Provenance | Melmar

Melmar's Prominent Families

The history of Melmar is associated with many prominent families that have made significant contributions in the areas of Government, Military, Business, Education, Sports, Entertainment, and Culture

Notable Relatives & Associates

Government

Four US Presidents are distant relatives of Melmar's Brigadier General Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) through his great x3 grandfather William Biddle II's wife, Lydia (Wardell) Biddle including Millard Filmore, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Deleno Roosevelt, and Richard Milhous Nixon
Nicholas Biddle’s nephew Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. (1896-1961) worked with three US Presidents - President Dwight D Eisenhower (aka Ike), President Franklin D Roosevelt (aka FDR), and President John F Kennedy (aka JFK)
- President Dwight D "Ike" Eisenhower asked him to be his Vice President: “Ike [Eisenhower] was being drafted to run for President, and he asked my father to consider running as his vice president,” says Tony. “Dad accepted that as an enormous compliment but declined.” - Anthony "Tony" J. Drexel Biddle III
- Although he declined the offer to become Vice President, Biddle worked in the US State Department for many years and was ambassador to more countries at once than any other person in history. President Roosevelt first appointed him minister to Norway in 1935, and then Ambassador to Poland in 1937. In 1941, he became the Ambassador to the governments-in-exile of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Yugoslavia, and in 1961 President Kennedy appointed him Ambassador to Spain.
- He also assisted President Eisenhower in planning Operation Overlord and the creation of what is now NATO
- According to his son Anthony "Tony" J. Drexel Biddle III, at one time both the Democratic and Republican parties in Pennsylvania were after his father to run for Governor of Pennsylvania, which he declined
- Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr visited Melmar many times, including a visit in 1961 along with President Eisenhower to hunt pheasants in the Melmar Regulated Shooting Grounds with Nicholas Biddle
President Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) attended Nicholas Biddle's fathers wedding in 1872 (during his presidency)
Nicholas Biddle’s cousin Eric Harbeson Biddle (1898-1993) worked for President Franklin D Roosevelt in the creation of the United Nations
Nicholas Biddle’s great grandfather Nicholas "The Great" Biddle (1786-1844) was appointed by President James Monroe in 1823 as the President of the Second Bank of the United States (equivalent of today's Federal Reserve)
Nicholas Biddle’s great grandfather Nicholas "The Great" Biddle (1786-1844) was a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, the ex-King of Naples and ex-King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844) who resided at the nearby "Point Breeze" Estate after he moved to America following his exile from Spain
Nicholas Biddle’s granduncle Craig Biddle (1823-1910) was on the platform when President Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address in 1863
Joanna Wharton Lippincott's 1st cousin thrice removed Thomas Wharton Jr. (1735-1778), was the first President of Pennsylvania in 1776
Nicholas Biddle’s great x2 grandfather Charles Biddle (1745-1821) served as the 7th Vice President of Pennsylvania in 1785 under Founding Father and at the time, 6th President of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin
Nicholas Biddle’s grandfather Charles John Biddle (1819-1873) served as a US Congressman representing the 2nd District of Pennsylvania
- Joanna Wharton’s father Joseph Wharton (1826-1909) was offered to succeed Charles John Biddle as US Congressman in 1864, but declined...
Nicholas Biddle's 5th cousin Francis Beverley Biddle (1886-1968) served as Attorney General of the United States under President Franklin D Roosevelt during World War II and served as the primary American judge during the Nuremberg trials
Nicholas Biddle's great x2 granduncle married Betsy Ross's aunt Elizabeth Ross Biddle (1730-1779) who was also Declaration of Independence signer George Ross's (1730-1779) sister
- Note: in 1827 Betsy Ross moved in with her daughter, Susanna Ross Claypoole Satterthwaite (1786–1875) in Abington Pa near Melmar - searching for more details TBD...
Nicholas Biddle's great x2 grandfather's father-in-law was Declaration of Independence signer Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791)
Joanna Wharton's grandmother's next-door neighbor Joseph Hopkinson (1770-1842), son of Francis Hopkinson, was a US Congressman and a US District Judge appointed by President John Quincy Adams
Nicholas Biddle's nephew, Livingston Ludlow Biddle Jr. (1918 – 2002) was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the third Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 1977
The stepmother of Nicholas Biddle’s aunt Katherine Mary Drexel (1858-1955), Emma Bouvier Drexel (1833-1883) was the great grand aunt of First Lady Jackie (Bouvier) Kennedy Onassis aka "Jackie O"(1929-1994)
Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin twice removed Clement Biddle's father-in-law, Gideon Cornell, was the first Chief Justice of Rhode Island in 1747
After Sarah Biddle's death, Melmar's Nicholas Biddle courted Margaret Kelly, the mother of Princess Grace Kelly who married Prince Ranier III of Monaco, including escorting her in the procession to the Crystal Ball at the Philadelphia Museum of Art walking directly behind the Prince and Princess, and dining with the Prince and Princess along with Mrs. Kelly at Princess Grace Kelly's home in Philadelphia in 1963

Military

Melmar's Brigadier General Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) and his nephew Major General Anthony Drexel Biddle Jr (1897-1961) served in WWI and then in WWII under General Dwight D. Eisenhower who later became the 34th President of the United States, and visited Nicholas and Anthony at Melmar in 1961
Nicholas Biddle’s brother Colonel “Tony” Drexel Biddle, Sr (1874-1948) was pioneer of United States Marine Corps training in the bayonet and hand-to-hand combat and introduced boxing into Marine Corps training. He was the author of Do or Die: A Supplementary Manual on Individual Combat, a book on combat methods, including knives and empty-hand skills, training both the United States Marine Corps in two world wars and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He can be seen training Marines in the RKO short documentary Soldiers of the Sea
Five United States Navy ships have been named USS Biddle after Biddle family members
- Four in honor of Nicholas’s great granduncle Captain Nicholas Biddle (1750-1778)
  - USS Biddle (TB-26) was a torpedo boat in service from 1901 to 1919
  - USS Biddle (DD-151) was a destroyer commissioned 1918 and in use until 1945
  - USS Biddle (DDG-5) was a guided missile destroyer commissioned in 1962
  - USS Biddle (CG-34) was a guided missile cruiser in service from 1967 to 1993
- One ship in honor of 4 Star Major General William Phillips Biddle, USMC (1853-1923)
  - USS William P. Biddle (APA-8) was an attack transport from 1941 to 1946

Nicholas’s great granduncle Commodore James Biddle (1783-1848) took possession of Oregon Territory for the United States in 1817, and was instrumental in establishing the Philadelphia Naval Asylum School which was the precursor to the U.S. Naval Academy
Nicholas Biddle’s 3rd cousin, Major General John Biddle (1859-1936) was Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Nicholas Biddle’s 3rd cousin once removed, General William Shepard Biddle III (1900-1981) commanded the 113th Mechanized Cavalry Group when it landed in Normandy on D-Day in June 1944
The Biddle Air National Guard Station in Willow Grove, Pa was renamed in 2021 to honor of Nicholas Biddle’s 2nd cousin once removed, Major Charles John Biddle (1890-1972) who was the last member of the Biddle Family to be a full-time resident at Andalusia’s “Big House”
Lieutenant Julien Cornell Biddle Memorial is located at St Peters Church Philadelphia, Pa, the burial site of Nicholas "The Great" Biddle (1786-1844)
Nicholas Biddle’s 3rd cousin twice removed, Lydia Biddle (1734–1767) married William MacFunn (1732–1767) Captain in the Royal Navy and Governor of Antigua

Business

Joanna Wharton Lippincott's father (Sarah Biddle’s maternal grandfather) Joseph Wharton (1826-1909) co-founded Bethlehem Steel with Charles M Schwab in 1904. Bethlehem Steel became the largest independent steel producer in the world as well as the main supplier of munitions for the Allied Forces in World War I. Charles Schwab was tied for 13th on the first ever Forbes Rich List in 1918 with an estimated net worth in excess of $2B in today's dollars.
Nicholas Biddle’s grandfather Anthony Joseph Drexel (1826-1893) formed Drexel Morgan & Co with Junius Morgan (1813-1890) in 1871, and Drexel became the mentor of Junius's son, John Pierpont (aka J.P.) Morgan (1837-1913). After his father Junius and Anthony J Drexel died, J.P. renamed the firm from Drexel Morgan & Co to J. P. Morgan & Company, which eventually evolved into what is today the world's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase. When J.P. Morgan died in 1913, he left his business empire and his $118M ($4B today) fortune to his only son, J.P. Morgan Jr who tied for 13th on the first ever Forbes Rich List in 1918.
J. Bertram Lippincott's father (Sarah Biddle’s paternal grandfather) J Ballinger Lippincott (1813-1886) founded publishing company J. B. Lippincott
J. Bertram Lippincott's great x2 grandfather Seth Craige (1766-1831) was the founder of the largest cotton mill in the country at the time
Joanna Wharton's great grandfather Joshua Fischer (1707-1783) established the first merchant packet line between London and Philadelphia
Joanna Wharton's grandfather Joseph Samuel Lovering (1796-1881) was the founder of one of the world's largest sugar refineries at the time
Nicholas Biddle’s 2nd cousin James Biddle’s (1929-2005) wife’s great grandfather x3 Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours founded Du Pont
Nicholas Biddle’s uncle's, Cadwalader Biddle (1837-1906) and George W. Biddle (1843–1886), co-founded the Union League of Philadelphia
Nicholas Biddle’s uncle Samuel Biddle (1844-1919) co-founded Bailey Banks and Biddle, who began by producing distinguished medals for the United States, the Purple Heart and the Congressional Medal of Honor among others, and is America's oldest nationwide jeweler (originally founded in 1832 as Bailey & Kitchen, then re-established as Bailey Banks & Biddle in 1878)
Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869-1950) was a renowned landscape artist who worked for prominent clients including the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, DuPonts, Mellons, Roosevelts, and Astors
Nicholas Biddle's 5th Cousin once removed, Sydney Francis Biddle's wife was a descendant of the Inventor of the Cotton Gin Eli Whitney II (1765-1825)

Education

Joanna Wharton Lippincott's father (Sarah Biddle’s grandfather) Joseph Wharton (1826-1909) founded the first collegiate business school in 1881, The Wharton Business School at The University of Pennsylvania
Joanna Wharton's grandmother's next-door neighbor Francis Hopkinson, was the grandson of Thomas Hopkinson (1709-1751), the founder of the Academy of Philadelphia, the origin of The University of Pennsylvania
- The University of Pennsylvania is now Melmar's fifth owners' son Brandon Nadal's employer
Nicholas’s grandaunt Rebekah Cornell Biddle (1755) was the aunt of Cornell University founder Ezra Cornell (1807-1874)
- Cornell is Melmar's fifth owners' son Brandon Nadal's alma mater
Two of Nicholas’s aunt's, Edith Biddle Van Rensselaer and Sarah Drexel Van Rensselaer, both married grandsons of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (aka RPI) founder Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764-1839)
- RPI is Melmar's fifth owner Rod Nadal's alma mater
Nicholas’s grandfather Anthony Joseph Drexel (1826-1893) founded Drexel University
Nicholas and Sarah Biddle’s daughter-in-law (married to son Nicholas Biddle Jr) Mary Hopkins Biddle was the great grandniece of Johns Hopkins University founder Johns Hopkins (1795-1873)
Nicholas Biddle’s nephew AJ Drexel Biddle Jr. (1897-1961) married Mary Duke Biddle, the daughter of the founder of Duke University
Nicholas Biddle’s niece Cordelia Biddle married Angier Duke, the son of the founder of Duke University
Joanna Wharton Lippincott's maternal grandmother (Sarah Biddle’s great grandmother) Deborah Fisher Wharton was co-founder of Swarthmore College
Bert Lippincott's sister-in-law (Sarah’s Biddle's aunt) Sallie Bucknell Lippincott was the daughter of Bucknell University founder William Robert Bucknell (1811-1890)
Cornelius Vanderbilt I aka "The Commodore" (1794-1877), the founder of Vanderbilt University was the great x3 grandfather of Sydney Francis Biddle's wife
Gideon Cornell, the father-in-law of Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin twice removed Clement Biddle, was one of the original signatories creating Brown University

Sports and Entertainment

Nicholas Biddle’s brother Colonel “Tony” Drexel Biddle, Sr (1874-1948) was a member of the International Boxing Union boxing with boxing hall of famers Jack Johnson, Gene Tunney, and Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. The highlight of his boxing career was sparring with the World Light Heavyweight champion Georges Carpentier just a few days before Carpentier's fight with World Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey which was billed as Fight of the Century
Nicholas Biddle's brother Craig Biddle (1879-1947) of Laurento, was a professional tennis player who made it to the finals of the U.S. Open in the mixed doubles category with Molla Bjurstedt Mallory in 1920 however, they lost. He reached the quarterfinals in the singles category in 1917, 1918 and 1921
Nicholas Biddle’s great-great uncle Captain Nicholas Biddle (1750-1778) appears in the video game Assassins Creed III as the captain of USS Randolph
Joanna Wharton Lippincott's 2nd cousin once removed, Edith Wharton (1862-1937), was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1921

Nicholas Biddle’s brother Colonel “Tony” Drexel Biddle, Sr (1874-1948) was the subject of Disney’s movie "The Happiest Millionaire"

Joanna Wharton Lippincott's 2nd cousin once removed, Edith Wharton's novel The Age of Innocence was made into a movie by Martin Scorcese

Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire follows the turn-of-the-century family of Nicholas's brother, Philadelphian millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle (1896-1961), the patriarch of the Biddle family, proprietor of the Biddle Boxing and Bible School, and an enthusiastic alligator owner. Anthony’s daughter Cordelia, or “Cordy,” is coming of age and meets Angie Duke. The two families clash, the Biddle's representing Philadelphia’s traditional upper class, while the Duke's are “nouveau riche.”

The Age of Innocence was a novel by American author Edith Wharton in 1920. In 1993, Martin Scorsese directed a film adaptation, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Olenska, Daniel Day-Lewis as Archer, and Winona Ryder as May Welland Archer, with Richard E. Grant and Miriam Margolyes. Ryder earned an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for her performance, and the film also won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

Nicholas Biddle's 2nd cousin twice removed Sydney Biddle Barrows New York City madam and subject of the movie "The Mayflower Madam"

Inspired by the explosive scandal that rocked Manhattan in 1984, the infamous Sydney Biddle Barrows portrayed by Candice Bergen, a driven young socialite, opens an exclusive escort service catering to the wealthy and affluent. From Sydney's rise to become a million-dollar, modern-day madam to her notorious plummet into bankruptcy and public disgrace, experience a private glimpse into the forbidden world of high-class prostitution-where money talks...pleasure sells...and discretion is everything.

Culture

Sixteen of Nicholas Biddle's relatives were members of "The" Mrs. Astor's legendary "Four Hundred" that represented the pinnacle of New York society as portrayed in the HBO series The Gilded Age
Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin twice removed, John Rozet Drexel IV was married to "The" Mrs. Astor's great granddaughter
Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin once removed, Bessie Wharton Drexel was married to Harry Lehr aka "King Lehr" (1869-1929), recognized as the successor to Ward McAllister, arbiter elegant arum of New York's Four Hundred , and was close friends with "The" Mrs. Astor's arch nemesis, Alva Vanderbilt
Nicholas Biddle’s niece and nephew each married 1st cousins of Doris Duke (1912-1993), known as "the richest girl in the world"
Nicholas Biddle was a fellow board member with ET Stotesbury at their Huntingdon Valley Country Club, whose stepson James H.R. Cromwell married Doris Duke
Nicholas Biddle’s aunt Katherine Mary Drexel (1858-1955) became a Saint, canonized Saint Katherine Drexel in 2000 and her sacred remains are in the Shrine of Saint Katharine Drexel in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia
J. Bertram Lippincott was a Mayflower descendant of two Mayflower passengers, Governor William Bradford and Richard Warren
Sarah Biddle was a 9th generation Mayflower descendant of two Mayflower passengers, Captain Myles Standish and John Alden
Nicholas Biddle was an 7th generation descendant of William Biddle (1633-1711) who immigrated from England with William Penn in 1681
Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin twice removed, John Rozet Drexel IV was married to the daughter of Titanic survivor John Jacob Astor VI (1912-1992)
As a child, Melmar's Nicholas Biddle resided at Andalusia, (aka the Biddle Estate), a historic mansion located on the Delaware River which is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States
Other distant relatives include Samuel Adams, James Byron Dean, Lucille Ball, and Mary Bradbury...
Mary Biddle of New Castle, De was Melmar's Cathy Nadal's childhood schoolmate guitar god Vinnie Moore's first guitar teacher...

The Wharton Family

The Wharton's are Melmar's original owner Joanna Wharton Lippincott's paternal family and her father was Joseph Wharton

The Wharton and Lippincott families were united when Joanna married J Bertram Lippincott in 1885

Joseph Wharton (1826 - 1909) was the founder of The Wharton School of Business, and the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He was the father of the original owner of Melmar, Joanna Wharton Lippincott, and the grandfather of the second owner, Sarah Wharton Lippincott Biddle.

Several historical artifacts were relocated from his other estates including "The Columns" at the Melmar front entrance as well as the ancient roman patio in Melmar's Rear Grounds known as "The Pergola".

Wharton was born in Philadelphia in 1826, the fifth chid of ten in a liberal Hicksite Quaker family. His parents, William Wharton and Deborah Fisher Wharton, were both from prominent early American immigrant families of Quaker descent. Wharton's father was a typical gentleman and did not hold a regular job because he had several illnesses, but oversaw his estate, served on the Philadelphia School Board, and was active with his wife Deborah in the Hicksite ministry. His mother, Deborah Fisher Wharton, co-founded Swarthmore College.

Wharton's youth was spent in the family's house near Spruce and 4th Streets in downtown Philadelphia and at the country mansion "Bellevue". From their country estate, the family often went to the nearby Schuylkill River, visited neighboring estates such as Deborah's grandfather Joshua Fisher's "The Cliffs", and went on weekend horse and carriage excursions to the countryside surrounding Philadelphia, sometimes attending the smaller Quaker Meetings.

Wharton's maternal grandfather, Samuel R. Fisher ran a mercantile business and shipping packet line between Philadelphia & London

Both of his grandmothers were named Hannah and were from Newport, Rhode Island. His grandmother Hannah Rodman was a descendant of Thomas Cornell, the ancestor of Ezra Cornell who founded Cornell University.

In 1881 he endowed what would become the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania

In 1904 Bethlehem Steel Corporation was formed by Joseph Wharton and Charles M Schwab (no relation to the financial Charles Schwab), who became the company's first president and first chairman of its board of directors. Under their leadership, Bethlehem Steel Corporation became the largest independent steel producer in the world.

Wharton Family Tree

Joseph Wharton (1707-1776) 0f "Walnut Grove" - Joanna Lippincott's Great x2 Grandfather
m Hannah Carpenter, grand-daughter of Samuel Carpenter, Deputy-Governor of Colonial Pennsylvania

Charles Wharton (1743-1838) of "Walnut Grove" - Joanna Lippincott's Great Grandfather
- William Wharton (1790-1856) of 336 Spruce Street, Philadelphia and "Bellevue"
- m Deborah (Fisher) Wharton (1795-1888) co-founder of Swarthmore College - Joanna Lippincott's Grandmother
  - Joseph Wharton (1826-1909) of "Ontalauna" founder of Wharton School of Business and Bethlehem Steel - Joanna Lippincott's father and Sarah Biddle's Grandfather
  - m Anna Lovering (1830-1914)
    - Joanna Wharton (1858-1938) of "Oak Hill" and "Melmar"
    - m 1885 Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940)
      - Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
      - m 1915 Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977)

Fischer Branch

Joshua Fisher (1707-1783) of "110 S. Front Street" and "The Cliffs" - Joanna Lippincott's great grandfather

Samuel Rowland Fisher (1745-1834)
- Deborah Fisher (1795-1888) - Co-founder of Swarthmore College - Joanna Lippincott's mother and Sarah Biddle's grandmother
- m William Wharton (1790-1856) of 336 Spruce Street, Philadelphia & "Bellevue" Germantown, PA
  - Joseph Wharton (1826-1909) of "Ontalauna"
  - m Anna (Lovering) Wharton (1830-1914)
    - Joanna Wharton (1858-1938) of "Oak Hill" and "Melmar"
    - m 1885 Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940)
      - Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
      - m 1915 Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977)

Lovering Branch

Joseph Samuel Lovering (1796-1881) of "Oak Hill" Joanna Lippincott's grandfather and Sarah Biddle's great grandfather

m Ann Corbit (-1875)

Anna Lovering (1830-1914)
m Joseph Wharton (1826-1909) of "Ontalauna"
- Joanna Lovering Wharton (1858-1938) of "Oak Hill" and "Melmar"
- m 1885 Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940)
  - Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
  - m 1915 Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977)

Note: Many Relatives buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery

The Lippincott Family

The Lippincott's are Melmar's original owner J. Bertram Lippincott's paternal family and his father was Joshua Ballinger Lippincot

The Lippincott and Wharton families were united when J Bertram Lippincott married Joanna Wharton in 1885

The Wharton, Lippincott and Biddle families were united when Sarah Wharton Lippincott married Nicholas Biddle in 1915

The Lippincott and Craige families were united when Joshua Ballinger Lippincott married Josephine Craige in 1845
The Lippincott and Bucknell families were united when Craige Lippincott married Sarah Bucknell in 1871

Joshua Ballinger Lippincott

J. Bertram Lippincott

Melmar's first owner, J Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940) was the son of Joshua Ballinger Lippincott (1813-1886) who founded the global publishing company J. B. Lippincott Company. Melmar's 2nd owner, Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) was the daughter of the original owners J Bertram & Joanna Wharton Lippincott. Joshua Ballinger Lippincott founded the J.B. Lippincott publishing house which began in Philadelphia in 1836 and became one of the largest and best-known publishers in the world by the end of the 19th century. The publishers began by selling Bibles and then successfully expanded into trade books, which were published for a general audience. In the 1900s, the company expanded production of its successful line of medical and nursing books and journals. Today, the Lippincott imprint continues through a line of medical publications under Dutch-based Wolters Kluwer.

Lippincott Family Tree

Joshua Ballinger Lippincott (1813-1886) of "1712 Spruce Street", founder of J.B. Lippincott Company - J Bertram Lippincott's Father

m Josephine (Craige) Lippincott (1823-1899)

Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940) of "Oak Hill" and "Melmar"
m 1885 Joanna Wharton (1858-1938)
- Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
- m 1915 Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977)

Craige Branch

Seth Craige (1766-1831) of "Oak Hill" Joshua Bertram Lippincott Grandfather and Sarah Biddle's Great Grandfather

m Margaret Wright (1761-1824)

Seth Craige Jr (1799-1859)

Josephine Craige (1823-1899)
m Joshua Ballinger Lippincott (1813-1886)
- Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940) of "Oak Hill" and "Melmar"
- m 1885 Joanna Wharton (1858-1938)
  - Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
  - m 1915 Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977)

Bucknell Branch

William Robert Bucknell Jr. (1813-1886) founder of Bucknell University - Craige Lippincott's Father-in-Law

m Harriet M. Ashton (1815-1851)

Sallie Bucknell (1848-1919) - J Bertram Lippincott's Sister-in-Law and Sarah Biddle's Aunt
m Craige Lippincott (1846-1911) - J Bertram Lippincott's Brother and Sarah Biddle's Uncle
Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940) of "Oak Hill" and "Melmar"
m 1885 Joanna Wharton (1858-1938)
- Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
- m 1915 Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977)

Bucknell Branch (Lippincott side)

Joshua Ballinger Lippincott (1813-1886) of "1712 Spruce Street"

Walter Lippincott (1849-1927) of 2101 Walnut Street, Philadelphia & "Alscot" Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Craige Lippincott (1846-1911)
m Sallie Bucknell Lippincott (1848-1919) - J Bertram Lippincott's Sister-in-Law and Sarah Biddle's Aunt
Joshua Bertram Lippincott (1857-1940)
- Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962)

The Philadelphia Biddle's

The Biddle's are Melmar's second owner Nicholas Biddle's paternal family

The Biddle, Lippincott, and Wharton families were united when Nicholas Biddle married Sarah Wharton Lippincott in 1915

The Biddle and Cornell families were united when Clement Biddle married Rebekah Cornell in 1774
The Biddle and Drexel families were united when Edward Biddle Jr married Anthony Joseph Drexel's daughter Emilie Drexel in 1872
The Biddle and Van Rensselaer families were first united when Edith Biddle married Steven Van Rensselaer III 's grandson Philip Stephen Van Rensselaer Jr. in 1872
The Biddle and Duke families were first united when AJ Drexel Biddle Jr married James B Duke's niece Mary Duke in 1915
- The Biddle and Duke families were again united when Cordelia Drexel Biddle married James B Duke's nephew Angier Duke also in 1915
The Biddle and Hopkins families were united when Nicholas Biddle Jr married Mary Hopkins in 1940
The Biddle, Drexel and Vanderbilt families were united when Frances Drexel Cheston married Cornelius Vanderbilt II's great grandson Whitney Tower in 1947
The Biddle and du Pont families were united when James Biddle married Louisa duPont Copeland in 1959
The Biddle, Whitney and Vanderbilt families were again united when Sydney Francis Biddle married Flora Vanderbilt Whitney Miller in 1979
The Biddle, Drexel, and Astor families were united when John Drexel IV married Mary Jaqueline Astor in 1984

Captain Nicholas Biddle

aka Nicholas "The Great"

Brigadier General Nicholas Biddle

The Biddle family are one of Philadelphia’s most prominent families, descended from English immigrants William Biddle I (1630–1712) and Sarah Kempe (1634–1709), who arrived in the Province of New Jersey in 1681 where William owned over 43,000 acres, including a 500-acre plantation where they build their home, Mount Hope in 1682, as well as a 278-acre island they named Biddle’s Island (278 acres). William Biddle II (1669–1743) born in London and arrived with his parents at New Jersey in 1681 at the age of twelve. On his father's death, he inherited "Mount Hope" and 12,905-acres in the Lotting Purchase. William Biddle III (1698–1756), and John Biddle (1707–1789), two third-generation brothers, moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 1720s and 1730s. They constituted the first generation of the Philadelphia Biddle family, which became involved in the business, political and cultural life of Pennsylvania and the United States. The second owner of Melmar, Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) was a descendant of the William Biddle III (1697-1756) branch of the Philadelphia Biddle family.

Biddle Family Tree (William Biddle III branch)

William Biddle III (1697-1756) 0f "Mount Hope" - Nicholas Biddle's great x3 grandfather
m Mary (Scull) Biddle (1709-1789)

Captain Nicholas Biddle (1750-1778) - Charles Biddle's brother and Nicholas Biddle's great x2 granduncle
Charles Biddle (1745-1821) of "310 Chestnut St" - Nicholas Biddle's great x2 grandfather
- Nicholas "The Great" Biddle (1786-1844) of "Andalusia" - Nicholas Biddle's great grandfather
- m Jane Craig (1793-1856)
  - Edward Craig Biddle (1815-1873) of "Andalusia" - Nicholas Biddle's grandfather
  - m Jane Sarmiento (1816-1884) reputed to be have been one of the three most beautiful women in Philadelphia
    - Edward Biddle Jr (1851-1933) - Nicholas Biddle's father
    - m 1872 Emilie Drexel (1851-1883)
      - Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
      - m 1915 Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962)

Cornell Branch - founders of two Ivy League schools Cornell and Brown Universities

Elijah Cornell (1730-1777) - Grandfather of Ezra Cornell and Brother of Gideon Cornell

Elijah Cornell (1771-1862)
- Ezra Cornell (1807-1874) Founder of Cornell University - 1st cousin once removed of Rebekah Cornell

Gideon Cornell (1730-1765 ) 1st Chief Justice of Rhode Island and one of the original signatories creating Brown University

Rebekah Cornell Biddle (1755-1831) - 1st cousin once removed of Ezra Cornell
m Clement Biddle (1740–1814) - 1st cousin twice removed of Nicholas Biddle

Drexel Branch - founders of Drexel, Morgan & Co, which became what is now JPMorgan Chase, and founders of Drexel University

Anthony Joseph Drexel

AJ Drexel Biddle Sr.

AJ Drexel Biddle Jr.

Anthony Joseph Drexel (1826-1893) aka "The Man Who Made Wall St"

m Ellen (Rozet) Drexel (1832-1891)

Emilie Drexel (1851-1883) - Anthony Joseph Drexel's Daughter
m 1872 Edward Biddle Jr (1851-1933) - Nicholas Biddle's Father
- Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"
- m 1915 Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962)
- Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr (1874-1948) aka "The Happiest Millionaire" - Nicholas Biddle's Brother
- m Cordelia Bradley (1873-1957)
  - Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. (1897-1961) aka "The Millionaire Playboy" - Nicholas Biddle's Nephew
  - m 1915 Mary Duke (1887-1960)
  - Cordelia Drexel Biddle (1898-1984) - Nicholas Biddle's Niece
  - m 1915 Angier Buchanan Duke (1884-1923)

Van Rensselaer Branch - 12 family members were included in Mrs. Caroline Astor's legendary "Four Hundred"

Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764-1839) of "Rensselaerswyk Manor", founder of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and regarded as the 7th richest man in American history as well as the #1 richest in 1835, surpassed by John Jacob Astor in 1840

Philip Stephen Van Rensselaer (1806-1871)
- Philip Stephen Van Rensselaer, Jr. (1844-1882) - Grandson of Steven Van Rensselaer III
- m Edith Biddle (1844-1924) - Nicholas Biddle's Aunt
Rev. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer (1808-1860)
- Alexander Van Rensselaer (1850-1933) - Grandson of Steven Van Rensselaer III
- m Sarah (Drexel) (1862-1929) of "Camp Hill Hall" - Nicholas Biddle's Aunt

Van Rensselaer Branch (Biddle side)

Edward Craig Biddle (1815-1873) of "Andalusia"
m Jane Craig (1793-1856)
- Edith Biddle (1844-1924) - Edward Biddle's sister and Nicholas Biddle's Aunt
- Edward Biddle Jr (1851-1933) - Nicholas Biddle's Father
  - Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"

Duke Branch - James B Duke was 23rd on the first ever Forbes Rich List

James Buchanan "Buck" Duke (1856-1925) founder of American Tobacco Company, Duke Energy, and Duke University

m Nanaline (Holt) Duke (1870-1962)
- Doris Duke (1912-1993) aka "the richest girl in the world" Only daughter of James Buchanan Duke
Benjamin Newton Duke (1855-1929) Brother of James B Duke
m Sarah (Angier) Duke (1856-1936)
- Mary Duke Biddle (1887-1960) - Daughter of Benjamin Duke, niece of James B Duke, 1st cousin of Doris Duke
- m Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. (1897-1961) - Nicholas Biddle's Nephew
- Angier Buchanan Duke (1884-1923) - Son of Benjamin Duke, nephew of James B Duke, 1st cousin of Doris Duke
- m Cordelia Drexel Biddle Duke (1898-1984)- Nicholas Biddle's Niece

Hopkins Branch - founders of Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins (1795-1873) founder of Johns Hopkins University - Mary Hopkins Great x2 Granduncle

Gerard Thomas Hopkins (1769-1834) - Johns Hopkins Brother & Mary Hopkins Great x2 Grandfather

Elizabeth Hopkins (1802-1990)
- Johns and his cousin, Elizabeth, fell in love; however, the Quaker taboo against the marriage of first cousins was strong, and neither Johns nor Elizabeth ever married
Gerard Thomas Hopkins (1815-1900)
m Elizabeth Roberts Coates (1823-1896)
- Johns G Hopkins (1859-1895)
- m Mary Rebecca Gill (1860-1918)
  - Johns H Hopkins (1893-1972) of "Tavistock" Wynnewood Pa
  - m Emily Duval Williams (1894-1981)
    - Mary "Polly" Hopkins (1920-2016)- Nicholas & Sarah's Daughter-in-Law
    - m 1940 Nicholas Biddle Jr (1917-2013) of Gladwyne - Nicholas & Sarah's Son

Hopkins Branch (Biddle side)

Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"

m Sarah Wharton Lippincott (1894-1962)

Nicholas Biddle Jr (1917-2013) of Gladwyne - Nicholas & Sarah's Son
m Mary "Polly" Hopkins - Nicholas & Sarah's Daughter-in-Law

Vanderbilt Branch - Cornelius Vanderbilt I was ranked as the 2nd richest man in American history by CNN Money in 2014

Cornelius Vanderbilt I (1794-1877) "The Commodore" of 10 Washington Place c1846 and The Commodore's Mansion c1839 - Flora Biddle's great x3 grandfather

William Henry Vanderbilt (1821-1885) of the Vanderbilt Homestead c1850 and the Vanderbilt Triple Palace c1883
- William Kissam Vanderbilt (1849-1920) of Petite Chateau c1883-1927, Marble House c1892, and Idlehour c1879-1899 - Flora Biddle's great granduncle
- m 1874-1895 Alva Erskine Smith (1853-1933) who in 1883 outplayed "THE" Mrs Astor (1830-1908) of 350 5th Ave c1862, Beechwood c1853, Ferncliff c1874, 840 5th Ave c1896, Belcourt c1894, Brookholt c1897, and Beacon Towers c1918 (the inspiration for "East Egg" in The Great Gatsby 2013) to win the Vanderbilt family social acceptance among New York's "old money" elite
  - Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin once removed, Bessie Drexel was a close friend and advisor to Alva Vanderbilt
- Florence Adele Vanderbilt (1854–1952) of Florham c1897 and Vinland c1883
- Frederick William Vanderbilt (1856–1938) of Vanderbilt Mansion c1898
- George Washington Vanderbilt (1862-1914) of Biltmore c1895 - Flora Biddle's great granduncle
- Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843-1899) of The Vanderbilt Chateau and The Breakers - Flora Biddle's great grandfather
  - Gertrude Vanderbilt (1875-1942) of the Whitney Mansion c1902
  - m Harry Payne Whitney (1872-1930) descendant of Eli Whitney - Flora Biddle's grandfather
    - Flora Payne Whitney Miller (1897-1986) of the Whitney Mansion c1902
    - 1st husband 1920 Roderick Tower (1892-1961)
      - Whitney Tower (1923–1999) Frances Drexel's husband and great grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt II
      - m 1947 Frances Drexel Cheston (1926–) - Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin once removed
    - 2nd husband 1927 George MacCulloch Miller III (1886-1972)
      - Flora Miller (1928-) - Sydney Biddle's wife and great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II
      - m 1979 Sydney Francis Biddle (1918-2004) - Nicholas Biddle's 3rd Cousin twice removed

Dupont Branch - the DuPont's are currently the 22nd richest family in America

Eleuthere Irenee du Pont (1771-1834) Founder of DuPont - Louisa Biddle's Great x3 Grandfather

Alfred Victor Philadelphe du Pont (1798 - 1856) President of Du Pont
- Lammot du Pont I (1831 - 1884) - Louisa Biddle's Great Grandfather
  - Louisa d'Andelot du Pont (1868-1926) - Louisa Biddle's Grandmother
  - m Charles Copeland (1867-1944)
    - Lammot du Pont Copeland (1905-1983) of "Mt Cuba", President of Du Pont - Louisa Biddle's Father
    - m Pamela Cunningham (1906-2001)
      - Louisa duPont Copeland (1936- ) of "Mt Cuba" - James Biddle's wife
      - m James Biddle (1929-2005) of "Andalusia" - Nicholas Biddle's 2nd cousin

Lammot du Pont Copeland ranked as one of the 76 richest Americans by Fortune magazine in 1957

Dupont Branch (Biddle side)

Nicholas "The Great" Biddle (1786-1844) of "Andalusia" - Nicholas & Jamie Biddle's Great Grandfather

m Jane Craig (1793-1856)

Charles John Biddle (1819-1873)
m Emma Mather (1831-1918)
- Charles John Biddle (1857-1923)
- m Letitia Glenn (1864-1950)
  - Charles John Biddle (1890-1972) of "Andalusia"
  - m Katharine Jennings Legendre (1892-1973)
  - Louisa D'Andelot duPont Copeland (1936- ) Eleuthere DuPont's Great x3 Granddaughter
  - m James Biddle (1929-2005) of "Andalusia"- Nicholas Biddle's 2nd cousin

Astor Branch - America's first multimillionaires

William Backhouse Astor, Jr. (1829-1892)

m "Lina" Caroline Webster (Schermerhorn) Astor, "The Mrs. Astor" (1830-1908)

John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912) "The Wealthiest passenger to go down with the Titanic" - left an estate of $87M (~$3B today)
- John Jacob "Jakey" Astor VI (1912-1992) aka the "Titanic baby"
  - Mary Jacqueline "Jackie" Astor (1949-)
  - m John Rozet "Nick" Drexel IV (1945-) Nicholas Biddle's 1st cousin twice removed

Astor Branch (Biddle side)

Anthony Joseph Drexel (1826-1893) Nicholas Biddle's grandfather and John Rozet Drexel IV's great x2 grandfather

m Ellen (Rozet) Drexel (1832-1891)

John Rozet Drexel (1863-1935)
- John Rozet Drexel II (1890-1936)
  - John Rozet Drexel III (1919-2007)
    - John Rozet Drexel IV (1945-)
    - m Mary Jacqueline "Jackie" Astor (1949-)
Emilie Drexel (1851-1883) - John Rozet Drexel's Sister
m 1872 Edward Biddle Jr (1851-1933) - Nicholas Biddle's Father
- Nicholas Biddle (1893-1977) of "Springhead" and "Melmar"

Newbold Branch - 4 family members were included in Mrs. Caroline Astor's legendary "Four Hundred"
Michael Newbold (1667-1721)

Ann Newbold (1698-1729)
m William Biddle III (1697-1756) - Nicholas Biddle's Great x3 Grandfather

Craig Branch - Original owners of "Andalusia"

John Craig (1754-1807) established "Andalusia" in 1795 - Nicholas Biddle's Great x2 Grandfather

m Margaret Murphy (1761-1814)

Jane Craig (1793-1856)
m Nicholas "The Great" Biddle (1786-1844) of "Andalusia" - Nicholas Biddle's Great Grandfather

The 300th Anniversary of the Biddle's arrival in America

at Andalusia in 1981

View The Four Hundred

View Melmar Mansion & Grounds