Who is this lady?

[RJNorton]

I still have no idea.

The "granny woman," midwife Peggy Walters?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Another excellent idea, Roger, but it's a way more familiar person.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Related to Lincoln's early years?

V-e-r-y related.

[RJNorton]

Well, then, the most obvious answer, IMO, is Abraham Lincoln's sister, Sarah. However, I do not think I have ever seen any paintings of her in a book. Still, I will guess Sarah as I cannot think of anyone else based on your last post.

[Gene C]

I'll guess his mother, Nancy

[Susan Higginbotham]

Alas, I believe it is a portrait of Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady Book, although someone on Find-A-Grave has misidentified it.

[STS Lincolnite]

Alas, I believe it is a portrait of Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady Book, although someone on Find-A-Grave has misidentified it.

As Susan stated, this is an image of Sarah Josepha (Buell) Hale. The image is from a painting (c.1830-1840) by James Reid Lambdin. I first came across the image when it was reported on a couple of different websites to be that of Sarah Lincoln Grisgsby (Abraham Lincoln's sister). A little investigation proved this to be untrue. I still am not sure how this confusion occurred and how Sarah Lincoln Grigsby came to be associated with the image. Maybe someone else can help answer that question.

[Susan Higginbotham]

I suspect that someone saw this article, saw the pictures of Lincoln and Hale side-by-side, and thought "Brother and sister!" without bothering to read the article. I sent an email to the owner of the Sarah Grigsby Find-A-Grave page asking that the portrait be removed, so we'll see if that works.

http://www.history.com/news/abraham-linc...anksgiving

[Eva Elisabeth]

Kudos to everyone (Roger, you know how to read my hints!) - And thank you so much to Scott and Susan for your help to identify and email the "culprit". I was amazed to see it on find-a-grave:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi...id=9270712
I was quite sure to have seen it before but likewise certain it wasn't Abraham Lincoln's sister as any portrait of her would be "commonly known" (and my idea, too, was to contact the owner but it's easier when you can provide who it is instead). [PS: Please notice my question was who this lady is SUPPOSED to be!]

Thanks again to everyone!

[Gene C]

What contemporary of Mary Lincoln's was this statement made?

"She had been reared a Presbyterian....but she had become an ardent Episcopalian,
and her pound cakes were the corner stones of the Episcopal church in Springfield"

[RJNorton]

Elizabeth Edwards?

[Thomas Kearney]

Josephine Reman

[Gene C]

Congratulations Roger.

That trivia question didn't last long. It came from the book The Women Lincoln Loved by William Barton, written in 1927.
No footnotes.

I'm in the middle of reading this book and it kind of struck me as an odd statement. Sure hope he didn't mean that literally.


Here is some interesting info about Elizabeth Edwards, Mary's older sister and some photo's, from the web site "Mr. Lincoln's White House."
http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/resi...d-edwards/

[L Verge]

Congratulations Roger.

That trivia question didn't last long. It came from the book The Women Lincoln Loved by William Barton, written in 1927.
No footnotes.

I'm in the middle of reading this book and it kind of struck me as an odd statement. Sure hope he didn't mean that literally.


Here is some interesting info about Elizabeth Edwards, Mary's older sister and some photo's, from the web site "Mr. Lincoln's White House."
http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/resi...d-edwards/

OMG, I hadn't realized the "other" interpretation of cornerstones! What a hoot.

[L Verge]

What female did Benjamin "Beast" Butler refer to as a "haughty dame" and hint at torturing if she could be caught?