Mishew Edgerton Smith
Mishew Edgerton Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mishew Ellen Edgerton May 29, 1935 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 1981 (aged 46) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Resting place | Historic Oakwood Cemetery |
| Education | Ravenscroft School Holton-Arms School Junior College of Washington |
| Occupation | socialite |
| Spouse | Alton Battle Smith |
Mishew Ellen Edgerton Smith (May 29, 1935 – September 1, 1981) was an American debutante and socialite. In 1953, she was selected by the Terpsichorean Club to lead the North Carolina Debutante Ball.
Early life and family
[edit]Smith was born Mishew Ellen Edgerton on May 29, 1935, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Mishew Ellen Rogers Edgerton and Norman Edward Edgerton.[1] She grew up at Tatton Hall, her family's palatial mansion on Oberlin Road.[2][1] They were members of Carolina Country Club.[2][3] Her father was a prominent businessman who owned the Raleigh Bonded Warehouse and served as president of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, president of the Raleigh Kiwanis Club, and president of the Raleigh Shriners.[4] Her grandfather, Noah Edgerton, owned a cotton mill in Selma, North Carolina.[4] Her grandmother was a niece of the philanthropist Richard Stanhope Pullen of Pullen Plantation.[4]
Smith was educated at the Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, the Holton-Arms School in Maryland, and Junior College of Washington.[1]
Adult life
[edit]In September 1953, she was presented to society at the North Carolina Debutante Ball, where she was selected as head debutante.[1][5] She wore a gown designed by Willie Otey Kay for the occasion.
On April 20, 1956, she married Alton Battle Smith, the grandson of Senator Willis Smith, at Edenton Street United Methodist Church.[1][6] The ceremony was officiated by Bishop Paul Neff Garber of the North Carolina Annual Conference and Rev. Dr. Howard P. Powell.[1] A reception was held at Tatton Hall.[6] The couple honeymooned in Montego Bay, Jamaica.[6]
She was a member of the Junior League of Raleigh and, prior to her marriage, was a member of the Spinster's Club of Washington, D.C.[1] Like her parents, she was a benefactor of Edgerton Memorial United Methodist Church in Selma.[7]
She had a son, Alton Battle Smith Jr., who inherited her father's company, and a daughter, Mishew Edgerton Smith, who followed in her footsteps as a lead debutante at the North Carolina ball.[8][4]
Smith died in Raleigh on September 1, 1981, and was buried in Historic Oakwood Cemetery. A pair of 18th-century Delftware vases that once belonged to Smith were donated in her memory to the Joel Lane House Museum.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Miss Edgerton Is Wed In South: Methodist Church in Raleigh, N.C., Scene of Marriage to Alton Battle Smith". The New York Times. New York City. April 21, 1956. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Tatton Hall".
- ^ "The List of society, 1954". New York : Society Listing, Inc. National. December 20, 1954 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c d "NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Raleigh Bonded Warehouse" (PDF). files.nc.gov.
- ^ Cameron, Dotty (August 8, 1954). "State's Top Social Event: Debutante Register Features North Carolina's Ball". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Shady Grove WSCS Elects Year's Officers". newspapers.digitalnc.org. 1956-04-16.
- ^ "Our History". edgeumc.
- ^ "Miss Mishew Edgerton Smith of Marion, Assistant leader of the 1977 Debutante Ball". The Daily Times-News. August 29, 1977. p. 5 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pair Delft Vases | Joel Lane Museum House". www.joellane.org.