George Boyle
Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd's marriage is a well-known, but often overlooked, aspect of the former president's life. Lincoln's marriage to Todd, a woman born to wealthy, slave-holding parents, has been described as tumultuous, with the couple differing in tastes, ambitions, and backgrounds. Lincoln's gift to his fiancée, a watch, is well-documented, but the question of where Lincoln bought his wedding ring remains a mystery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lincoln's wedding ring for Mary | A plain gold band with "Love is Eternal" engraved on it |
| Where Lincoln bought the ring | Chatterton's Jewelry store, west side of the public square in Lincoln's Springfield |
| Proprietors of Chatterton's Jewelry store | Charles and George Chatterton, natives of Ithaca, New York |
| Date of purchase | November 4, 1842 |
| Wedding location | Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois |
| Wedding date | January 1, 1841 (planned but did not occur); November 4, 1842 (actual date) |
| Lincoln's wedding gift for Mary | A watch, which he gave to Mary N. Curtis instead |
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What You'll Learn
Lincoln's engagement to Mary Todd
Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln's relationship began in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln served in his first term in the Illinois legislature. Lincoln and Todd first got engaged in 1840, but Lincoln broke off the engagement on New Year's Day of 1841, citing his financial situation as the reason for the breakup. Lincoln loved Mary Todd, but his inability to support himself, let alone a wife and children, led to the end of their relationship. Lincoln fell into a depression in the following weeks, but after a year and a half, the couple secretly rekindled their romance and married on November 4, 1842. At the time, Todd was 23 and Lincoln was 33.
Mary Todd Lincoln was born on December 13, 1818, in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in a large and wealthy slave-owning family. Her parents were Robert Smith Todd, a banker, and Elizabeth "Eliza" Parker Todd. When Mary was six years old, her mother died in childbirth, and two years later, her father remarried and had nine more children with his new wife, Elizabeth "Betsy" Humphreys. Mary Todd had a difficult relationship with her stepmother. She moved to Springfield, Illinois, after finishing school in her late teens and lived with her married sister, Elizabeth Todd Edwards, the wife of an Illinois congressman.
Lincoln and Mary Todd's wedding was a simple affair, and the newlyweds rented a room in the Globe Tavern on Adams Street, paying $4 a week. Mary was used to a more luxurious lifestyle but never complained about her discomfort. The couple's first child, Robert Todd Lincoln, was born on August 1, 1843, named after Mary's father.
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Lincoln's wedding to Mary Todd
Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd's wedding took place on November 4, 1842, in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln slipped a wedding ring on Mary's finger with the words "Love is Eternal" engraved on it. The ring was a simple gold band, reflecting the romantic sentiment that swept America in the 1800s, signifying that marriage should be based on mutual attraction rather than economic gain.
Lincoln, a rising lawyer and politician, and Mary, a celebrated beauty from a wealthy background, had a somewhat tumultuous relationship. They got engaged in 1840, but Lincoln's fears of incompatibility and doubts about his ability to make Mary happy led to a rocky period. On January 1, 1841, Lincoln failed to show up for the wedding, and it is unclear if the wedding was actually planned for that day. In a letter to his friend Joshua B. Speed, Lincoln expressed his sorrow over Mary's unhappiness and his role in it.
Lincoln's wedding gift to Mary was a watch, which she never received. Instead, he gave the watch to another woman named Mary N. Curtis, possibly to rid himself of the memory of his broken engagement. The watch was ornate and likely intended for a man, indicating that Lincoln may have simply wanted to give Mary Todd a thoughtful gift.
Tradition holds that Lincoln purchased Mary's wedding ring from Chatterton's Jewelry store, owned by Charles and George Chatterton on the west side of the public square in Lincoln's Springfield. The store, established in 1842, became a prominent fixture in the community, selling not only jewelry but also sheet music, pianos, and other instruments.
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Lincoln's gift to Mary N. Curtis
Abraham Lincoln bought an 18-karat gold, blue-enamel, diamond-studded pocket watch as a wedding gift for Mary Todd in 1841. He engraved the inside back cover with the words "To Miss Mary Todd from A.L. 1841". However, Lincoln and Todd reportedly argued and called off the wedding, and Lincoln never gave Todd the watch.
Instead, Lincoln gave the watch to Mary N. Curtis, a celebrated Kentucky beauty, while visiting his close friends William Butler and Curtis, with whom she was staying. Lincoln pulled out the watch and presented it to Miss Curtis, saying something like, "Mary, I've got something for you". The next day, Curtis returned to her home in Louisville. It was only when she took the watch out to wind it that she noticed the engraving and realised that Lincoln may have given her the watch to rid himself of an unhappy memory.
Curtis placed the watch away in a trunk for 31 years. In the meantime, Lincoln and Todd eventually reconciled and married on November 4, 1842. The watch was later sold at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, and its chain of provenance dates back to 1872. While there is no direct contemporary documentation of the watch's origins, there is also no reason to presume that such documentation should exist. Furthermore, there is no motive for Curtis to have fraudulently engraved the watch.
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Lincoln and Mary Todd's differing views on slavery
Abraham Lincoln bought his wedding ring in Springfield, Illinois, where he married Mary Todd in 1842. Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer and politician who joined the anti-slavery Republican Party and ran for the US Senate in 1858.
Mary Todd Lincoln was born in 1818 into a wealthy slave-owning family in Lexington, Kentucky. The Todd family owned African Americans, who lived and worked in their home, including when Lincoln visited in 1847. Census and tax records between 1820 and 1849 show an average of five slaves in the Lexington household. The Todds benefited from the labour of enslaved people in several ways, including cleaning, cooking, driving carriages, and providing childcare.
Mary Todd Lincoln's father, Robert S. Todd, was a powerful banker. While he owned slaves, he was not a strong supporter of slavery and was even accused of being "no friend to the institution" of slavery. Robert defended his position, stating that he was not an abolitionist or emancipator, but also did not arrange to free any slaves following his death, unlike his wife's step-grandmother, Mary Brown Humphreys.
Mary Lincoln herself never owned slaves and is said to have opposed slavery in adulthood. She is described as having recognized the evils of slavery as a young woman and favoured colonization, although she did not view the races as equal. Elizabeth Keckley, in her autobiography, noted that Mary was quick to donate to the Contraband Relief Association, which provided assistance to people fleeing slavery during the Civil War.
During her time as First Lady, Mary Lincoln supported her husband's political ambitions and worked to keep national morale high during the Civil War. She faced criticism for her lavish spending on redecorating the White House and was later institutionalized for psychiatric illness in 1875.
In summary, while Abraham Lincoln was an outspoken opponent of slavery, Mary Todd Lincoln's views on slavery are less clear. She was born into a slave-owning family but is said to have opposed slavery as an adult. Her father, Robert S. Todd, had a complex relationship with slavery, and her step-grandmother worked to free her slaves gradually. Mary Lincoln's own stance may have been influenced by her family's conflicting views, and she is noted for her support of those fleeing slavery during the Civil War.
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Lincoln's wedding ring cost
Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd Lincoln on November 4, 1842, in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln bought Mary a wedding ring, a plain gold band with the words "Love is Eternal" engraved on it. The ring reflected the ideal of "romantic love" that swept America in the 1800s—the sentiment that marriage should be a romantic pairing based on mutual attraction rather than a mere economic partnership.
Lincoln is thought to have purchased the ring from Chatterton's Jewellery store, a fixture on the west side of the public square in Lincoln's Springfield. At the time, it was not customary for men to wear wedding rings, and Lincoln never had one of his own. Lincoln, however, would have felt compelled to give his bride a ring to demonstrate that he was worthy of marrying into her family's higher social class.
Mary Lincoln's wedding band was still on her finger when she was buried in the Lincoln Tomb in 1882. The cost of the ring is unknown, but it was likely a significant expense for Lincoln, especially considering the social status of his bride and her family.
Prior to his marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln was engaged to Mary N. Curtis, whom he presented with a watch. It is unclear whether this watch was intended as a wedding gift, but it is possible that Lincoln gave it to her to rid himself of memories of a previous relationship.
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