Catherine Wistar Bache Papers, American Philosophical Society

Table of contents

Abstract

Catherine Wistar Bache (1805-1886) was the point of connection between two of Philadelphia's most illustrious families of the late eighteenth century. Daughter of the physician Caspar Wistar, in November 1797 she married Dr. William Bache, who was the son of Richard Bache and the grandson of Benjamin Franklin.

Primarily letters to Mrs. Bache (wife of Dr. William Bache) of Philadelphia, from Mrs. David Hosack (nee Mary Eddy), Mrs. Elizabeth Trist, and Mary Jones. The letters are personal and concern family life, activities of husbands, etc., with many references to Caspar Wistar, There are comments on diseases, education (at William and Mary College), war, and politics. References are also made to the deaths of Richard Bache and Caspar Wistar, and to Benjamin Franklin's Stockado (a musical instrument).

Background note
Scope & content
Administrative information
Additional information
- Related material
Added entries
Contact information
Collection inventory
- Catherine Wistar Bache Papers, 1788-1822

Background note

Catherine Wistar Bache (1805-1886) was the point of connection between two of Philadelphia's most illustrious families of the late eighteenth century. Daughter of the physician Caspar Wistar, she married the grandson of Benjamin Franklin, Dr. William Bache in November 1797.

Scope and content

The papers of Catharine Wistar Bache consist of 114 letters written by and to Catharine Wistar Bache, wife of Dr. William Bache of Philadelphia. Bache's major correspondents include Mary Eddy Hosack (wife of the physician David Hosack), Elizabeth Trist, and Mary Trist Jones. Primarily personal in nature, these letters discuss family and husbands, and contain numerous references to Catharine's father, Caspar Wistar, as well as to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Other letters discuss yellow fever and other diseases, education at William and Mary College, the war, and politics, and one letter refers to Benjamin Franklin's "sticcado" (a musical instrument).

The Trists were intimate friends of Thomas Jefferson. As a representative to the Continental Congress, Jefferson lodged at the home of Mary House, whose daughter Elizabeth Trist took on the role of surrogate mother for Jefferson's daughter. After the death of her own husband, Trist moved to Monticello with her son.

Administrative information

Restrictions

None.

Provenance

Acquired from Marian Carson, 1967.

Preferred citation

Cite as: Catherine Wistar Bache Papers, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Reformatted by rsc, 2003.

Additional information

Related material

At the APS, see also the numerous collections related to Benjamin Franklin and to various members of the Bache family. The Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Princeton University houses a collection of Bache and Wistar Family Correspondence (call no. C0381).

The APS also houses the papers of Sarah Bache Hodge, daughter of Catherine and William Bache.