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Marguerite du Pont de Villiers-Ortiz, the daughter of Julien de Villiers-Ortiz and Alice Engénie du Pont, was born on July 31, 1907 at "Valmy", Greenville, Delaware. Her education began at the Ogontz School and was completed at the University of Pennsylvania. She first married Forrester Holmes Scott, with whom she had two children: Eve Hermine du Pont Scott, and Zoe Zenger du Pont Scott. Her second marriage was to Harry Clark Boden, IV and their child was Kip Kelso Boden. Mrs. Boden died on July 23, 1977 in Delaware.

Memberships

  • Order of the Three Crusades 1096-1192 (former President General)
  • National Society Americans of Royal Descent (Honorary President General)
  • Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America (Honorary President General)
  • Order of the Crown in America (former First Vice President General)
  • Order of First Families of Virginia 1607-1624 (former Burgess from Delaware)
  • National Gavel Society (Founding Vice President; Honorary President)
  • Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry
  • Hereditary Order Descendants of Colonial Governors
  • General Society of Mayflower Descendants (former Councilor of the Delaware Society)
  • Society of The Ark and The Dove
  • Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America
  • National Huguenot Society (former Vice President of the Delaware Society)
  • Colonial Dames of America, Chapter II
  • National Society Dames of the Court of Honor
  • National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century
  • National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (former Advisor to the Museum)
  • National Society United States Daughters of 1812
  • Dames of the Loyal Legion of the United States
  • Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy (former member of the Executive Council)
  • Netherlands Society of Philadelphia
  • Welcome Society of Pennsylvania
  • Swedish Colonial Society of Delaware (former Councilor)
  • Dutch Colonial Society of Delaware (former President)
  • National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims
  • National Society of New England Women
  • National Society Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century
  • Society of the Founders of Norwich, Connecticut
  • Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford
  • National Society Women Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company
  • National Society Daughters of the Barons of Runnemede (former Chaplain)
  • National Society of Old Plymouth Colony Descendants
  • National Society Daughters of the American Colonists
  • Flagon and Trencher

The Hereditary Register of the United States of America, (member of the Editorial Committee, 1972, 1973 and 1974)

Chivalric Orders

  • Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (Associate Officer)

Notes

As a philanthropist, benefactor, author and leader, Mrs. Boden's gifts to the hereditary community and historic preservation were substantial. She bequeathed Mount Harmon Plantation, her sixteenth century Georgian country estate, to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was later transferred to Friends of Mount Harmon, which currently oversees its preservation and operation. The plantation began in 1651 as a land grant of 350 acres to Godfrey Harmon by Caecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. The manor house, which has been thoroughly restored, is furnished with American, English, Irish and Scottish antiques dating from the 1760 - 1810 period. The estate, which is located on the Sassafras River in Cecil County, Maryland, is now open to the public.

Mrs. Boden was an Honorary Life Member of the Vineland, New Jersey Historical Society; a trustee of the Delaware Historical Society; a Pilgrim Tercentenary Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society; and a Pennsylvania Patriot of the Historical Foundation of Pennsylvania. She also belonged to The Historical Society of Delaware; Cecil County Historical Society; Kent County Historical Society; The Maryland Historical Society; Cumberland County Historical Society; Huguenot Historical Society of New Paltz, New York; Historical Society of New York County; Virginia Historical Society; The Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Revolutionary War Bi-Centennial Resources Committee for 1976; and Duck Creek Historical Society.

Mrs. Boden also held memberships in The National Genealogical Society; The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania; Society of Architectural Historians; Delaware Society for the Preservation of Antiquities; Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts; National Society of Arts and Letters, Washington Chapter; Kenmore Association; Friends of Winterthur; Friends of the American Museum in Britain; and The National Trust for Historic Preservation. She served as the Honorary Chairman of the British American Society of America and La Foundation Internationale de Delaware. She was also a member of the Executive Council of the Friends of Lafayette and served as Vice President of the Alliance Francaise of Wilmington.

In addition to being a co-founder of the Governor William Bradford Family Compact and a Duzine member of the Le Fevre Family Association, she belonged to a number of family associations including the Doane Family Association; du Bois Family Association; Edward Bates Family Association; and Governor Thomas Dudley Family Association.

Mrs. Boden was also a member of the Mt. Vernon Club of Baltimore, Maryland; Rose Tree Hunt Club of Delaware; Greenville Country Club; Wilmington Country Club; Club of Colonial Dames and The Army Navy Club of Washington, D. C.