New Albany Daily
Ledger Standard 06-03-1878 p4c4 MARY
ANN LAPSLEY. “Of no distemper, of no
blast she died, But full like autumn fruit that mellowed long; Even wondered
that she dropt no sooner; Fate seemed to wind her up for four-score years, Till
like a clock worn with eating care, The wheels of weary life at last stood
still.”
To-day Mrs. Mary Ann Lapsley
lies in the all-embracing arms of death.
This sad event occurred at her residence on Main street, at 8:30 o’clock
Sunday morning. She was one of the early
pioneers of our city. The annals of New
Albany furnish no name so conspicuous and so long a citizen. Her material interests were large and
interwoven with the affairs of our town.
Mrs. Lapsley had not only lived
the history of New Albany, but she had outlived the most of her relatives. She was born in Fairfield, Conn., came to
this city in 1817, with her father and mother, Major William Silliman, and
wife. Major Silliman was a brother of
the famous Benjamin Silliman, Sr., and she was consequently cousin of the
present Prof. Silliman and Prof. J. D. Dana, of New Haven, Conn. After the death of her parents, which event
occurred shortly after removing here, she went to Louisville and made her home
at Mr. Cuthbert Bullitt’s, where her sister, Mrs. D. C. Banks, also
resided.
She was first married July 27,
1819, at Mr. Bullitt’s to Mr. Elias Ayers.
She continued to make Louisville her home until 1821, when she and her
husband settled permanently in New Albany.
Before her marriage, however, she taught school in Louisville. Major Ayers lived with her as a devoted husband
and an excellent business man until his death, which occurred in 1843. All of her children, eight in number, were
born during the life of this husband and all died before reaching adult
age. Her next marriage took place in
1849, to the Rev. Phillip Lindsley, chancellor of the university of Nashville,
Tenn. He was a gentleman very much
esteemed for learning and piety, and was widely known. For a brief time their residence was made in
that city, but soon returned to our city and made their home on the corner of
Spring and Bank streets, where the Female High School now is. Dr. Lindsley was her husband six years after
marriage and died in 1856. After a
widowhood of two years she married again to Mr. William Richardson, President
of Northern Bank of Kentucky, Louisville, with whom she lived with endearing
relations until 1863, when he died. Her
fourth and last husband was the Rev. Robert A. Lapsley, D.D. This marriage occurred February 6, 1866. Remarkable and above the average of men, as
were her former husbands, she was none the less fortunate in her last. Dr. Lapsley’s goodness, piety, and gentleness
of heart, which formed his character, are still fresh in our memory. Four such fortunate marriages by one woman
are almost if not entirely without a parallel in womanhood. These gentlemen, her husbands, were men of
experience, judgment, rare intelligence, and influence, beyond the common lot
of men. The highest proof of their
estimation of this woman they gave. At
the time of Mrs. Lapsley’s death she was eighty-two, and a widow of six years. With Mr. Ayers she laid the foundation of her
wealth. They opened a store on the
corner of Main and Pearl streets, and did much business there with such men as
Mr. Silas C. Day and Mr. David Hedden as clerks, both of whom have never seemed
to have forgotten the training they received.
Mrs. Lapsley was a wonderful woman.
She had her share of experiences, bitter in sorrows, tragic in
disappointments, and acquainted with grief.
Seldom did woman have more. But
with all her adversities and bereavements she never paraded her griefs. She was most uncomplaining and rarely
referred to any of her discomforts. She
had the great gifts of common sense, judgment, tact and energy. These were effective and of great advantage
to her in business transactions. There
were much dignity, agreeable manners, and force of character about her that
gave her influence and an advantage over most women. In person she was short and thick in size,
and was quick of speech, with penetrating black eyes that had much meaning in
them. Her mind worked rapidly; she
comprehended situations, circumstances and contingencies with adroitness. Her conclusions were usually positive. She was brimful of business and gave much
time to its direction. When Mr. Ayers
died he left her with a comfortable estate, out of which several large bequests
were made, and by a mutual agreement between them all the property they had or
which might thereafter accrue should be devoted to objects of education and
benevolence. In accordance with this
plan, before Mr. Ayers’ death twenty thousand dollars were given to found a
theological seminary in New Albany.
There was the Ayers’ seminary under the Rev. Dr. Wood, to which an
endowment was affixed. She also
bequeathed to Hanover college the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, and she has
otherwise made handsome donations to institutions of similar character. She has assisted young men through college,
and among her recent and last charities was the sum of one thousand dollars to
our Orphans’ Home. And she has been
generous in assisting many whom the public will never know, only as they are
found out other than from her. Mrs. Mary
Ann Lapsley was often harshly judged, misrepresented and aspersed by people who
imagined they knew her. Those who knew
her best and longest held warm friendship for her and loved her. True she was frugal in her habits; had her
own methods and ways of conducting her affairs, nor did she care for anyone’s
opinion in this direction. She was
partial to social amenities, invited friends and clergy to her house, and was
cordial and kind. She entertained with stateliness and rare good spirit. Her friends were the best bred people to whom
her hospitalities could be shown. Her
methodical housekeeping is proverbial.
In conversation she was vocal and never dull; her reminiscences of early
times fresh and entertaining. Her mind
did not seem to impair with age, but seemed to retain much of its usual
vigor. Self-reliance and independence
were not inconsiderable features of her character. These qualities assisted her in the
management and accumulation of property.
While her estate is supposed to be large, she has met with serious
losses in some of her investments. She
has lent a helping hand to our manufacturing industries with poor return, and
in some few instances to such extent that with some men under these
circumstances would have crippled their resources beyond recovery.
But whatever there is remaining,
aside from some personal bequests, the bulk will go to charitable and
educational objects, the ultimate end of which she confidently believed would
glorify God.
In the death of Mrs. Lapsley, New
Albany loses a valued citizen, society a very elegant lady, and the Presbyterian
church a useful and warmly attached member.
The life and character of such a woman is worthy to be studied, the
example of her Christian virtues imitated, and the many excellencies of her
womanhood impressed upon the coming generation.
She has not lived in vain. She
benefited mankind, fed the hungry, clothed the needy and filled the measure and
more of allotted years.
Mrs. Mary Ann Lapsley
consecrated her wealth to deeds of charity without ostentation, or herald of
trumpets. To-day her choice spirit is
free from bondage of clay and of sin.
She enters her reward. Let us pay a tearful tribute to her memory in
manifestation of our sorrow by honoring her funeral with our presence. She will live enshrined in memory by those
who loved and respected the noblest woman of our time.
New Albany Daily
Ledger Standard 06-04-1878 p4c6 The
funeral of Mrs. Mary A. Lapsley was largely attended at the First Presbyterian
church this afternoon, many of the old citizens were present. Dr. Humphreys, of Louisville, delivered the
funeral sermon.
New Albany Daily
Ledger Standard 06-05-1878 p4
Obsequies – Mrs. Mary Ann
Lapsley. The pageantry of
yesterday afternoon, over the remains of the venerable Mrs. Lapsley, was most
imposing and beyond ordinary funeral occasions.
There was a general turnout of all classes of people, of old as well as
young, of rich as well as poor, to pay tribute and honors to the departed worth
of New Albany’s most distinguished woman and benefactor. It was signal proof of the intense interest
which this community attaches to worth, character, and beneficence. In the vast assemblage that did honors to her
memory were many distinguished citizens from abroad. The venerable president and Rev. Dr. Tuttle,
of Wabash College, Crawfordsville; President Heckman, of Hanover College,
Madison; the Rev. Dr. McKee, of Danville College, Ky.; the Rev. Dr. Humphrey,
of Louisville, and many other clergy, including our own, were present. The Rev. Dr. Humphrey conducted the services
at the First Presbyterian church, by reading appropriate passages of scripture,
after which he sketched her early biography, of which he was familiar, by the
fact of being an old townsman of Mrs. Lapsley in Fairfield, Conn. The portrayal of that ragged and severe
training which she received in her childhood, the description of which was so
handsomely given by her own clergyman, Dr. Humphreys, was exceedingly
interesting and instructive. The lesson
of her life was the best Sabbath school of truth that has been given in many a
day. President Heckman, of Hanover
college, followed Dr. Humphreys, and paid a beautiful and well merited tribute
to the Christian character of Mrs. Lapsley.
As an additional tribute in
honor of her memory, the operatives of the woolen mill turned out in a body and
joined the procession. It is well known
that Mrs. Lapsley was the projector of this great manufacturing industry of our
city. She gathered the capitalists and
formed the enterprise, which is today one of her monuments.
The entire ceremonies, simple
and unostentatious as they could be made, were in accordance with her well
known wishes, and under the marshalship of Mr. A. W. Bentley, whose attentions,
kindness and skill are so well known and proper, everything due the occasion
was handsomely performed.
New Albany has lost a great
citizen, and one she could ill spare.
