Madison himself permits "Nelly" to pass under his eyes and from his
hands as his mother's name.

In 1833-34 there was some correspondence between him and Lyman C.
Draper, the historian, which includes some notes upon the Madison
genealogy. These, the ex-President writes, were "made out by a member of
the family," and they may be considered, therefore, as having his
sanction. The first record is, that "James Madison was the son of James
Madison and Nelly Conway." On such authority Nelly, and not Eleanor,
must be accepted as the mother's name. This, of course, is to be
regretted from the Rives point of view; but perhaps the name had a less
familiar sound a century and a half ago; and no doubt it was chosen by
her parents without a thought that their daughter might go into history
as the mother of a President, or that any higher fortune could befall
her than to be the respectable head of a tobacco planter's family on the
banks of the Rappahannock.

This genealogical record further says that "his [Madison's] ancestors,
on both sides, were not among the most wealthy of the country, but in
independent and comfortable circumstances." If this comment was added at
the ex-President's own dictation, it was quite in accordance with his
unpretentious character.[1] One might venture to say as much of a
Northern or a Western farmer. But they did not farm in Virginia; they
planted. Mr. Rives says that the elder James was "a large landed
proprietor;" and he adds, "a large landed estate in Virginia ... was a
mimic commonwealth, with its foreign and domestic relations, and its
regular administrative hierarchy." The "foreign relations" were the
shipping, once a year, a few hogsheads of tobacco to a London factor;
the "mimic commonwealths" were clusters of negro huts; and the
"administrative hierarchy" was the priest, who was more at home at the
tavern or a horse-race than in the discharge of his clerical duties.

As Mr. Madison had only to say of his immediate ancestors--which seems
to be all he knew about them--that they were in "independent and
comfortable circumstances," so he was, apparently, as little inclined to
talk about himself; even at that age when it is supposed that men who
have enjoyed celebrity find their own lives the most agreeable of
subjects. In answer to Dr. Draper's inquiries he wrote this modest
letter, now for the first time published:--

MONTPELLIER, _August 9, 1833_.

DEAR SIR,--Since your letter of the 3d o