Joshua Fry Speed
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Joshua Fry Speed (November 14, 1814 - May 29, 1882) was born at Farmington, the estate of the Speed family in Louisville, Kentucky, the fifth son of Judge John Speed and Lucy Gilmer Fry Speed, both of prominent slave-holding families.
Speed was the most intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln from his days in Springfield, Illinois. Speed was a partner in a general store, a farmer, a real estate investor, and also served one term in the Kentucky legislature.
Most accounts say that Lincoln and Joshua Speed actually shared a bed, single or double depending upon the source. In recent years, this has led to speculation about their relationship. See Sexuality of Abraham Lincoln.
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[edit] Family
Joshua Speed's father, Judge John Speed (May 17, 1772 - March 30, 1840) was born in Charlotte County, Virginia.
John was first married to Abby Lemaster (d. July, 1807. They had three children who probably died young.
- Mary Speed (born 1802).
- Eliza Speed (born 1804).
- James Speed.
John was then married to Lucy Gilmer Fry (March 23, 1788 - January 27, 1874). Lucy was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. They had eleven children.
- Thomas Speed (September 15, 1809 - 1812).
- Lucy Fry Speed (born February 26, 1811). Later married to James D. Breckinridge
- James Speed (March 11, 1812 - June 12, 1887).
- Peachy Walker Speed (May 4, 1813 - January 18, 1891).
- Joshua Fry Speed.
- William Pope Speed (April 26, 1816 - June 28, 1863).
- Susan Fry Speed (born September 30, 1817).
- Major Philip Speed (April 12, 1819 - November 1, 1882).
- John Smith Speed (born January 1, 1821).
- Martha Bell Speed (born September 8, 1822).
- Ann Pope Speed (November 5, 1831 - 1838).
[edit] Early adulthood
Young Joshua Speed attended St. Joseph's Academy in Bardstown, like the sons of many wealthy families in Kentucky. He was apparently not content to follow in the footsteps of his father. Speed set out in 1835 for Springfield, Illinois to try his hand in the fortunes of the Midwest. At the time Springfield was a town with a population of fewer than 1,500 people. Almost upon arriving in Springfield, Speed invested in merchandising and assisted in editing a local newspaper.
[edit] Speed and Lincoln
Speed had heard the young Lincoln speak on the stump when Lincoln was running for election to the Illinois legislature, but the two men had only exchanged bits of conversation. On April 15, 1837, Lincoln arrived at Springfield, the new state capital, in order to seek his fortune as a young lawyer. Lincoln needed to set up housekeeping and went to Speed's store to buy a bed. Lincoln asked to buy the bed on credit but Speed offered to share his own large upstairs room, resulting in the two settling in as roommates and bedmates, as there was only one large bed. This in turn led to the development of a life-long friendship. However, whether or not there were sexual relationships between Lincoln and Speed is debated (see bottom).
Almost four years of the two men living in intimate quarters came to an end due to the death of Judge John Speed on March 30, 1840. Joshua announced plans to sell the store and return to his parent's large plantation home, Farmington, near Louisville, Kentucky. Lincoln was notoriously awkward and shy around women. He was however at the time engaged to Mary Todd, a vivacious, if temperamental, society girl. But as the dates approached both for the departure of Speed and his own marriage, Lincoln apparently cracked. Lincoln broke the engagement on the planned day of the wedding (January 1, 1841). Speed departed as planned soon after, leaving Lincoln mired in depression and guilt.
Seven months later, in July 1841, Lincoln visited Speed in Kentucky. Speed welcomed Lincoln to his paternal house where the latter spent a month being nursed back to health. During his stay in Farmington, Lincoln rode into Louisville almost daily to discuss legal matters of the day with James Speed, attorney and Joshua's older brother. Lincoln and Joshua were at odds over Joshua's courtship of his future wife, Fanny Henning (1820 - 1902). Lincoln had romance problems too. He was still recovering from a deep depression which preceded his break with Mary Todd earlier in the year. Lincoln resumed his own courtship of Mary Todd upon his return to Springfield. Joshua and Fanny married on February 15, 1841. Joshua assured his friend in letters that married life had made him happier. Lincoln finally decided to taste married life for himself and married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842.
Lincoln and Joshua corresponded affectionately for decades, chronicling their most personal internal conflicts.
Lincoln served as President of the United States from March 4, 1861 to his death on April 15, 1865. Several times during his administration, Lincoln offered Joshua Speed a government appointment. Speed refused each time, choosing to be a help in other ways. Speed disagreed with Lincoln on the slavery question but remained loyal, and coordinated Union activities in Kentucky during the American Civil War. His brother, James Speed, however, did serve as United States Attorney General beginning in November 1864. In discussing the nomination to Congress, Lincoln acknowledged that he did not know James as well as he knew Joshua. He noted: "That is not strange, for I slept with Joshua for four years, and I suppose I ought to know."
As Lincoln spent his career as a circuit lawyer, he would need to find a bed in several places. Historians and Time magazine recently addressed the issue of Lincoln's sexuality.
[edit] Later activities
Following the assassination of Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, Joshua Speed organized a memorial service in Louisville for the departed leader. He also pledged his support to the administration of succeeding President Andrew Johnson (term April 15, 1865 - March 3, 1869). Sixty members of the Speed family gave money for a monument to honor Lincoln in Springfield. Joshua Speed also wrote lengthy letters to William Herndon, a former law partner of Lincoln who had set about to write a biography of Lincoln.
On May 29, 1882, Joshua Speed died in Louisville, Kentucky.
[edit] Ancestry
Joshua Speed was a seventh generation descendant of antiquarian cartographer and historian John Speed (1552 - July 28, 1629) and his wife Susanna Draper. He was born in Farndon, Cheshire, England to an even older John Speed. His further origin is unknown. He settled in London and was a member of the Merchant Taylor's Company. His surviving maps compiled originally in books have been largely broken up and dispersed as well as his writings notably the genealogies in the king James bible in Latin. His last will and testament mention him having twelve sons and six daughters.
He was a sixth generation descendant of an elder Dr. John Speed, M.D. (1595 - May, 1640) and his wife Margaret Warner. John entered Merchant Taylors' School in January, 1603/1604. He became a Scholar of St John's College, Oxford in October, 1612. He received a Bachelor of Arts on May 3, 1620. He was named a Fellow of St John's College and became M.D. on June 20, 1628.
He was a fifth generation descendant of Dr. John Speed, M.D. (November 4, 1628 - September 21, 1711). John was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. He entered Merchant Taylors' School in September, 1640. He was elected Fellow of St John's College, Oxford in June, 1644. He received a Bachelor of Arts on February 1, 1647/1648. He was expelled from the University of Oxford on May 15, 1648 and was dismissed from his Fellowship in October of the same year. He was reinstated in 1660 following the Restoration of Charles II of England to the throne. He received a Master's degree on September 20, 1660 and became M.D. on June 19, 1666. He settled in Southampton around 1667. He served twice as Mayor of Southampton (1681 - 1682, 1693 - 1694).
He was a fourth generation descendant of James Bernard Speed (September 28, 1679 - March 15, 1719). James was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England and immigrated to Surry County, Virginia in 1695. On September 6, 1711, James was married to Mary Pulley (born c. 1693).
He was a great-grandson of a senior John Speed (February 5, 1714 - March 8, 1785) and his wife Mary Mintrey (c. 1706 - July 1, 1782). He was also a great-grandson of Militia Colonel John Fry (son of Joshua Fry and Mary Micou Hill) and his wife Sarah Adams. Sarah was younger sister to Thomas Adams.
His paternal grandfather was Captain James Speed (March 4, 1740 - September 3, 1811), a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. His paternal grandmother was Mary Spencer (October 20, 1742 - March 5, 1829), daughter of Thomas Spencer, Sr and Elizabeth Julia Flourney. His maternal grandfather was Lieutenant Joshua Fry, another veteran of the American Revolutionary War. His namesake also represented Albemarle County in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1785 to 1786. His maternal grandmother was Peachy Walker, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker and Mildred Thornton Meriwether of Castle Hill.
