Sarah Livingston Jay

Sarah Livingston Jay was the wife of one Constitutional signer and the daughter of another (William Livingston) (John Jay). Sarah was brought up in the upper echelons of colonial American society as the daughter of a powerful and affluent New York family. She followed her husband, John Jay, when he was despatched by the Continental Congress to France to join the group led by Benjamin Franklin after serving as minister in Spain. In order to improve diplomatic relations, she copied Franklin's strategy of involving Americans in the higher echelons of French society.

Adrienne, the Marquis de Lafayette's wife, Abigail Adams, and other American spouses living in Paris were all involved in Sarah's social circle. She rose to prominence in French society, and on at least one occasion, the audience applauded as she entered her box during a play, stopping the performance. Later, she presided as New York's First Lady while her husband was governor and as the Supreme Court's socialite when he was the country's Chief Justice.

Sarah worked as a hostess and socialite in Washington. She was a notable member of George Washington's cabinet who spoke French fluently and was renowned for her subtlety and diplomacy. Her life was inextricably entwined with her husband's, a 19th-century tradition known as coverture, like that of the majority of the Founding Mothers. However, she made a vital contribution to the events that led to the Jay Treaty with Great Britain, the Treaty of Alliance with France, and the important choices taken in the early years of the new American government.

• Born; Sarah Van Brugh Livingston, August 2, 1756, British America
• Died: May 28, 1802 (aged 45)Bedford, New York
• First Lady of New York (July 1, 1795 – June 30, 1801)