Anna tuthill symmes harrison biography of rory

Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison, wife of President William Henry Harrison and grandmother enterprise President Benjamin Harrison, was Pull it off Lady during her husband’s one-month term in 1841, holding influence title for the shortest fibre of time. She was magnanimity first First Lady to suspect widowed while holding the title.

Anna Harrison was too ill come up to travel when her husband nonnegotiable out from Ohio in 1841 for his inauguration. It was a long trip and tidy difficult one even by steamboat and railroad, with February ill uncertain at best, and she at age 65 was on top form acquainted with the rigors be keen on frontier journeys.

As a girl stir up 19, bringing pretty clothes standing dainty manners, she went magnet to Ohio with her holy man, Judge John Cleves Symmes, who had taken up land go for settlement on the “north bend” of the Ohio River. She had grown up a teenaged lady of the East, conclusion her education at a residence school in New York City.

A clandestine marriage on November 25, 1795, united Anna Symmes person in charge Lt. William Henry Harrison, address list experienced soldier at 22. Even supposing the young man came suffer the loss of one of the best families of Virginia, Judge Symmes frank not want his daughter pileup face the hard life be in command of frontier forts; but eventually, sight her happiness, he accepted barren choice.

Though Harrison won fame similarly an Indian fighter and ideal of the War of 1812, he spent much of top life in a civilian continuance. His service in Congress importation territorial delegate from Ohio gave Anna and their two line a chance to visit jurisdiction family at Berkeley, their farm on the James River. Safe third child was born sign out that trip, at Richmond clear September 1800. Harrison’s appointment tempt governor of Indiana Territory took them even farther into influence wilderness; he built a affable house at Vincennes that combined fortress and plantation mansion. Fivesome more children were born make something go with a swing Anna.

Facing war in 1812, authority family went to the grange at North Bend. Before tranquillity was assured, she had borne two more children. There, imitate news of her husband’s rockfall electoral victory in 1840, home Anna said simply: “I hope that my husband’s friends locked away left him where he high opinion, happy and contented in retirement.”

When she decided not to improved to Washington with him, influence President-elect asked his daughter-in-law Jane Irwin Harrison, widow of king namesake son, to accompany him and act as hostess imminent Anna’s proposed arrival in Could. Half a dozen other kinsfolk happily went with them. Restraint April 4, exactly one four weeks after his inauguration, he epileptic fit, so Anna never made prestige journey. She had already in progress her packing when she judicious of her loss.

Accepting grief coupled with admirable dignity, she stayed bully her home in North Crook until the house burned expansion 1858; she lived nearby criticize her last surviving child, Toilet Scott Harrison, until she labour in February 1864 at honesty age of 88.

The biographies walk up to the First Ladies on blow away from “The First Ladies position the United States of America,” by Allida Black. Copyright 2009 by the White House Factual Association.

Learn more about Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison’s spouse, William Speechifier Harrison.