Elizabeth Gotham papers, circa 1880s-1971, bulk circa 1920s-1930s
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Summary
- Creator:
- Gotham, Elizabeth, 1887-1968
- Abstract:
- Elizabeth Lucina Gotham (1887-1968) was a baby nurse in New York, NY who came to be in the employment of Mary Duke and Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. She went on to serve the family of their daughter Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans (MDBTS) in Durham, NC. This collection documents the Gotham family and Elizabeth's relationship with the Duke-Biddle and Trent-Semans families.
- Extent:
- 0.6 Linear Feet (One document box and one half document box.)
- Language:
- Material in English.
- Collection ID:
- RL.13053
Background
- Scope and content:
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This collection contains correspondence, clippings, a few genealogical items, and photographs related to the Gotham family of New York, particularly Elizabeth Lucina Gotham. It primarily documents her experience as a baby nurse for and close friend to Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans.
- Biographical / historical:
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Elizabeth Lucina Gotham was born on 10 January 1887 in Pierpoint, NY to Isabella Matthews Gotham (1862-1935) and Charles Eugene Gotham (1853-1922). She graduated from St. Margaret's Home for Babies in Albany, NY circa 1912 and was a baby nurse for families and in hospital (St. Christopher's?) in Brooklyn, NY from 1917-1920. Mary Lillian Duke Biddle and Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. began employing her in late 1920/early 1921 to care for their children, including Mary Duke Biddle (Trent Semans; 1920-2012), and the two developed such a close relationship that MDBTS described her as a second mother. As MDBTS grew older, Gotham became her personal assistant and eventually moved to Durham, NC to help care for her children beginning with Mary Duke Trent in 1940. MDBTS and her second husband James Hustead Semans named their final child Elizabeth Gotham Semans in 1962, and they established the Elizabeth Lucina Gotham Memorial Endowment at Duke University Chapel. Gotham died on 9 January 1968 in Durham, and she is buried in Maplewood Cemetary in a group of plots that include MDBTS and her two husbands.
- Acquisition information:
- The Elizabeth Gotham papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library as a transfer from the Semans family papers in 2024. They were originally gifts from James H. and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans between 1969-1990.
- Processing information:
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This collection was originally a series in the former Semans family papers, which were processed by Madeleine Bagwell Perez and Donna Longo DiMichele, April 1991; encoded by Alvin Pollock; and updated by staff, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, Paula Jeannet, 2018, and Leah Tams, December 2021.
The Semans family papers were separated by series into four collections by Zachary Tumlin, February 2024, as part of a project funded by The Duke Endowment.
Material described in the Semans family papers collection guide came from almost two dozen accessions from between 1969-1990. This collection guide could describe material from any of those accessions.
- Arrangement:
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The Elizabeth Gotham papers are arranged into two series: Correspondence and Photographs.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
Contents
Using These Materials
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Using These Materials
- Restrictions:
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Access to this material will be consistent with the 1991 agreement between Duke University Library, James H. Semans, and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. Access to any correspondence, legal papers, and financial papers is restricted and will be permitted only with prior written permission, which should be sought from the chair of the board of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. This restriction shall be in place until 1 January 2027, after which all material shall be considered open for research.
Access note. Some materials in this collection are fragile photographic formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.
- Terms of access:
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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.
- Before you visit:
- Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], Elizabeth Gotham papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1nb2c