Charles J. and Ellen C. Bonaparte collection
Abstract
The collection contains Charles J. and Ellen C. Bonaparte’s correspondence with Ellen’s cousin, Mabel B. Whitney and her husband, Dr. David E. Wheeler. The letters discuss family matters, including travel arrangements and health.
Dates
- 1852-1925
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
The reproduction of materials in this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine and satisfy copyright clearances or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information visit the MCHC’s Rights and Permissions page.
Biographical Note
Charles Joseph Bonaparte, 1851-1921, was an influential force in American politics as a political activist and lawyer. He was appointed to Secretary of the Navy by President Theodore Roosevelt, and later became Attorney General and created the Bureau of Investigation, which became the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Born in Baltimore on June 9 to Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte and Susan May Williams, he was the grandson of Elizabeth Patterson and Jerome Bonaparte and grandnephew to Emperor Napoleon I.
His wife, Ellen Channing Day, was born on September 25, 1852 to Thomas Mills and Anna Jones Day. She and Charles wed on September 1, 1875 in Newport. She was well-received in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. society. They met several years in 1871 before they married at Saturday gatherings in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Charles quickly came enraptured with “Nellie,” but a three year sojourn in Europe with her mother delayed their engagement and marriage. She died in 1924.
Extent
0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. Emily Peer Stevenson in February 2006.
Scope and Contents
The Charles J. and Ellen C. Bonaparte Collection predominantly contains their correspondence with Ellen’s cousin, Mabel B. Whitney and her husband, Dr. David E. Wheeler. The letters discuss family matters, including travel arrangements and health. A firsthand account of the Great Chicago Fire, presumably written by Ellen, who was visiting the city with her mother when the fire broke out, is also included in the collection. Also of interest are letters from Ellen to her mother, Anna Jones Day, which discuss her relationship with Charles.
Creator
- Title
- Guide to the Charles J. and Ellen C. Bonaparte collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- Lara Westwood
- Date
- 2014-05
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Revision Statements
- 2020-04-27: Manually entered into ArchivesSpace by Sandra Glascock
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org