Angelica Schuyler Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angelica Schuyler Church
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Engraving from a painting of Angelica Church by Richard Cosway, c. 1790
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| Born |
Angelica Schuyler
February 20, 1756 |
| Died | March 6, 1814 (aged 58) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Resting place | Trinity Church Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) |
John Barker Church
(m. 1777) |
| Children | 8, including Philip Schuyler Church |
| Parent(s) | Philip Schuyler Catherine Van Rensselaer |
| Relatives | Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (sister) Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler Van Rensselaer (sister) Philip Jeremiah Schuyler (brother) Alexander Hamilton (brother-in-law) Stephen Van Rensselaer III (brother-in-law) |
| Family | Schuyler |
Angelica Church (born Angelica Schuyler; February 20, 1756 – March 6, 1814) was an important person in society during her time. She was the oldest daughter of Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler. She was also the sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and the sister-in-law of Alexander Hamilton.
Angelica lived in Europe for 16 years with her husband, John Barker Church. He was born in Britain and later became a member of the British Parliament. Angelica was well-known in the social circles of Albany, New York City, Paris, and London. She wrote many letters to famous friends like Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Marquis de Lafayette. Many of these letters are still kept today.
The village and town of Angelica, New York were named after her.
Contents
Growing Up in New York
Angelica Schuyler was born in Albany, New York. She was the first child of Philip Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler. Her parents came from rich Dutch families who had been important in the area since the early days of the colonies. Catherine's family, the Van Rensselaers, were descendants of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, who helped start New Netherlands (an old Dutch colony in America). The Schuylers had also lived in the area for many generations.
Angelica grew up during the exciting times leading up to the American Revolution. Because her father was a high-ranking general and politician, their home in Albany was a popular meeting place for many Revolutionary leaders.
In 1776, John Barker Church visited their home. He was a British merchant who made a lot of money by supplying the American and French armies during the war. John was in America to check the army's supply records for the Continental Congress. Angelica knew her father would not approve of her marrying John because he was suspicious of John's past. So, in 1777, Angelica and John secretly ran away and got married. They had eight children together.
Life in Europe
In 1783, Angelica and her family moved to Europe. They stayed there for 16 years, only visiting America for short trips.
From 1783 to 1785, Angelica and her family lived in Paris, France. During this time, John worked as a U.S. representative to the French government. Angelica was very charming and easily made friends with famous and smart men. In Paris, she quickly became friends with Benjamin Franklin, who was then America's Minister to France. She also became close friends with Franklin's replacement, Thomas Jefferson, and with the Marquis de Lafayette.
After a quick visit to New York in 1785, the family sailed to England and settled in London. As the wife of a very rich man, Angelica joined a fashionable social group. This group included the Prince of Wales (who later became King George IV), the political leader Charles James Fox, and the writer Richard Brinsley Sheridan. She also became friends with and supported the American painter John Trumbull, who had moved to Europe. Trumbull painted some of the most famous pictures from the American Revolutionary War time. Artists Richard and Maria Cosway were also good friends of hers in Europe.
In 1788, John decided to run for the British Parliament. The family bought a country house in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. John served as a Member of Parliament from 1790 to 1796. During this time, Angelica visited America in 1789 to attend the special event where George Washington became the first president of the United States.
Back to America and Founding a Town
John and Angelica Church returned to the United States in May 1797 for a visit. They moved back permanently in 1799 to be with the Schuyler family in New York.
In May 1796, John Barker Church took ownership of a large piece of land in what is now Allegany County and Genesee County, New York. This was because a friend, Robert Morris, owed him money and couldn't pay it back. When Morris failed to pay, the Churches' oldest son, Philip Schuyler Church, bought the land in May 1800.
In 1801, Philip traveled to the area near the Pennsylvania border to claim the land. He went with his surveyor Moses Van Campen and four others. Philip Church chose a specific spot for a new village along the Genesee River. He designed the village to look like Paris, France. The plan included a circular road around a central park, streets that spread out from the circle like a star, and five churches around the circle. Philip named the village Angelica, after his mother. By 1803, the village had log cabin homes, including Philip's, and he had built a sawmill and a gristmill.
Philip Church married Anna Matilda Stewart in Philadelphia on February 4, 1805. Soon after their wedding, they moved permanently to the village of Angelica. A small white house, known as the "White House," had already been built for them on the banks of the Genesee River.
In 1806, Angelica and John Barker Church started building a large, thirty-room house nearby called Belvidere. This house still stands today as a private home on the banks of the Genesee in Belmont, New York, near the town of Angelica. They had planned for it to be their summer home, but it became the home of Philip and Anna Church when it was partly finished in 1810.
Important Letters
Many of Angelica Church's personal letters to important people like Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and the Marquis de Lafayette are still kept today. You can find them in places like the Library of Congress. In 1996, the University of Virginia bought a collection of 77 letters, including 13 from Thomas Jefferson, that had been kept by her family.
Her Children
Angelica and John Barker Church had eight children:
- Philip Schuyler Church (1778–1861): He was a U.S. Army captain and helped Alexander Hamilton from 1798–1800 during a time of tension with France. Philip was also a lawyer and a judge, and he founded the town of Angelica, New York. He married Anna Matilda Stewart (1786–1865).
- Catharine "Kitty" Church (1779–1839): She married Bertram Peter Cruger (1774–1854).
- John Barker Church II (1781–1865)
- Elizabeth Matilda Church (1783–1867): She married Rudolph Bunner (1779–1837).
- Richard Hamilton Church (1785–1786): He died when he was very young.
- Alexander Church (1792–1803): He also died young.
- Richard Stephen Church (1798–1889): He married Grace Church.
- Angelica Church (born 1800)
See Also
In Spanish: Angelica Schuyler Church para niños
- Schuyler family
