On April 20, 1854, we were married in the old house, 22 Beach St., New York… by Dr. Jas. W. Alexander of the 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church; Edmund Wilkes and Laura Renwick, James R. Smedberg and Janey Wilkes were our attendants, and about 60 guests, family and intimates. The early spring had been very forward, but a few days before the 20th, we had a heavy snow fall …I think that was the time your father had to come over…in a sleigh, as the tunnels were so blocked with snow…
Courtship letters
The earliest surviving letters date to 1847 and contain descriptions of Jack’s adventures at sea and Jeanie’s activities in New York and Devasego. From the letters, we learn that towards the end of 1852, Jack and Jeanie confessed their feelings for one another, and the letters reveal the depth of their relationship.
1853 March 11 – Jack to Jeanie - reports on a “stormy talk” with his father, career plans uncertain
In the spring of 1848, the recently promoted Commodore Charles Wilkes and his youngest son, Edmund, traveled south to investigate the estate of his uncle, William Renwick, who had left behind an interest in a gold mine near Charlotte, North Carolina. Jack was still away at sea. The Commodore's wife, Jane Renwick Wilkes, was on her way to Newport, Rhode Island, with daughters Janey and Eliza. During the journey Jane injured her leg and after months of suffering, succumbed to tetanus on August 18, 1848. Her death devastated the family.
In 1841, Jack Wilkes approached his mother about joining the Navy. Although she opposed the idea, Jane Renwick Wilkes sought the help needed to obtain his commission and painstakingly made the uniform for her fourteen-year-old son. His father Charles was still away at sea, and was heartbroken to receive word that Jack was now a Midshipman. Jack served aboard a number of ships that traveled to the South Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Brazil. During the Mexican War, Jack was stationed aboard the USS Mississippi.
In 1838, Captain Charles Wilkes led the first US expedition to Antarctica. The flora, fauna, maps and other findings from the Exploring Expedition (or Ex Ex, as it was known in the family) made up the first exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute – the building designed by his nephew, James Renwick, Jr. (Oil painting of ship. U.S.S. Vincennes attributed to Captain Charles Wilkes.)
Jeanie spent winters in New York, attending balls, weddings, and the opera. She went on calls with her mother and sister. The family attended The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. From time to time, she would visit her cousins Janey and Eliza Wilkes in Washington, DC. In the summer, the Smedberg family joined countless New Yorkers in packing up the entire house to escape the heat in the mountains of New York. The Smedberg family, of course, returned to Devasego, which was located in the Catskills.
Charles Augustus Smedberg (1781-1845) was born in Sweden. His family were prominent bankers and merchants. He came to New York in 1812 as a representative of the Bank of England. While in New York City, he met and married Isabella Renwick (miniature by John Wesley Jarvis) and like many enterprising young men became an importer or merchant of goods from overseas.
Jane Jeffrey Renwick and Lieutenant Charles Wilkes married on April 26, 1826. The couple eventually settled in Washington, DC, where they raised their four children:
1. John “Jack” Wilkes (March 31, 1827-July 6, 1908) m. Jane Renwick Smedberg of New York City
2. Jane “Janey” Wilkes (January 3, 1829-August 17, 1921)
3. Edmund “Em” Wilkes (February 4, 1833-November 24, 1913) m. Bessie Van Buren of Ohio
5. Eliza Wilkes (July 18, 1838-August 16, 1908). *
Israel Wilkes (1722-1805) was the son of an English distiller, Israel Wilkes, and his wife Sarah Heaton Wilkes. His brother was the famous British radical, John Wilkes.
