Description:

Caton Sisters Land Dispute Archive(27), Case Endorsed by James Buchanan!

A fascinating archive of legal letters relating to a land division dispute between the famed Caton sisters, the granddaughters of Declaration of Independence signer Charles Carroll of Carrollton. The collection consists of 27 letters between the attorneys and interested parties concerning legalities surrounding the division of their lands in Lycoming. A fascinating look at an inheritance squabble between early American elites and the legal division of land in the U.S. The letters have flattened folds with varying degrees of toning, soiling, foxing, and dampstaining. Overall, very good. Please refer to the photographs for further condition information.

The Caton sisters, much like today's Kardashians, were beautiful and wealthy, and basically famous for being famous. Their grandfather was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, and three of the four immigrated to England, married aristocrats, and left a legacy of popularity, wit, and financial savvy. Their social standing was even enough to draw the attention of soon-to-be president James Buchanan, who met the three sisters in England while serving as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. In one of the letters included in this collection, lawyer C.L. Ward states that he was actually sought out by Buchanan to investigate the ladies' case. The dispute was between Emily (Caton) McTavish, who had remained in America, and her sisters Marianne, Marchioness Wellesley, Elizabeth, Lady Stafford, and Louisa, Duchess of Leeds. Also involved was the sisters' cousin, William Woodville, to whom their father had given land and who served as a trustee for the daughters. 

Highlights from the group:
C.L. Ward ALS, September 3, 1857: "…I beg here to say, kindly and respectfully, and I beg it may not be forgotten, that I have never sought any agency or position in reference to the Caton estate. I have, for several years past, declined all business in the County except in a few instances, on behalf of particular friends. Mr. Buchanan, while in England, as such a friend, asked me to undertake for his friends, Lady Stafford and the Duchess of Leeds, the adjustment of their interests here. I consented; and it will not become me to vindicate his selection, by any special reference to my experience or standing…"

C.L. Ward ALS to Lady Stafford, May 12, 1854: "…Our first duty and object should be to induce and complete this division; and obtain a conveyance to yourself in fee: and so also to your sisters of the respective shares. Each one could then devote her attention to her individual interests as connected with her own property, and make such a disposition of it as to her might seem advisable. I find upon examination there is not the slightest legal difficulty in regard to your right and that of the Duchess of Leeds to hold this property in your own names; and of course, there is no legal difficulty on the part of Mrs. McTavish. It may be necessary that Mr. Woodville should have a legal adviser in Philadelphia, until the division shall be effected. I will aid him in making a division of the property, which he can do readily after the survey is made…"

William Henry Rawle & P.P. Morris ALS to C.L. Ward, May 15, 1855: "A partition of the Carroll Estate in Pennsylvania, is, as you know, desired by the parties interested, as well as those residing in this country, as those resident abroad were present respectively. Mrs. MacTavish, one of the cestui-que trusts, and Mr. Woodville of Baltimore, the Trustee, with whom as well with Lady Stafford, another of the cestui-que trusts, you have been, we believe, in correspondence. A Bill for partition has been filed by Mrs. MacTavish by her counsel, Mr. Rawle, the undersigned, against the Trustee and the other cestui-que trusts, in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania…Lady Stafford has appeared and put in an answer, a copy of which you will find enclosed. Mr. Woodville has also appeared and will answer that he is desirous to facilitate a partition…You will observe what Lady Stafford says in her answer on the subject of the Lycoming lands. She is entirely right in her interpretation of Lady Wellesley's Will, on this point, but misapprehends the statements of the Bill in relation thereto…"

Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832) was an Irish-American politician who was believed to be the wealthiest man in America when the American Revolution began. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence as a representative for Maryland. He was the only Catholic signatory and the last surviving signatory. Carroll's daughter, Mary, married Richard Caton and they, along with Charles, spent winters with the Catons in Baltimore from 1820 until his death. Mary's four daughters became known as the Caton sisters – Marianne, Elizabeth "Bess", Emily, and Louisa.

Marianne (1788-1853) moved to Europe, along with two of her sisters, to benefit her health. After her first husband's death, she married Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, the older brother of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. It is rumored that she may have had an affair with the also-married Arthur prior to her marriage to Richard.

While abroad with her sister, Elizabeth "Bess" (1790-1862) met the widowed George Stafford-Jerningham, 8th Baron Stafford, and the couple married in 1836.

Louisa (1793-1874) was first married to Colonel Sir Felton Elwell Hervey-Bathurst, 1st Baronet. The wedding was held at the Duke of Wellington's house and the marriage certificate was actually witnessed by Wellington, John Quincy Adams, Lord Liverpool, The Duke of Westminster, the Earl of Leicester and the Duke of Montellano. Tragically Felton was killed two years after the marriage, and Louisa went on to marry Francis D'Arcy-Osborne, 7th Duke of Leeds. Because all three sisters moved to the U.K. and married into the English peerage they became known as "The Three American Graces."

The youngest sister, Emily Caton (1794/5-1867) was the only sister to remain in the United States. She met and married John McTavish, a Canadian businessman who served as British Consul to Baltimore. Emily also cared for her aging grandfather at the end of his life. After her mother's death in 1846, control of the Carroll estate fell to Emily.

Although the sisters may have had their disagreements about the division of the land, it appears that they remained on fairly good terms as Emily was willed several precious items by her sisters: a gold medal presented to Charles Carroll of Carrollton as the last surviving signer; the camp bedstead of the Duke of Wellington; a gold coronet and jeweled robes worn by Marianne as the wife of the Viceroy of Ireland); and a miniature of George IV of England, set with rubies and diamonds, presented by the King to Wellington.

We’ve done our best, but there could be secretarial or facsimile signatures found within this sizable collection.

Please see our terms and conditions of sale regarding large lots.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 1, 2023 11:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000