Ann (Willing) Bingham (1764 - 1801)

Born 1 Aug 1764 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 11 May 1801 at age 36 in Bermuda

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Biography

Anne Willing Bingham

Ann (Willing) Bingham was an American socialite from Philadelphia, regarded as one of the most beautiful women of her day. She was the eldest daughter of Thomas Willing, president of the First Bank of the United States, the wife of the wealthy William Bingham, mother-in-law of Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton, and correspondent of Thomas Jefferson among others.

Her correspondence with Jefferson led to the construct of the Bill of Rights. Through many letters, she convinced Jefferson that the Constitution would not last and the individual citizens would have their rights impeded from the interests of the majority. Jefferson was finally convinced and in turn presented her ideas to James Madison (though he may not have used her name due to the nature of the idea's origin) and Madison agreed to the proposal. Madison then proposed the Individual Bill of Rights and Bingham's ideas were adopted by Congress.

In 1800, sometime after the birth of her third child, Anne contracted a serious illness, likely tuberculosis. Accompanied by serveral members of her family, she set sail for Madeira in search of a more favorable climate, but died in Bermuda on 11 May 1801, aged 37 years.

Birth

BIRTH 1 Aug 1764^[1]

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA

Marriage

Husband: William Bingham 1754–1804^[2]

Wife: Anne Willing^[2]

Children:

1. Anne Louisa Bingham who m. 1798 Rt. Hon Alexander Baring, Baron Bashburn^[2]
2. Maria Matilda Bingham who m. 1st James Alexander Comte de Tille and m. 2nd Henry Baring and m. 3rd Marzuis de Blaisell^[2]
3. William Bingham d. Paris 1855^[2]

Death

Death Date: 11 May 1801 (aged 36)^[1]

Death Place: Bermuda

Burial

Saint Peters Church Graveyard

Saint George's Parish, Bermuda

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} FIndAGrave: Ann Willing Binham: Memorial ID: 26045879
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Charles Henry Browning. Americans of Royal Descent: A Collection of Genealogies of American Families Whose Lineage is Traced to the Legimate Issue of Kings Porter & Costes, 1891. 732 pages

• Wikipedia: Ann Willing Binham