Letitia Tyler (née Christian; November
12, 1790 – September 10, 1842) was the first wife of President John Tyler and first lady of the United States from
1841 to 1842.[1]
She married Tyler, then a
law student, in 1808 at Cedar Grove, her family home. Their twenty-nine year
marriage appears to have been a happy one, although Letitia avoided the
limelight during her husband's political rise, remaining in Virginia during most
of his time in congress. Her later life was dogged by
ill-health; a paralytic stroke suffered in 1839 left her an invalid. As first
lady, she remained in the White House living quarters, leaving them only to
attend her daughter Elizabeth's wedding in January 1842. She suffered another
stroke in September 1842 and died, becoming the first First Lady to while
serving in her role.
Together, John and Letitia
Tyler had four daughters and three sons who lived to maturity.
Tyler appears on a 28p
(£0.28) commemorative postage stamp from the Isle of Man Post Office, issued May 23, 2006, as part of a series
honoring Manx-Americans.[10] She also appears on a one-half ounce gold
coin and a bronze medal issued by the United States Mint on July 2, 2009.