The Two Wives of Samuel Adams

Blogger: Amber Schamel

Happy Independence Day!

Samuel Adams

Most of us have heard at least a little bit about Samuel Adams, one of the Founding Fathers and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. But lesser known are his wives. I feel like they deserve a lot of credit, because being the wife of Samuel Adams was not an easy position.

Did you know? Samuel Adams actually had two wives. They were both named Elizabeth.
 
Elizabeth Checkley

The Checkleys had been family friends for many years, so Sam and Elizabeth would have grown up knowing each other. Her father was a clergyman and close friends with the elder Mr. Adams, so both families were pleased when a courtship bloomed between the two. Shortly after Samuel’s father had died and left him with an inheritance which including a malt manufacturing company, he married his sweetheart, Elizabeth Checkley on October 17, 1749. The occasion was a happy one, but hardship was soon to follow.

Elizabeth became pregnant with their first son whom they intended to name Samuel, however, when the child was born, he lived only 18 days. While this must have been a great blow to the new couple, God looked upon them and blessed them with another son on October 16, 1751. They named this child Samuel as well, and he lived to adulthood. Two years later, another son they named Joseph died the day after birth. Exactly a year later, their first daughter, Mary, came into the world, but she didn’t occupy it long either. At three months and nine days old, the infant died. Just eighteen months later, another daughter was born, but she was healthy. Elizabeth’s last child was stillborn July 25, 1757. The effects of so many pregnancies and so much grief took its toll, and this time also claimed the life of the mother. After giving birth to six children, Elizabeth passed away at the age of 32.

It’s little wonder that during this time Samuel was greatly distracted. By 1760, everything that Samuel had inherited had dwindled away to nothing. Many blame him for poor management and spending habits, but between his wife’s pregnancies, the deaths of 4 children, and then the death of his wife, it is easy to see how his financial affairs—which were already a weak point for him—suffered all the more.

While their marriage lasted less than ten years, Samuel held his wife in high esteem. After her death, his grief is evident in the note he left in their family Bible.

To her husband she was as sincere a friend as she was a faithful wife. Her exact economy in all her relative capacities, her kindred on his side as well as her own admire. She ran her Christian race with remarkable steadiness and finished in triumph! She left two small children. God grant they may inherit her graces! 

 
Elizabeth Wells

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For seven years, Samuel remained a widower. But with two small children to raise, and a political calling to fulfill, Samuel needed a wife. The fifth daughter of his close friend, Francis Wells caught his eye, and on December 6, 1764, he married Elizabeth Wells. This is the wife who is most well-known since she was Samuel’s helpmate throughout the founding of the nation. She was the daughter of a merchant in Boston, and was hard working, thrifty, and good at managing all the affairs Sam seemed to overlook. She raised two children who were not her own and found ways to supplement Sam’s meager income as he spent his time writing articles, attending congress, inciting patriots to action, and creating an atmosphere of liberty. Without his ‘Betsy’ as he called her, Sam wouldn’t have had the ability to take on everything he did. She was even-tempered and patient, always cheerful and supportive of her husband. She kept a garden to grow food for the family, and also started sewing to earn some extra income.

Elizabeth’s life during the Revolution was frightening. With Samuel signing the declaration of independence, that put his entire family on the British hit list. Elizabeth and Hannah were forced to flee Boston and stay with her father in Cambridge.

After the war, Elizabeth’s life settled down. While Sam was still very active in politics, they lived comfortably in a home on Winter Street. After outliving her husband by about five years, Elizabeth passed away in 1808. 

Giveaway! Leave a comment for your chance to win an ebook copy of Dawn of Liberty the award-winning collection of short stories about Sam Adams and the Declaration of Independence!

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Washington Under Siege: The Conway Cabal

By J. M. Hochstetler

General George Washington,
by Charles Willson Peale, 1776

George Washington’s reputation is so great in this country that it’s hard for us today to imagine that he had detractors who actively worked to remove him from command of the army during the Revolution. But in the winter of 1777–1778, a number of senior army officers, congressmen, and other influential men did just that. Among them were Dr. Benjamin Rush, a respected army physician today known as the father of American medicine; Samuel Adams; James Lovell; Richard Henry Lee; General Thomas Mifflin; Major General Horatio Gates—and Brigadier General Thomas Conway, for whom the cabal came to be named.

General Horatio Gates,
by Gilbert Stuart, 1793-94

The campaign of 1777 ended in a series of military setbacks for Washington that included defeats at Brandywine and Germantown and the British Army’s subsequent capture of Philadelphia, which forced Congress to hastily relocate to York, Pennsylvania, for the duration. Never a good political move. And what made it worse is that the Northern Army, commanded by Gates, Washington’s chief rival who had many allies in Congress, won a stunning victory at Saratoga, NY, capturing British General John Burgoyne’s entire army. Many historians credit the victory to Benedict Arnold’s leadership on the battlefield rather than “Granny” Gates’ efforts, but the 1777 campaign was the catalyst that caused an increasing number of officers in the army and members of Congress to question Washington’s abilities as commander in chief.

General Thomas Conway

Conway was an Irishman who was educated in France, served in that country’s army, and eventually enlisted in the Continental Army with the rank of brigadier. He and Washington weren’t bosom chums, and his condescending attitude put other officers off, too, but he did serve with some distinction during the Philadelphia campaign. That October he began lobbying Congress for a promotion to major general, and he added criticisms of Washington to his letters. He also corresponded with Gates, and in a private letter wrote, “Heaven has been determind to save your Country; or a weak General and bad Councellors would have ruined it.”

General James Wilkinson

Fatally, Gates’ aide, General James Wilkinson, happened to visit General William Alexander, Lord Stirling’s headquarters. Evidently while drunk, he quoted Conway’s comment to one of Stirling’s officers, who in due course relayed the matter to his commander. Stirling in turn felt obligated to alert Washington that his subordinates were scheming against him behind his back and sent his own letter quoting this comment. Washington, of course, wasn’t blind to Gates’ political connections and popularity, enhanced by the success at Saratoga. He was also very well aware of the broadsides, letters, and talk questioning his abilities and congressional maneuvers already under way to remove him as commander. So Conway’s remark fueled the fire. Washington immediately fired off a terse letter to Conway in which he quoted his comment back to him. One can imagine him writing the missive with gritted teeth.

Conway’s response was to protest that he had never called Washington a weak general—a patent falsehood—and to go on to say tactlessly that, although Washington’s advice in council was “commonly sound and proper,” he was influenced by men who weren’t his equal in knowledge or judgment, nicely disparaging Washington and his staff in the same breath.

General Thomas Mifflin

Learning from Conway what had happened, Mifflin, a man Washington also distrusted, informed Gates of the leak. So Gates hastily wrote to Washington that he had sent the letters to the president of Congress, Henry Laurens, not to him, and that they had been stolen and copied by people he didn’t know. Not only didn’t this improve the relationship between him and Washington, it also confirmed that Gates and Conway had been exchanging disparaging correspondence with others behind Washington’s back!

The war of letters wasn’t going well in Congress either. Washington’s opponents succeeded in appointing Mifflin and Gates to the board of war, with Gates as its president. Over Washington’s opposition, Conway was promoted to major general and assigned to the new post of army inspector general, which rankled the commander in chief to no end. To add insult to injury, Conway was to work alongside Washington but to answer only to the board.

Alexander Hamilton,
by John Trumbull, 1806

Some historians suggest that Washington was oversensitive to criticism. Although the participants in the controversy engaged in a war of letters, making accusations and protesting innocence, no one ever formally requested Washington’s removal as commander. But he felt threatened enough about what was going on behind his back to inform congressional leaders that if his performance continued to be questioned, he would resign. Many officers including Washington’s aide, Alexander Hamilton, actively supported him throughout the affair, mobilizing to assist him politically and threatening to defend his reputation with their swords if necessary.

In January 1778, Conway and Gates appeared before Congress in an effort to clear their names, but they refused to reveal the letter that started the controversy. And I wonder why! General Lafayette, as though he was speaking for the French court, implied that France could not conceive of a commander other than Washington. At that point Congress saw the handwriting on the wall, and in the end, fully supported Washington. The cabal collapsed, with the consequence that Mifflin and Wilkinson both resigned from the board of war; Gates apologized for his part in the affair and slunk back to his own command; and Conway, who was transferred to a subordinate command, resigned from the army in protest. The Conway Cabal was the only serious threat to Washington’s command during the war, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Considering today’s political machinations, the writer of Ecclesiastes seems to have it right: There’s nothing new under the sun. Does any of this seem familiar to you in today’s political scene? Certainly no one enjoys being criticized, but do you think legitimate criticism of our leaders can be beneficial to the health and welfare of our republic, depending on how it’s handled? How might the suppression of all criticism be harmful? Please share your thoughts!

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J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is also an author, editor, and publisher. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series coauthored with Bob Hostetler, won Foreword Magazine’s 2014 Indie Book of the Year Bronze Award for historical fiction. Book 2, The Return, received the 2017 Interviews and Reviews Silver Award for Historical Fiction. One Holy Night, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story, was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year.

Spinsters with Famous Husbands

Research turns up a lot of interesting facts. I guess that's one of the reasons I love it so much. While researching my family genealogy, I was looking at some passenger ship lists of immigrants coming to America. On the logs, they listed the passenger's occupation. On one page, I noticed that several ladies who were listed as "Spinsters." Hmm. I looked to see how old these gals were...early twenties. Double hmm.

This information hailed much teasing from my siblings since I will be turning 25 on Sunday (And yes, I still live at home in true Jane Austen style. ;). So, I decided to do some research and turn up some "spinster" ladies who married famous and influential men in history. I figured it would be fun to share with ya'll as I commemorate having lived a quarter of a century on earth.


Katharina von Bora - Wife of Martin Luther

Katharina von Bora
Public Domain Photo

Katharina had a good reason for marrying later in life. She began as a nun, being admitted into a monastery at the age of 9. After years of religious service, Katharina became fascinated with the teachings of the Reformation, and she and several other nuns plotted to escape from the monastery. They wrote to Luther for help. Luther did indeed help them, and within two years had managed to find homes, jobs or marriages for all of the nuns...except Katharina. She had many suitors but declined all of them. Finally, she told Luther that she would only consent to marry Luther himself, or his close friend and reformer Nikolaus. Luther, the ex-monk wed Katharina, the ex-nun, on June 13, 1525. Katharina was 26 years old. Nearly twice the age of many brides in her day.

Dorothy Quincy Hancock - Wife of John Hancock

Dorothy Quincy Hancock
Public Domain Photo

Dorothy was born on May 10, 1747. (Hey, her birthday is two days after mine! Anyway, back to the post.) Dorothy was a well-known hostess and was considered beautiful and intelligent by those in her sphere of influence. She became engaged to John Hancock just as the chaos of the American Revolution began. She witnessed the battle of Lexington while staying with her future husband's aunt, Lydia Hancock. She married John in 1775 at the age of 28, a few years older than most women of her era. She was present in Philadelphia during some portions of the Second Continental Congress as they drafted the Declaration of Independence.

Elizabeth Wells Adams - Second wife of Samuel Adams
After the death of Samuel Adam's first wife, he married Elizabeth (Betsy) Wells on December 6, 1764. Betsy was 29, Sam was 42. Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Francis Wells, an English merchant and dear friend to Samuel. Francis had immigrated to Boston with Sam's family in 1723 when Sam was only a year old. This longstanding relationship probably aided in Sam and Betsy's happiness, and Sam grew to love her dearly. She was not a dazzling lady of social graces as Dorothy Hancock was, but Betsy possessed many good qualities such as thriftiness, diligence, patience and economy. No other woman could have served Sam as faithfully as did Betsy during those turbulent years of his life.

Anne Boleyn - Wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I

Anne Boleyn
Public Domain Photo

 Back to the time in history when girls were often married off before the age of 16. Anne Boleyn was originally intended to marry her Irish cousin, but that plan was thwarted by Cardinal Wolsey, and instead she was assigned to be the Maid of Honor to Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon. When Anne was 22, she became secretly betrothed to Henry Percy, but that was also broken by Cardinal Wolsey. Three years later, King Henry VIII set his sights on her. It took time to get his marriage with Catherine out of the way, but he finally wed Anne Boleyn in 1533. By that time, Anne was 32. She hadn't been married to Henry for three years before he was courting Jane Seymour.

Anne had one daughter, Elizabeth I, and several miscarriages before her infamous beheading.

Filipa Moniz Perestrelo - wife of Christopher Columbus 
Filipa was almost 25 years old when she wed Columbus. During her day, girls were married off as young as 12 years old, so she was certainly considered a spinster at that time. As the daughter of a Portuguese knight, she was far superior in rank to Columbus, who was the son of a common wool weaver. However with her being so far past marrying age, and her mother being a widow with little means, her mother consented to the marriage without a dowry, just happy to have a son-in-law to support them. Filipa bore one son, Diego, before she passed away in 1484. Though her life was short, she left a legacy. She was the daughter of a King's captain, the wife of a Viceroy, and the mother of a Viceroy.

So there you have it, folks. For extra measure, Charlotte Bronte also married later in life. But I think I'll save her for a post dedicated exclusively to female authors. ;) 

Author of over half a dozen books, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/

Amber's New release, Dawn of Liberty is available for pre-order! Order before June 2, and get 12 Sam Adams' Colonial Recipes for FREE! Click here for details.

The Character & Personality of Samuel Adams with Giveaway!

By Amber Schamel

Samuel Adams by John Copley
Public Domain

I have always been a lover of history. Not so much the dates and statistics, but the culture, the way of life,  and the characters that made history happen. So for today's post, I thought I'd share some of the interesting things I learned about the character and personality of Samuel Adams as I studied for the Declaration of Independence anthology.

Today, Samuel Adams is often lost in the shadow of his second cousin, John Adams, but he was an extraordinary man and very influential in the struggle for independence. Samuel was quite a bit older than his cousin, 53 years old at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  He was close to his cousin, however, and their alliance greatly aided in bringing about the revolution.  It was the two Adams who brought John Hancock into politics, and for a long time, Hancock was a close friend of Sam, though he seemed to be at odds with John.

John Adams, Samuel's Second Cousin
Painting by Asher B. Durand
Public Domain

Many people have the impression that Samuel was a harsh man, and/or hotheaded. The truth is that Sam was a very pious and God fearing individual. He was also a good natured optimist. When it came to liberty, he was extremely passionate and zealous. He often compared the Colonies' struggle for independence to the Israelite's deliverance from Egypt. Samuel was advocating independence before the idea was popular and orchestrated many protests and gatherings, including the Boston Tea Party, and therefore was branded as a hothead. It probably didn't help that he was known for wearing a bright red cloak. 

Samuel Adams had a good singing voice, and his charm and eloquence proved a blessing. He won the hand of a wonderful and graceful woman, but she later died. Written in the family Bible was this note from Samuel: "To her husband she was as sincere a friend as she was a faithful wife...She ran her Christian race with remarkable steadiness and finished in triumph. She left two small children. God grant they may inherit her graces."

Samuel did remarry, and his second wife was also a woman of virtue. Both of his wives were named Elizabeth. 

One of the things I admire most about Sam, is his tireless efforts and work ethics. Galloway, who was the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly for some time said of him: "Samuel Adams eats little, drinks little, sleeps little and thinks much..." This description was confirmed by other sources. Samuel's articles were published nearly every week in the Boston Gazette, and he wrote under many pen names. He used to write in the study next to his bedroom, and when the night workers would pass by, they would see the flame in the upper window and know that Adams was hard at work. His wife grew accustomed to hearing the scratch of his quill late into the night. 

Among Sam's many accomplishments, though, keeping secrets was not one of them.

There is much more to be said about the Father of Liberty, but I will end with this quote from Samuel Adams' address to the Congress in September 1777, which I think sums up the fervency, zeal, and faith of this man of God. 

"Let us still rely in humble confidence on Him who is mighty to save. Good tidings will soon arrive. We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid and protection."

Now for the giveaway! Since I'm a new blogger here, I'm going to give TWO readers an autographed copy of the second installment of the Declaration of Independence anthology! 

This includes my Samuel Adams story, A Shot at Freedom, as well as stories by Murray Pura, and  John V. Amodeo! Get a peek into the lives of the signers in this exciting and historically accurate series.

Leave a comment below with your email address before midnight to be entered to win.

Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to Life. She is the author of the Samuel Adams series in the Declaration of Independence anthology.

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