Letitia (Christian) Tyler was the first wife of John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States. Her tenure as First Lady was marked by her very poor health, and she died while her husband was in office.
Born into a World of Privilege
Letitia Christian was born on November 12, 1790, at Cedar Grove Plantation (located near Richmond), Virginia. Her parents were Robert Christian and Mary Browne Christian. Like most families living in the Tidewater Basin, the Christians were extremely wealthy. Letitia and her siblings had the finest upbringing. Most importantly, her father was well connected; for example, George Washington was a close friend. It was a foregone conclusion that Letitia would eventually marry well and carry on the family tradition.
John Tyler: Not Quite What Daddy Expected
When she was 18 years old, Letitia met John Tyler, who was also 18. Tyler was a recent graduate of the College of William and Mary. His father was the governor of Virginia and a lawyer. John aspired to follow in the elder Tyler's footsteps and was practicing law in his father's firm when he met Letitia, a lovely young woman with exotic looks, slight stature, and a "quiet, patrician quality" to her face. On the surface, it appeared that Tyler was an excellent match for the well-bred Miss Christian, but her father was reluctant to approve of his daughter's choice of mate. The reason for this was that while Tyler's father was rich in terms of land, the governor was poor in terms of income. Therefore, Mr. Christian believed that John would not make a suitable husband for his Letitia.
The Life and Times of a Virginia Political Wife
Finally, after a reportedly extremely chaste five-year engagement, Mr. Christian relented and gave John and Letitia his blessing to marry. The couple wed on March 29, 1813, and lived at Cedar Grove Plantation, which Letitia inherited from her parents, who both passed away shortly after the wedding.
The Tylers produced eight children-- five daughters and three sons: Mary (1815-48); Robert (1816-77); John, Jr. (1819-96); Letitia (1821-1907); Elizabeth (1823-50); Anne Contesse (1825); Alice (1827-54); Tazewell (1830-74). Letitia's duties as a full-time mother and plantation owner left little time for her to be much of a political wife. Still, she did the best she could to support John's career, which was flourishing by this time. He served in the Virginia state legislature as well as both houses of Congress. John was elected vice president in 1840, when William Henry Harrison was elected the ninth president. Harrison died of pneumonia a month after his 1841 inauguration, and Tyler became commander-in-chief by default.
Tucked Away
Letitia, who had been raised to be a gracious, enthusiastic party hostess, would have relished life as America's First Lady. It was not to be, however. Letitia's health was failing at this point, and she spent her days tucked away on the second floor of the White House, studying newspapers and her Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer. The entertaining of guests was left to Priscilla Tyler, wife of Letitia's eldest son Robert and former First Lady Dolley Madison. Letitia only came downst airs for special occasions, including daughter Elizabeth's 1842 White House wedding. An anxious woman, Letitia suffered a stroke in 1841 that left her paralyzed and unable to speak. Then, she suffered a second stroke and died on September 10, 1842, two months shy of her fifty-second birthday. Although few people in Washington had ever actually seen Letitia, she was mourned by the entire city.
Sources:
1) Barzman, Sol. The First Ladies. p. 85-91. New York: Cowles Book Company, 1970.
2) Harris, Bill. The First Ladies Fact Book. p. 157-61. New YorK: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc., 2005.
