Identity:

Astive Doty, née Froidure, was the wife of Captain Horace H. Doty, an officer of marines and specialist in signal lights and lighthouse illumination. Her sister Blanche Froidure (b. ca 1845) was a governess.

Life:

In 1866 JW and H. H. Doty were involved in a plan to sell arms to Chile during a dispute with Spain [#04335]. Doty advanced substantial sums to JW [#12971]. It appears that Doty was not pleased with the result of the mission. Immediately after Whistler's return, 'when he got out of the train at Euston, or Waterloo, some one, besides his friends was waiting [...] Somebody got a thrashing'. JW may have been suspected of having an affair with H. H. Doty's wife, Astide, when they sailed together on the voyage to Valparaiso. However, JW suggested later that she was not in fact Doty's wife.

In 1881 Astive Doty lived at 32 Lilyville Road, Fulham.

Bibliography:

UK census 1881 from http://www.familysearch.org (accessed 2004).