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Nancy Randolph weds Gouverneur Morris but his family attempts to interfere. They believe he should have consulted them before marrying.
A Bizarre FirePerhaps Nancy Randolph's first happiness was in learning, after she had been sent away, that Bizarre Plantation, the scene of her long misery, had burned to the ground. True Love At LastNancy Randolph's second chance at happiness came in 1808 when she met Gouverneur Morris in Greenwich Village. Morris was an old friend of her father's. He desired some "reduced gentlewoman" that would come and keep house for him at his home called Morrisania. He knew of all the old trouble that Nancy had had and thought little of them. On April 23, 1809, Morris drove to Armstrong's tavern and brought Nancy Randolph home with him to Connecticut. They were married Christmas Day that same year. Two years later, Nancy was pregnant. But not all was wedded bliss, nor would it be. Morris' Relative Object to MarriageWhen Morris' nephews and nieces had heard of the marriage, one niece wrote to her uncle, telling him what a great folly he had done. She accused him of being undutiful "in not consulting her." He answered back that he hoped she would pardon him for "violating an obligation of which I was not apprized." He also suggested that if he had married a very old woman that was rich that it surely would have been more acceptable to her. Tudor Randolph Moves InHearing that Tudor Randolph, the son of Nancy's sister, was quickly declining in health, Morris suggested that he and Nancy invite the young man to come and live with them. Nancy, though she did not trust this nephew of hers, was fond of Tudor and agreed. Then, in 1814, Morris wrote a letter to John Randolph, Judith's brother-in-law, inviting both she and Tudor to come and stay with them. In time, Judith, Tudor, and John Randolph arrived at the Morris home. It was then that Nancy's mistrust of Tudor proved correct. Tudor did come to stay with them. Following in his wake, his mother Judith Randolph arrived, to be followed by Judith's brother-in-law, John Randolph. Happy Days for Nancy Randolph: Will they be Short Lived? continues with Nancy Randolph's Revenge: John Randolph Digs up Old Family Dirt. Previous: What Killed Richard Randolph? A Recipe For Death, Perhaps. Recommended Reading:
The copyright of the article Happy Days for Nancy Randolph in American History is owned by Mary Trotter Kion. Permission to republish Happy Days for Nancy Randolph in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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