Alice Christie (Chrystie)

On November 11, 1715, Cadwallader marries Alice Christie, in Kelso, Scotland. She was born on January 5, 1690 and is the daughter of a clergyman named David Christie and his wife Alison Hamiltone. She is not entirely a stranger to Cadwallader. It would appear that her brother, James Christie, and Cadwallader had a friendship and wrote to each other. At the end of a letter to Cadwallader dated April 22, 1715, James says "My father Mother & Sister do always remember you." In addition to James, Alice also had brothers named David (who is often refered to as Davey), John and Andrew. I have not found a record of any sisters.

Some historians have noted that many of the colonial families never forgave Cadwallader for looking for a bride in Scotland when so many of their daughters in America needed suitable husbands.

What kind of a woman was Alice? We know that she was a well-educated one in keeping with what was expected of a clergyman's daughter. Cadwallader trusted her enough to educate his children while he was gone. He held her in high regard and in later years would leave the running of their New York estate in her capable hands while he attended to government business in Albany and the city,

On May 7, 1716, Cadwallader and Alice arrive in Philadelphia. She is already six months pregnant with their first child when they land in America. Cadwallader continues his mercantile business and starts practising medicine. It is during this time that we see a correspondence with his cousin, Richard Hill, in London, through whom Cadwallader purchases the latest medical books and journals. Cadwallader also starts purchasing drugs through various agents for his medical practice. It would be safe to assume that now that he is in a sound financial situation, he is slowly returning to his first love ... medicine.

On August 13, 1716, their son, Alexander Colden, is born in Philadelphia. Cadwallader has named him after his father. The child will be affectionately known as Sandy in the letters that his parents write home to Scotland.

In a February 14, 1717, letter from Oxnam, the Reverent Alexander Colden writes, "We had yours dated Aug. 14 which brought us the comfortable account of both your healths and of our sister and the continuance of her extraordinary kindness to you both and especially of our daughters safe deliverie of a sone for which we here have desired & endeavored with joyfull hearts to give praise to god with our lips. I take it as another evidence of your filial respect to me in giving him my name & we heartyly pray he be be spared."

A letter from David Christie (Alice's father) to Cadwallader Colden, written two days after Reverend Colden's on Feb. 16, 1717, tells us that baby Alexander has had the small pox. Christie ends his letter with "Remember us to all to Alie & Sandie; we all long to hear about him, if he hath gott over the small pox."

Between 1717 and 1718, Cadwallader's correspondence with merchants is solely about the purchase of medicine and medical books, so we know he is fully back in his medical practice.

In 1718 while he is visiting New York, he meets Governor Robert Hunter, who takes a liking to him and invites him to live in New York and promises him a government job. Cadwallader jumps at this opportunity because he is getting tired of Philadelphia which he considers too urban for his growing family.

Sometime between 1717 and his move to New York in 1718, he and Alice have a son named David who dies in infancy.

A March 9, 1719 letter from David Christie in Kelso to his daughter Alice talks about the baby's death. Christie writes: "The last I heard from you was dated at New York Jul: 14 which I received Sep: 19: And your brother had one from your husband dated (I think) Oct: 6 wherein he gives him the bad news of poor little Davies death, which you may be sure was an affliction to us all."

In the same letter Christie tells Alice that her brother, John, had died in Virginia the previous year. " But I have other melancholy news to tell you, your brother John dyed in Virginia upon the 9th of June last." He had died on board a ship called the Rumsay on the very day it came to Virginia.