User:DavidVolonte/sandbox/First Ladies and Gentlemen of New Jersey
| First Lady of New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Style | First Lady First Gentleman |
| Residence | Drumthwacket |
| Inaugural holder | Susannah Livingston |
| Formation | August 31, 1776 |
| Website | nj |
The first lady of New Jersey is the title held by the hostess of Drumthwacket, usually the spouse of the serving Governor of New Jersey. Tammy Murphy is the current first lady, having served in the capacity since her husband Phil Murphy's inauguration on January 16, 2018.[1]
There are currently five living former first ladies: Lucinda Florio, Diane DiFrancesco, Mary Jo Codey, Dina Matos, and Mary Pat Christie.[2][3][4][5][6] There is also at least 1 former acting first lady, Peg Bennett.[a]
History[edit]
Colonial First Ladies[edit]
The position of first lady dates back to the colony of the New Netherlands, the earliest European settlement in modern day New Jersey.[7] However, records for many of these early first ladies are inconclusive. During the same time period, Sweden founded a colony in Southern New Jersey, composing areas of present day Salem and Gloucester counties. The colony ended in 1655, with Dutch Director of New Netherlands Peter Stuyvesant forcing New Sweden's surrender, although the colonists enjoyed autonomy until 1681.[8]
In 1634, the relatively obscure charter of New Albion was formed, and from that point onward an English colony existed in New Jersey in one way or another, until the American Revolution.[9] As such, many of these colonial first ladies were noblewomen, including Katherine Hyde, Viscountess Cornbury and 8th Baroness Clifton, who was wife of the famous Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon.[b][10][11]
Notable first ladies include:
- Judith Bayard Stuyvesant, wife of Director of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant, member of the Bayard family.[12]
- Armegot Printz Papegoja, wife and daughter of New Sweden governors Johan Papegoja and Johan Björnsson Printz, respectively.[13]
- Isabella Graham Morris, wife of Colonial Governor Lewis Morris, and daughter of New York politician James Graham.[14]
- Amelia Offley Bernard, Lady Bernard, wife of Sir Francis Bernard, niece of Massachusetts Governor Samuel Shute.[15][16]
Modern Era[edit]
In the second half of 20th century and into the 21st, the role of First Lady shifted, following a pattern reflected in other US states and across. Since 1985, the National Governors Association has encouraged governors' spouses to lead an initiative.[17]
In 1993, New Jersey elected Christine Todd Whitman its first, and to date only, female governor.[18] This made her husband John Whitman the first First Gentlemen of New Jersey. Whitman did not play a major or front-and-center part in his wife's governorship, instead serving as an unofficial financial ambassador on behalf of the Whitman administration.[19]
First Lady Mary Jo Codey advocated for mental health, based on her personal experience with postpartum depression.[20] Since leaving office, she and her husband, Governor Richard Codey founded The Codey Fund for Mental Health, focusing on accessible healthcare and the destigmatization of mental health.[21]
List of First Ladies and Gentlemen of New Jersey[edit]
| Governor No. |
Portrait | Name | Tenure | Age at tenure start | Governor (Husband, unless noted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Susannah Livingston June 19, 1723 – July 17, 1789 (aged 66) [22][23] |
August 31, 1776 – March 17, 1789 |
53 years, 73 days | William Livingston m. 1745 |
| 2 |
|
Euphemia Paterson December 10, 1746 – January 29, 1832 (aged 85) [24][25] |
October 29, 1790 – March 30, 1793 |
43 years, 323 days | William Paterson m. 1785 |
| - |
|
Rachel Henderson September 8, 1751 – August 22, 1840 (aged 88) [26][27] |
March 30, 1793 – June 3, 1793 |
41 years, 203 days | Thomas Henderson m. ?? |
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Tammy Snyder Murphy". 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Lucinda Florio Steps Gently Into a Spotlight of Her Own". 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Diane DiFrancesco Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias". 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Former NJ First Lady Mary Jo Codey on Living With Mental Illness". 8 September 2021.
- ^ "The Tangled Journey Of a Governor's Wife". 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Guest Speaker at Stillman Convocation: Mary Pat Christie". 8 September 2021.
- ^ "A Tour of New Netherland". 9 September 2021.
- ^ "Brief History of New Sweden in America". 10 September 2021.
- ^ Carter, Edward; Lewis, Clifford (1959). Sir Edmund Plowden and the New Albion Charter, 1632-1785.
- ^ "Baron Clifton". 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury". 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Descendants of Nicholas Bayard, abt 1551 - May 1617". 16 September 2021.
- ^ Chilstrom Meixner, Esther (1965). The Governor's daughter; the story of Armegott Printz, a fascinating personality of the early colonial era, and a champion for women's rights.
- ^ "The Morris Family". 16 September 2021.
- ^ "A few questions about the Shute/Offley descent". 16 September 2021.
- ^ "The Peerage - Amelia Offley". 16 September 2021.
- ^ Miller, John (2006-10-27). "Beauty queen, civil rights marcher could be first lady". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
- ^ "Official List – Gubernatorial General Election Returns for Election Held November 2, 1993" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1993. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ Friedman, Matt (2015-07-02). "John Whitman, husband of former N.J. Gov. Christie Whitman, dies". Nj.com. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
- ^ About Mary Jo Codey, State of New Jersey, copy of page from Internet Archive dated May 1, 2006. Accessed September 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Codey Fund - Our Mission". 17 September 2021.
- ^ "Susanna French Livingston". geni.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "Susannah French Livingston". [1]]. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "A Biography of William Paterson 1745-1806". [2]]. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "Euphemia White Paterson (1746-1832)". findagrave.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "Rachel Burrowes (1751 - 1840)". Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ "Freehold Township = Cinncinati Hall". Retrieved October 9, 2021.