Esther Maria "Lili" Lewis Chapin (June 17, 1871 – June 21, 1959) was an American socialite. She was a direct descendant of

Betty Washington Lewis Elizabeth "Betty" Washington Lewis (June 20, 1733 – March 31, 1797) was an American Colonist. She was the younger sister of George Washington and the only sister that survived childhood. Her half-sister, Jane, died at age 11 and her sister Mildre ...

, the sister of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

. An evening gown she wore in 1888 set a world auction record when it sold in 2001.

Early life

Esther Maria Lewis was born in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

in 1871 and was raised in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

. Her father was Colonel

Edward Parke Custis Lewis Edward Parke Custis Lewis (February 7, 1837 – September 3, 1892) was a Confederate Army colonel, lawyer, legislator, and diplomat who served as United States Minister to Portugal from 1885 to 1889. Early life Lewis was born at Audley, hi ...

(1837-1892), who served as United States Minister to Portugal under President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

from 1885 to 1889. Her mother was Mary Picton Stevens (1840-1903), daughter of Edwin Augustus Stevens and formerly the wife of

Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett (July 25, 1821 – February 14, 1864), was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from Virginia. Early life Garnett was born on his family’s "Elmwood (Loretto, Virginia), Elmwood" estate located near Loretto ...

. Her paternal great-grandparents were Lawrence Lewis, a nephew of

, and

Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis (March 31, 1779 – July 15, 1852), known as Nelly, was a granddaughter of Martha Washington and a step-granddaughter and adopted daughter of George Washington. Childhood Nelly was a daughter of John Parke Custis and E ...

, a granddaughter of Martha Washington.

Debut

Court presentation ensemble MET DP131215

In 1888, at the age of 17 or 18, while her father was serving as Minister to Portugal, she was presented to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

wearing a gown designed by Charles Frederick Worth, the world's first couturier. On May 29, 2001, the gown, which has a 23-inch waist and a 10½-foot detachable train, was sold at the

Doyle New York Doyle New York is an American auction house and appraiser of fine art, jewelry, furniture, decorations and other items. It offers auctions throughout the year at its premises on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The firm was founded in 1962 by the ...

auction for $101,500, at the time a world auction record for an antique dress. After her father's diplomatic tenure ended in 1889, the family returned to their Hoboken home.

Personal life

On May 19, 1894, Esther Maria Lewis married Charles Merrill Chapin at Trinity Church in Hoboken. They had two children: *Mary Stevens Chapin (born November 10, 1895) *Charles Merrill Chapin, Jr. (born May 27, 1898). In 1959, Lewis died in

Bernardsville, New Jersey Bernardsville () is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is nestled in the heart of the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,707,

at the age of 88.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapin, Esther Maria Lewis 1871 births 1959 deaths American socialites Lewis family People from Hoboken, New Jersey Washington family American expatriates in Switzerland