Margaret Moffett (Lea) Houston (1819 - 1867)

Born 11 Apr 1819 in Marion, Perry, Alabama, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Samuel Houston — married 9 May 1840 in Perry, Alabama

Descendants

Died 3 Dec 1867 at age 48 in Independence, Cherokee, Texas, United States

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Biography

Margaret, daughter of Temple and Nancy Lea served as First Lady of the Republic of Texas during her husband Sam Houston's second term as President of the Republic of Texas. She was his third wife, remaining with him until his death.^[1]

Margaret Lea was born 11 Apr 1819 and died 3 Dec 1867. She is buried with a common headstone with her mother, Nancy.^[2]

Margaret M Lea married Samuel Houston on 9 May 1840 in Perry, Alabama^[3]

June 1847 - Virginia Thorne, an orphan, becomes the ward of the Sam Houston and his wife, Margaret. Virginia had previously been the ward of Margaret's brother Vernal and his wife Mary. On January 27, 1850 - Virginia Thorne runs off with Thomas Gott. In June of that year Thomas Gott and Virginia Thorne return to Huntsville and file charges of assault and battery against Margaret. By September 30, a hearing is held and a dead-locked grand jury recommends that the case be turned over to the Baptist Church. Margaret is fully acquitted by the Church^[4]

In 1850 she and Samuel are living in Walker, Texas with their children and Margaret's mother, Nancy.^[5]

By 1860, they are living in Austin, Texas^[6]

While there are people who refer to her as "Peggy" or "Maggie", no formal writings on Margaret indicate that she ever went by this nickname. Her daughter did go by "Maggie".

Slaves

See: Slaves of Temple Lea, Perry, Alabama

In the 1833 will of her father, Temple Lea, Margarett was gifted four slaves. As she was a minor, they remained under the control of her mother, according to the will, and then would become the property of her husband at the time of their marriage.

• • negro woman Vianna
  • negro girl Eliza
  • negro girl Charlotte
  • negro boy, Joshua

Sources

1. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online, William Seale, "HOUSTON, MARGARET MOFFETTE LEA," accessed January 27, 2020,
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #32185189
3. ↑ "Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQKJ-BZ3 : 17 January 2020), Margaret M. Sea in entry for Samuel Houston, 1840.
4. ↑ CHRONOLOGY OF MARGARET HOUSTON'S LIFE from the Sam Houston Museum
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXLP-2ZC : 12 April 2016), Margaret Houston in household of Sam Houston, Walker county, Walker, Texas, United States; citing family 463, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFK-194 : 12 December 2017), M M Houston in entry for Sam Houston, 1860.

• 1868 Jan. 25 Tennessee Baptist Page 2 Obit of Margaret M. Houston http://media2.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/tbarchive/1868/TB_1868_Jan_25.pdf
• Sam Houston's Wife" by William Seale
• The Private Life of Sam and Margaret Houston" by Madge Thornall Roberts and Randolph B. Campbell