Mary Lincoln Beckwith

Mary Lincoln Beckwith (August 22, 1898 – July 10, 1975) was a descendant of Abraham Lincoln, recognized as one of the last two confirmed descendants of the 16th President of the United States, along with her younger brother Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith.

She was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to Jessie Harlan Lincoln and Warren Wallace Beckwith. Her grandfather, Robert Todd Lincoln, gave her the nickname "Peggy," derived from his description of her hair as "flying in the sun" in a letter to Emile Todd Helm. Beckwith was raised in Manchester, Vermont, at the family estate known as Hildene, where her family resided on a farm. She later spent part of her childhood in Washington, D.C.

Beckwith attended Miss Madeira's School, a private preparatory school, but did not pursue higher education. Before the United States entered World War I, she served as a representative on the committee on public information in Cuba. In 1918, she returned to her family farm to assume responsibilities vacated by men going to war. She studied agriculture at Cornell University and expressed interest in organizing young women to work on farms.

Her interests extended into aviation; her first flight was in 1930 at Curtiss Airport in Baltimore, where she requested a ride. Subsequently, she obtained her private pilot's license by 1931. During the 1930s, she built a private landing strip in Manchester, Vermont, and acquired several airplanes, including a three-seat sports plane, a Curtiss Gypsy Moth, and a Traveler aircraft. During this period, she resided at Hildene with her grandmother, Mary Harlan Lincoln. By 1938, Beckwith managed a 412-acre dairy farm on the estate following the death of her grandmother.

Throughout her life, Beckwith remained unmarried and childless. Rumors suggested she was a lesbian. She managed her estate as a farm, engaged in art and sculpture, and was known within her local community. Despite her desire for privacy, she was recognizable by her attire when conducting errands around Hildene, often dressed in blue jeans, overalls, and a shirt complemented by a man's cap.

On May 14, 1960, Beckwith christened the submarine Abraham Lincoln. She passed away at Rutland Hospital in Rutland, Vermont, at approximately 2:15 a.m. on July 10, 1975, shortly before her 77th birthday. She had requested that her ashes be spread over her estate, a wish that was honored, and no funeral or memorial service was held. Following her death, her brother Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith became the last living descendant of Abraham Lincoln.