[36] Upon learning of her son Martin's death in a duel, Nancy moved in with the Houstons, helping Margaret with the new baby, and over Houston's objections, pitching in with some financial assistance for food and household necessities. [5] Margaret was enrolled at Professor McLean's School, and also attended Judson Female Institute. Margaret Lea Houston (1819–1867) Unknown American Margaret Lea Houston (1819–1867) Public Domain. A second bullet was stopped by his Bible, bearing an inside inscription from Margaret. Roberts (1993), p. 99; Seale (1992), pp. During the operation, Margaret refused any whiskey to ease the pain and instead bit on a silver coin between her teeth. [17], As the day of their May 9, 1840, wedding approached, some family members still looked upon Houston with uncertainty and were determined to stop what they believed would be a disastrous union for Margaret. Sam Houston's house in Houston City has been replaced by an office building. [89], On July 26, 1863, with Margaret at his bedside reading the 23rd Psalm to him, Houston died. [92], Nancy Lea died of an undiagnosed set of flu-like ailments on February 7, 1864, and was entombed on the grounds of her home. Margaret Moffette Lea (April 11, 1819 – December 3, 1867) was the daughter of Alabama planters Temple Lea and Nancy Moffette. In lieu of a cash payment for his services, the bulk of Houston's slave labor force was engaged to work on Hatch's property at Bermuda Spring. B. Lippincott in 1884. 402–404; Roberts (1993), pp. [10] He arrived in Mobile, Alabama, in the early months of 1839 as a partner of the Sabine City Company, seeking investors to develop a community that is today known as Sabine Pass. They met following the first of his two non-consecutive terms as the Republic's president, and married when he was a representative in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. She was a poet and an accomplished musician. The couple later moved to the Steamboat House in Huntsville. Heavy emphasis was put on Baptist theology and missionary work. Financially supplemented by Nancy, the plantation became a family gathering place. She came from a close-knit family in Alabama, many of whom also moved to Texas when she married the man who was an accomplished politician in both Tennessee and Texas, and who had won the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. [41], Texas officially relinquished its sovereignty on February 19, 1846, to become the 28th state in the union, and Houston was elected by the Texas State Legislature to serve in the United States Senate. Texas Woman's University Library, Mary Evelyn Blagg-Huey Library: referencedIn: Temple Houston Morrow: Sam Houston Family Papers, S727. 334–348; Seale (1992), p. 167; Haley (2004), p. 329. 394–395; Seale (1992), pp. Houston replied, "I love the old Lady as a Mother, and have resolved to defer to her age and her disposition. Preview of my Life: It’s April 11th, 1819, I Margaret Moffette Lea was just born in Marion, Alabama. [18] The newlyweds spent their honeymoon week at the Lafayette Hotel before sailing to Galveston, where Nancy and the Bledsoes had already established residencies. After Sam refused to sign an oath to the Confederacy and was removed from his position as governor, the family returned to Independence. At fifteen, her father passed away. When Eliza died in 1898, at her request, she was buried next to Margaret. [22] The existing two-room log dogtrot house with its detached slave quarters overlooked Galveston Bay and became the newlyweds' first home, filled with both Margaret's personal furnishings from Alabama, as well as newer pieces. [82], Their home in Independence having been leased out to the Baptists, retreating there was not an option. [30] He also began to clean up his language to please his new wife, and would eventually claim to have eliminated his profanity altogether. They married in 1840 when she was 21, during his term as a representative in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. Medallion & Plate. [43], Word quickly spread about Houston's upcoming public baptism, and spectators traveled from neighboring communities to witness the event. [50][51], The widowed Vernal remarried to Catherine Davis Goodall in 1849, but trusteeship of Virginia Thorne, by now a teenager, remained with Margaret. Despite owning several houses, the Houston family came back to Cedar Point every summer. [83], Sometime during August 1861, Sam Houston, Jr., enlisted in the Confederate States Army 2nd Texas Infantry Regiment, Company C Bayland Guards, sending Margaret into melancholia. Seale (1992), p. 235; Haley (2004), p. 397. The first of their eight children, Sam Houston Jr., was born on May 25, 1843. [48] Eventually, Houston became the owner of Bermuda Spring when he and Hatch swapped properties,[49] and he set about to build the Woodland home for his wife. Margaret Lea Houston (April 11, 1819 - December 3, 1867) was First Lady of the Republic of Texas during her husband Sam Houston's second term as President of the Republic of Texas. Their “Woodland Home” became Margaret’s favorite house, and four of their children, Margaret Lea, Mary William Houston, Antoinette Power, and William Rogers, were born there. [37], When his presidential term ended on December 9, 1844, Houston turned his attention to the Raven Hill plantation he had acquired that year northwest of Grand Cane and east of Huntsville. The LEAP Ambassadors stopped by the Sam Houston Memorial Museum’s on Thursday, April 11 for a celebration of what would have been Margaret Lea Houston’s 200 th birthday. How shall I bear it? Steamboat House was moved in 1936 to the grounds of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum at Sam Houston State University, and designated a. [78] The first child born in the Texas governor's mansion was also the last of the Houston children; Temple Lea Houston was delivered on August 12, 1860. Children Margaret (Maggie) Lea Houston (1848–1906) married Weston Lafayette Williams. Jul 8, 2015 - This year the museum will be hosting a birthday party for Sam Houston's wife, Margaret Lea Houston! [2] Margaret was the fifth of six children that included older siblings Martin, Varilla, Henry Clinton and Vernal, as well as younger sister Antoinette. He promised that at the end of the current legislative session, he would "... fly with all speed to meet and greet my Love and embrace our little ones." Sam Houston, Jr. (1843–1894) became a physician and author. 112, 129–130. [73] The Houston family and their retinue of slaves moved into the mansion during a political climate that grew increasingly hostile over the secession debate. Following the Annexation of Texas to the United States, Sam Houston shuttled back and forth to Washington, D.C. as the state's U.S. senator for 13 years, while Margaret remained in Texas raising their children. In June, the couple relocated to Galveston, Texas. Location: 1 block east of FM 50/FM 390 intersection, on south side of FM 390, Independence. When she finally answered, she initially only told him of a serious illness that Sam Jr. had since recovered from, even though he was aware of previous problems she had with a breast lump. God's people are offering up the same prayer throughout the whole land. The couple, who moved to Perry County, Alabama, in 1819, had seven children, one of whom died young. Seale (1992), p. 239; Roberts (1993), p. 338. After her husband died in 1863, Margaret Houston returned to Independence, where she provided for her children until her death from yellow fever in 1867. There was much discussion during the Texas 1936 centennial about moving Margaret's remains next to her husband's in Huntsville, but the family and various authorities never came to an agreement over it. Margaret Lea Houston (April 11, 1819 – December 3, 1867) was First Lady of the Republic of Texas, First Lady of the state of Texas, and a founding member of Concord Baptist Church in Grand Cane, Texas. While Sam was away in Washington D.C serving as a senator, their first daughter, Nancy Elizabeth, was born. Kim Roberts May 10, 2020 Margaret Lea Houston, the first First Lady of the Republic of Texas. 201, 211; Flanagan (1973), p. 49. When he was elected to a second term as the President of the Republic of Texas, in 1841 Margaret became the First Lady of the Republic of Texas. Not until May 15, 1965, was an historical marker erected in Independence to denote her contributions to Texas history. He believed his wife to be an exemplary woman of faith and, under her influence, converted to the Baptist denomination, after he had many years earlier been baptized a Catholic in Nacogdoches, Texas. For full functionality please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Upon her later return, they temporarily lived with the Lockhart family at Washington-on-the-Brazos until they were able to acquire a small home there. Ultimately, he decided to make the profession among those who knew him best in Texas. Apr 11, 2013 - Explore Sam Houston Memorial Museum's board "Margaret Lea Houston: First Lady of Texas", followed by 134 people on Pinterest. Roberts (1993), pp. [69] In order to satisfy creditors of his gubernatorial campaign debts, Houston was forced to sell the house to his political supporter J. Carroll Smith. On December 3, 1867, Margaret passed away from yellow fever. Haley (2004), p. 417; Seale (1992), p. 230. After that her family moved into town taking up residence in the home of Henry Lea, Margaret’s older brother and a prominent state legislator and businessman. [39] She continued to be a wife who was happiest when she and her husband stayed close to home. Margaret Lea Houston. The actress Nancy Rennick (1932-2006), who had a leading role in the syndicated adventure television series Rescue 8, played Mrs. Houston in the 1958 episode "The Girl Who Walked with a Giant" of the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. [4] He was an accomplished attorney who sat on the boards of educational institutions, and would be elected to the Alabama State Senate in 1836. They met following the first of his two non-consecutive terms as the Republic's president, and married when he was a representative in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. [31], Approximately 26 miles (42 km) north of Ben Lomond, the Bledsoes operated a sugar cane plantation at Grand Cane in Liberty County. 6–9, 14–15, 17, 40, 44, 52, 54, 57, 64, 67, 69. [88] The 69-year-old Houston was in his final days and physically feeble, requiring the use of a cane to get around. He had died land rich, but cash poor. [76] There had been a botched assassination attempt on Houston, and she saw throngs of angry malcontents gathering in the city. Roberts (1993), p. 38; Seale (1992), pp. She and others in the family were concerned about his reputation as a hard-drinking carouser with a proclivity for profanity, who was 26 years older than Margaret and twice married. Her husband died before the end of the war. Né en Virginie, il est l'une des figures principales de l'histoire du Texas. In 1854, Margaret gave birth to her sixth child, Andrew Jackson, in Independence before again leaving for Huntsville. [28] She rode in a local presidential parade, but stayed home rather than travel to the inauguration in Austin. [35] The couple's first child Sam Houston Jr. was born in the new house on May 25, 1843. [53] Exacerbating the situation was Margaret's disapproval of the relationship that the teenage girl developed with overseer Thomas Gott. [27] Yet, when she rose to the occasion, such as the extended post-election tour of San Augustine County and victory celebrations in Washington County and Houston City, the public adored her, and she became an impressive political asset. Sadly during the first year of their union, the couple spent time apart. 256–258; Roberts (1993), p. 350. [24], --Dr. John W. Lockhart, author and Houston family friend[25], During his second term as representative from San Augustine, Houston was elected in 1841 to once again serve as the Republic's president. Mary William (Mary Willie) Houston (1850–1931) married attorney John Simeon Morrow. She was also very committed to converting Sam and freeing him of his drinking habit, which she eventually did. [40] During the latter part of the year, Antoinette's husband William died, followed a few months later by the death of Vernal's wife Mary. For the duration of his senatorial service, Houston regularly attended the E-Street church, sharing his wife's letters with Samson and delving into theological discussions pertaining to Margaret's interpretation of scriptures. Margaret Houston continued to raise her family and, when General Houston became Governor, again served as First Lady. Upon receipt of her letter, Houston immediately departed Washington, D.C.[47], After his return home, Houston negotiated a labor-swap arrangement with Raven Hill's overseer Captain Frank Hatch. Margaret Moffette Lea was born April 11, 1819, into a family of devout Baptists in Perry County, Alabama. With no government protection provided, she lived in fear for her family's safety. In May 1839, Margaret attended a garden party held by her sister in Mobile, Alabama, and met General Sam Houston, the hero of the Battle of San Jacinto and first President of the Republic of Texas. No funeral service was performed. The first child to be born in the house was Margaret (Maggie) Lea Houston, arriving on April 13, 1848, while Congress was in session and Houston was in Washington. CONTINUE READING. Margaret Lea Houston (April 11, 1819 - December 3, 1867) was the third wife of politician Sam Houston of Texas. She had been advised to see a specialist in Memphis, Tennessee, if there was a recurrence. Widowed young with five children to support, she became postmistress of, Antoinette (Nettie) Power Houston (1852–1932) was poet laureate and state historian for the, William (Willie) Rogers Houston (1858–1920) was a lifelong bachelor, and became a career Special Agent of the. [87], Lacking the financial means to buy back their Woodland home, they rented the Steamboat House in Huntsville. In 1841, Sam was re-elected for his second term as President of Texas. The latter was founded by Baptists to instruct genteel young women in what were considered acceptable goals of their time and place, "proficiency in needlework, dancing, drawing, and penmanship". She, by her great good sense and excellent management, had gained complete control over the general, and it is to her we owe as great a debt of gratitude ... for it was owing to her wonderful influence over him that Texas received the benefaction of his great mind. Houston, Roberts (1996b), p. 82; Roberts (1993), pp. [70] He subsequently defeated incumbent Runnels with a second bid for the office during a period when the populace was bitterly divided over the issue of secession from the United States, and was sworn in December 31, 1859. This Mother's Day — read the story of Margaret Lea Houston, mother of eight and the first First Lady of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston was forced to leave her in Galveston at her mother’s home when he traveled around the state. Her influence on husband Sam Houston persuaded him to give up alcohol and profane… Margaret Lea Houston (April 11, 1819 – December 3, 1867) was First Lady of the Republic of Texas during her husband Sam Houston's second term as President of the Republic of Texas.They met following the first of his two non-consecutive terms as the Republic's president, and married when he was a representative in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. When he was elected the state's governor, Margaret became First Lady of the state of Texas and was pregnant with their last child. by Victoria McClendon-Leggett. The Texas pollen and heat contributed to Margaret’s chronic asthma and soon her health problems prevented her from traveling. 83–86. First Lady of the Republic. Although she accompanied him to President Andrew Jackson's Tennessee funeral in the summer of 1845, she did not attend fetes held in her husband's honor by his old friends and supporters. The Texas legislature eventually gave Margaret an amount equivalent to her husband's unpaid gubernatorial salary; nevertheless, in order to afford Sam Jr.'s enrollment at medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, she rented out the Ben Lomond plantation. [62], As required by Mexican federal law for property ownership in Coahuila y Tejas, Houston had been baptized into the Catholic faith in the Adolphus Sterne House in Nacogdoches prior to Texas independence. [100] Nancy's tomb fell to decay over the years, after which she was re-interred in the ground with Margaret and Eliza. Gen'l Houston seems cheerful and hopeful through the day, but in the still watches of the night I see him agonizing in prayers for our distracted country. They met following the first of his two non-consecutive terms as the Republic's president, and married when he was a representative in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. Her brief tenure came on the cusp of the Civil War, at a time when the state was torn apart over the debate of whether or not to secede from the United States, while her husband worked in vain to defeat the Texas Ordinance of Secession. After a brief sojourn in Nancy's home, and over her objections, the family returned to Ben Lomond in early April. [85] Houston tried to help out by assuming care of their other children in between his extended visits to Galveston. She was his … Margaret Lea Houston. … [56] Throughout the last years of his presidency, Houston had made numerous efforts for the Republic to find common ground with the various tribes, asserting their right to own land.