Thomas Lincoln

Thomas (Tad) Lincoln, the fourth son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, was born in 1853. He had three brothers: Robert Lincoln (1843-1926), Edward Lincoln (1846-50) and William Lincoln (1850-62).

When his brother William died in 1850 Thomas was the only child at home with his parents. William Herndon described Abraham Lincoln as "the most indulgent parent I have ever known".

After the assassination of his father, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas was his mother's constant companion. Educated briefly in Chicago (1866-67) he mother took him to Germany where he attended a school in Frankfurt (1868-70).

Thomas suffered from poor health and in 1871 Mary Todd Lincoln brought him back to the United States. He died soon afterwards from tuberculosis.

Primary Sources