M.M.White undertaker WashingtonDC Matthias M. White undertaker of Washington , DC Fisk and Raymond metallic coffins

A Brief History of Fisk by Nancy on Scribd

This is a timeline and list of know burials/funerals and in many cases Fisk metallic caskets provided by Mathias M. White in Washington, District of Columbia from the years 1849- 1868.

In his many DC newspaper advertisement of the time M.M. White is listed as the District of Columbia's sole proprietor of Fisk airtight caskets.

I am going to do many individual posts for what I know of each deaths and burials including articles, congressional records, images etc. I have created a special label for Madison and Calhoun so you can read all I have on them and all the others are labeled 'congress' so you can read about the Speaker, Senators and Representatives he was undertaker to.

Timeline: MM White Undertaking - Known Congressional/Government Burials  

1848- Fisk receives patent for Fisk Metallic Burial Case 

1849- Fisk is displaying the caskets in the United State Congressional rotunda April 1849 

1849 -Former first lady, Dolley Madison died DC buried Congressional Cemetery (July 12, 1849) 

1850- Former Vice President John C. Calhoun died DC buried Congressional Cemetery and South Carolina (March 31, 1850) 

1850- Hon Thomas J. Campbell Clerk of the United States House of Representatives & U.S. Representative Tennessee (April 13, 1850)

1850- Hon. Franklin Elmore U.S. Representative and Senator SC died DC (May 29, 1850) 

1851- Hon. David S. Kaufman U.S. Representative died DC buried Congressional Cemetery (January 31, 1851) 

1852- Hon. Henry Clay, Speaker of the House of Representatives Kentucky died DC National Hotel Penn. Ave. in his room (Room 116) (June 29, 1852) 

1852- Hon. Robert Rantoul Jr. U.S. Representative and Senator Massachusetts died DC (August 7, 1852) 

1853- Hon. Orin Fowler U.S. Representative Massachusetts died DC (September 3, 1852) 

1854- Hon. Brookins Campbell U.S. Representative Tennessee died DC (December 25, 1853) 

1854- Hon. Henry Augustus Muhlenberg U.S. Representative Pennsylvania died DC (January 9, 1854) 

1856- Hon. Moses Norris Jr. U.S. Representative New Hampshire died DC (January 11, 1855) 

1857- Hon. Preston Smith Brooks U.S. Representative SC died DC (January 27, 1857)

1858- Hon. Sampson W. Harris U.S. Representative Alabama died DC buried Congressional Cemetery (March 3, 1857) 

Other Known burials Congressional Cemetery  

1855- John Bruce (December 24th) 

1856- John Neal (January 12th) 

1857- Commodore John T. Newton (July 28th)  

Known burials Glenwood Cemetery  

1856- Benjamin Grenup 1st Fireman killed in line of duty (May 8) 

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Mathias M. White did not only acted as undertaker for his customers,  but also for his own family.  

Known Family Burials Congressional Cemetery 

1856- Unknown White child of MM White (August 28, 1856) 

1859- Andrew Bain child (Winnie, grandchild of MM) buries in Congressional Cemetery District of Columbia (July 28, 1859) 

1868- E.C. Merriam (In law of MM) buries in Congressional Cemetery District of Columbia (June 7, 1868)

 Washington, DC Daily Union Newspaper - Advertisement Mathias M.White April 24 1850

The usual ad for MM White with the exception of :

“John L. Wirt will see to the filling of all orders during my absence with the remains of Hon. John C. Calhoun”

 M.M. White's bill to congress for Vice President's Calhoun's funeral

 

Fisk & Raymond casket

 

M.M. White sold the casket, handled the DC funeral and accompanied the Vice President's body to South Carolina .

He and the casket traveled by train and ship from Washington, DC to Charleston, South Carolina

White MM JCCalhoun Burial by Nancy

 M.M. White acted as undertaker to First Lady Dolley Madison

  " Along with his invoice, Fisk unashamedly asked John Payne Todd for an endorsement of his product. “May we ask of you a little expression of your sentiments regarding our Metallic burial Case and the satisfaction with which it was received, to yourself and your friends, Such a favor … would be of great service to us” (Almond Dunbar Fisk to John Payne Todd, 23 July 1849). 

Though Todd’s response has never been located, he probably provided a positive review, as Dolley was cited in advertisements for Fisk’s coffin in the years following. 

An 1853 sign advertisement for Mathias M. White, an undertaker in Washington DC who sold Fisk coffins, for example, listed “Mrs. Madison,” John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, and Henry Clay, as notable individuals who had been encased in a Fisk coffin; of those listed, Dolley had been the first.[7]" https://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/dmde/editorialnote.xqy?note=all#n32

Dolley's Coffin by Nancy on Scribd

M.M. White acted as undertaker to First Lady Dolley Madison and provided her with a Fisk& Almond metal casket .

 

 For half a century she was the most important woman in the social circles of America. To this day she remains one of the best known and most loved ladies of the White House.

During the War of 1812, Dolley was forced to flee from the White House by the British army. Her quick thinking saved a portrait of George Washington from being destroyed by fire. Upon returning to the capital, she found the Executive Mansion in ruins. Undaunted by temporary quarters, she entertained as skillfully as ever.

The Madisons lived in pleasant retirement at their plantation Montpelier in Virginia until he died in 1836. She returned to the capital in the autumn of 1837, and friends found tactful ways to supplement her diminished income. She remained in Washington until her death in 1849, honored and loved by all. 

  

 

 https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/dolley-madison

  ** also was undertaker to Senator and Vice President John C Calhoun ( see below)