Francis Conway (father) Rebecca Catlett Conway (mother)
Eleanor "Nelly" Rose Madison (née Conway; January 9, 1731 – February 11, 1829) was a prominent Virginia socialite and planter who was the mother of
James Madison Jr., the 4th
president of the United States and Lieutenant General
William Taylor Madison.[1][2] She has been described as one of the strongest female influences in the life of James Madison Jr.,[3][4][5][6][7] and has been credited for her efforts to preserve the
Montpelier estate.[8][9]
Early life and family
Eleanor Rose Conway was born on January 9, 1731, in
Port Conway, Virginia, the daughter of Francis Conway, Sr., a wealthy planter and tobacco merchant (the area's namesake) and Rebecca Catlett Conway.[8][10][11][12] She grew up on the
Belle Grove plantation and estate.[13]
Sarah Catlett Madison (August 17, 1764 – October 17, 1843)
Unnamed son (1766–1766), died one day after birth
Elizabeth Madison (February 6, 1768 – May 17, 1775)
unnamed stillborn son (July 12, 1770)
Reuben Madison (September 19, 1771 – June 5, 1775)
Frances Taylor Madison (October 4, 1774 – October 4, 1823)
Married life
As an adult, Madison took charge of the early education of her children, educating them in reading, writing, and arithmetic.[17][18][16]
As the Madison children grew up, she played the role of active caregiver, often traveling to the homes of her family members who were sick or in need of support.[8] She was actively involved in the running of the Montpelier household and 2,650 acre estate, and her family owned over 100 enslaved persons and several indentured servants.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
During the
American Revolution, while her husband served as chairman of the Orange County
Committee of Safety and as a colonel in the
Virginia militia, Nelly Madison supported a drive among the women of Virginia to raise funds and supplies for the
Continental Army.[28] She corresponded with
Martha Jefferson during this period.[29] Nationally, the Ladies Association raised $300,000 to buy linen shirts for Washington's army.[28]
Madison was an avid reader and highly informed in public affairs and current events, and was described by
Mary Cutts as a "lady of excellent education, strong mind, and good judgement."[8] During her son's presidency (1809 to 1817), Nelly received stipend for her healths, and her son and his wife
Dolley both wrote to her.[30][31][32] Madison was an active
Episcopalian and admirer of preacher
James Waddel.[33]
Following the death of her husband in 1801, Madison continued to reside in her own wing of Montpelier and maintained a close relationship with her son James and daughter-in-law Dolley.[4][34][6] She would often receive visitors in her semi-private wing on the south end of the residence and had her own household.[9][35][36][27]
Death
Madison died on February 11, 1829, at the age of 98, and is buried at Montpelier.[8][10][37]
Historians have regarded Madison as one of the strongest female influences in the life of President James Madison, and she has been credited for her efforts to preserve and enhance the
Montpelier estate through various renovations.[8][9]
Montpelier, the Madison family's estate, has been designated a
National Historic Landmark.[9] Archeologists have restored her traditional sitting room in the house.[39]
Author William Judson Hampton wrote that her son James inherited his mother's "deep studious nature" and that she influenced his religious convictions and interest in
religious liberty.[33]
^"The Enslaved Community". James Madison's Montpelier. Montpelier Foundation. Archived from
the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
^“Indenture, 22 September 1774,” Founders Online, National Archives,
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-01-02-0035 . [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 1, 16 March 1751 – 16 December 1779, ed. William T. Hutchinson and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1962, pp. 123–125.]
^“Bill of Sale for Orange County Lands, 19 August 1784 (Abstract),” Founders Online, National Archives,
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-08-02-0057 . [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 8, 10 March 1784 – 28 March 1786, ed. Robert A. Rutland and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973, p. 100.]