Angelica Van Buren

Angelica Van Buren

Angelica Singleton Van Buren (February 13, 1818 - December 29, 1877) acted as the First Lady of the United States. She was the daughter-in-law of Martin Van Buren, the 8th president of the USA. Angelica Singleton had married the President's son, Abraham Van Buren. She took over the role of the First Lady, as the president's wife had died 17 years earlier.

Angelica Singleton belonged to a high society. She was also related to Dolley Madison, wife of US President James Madison. Angelica brought a special style to her role as the First Lady.

She and Abraham Van Buren married in 1838. After marriage they took a long tour of Europe. When they came back to the USA in 1839, she took up the role of the First Lady during the presidency of her father-in-law. In 1841, Martin Van Buren was defeated, she and her husband shifted to Kinderhook, Lindenwald. During the winter, they lived in their family home in South Carolina. From 1848 until her death in 1877, she lived in New York City.

Angelica was from the cream of southern society and was the great-granddaughter of Gen. Richard Richardson and Mary Cantey (Richardson). Gen. Richardson was the progenitor of six South Carolina governors, three Manning and three Richardson governors. One descendant, Elizabeth Peyre Richardson, was so closely related to all of these governors that she appears in Ripley's Believe it or Not. Angelica's sister, Marion, has a bio that, although sad, is actually more interesting than hers. See "A Tale of Two Sisters," by Joseph C. Elliott, Sandlapper: The Magazine of South Carolina.