event on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All are welcome to attend! The festivities will be held on January 6th, 2021. More information is forthcoming. Watch our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts for more details over the following days!

Unless otherwise noted, all information in this post is taken from our Twelfth Night exhibit, typically on display during the event.

Independence Day 2020: A Digital Celebration

This Independence Day was like no other. While we couldn't celebrate on the grounds of Schuyler Mansion like we normally do, we created videos to help capture some of the spirit you'd find on-site during our day of festivities. 

In the videos below, learn how 18th century ice cream was made, how to make a tricorn hat, and the meaning of the Declaration of Independence in the past and present.

While we made these videos for the Fourth of July, you can enjoy them at any time of the year, and we hope that you will.

Making 18th Century Ice Cream

Click here for written instructions.

Making a Tricorn Hat

Click here for written instructions and templates.

The Declaration of Independence: Then and Now

Read the Declaration of Independence here.

HOW TO MAKE 18TH CENTURY ICE CREAM

It’s a hot day and you’re stuck indoors… What can do you? How about trying out this authentic 18^th century ice cream recipe!

Watch the how-to video starring Erin Czernecki here.

Supplies

• ·         Six eggs
• ·         Two cups of cream
• ·         One cup of simple syrup
• ·         3 ounces of grated parmesan cheese
• ·         Whisk
• ·         Pot #1 (will be placed over stove top)
• ·         Pot #2 (to pour hot ice cream into)
• ·         Larger bowl (that pot #2 can fit into)
• ·         Ice
• ·         Salt

Instructions

• ·         Crack the eggs over pot #1 and whisk them
• ·         Add cream to whisked eggs
• ·         Add grated parmesan cheese
• ·         Turn stove top on medium-high
• ·         Place mixture on stove top and stir constantly (to avoid lumpiness)
• ·         Heat long enough to melt parmesan cheese and achieve thickness of a custard
• ·         Place pot #2 in larger bowl
• ·         Place ice between pot #2 and larger bowl
• ·         Pour ice cream into pot #2
• ·         Sprinkle salt over the ice
• ·         Freeze for 24 hours

Now sit back and enjoy your 18^th century ice cream! Let us know in the comment section how your recipe turned out.

HOW TO MAKE A TRICORN HAT WITH COCKADE

Tricorn hats with cockades (rosette-like attachments to hat) were popular fashion for civilians and military personnel during the Revolutionary War. Most tricorn hats were black, but cockades could be made from many different colors. Cockade colors were sometimes used to denote political affiliations, and during the Revolutionary War, George Washington used them to first show different ranks in the army, and then to symbolize United State’s newly formed alliance with the French.

Below are the steps and templates you need to make your own tricorn hat and cockade. For more information and a tutorial, click here!

Templates below in order: tricorn hat, large cockade, small cockade, and feather. Templates as close to scale as possible, so all you have you 

Supplies

• 3 pieces of construction paper to make the hat (black or any color that you like)
• 2 pieces of construction paper to make the cockade (any 2 colors that you like)
• 1 piece of construction paper to make a feather (any color that you like)
• Templates for hat, cockade (2 sizes), and feather
• Thin cardboard
• Glue
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Hole punch
• Round head fasteners

Instructions

1.       Print out templates for hat, large cockade, small cockade, and feather.
2.        Glue them onto thin cardboard.
3.        Cut out the templates.
4.        Trace around the templates on construction paper. You will need 3 of the pieces for the tricorn   hat, 1 piece for each of the other templates.
5.        Cut out the pieces of construction paper.
6.        If you want, make cuts on each side of the feather to give it texture.
7.        MAKING THE TRICORN HAT - Take 2 pieces of the hat template, and line them up. Staple the pieces together at one end. (Position the staples closer to the center for a smaller fit, or closer to the end for a larger fit.)
8.        Open the unstapled end and insert the 3^rd hat piece, lining it up with one of the unstapled ends, and staple those pieces together. Line up the remaining unstapled ends, and staple those together to complete your hat. Set hat aside, or on your head, while making the cockade.
9.        MAKING THE COCKADE - Start with the small cockade piece, punch one hole at the very end of each arm and make a hole at the center. (If the hole punch doesn’t reach, just poke a hole with scissors or the fastener.) One at a time, fold in each arm, lining up the hole at the end with the center hole. When all arms are folded down, insert the fastener, with the round head in front, through all the holes and through the center then fold out the 2 metal tabs at the back of the paper to keep it together.
10.    For the large cockade piece, punch one hole at the very end of each arm and make a hole at the center. Repeat the process of folding in each arm and lining it up with the center hole, just like you did for the small cockade. When all arms are folded down, hold onto it, keeping it lined up, (or use an extra fastener temporarily to hold it together,) while you open the fastener of the small cockade, but don’t take it out of the small cockade.
11.    PLACE THE COCKADE ON THE HAT - Push the fastener through the large cockade, and then push the fastener through the feather, and then push the fastener through the hat, placing the cockade where you like. Fold down the metal prongs of the fastener on the inside of the hat. Place hat on your head and call yourself a Yankee Doodle Dandy!

The Legacy of Louisa Lee and Georgina Schuyler

By Jessie Serfilippi

In two of our previous blog posts (one and two), we’ve discussed the advocacy work of Louisa and Georgina, great-granddaughters of Catharine and Philip Schuyler and Elizabeth and Alexander Hamilton. When Schuyler Mansion opened to the public in 1917, Louisa and Georgina had donated a number of items they inherited from their parents: Eliza Hamilton and George Lee Schuyler. Below are a few of those pieces and some information on them.

Corner Chair

This corner chair is made in the Chippendale style with a bit of the Queen Anne style influence. It was likely made in Massachusetts or New York between 1765-1775. This type of chair was meant to be more comfortable than a standard chair because the user could relax into the curved portion of the chair. They were mostly used by men because the construction of the chair made it challenging for a woman to sit in it while maintaining proper posture.

Writing Table

This table was also a gift from Louisa and Georgina. While it could be used for writing and similar work, it was commonly used for breakfast, for card and board games, reading, and tea. This table was likely made between 1795-1805 in the United States. It’s made in the Hepplewhite Pembroke style.

Cordial Glass

Made between 1760 and 1790, this glass was free blown and probably imported from England. The Schuylers owned multiple glasses in this style, likely for entertaining guests.

Secretary

Made in the Chippendale style, this desk was likely made in New England around 1770. It is comprised of a desk and bookcase. It has many storage spaces, one of which could be locked, and candle holders. As it was a gift of Louisa and Georgina, it’s possible that it belonged to their great-grandfather, Philip Schuyler, who would have done a lot of his military and political work from this desk.

In the Footsteps of Eliza: Louisa Lee Schuyler’s Lifetime of Advocacy

Louisa (left) at 14 with siblings Georgina and Philip.
"Portrait of Three Children," 1851, artist unknown.
Courtesy of New York Historical Society.

Louisa Lee Schuyler is the older sister of Georgina, discussed in our last blog post. Born in 1837 to Eliza Hamilton Schuyler and George Lee Schuyler, she was the second eldest of their three children. 

Louisa Lee grew up with her siblings and parents in New York City, but often made trips to Irvington, NY where her grandfather, James Alexander Hamilton, lived at his estate of Nevis. Louisa was well-educated, and as a teenager and young woman, she travelled frequently.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Louisa’s altruistic nature was revealed. Her mother helped found the Woman’s Central Association of Relief and Louisa was appointed chairman. The organization made clothes, bandages, and provided nurses with all needed equipment as they went to army hospitals to tend to wounded Union soldiers. It eventually functioned as an auxiliary branch of the US Sanitary Commission. 

Louisa Lee Schuyler circa 1860s, photographer unknown.
Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site collections.

In 1871, Louisa toured the Westchester County poorhouse. The conditions she witnessed there inspired her and some of her friends to found the State Charities Aid Association (SCAA). The members of SCAA began visiting the multitude of poorhouses and almshouses run by New York State and reported on the deplorable conditions they found there. SCAA focused on child welfare, the welfare of the poor in almshouses and poorhouses, and conditions in hospitals, including those that housed people with mental illnesses.

From 1872-1893, SCAA accomplished a variety of important tasks. Louisa outlined what the association did. In her own words, they are as follows:

• A higher standard of care has been introduced into every poor house and almshouse in the state.
• Training-School for Nurses, 1873. [At Bellevue]
• Hospital Book and Newspaper Society, 1874.
• Farming Out the Poor Abolished, 1875.
• Temporary Homes for Children, 1877-85.
• Tramp Act, 1880.
• First Aid to the Injured, 1882.
• Trained Nurses for the Insane, 1885.
• Municipal Lodging Houses, 1886.
• State Care for the Insane Act of 1890. 
• State Care Appropriation Act of 1891.

Read more about each of the above here.

In many ways, Louisa Lee carried out the legacy of her great-grandmother, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, who founded the first private orphanage in New York City (now the Graham-Windham Foundation). Louisa was seventeen when Eliza died. Louisa’s special care in removing children from poorhouses and almshouses and placing them in temporary homes until they could be adopted, as well as working to end preventable blindness in children, echoes Eliza’s fifty years of work with her own orphanage.

While Louisa Lee may not have been the young preservationist her sister, Georgina, was, she was an advocate for many important causes. Together, they were the perfect team to help save and preserve Schuyler Mansion. Learn about the results of their work next week! 

Louisa Lee, 1915.
Photographer unknown.

The State Charities Association still exists today and is now named the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy in honor of Louisa Lee, who also received an honorary LLD from Columbia University in 1915.

Read more on Louisa Lee from the SCAA and VCU Libraries Social Welfare History Project. Additional reading from the American Journal of Nursing.

Georgina Schuyler: Young Preservationist

Georgina Schuyler, aged 4.
Painted by John Carlin, 1845. At NYHS.

By Jessie Serfilippi

May is Historic Preservation Month, which provides us with some time to reflect on and appreciate the many people who have worked to preserve Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site starting in the early 20th century up to the modern day. 

Two women in particular were important in the early preservation of Schuyler Mansion: Louisa Lee and Georgina Schuyler, direct descendants of Philip and Catharine Schuyler through their grandson, George Lee Schuyler, and great-granddaughter, Eliza Hamilton.

Louisa Lee and Georgina were born in 1837 and 1841 respectively. They had an older brother Philip, and were close to their parents, their aunt Mary Hamilton, great-grandmother Mary Ann Sawyer Schuyler and her family in Boston, and spent a lot of time at the home of their grandfather, James Alexander Hamilton, in Irvington, NY. They grew up mainly in New York City, but traveled often as young adults.

George Lee Schuyler, 1839.
By Richard Morell Staigg. At NYHS.

In 2019, Schuyler Mansion was fortunate to acquire letters to and from George Lee Schuyler, Eliza Hamilton Schuyler, Philip, Louisa Lee, and Georgina. The letters provide a window into their lives, travels, interests, and education. An 1859 letter from seventeen-year-old Georgina also reveals an early interest in history and historic preservation.

In 1859, Georgina was attending school in Boston. On Tuesday, February 22, 1859, she wrote a letter to her father about the festivities she attended that day to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.

“Dear Father–– Today being Washingtons [sic] birthday we have had a holiday, which I have entirely appreciated [...] this morning I received Mothers [sic] Sunday letter, telling me of Mt Vernon donations––The day has been very fine, & the bells have rung, the canons have been fired, the Hancock house open to the public, a fair opened, a grand ball tonight at one of the theatres, & last, not least, Mrs. Harrison Grey [O]tis received her friends- So you see they do things in quite a spirited ways to celebrate the day, even if they wont [sic] buy Mt. Vernon, which they ought to; I think its is [sic] a great shame that they don’t.”

In her letter, Georgina mentions two historic homes: the Hancock House, or Hancock Manor as it was known, and Mount Vernon. 

Hancock Manor, circa winter of 1860.

Hancock Manor, once home to John Hancock, served as headquarters to British General Henry Clinton before his evacuation from Boston and was where John Hancock hosted Washington, Lafayette, and other famous guests. In 1859, when Georgina visited, it was privately owned by his heirs, who opened it to visitors for the day. That same year, the heirs offered to sell it to Massachusetts to serve as the Governor's Mansion, but by 1863, the state had failed to purchase it, and it was sold at public auction. It was torn down less than two weeks after its sale.

Mount Vernon met a different fate. A year after Georgina penned her letter, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA) raised enough funds to purchase Mount Vernon from John Augustine Washington. Ann Pamela Cunningham, founder of MVLA, started the association’s efforts in 1853, and by late 1859, raised $200,000. The MVLA officially took over the home in 1860 and began the process of preserving it and turning it into the historic site it is today.

In their adult years, Georgina and her sister became involved in the preservation of Schuyler Mansion and donated a sizable amount of the furniture and items they inherited from both their Schuyler and Hamilton ancestors. Their efforts during the early years of Schuyler Mansion as a museum and the donations they made to the site will be explored in upcoming blog posts, so stay tuned!

For further exploring: The Ticonderoga Historical Society is housed in a replica of the Hancock House.

The Hamilton Children: Part One

On Twitter we’ve been highlighting one of Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton’s children each week. The couple had eight children, and so far we’ve discussed their eldest four: Philip, Angelica, Alexander Jr., and James Alexander. We’ve rounded-up a few facts about each of them here. Enjoy!

(Links to more about each individual are included at the end of each section.)

Philip Hamilton

January 22, 1782––November 24, 1801

The Albany Dutch Reformed Church.

Philip was the only Hamilton child to be baptized at Albany in the Dutch Church the Schuylers attended. From the time he was an infant, his father believed Philip held future greatness. This belief in his eldest son never faltered.

When Philip was nine, he went to school in Trenton, NJ, while his family lived in Philadelphia. Eventually, his younger brother Alexander Jr. joined him there.

At the age of fifteen, Philip contracted a serious fever. Dr. David Hosack saved the boy from the brink of death. Sadly, Dr. Hosack could do nothing but watch as Philip died after his fatal duel with George Eacker just a few years later.

Learn more about the life and legacy of Philip Hamilton here.


Angelica Hamilton

September 25, 1784––February 6, 1857

Angelica Hamilton's piano
at The Grange.

Angelica was born in New York City and named after her aunt, Angelica Schuyler Church. Her aunt, even though she was abroad in England for most of her niece’s childhood, managed to dote on Angelica from across the Atlantic. She sent her young namesake a piano similar to her own children’s––the best that could be made in London, she claimed.

Based on letters, Angelica seems to have spent more time at Albany with her grandparents than her siblings. In 1803, when her grandmother Catharine van Rensselaer Schuyler died, her grandfather wrote Eliza Schuyler Hamilton that her daughter helped him through his grief.


Unlike the popular story, Angelica did not have a permanent breakdown upon the death of her brother in 1801. Instead, she seemed to have times when she was healthy and times when she was ill. By the 1830s, she was placed in an institution under the care of Dr. MacDonald in Flushings, Queens.

Read on and dispel some more myths about her here.

Alexander Hamilton Jr. 

May 16, 1786––August 2, 1875

Gertrude Schuyler Cochran
by the Baroness Hyde de
Neuville.

Born in New York City in 1786, Alexander Jr. was named for his father. He was baptized at the age of two with four baptismal sponsors, including his great aunt, Gertrude Schuyler Cochran.

After the education he received alongside his older brother, Alexander Jr. attended Columbia College, too. Weeks before his graduation, he had to bury his father.

His father wanted Alexander Jr. to become a merchant, but he became a lawyer instead. Before settling into his law practice, he fought with the Duke of Wellington’s troops against Napoleon in Portugal and served during the War of 1812.

In a weird twist of fate, he was Eliza Jumel’s lawyer, and is believed to have been her lawyer when she divorced Aaron Burr.

Keep reading about Alexander Jr. here!

James Alexander Hamilton

April 14, 1788––September 24, 1878

The Second Bank in Philadelphia.

Born in New York City in 1788, James Alexander was named for his paternal grandfather. Just like his father and older brothers, James attended Columbia College. His father wrote him a “thesis on discretion” while James was a college student. Hamilton penned this for his son days before his fatal duel.

James eventually became a lawyer. While he was practicing the law in Hudson, NY, he met Mary Morris. They wed on October 17, 1810, and had five children together. In 1835, the family moved into “Nevis,” the mansion James had built in Irvington, NY, and named after his father’s birthplace.

James served during the War of 1812 and he was the Acting Secretary of State during Jackson’s administration. Like Jackson, James opposed the Second Bank––the reincarnation of the bank his father built.

He left his letters, thoughts, and legacy behind for all to read in his memoir, Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton: Or, Men and Events, at Home and Abroad During Three Quarters of a Century.

Click here to read more about James.


Check back in a few weeks to learn about the other four Hamilton children: John Church, William Stephen, Elizabeth, and “Little” Philip.

Interested in further reading? Check out the biography on the doctor who saved Philip Hamilton from his fever: American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic