Much is known about the du Pont family; however, little has been written by the branch of the family that relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, in the mid-nineteenth century. Antoine Bidermann du Pont (1837-1923), known as “Bidermann,” was the youngest child of Alfred Victor du Pont (1798-1856) and Margaretta Elizabeth Lammot du Pont (1807-1898). After attending school in Philadelphia, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1856 and moved to Louisville where he went into a paper mill business with his brother A.V. (“Fred”) du Pont. Both of the brothers achieved financial success; Bidermann du Pont was later president of the Elizabethtown and Paducah Railroad, the Louisville, Paducah and South-Western Railroad, and the Central Coal & Iron Company.

Bidermann du Pont married Ellen Susan Coleman, in April 1861, and they had seven children from 1862-1872. The eldest child, Margaretta Elizabeth (1862-1938), known as “Meta,” was named after her paternal grandmother, with whom she had a warm, close relationship. Meta's siblings included T. Coleman du Pont (1863-1930), president of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (1902-1915) and U.S. senator (1924-1928), and Zara du Pont (1869-1946), known for her work in women's suffrage, labor activism, and social causes.

After the death of her mother in May 1876, Meta du Pont resided for several month with her grandmother at “Goodstay” in Wilmington, Delaware, returned home to Louisville, and attended boarding school in Philadelphia from October 1878 through May 1879. She visited her grandmother at least once a year and they maintained a regular correspondence until her grandmother's death in April 1898. Upon her return from boarding school, Meta du Pont lived in her father's home in Louisville (“Central Park”), and was responsible for running the household, and had an active social life consisting of visits with friends, attending parties, plays and dances, and ice skating.

In May 1888, Meta du Pont married a first cousin, Bannen Coleman (1856-1898), a Louisville businessman associated with her brother T. Coleman du Pont and her father. They had three children: Arthur Moxham Coleman (1890-1931), Greta Clare Coleman (1891-1952) and Alfred Victor Coleman (1893-1967). She apparently lived a conventional life of a married upper-middle class woman in the late nineteenth century.

After her husband's death, Meta du Pont Coleman continued to reside at “Central Park” in Louisville. By the first decade of the twentieth century, she had moved to Massachusetts and lived in the Boston area. She was interested in genealogy and collected family memorabilia and information until her death in 1938.

The Margaretta E. (Meta) du Pont Coleman Papers (1852-1915, 4.33 linear feet) were donated to Hagley Museum and Library by Robert Victor Coleman, the grandson of Meta Coleman, in October 1991. The papers primarily consist of family correspondence collected by Meta Coleman and include letters written to her parents, husband, grandmother, uncle, aunts, siblings, and herself. The majority of letters were still in envelopes.

There are eight series in this collection. The letters are arranged by recipient of the correspondence, and then chronologically.

Series 1 consists of correspondence received by Meta du Pont Coleman, 1875-1912. The letters discuss social life and times in Louisville, Kentucky and on the Brandywine among du Pont family members; boarding school; travels between Kentucky and Delaware; courtship and marriage; household administration; and children.

Series 2, the papers of Margaretta E. Lammot du Pont, 1852-1903 has three subseries. Subseries 1 are letters she received from her son Bidermann du Pont, 1852-1896. These were found tied together in bundles and were arranged chronologically. In these letters, he discusses school in Philadelphia; life in Louisville, Kentucky; weather; family matters; the Civil War and its effects; and travel in Europe. Subseries 2 are letters she received from other family members, 1859-1898; topics include family matters. Subseries 3 are her estate papers, 1897-1903.

Series 3, the Bannen Coleman papers, include correspondence he received, 1884-1898. The letters from Meta Coleman, written during their courtship and after their marriage, are personal. The letters from Coleman du Pont are primarily business related.

Series 4 is letters received by Meta Coleman's parents: Bidermann du Pont, 1856-1894, and Ellen S. Coleman du Pont, 1856-1876; topics primarily include family matters such as births, deaths, growth of children, servant problems, and household furnishings. Series 5 is letters received by Meta Coleman's uncle, A.V. (“Fred”) du Pont, 1854-1892. The correspondence is primarily from family members and covers both family and business concerns. Several of the letters were written by family members, expressing their gratitude for monetary assistance that he provided. Series 6 is correspondence received by the siblings of Meta Coleman: Pauline du Pont Baldwin, Antoine Bidermann (“Ermann”) du Pont, T. Coleman du Pont, Zara du Pont, and Dora du Pont Phillips. Series 7 is correspondence received by Meta Coleman's aunts Paulina du Pont and Elizabeth A. (“Bessie”) Coleman and cousin Kate Hunter, and son. The correspondence for both Series 6 and 7 is family related. Series 8 consists of family miscellany such as stray letters, invitations, and additional items, 1846-1900.

The correspondence between Meta Coleman and Bannen Coleman appear to be fairly complete, as do the letters written by Bidermann du Pont and Meta Coleman to Margaretta Lammot du Pont, and the correspondence received by Meta Coleman. The correspondence of the other family members is sporadic, with obvious gaps and omissions; it may no longer be extant, or may remain in the possession of family members.

Much of the correspondence relates to family matters, both in Louisville and on the Brandywine with reports on births, deaths, sickness, weddings, travel, and the social scene. There are descriptions of clothing, household furnishings, servant problems, and weather. There are some references to politics, particularly in the letters from Bidermann du Pont to his mother. The letters between Bannen Coleman and Meta Coleman trace their courtship and subsequent marriage. There is occasional discussion of business in letters from Bidermann du Pont to his mother, and in the letters received by Fred du Pont and Bannen Coleman.

Accession 2027 comes from the Louisville, Kentucky branch of du Pont family. The papers are an excellent complement to previously accessioned du Pont family papers at Hagley Museum and Library. Accession 1089 contains materials collected by Meta Coleman for genealogical research and can be used in conjunction with Accession 2027. There are some letters and other papers of the Louisville du Ponts scattered throughout other du Pont family collections at Hagley. Accession 2027 is an important resource for any researcher interested in mid- to late nineteenth century du Pont family history. The letters document nineteenth century upper-middle and upper class Caucasian women's concerns, interests, attitudes, and lives.

None.

Provenance Gift of Robert Victor Coleman

April 1992

Processed by Lynn Ann Catanese