Tyler, Letitia Christian (1790-1842), was the first wife of John Tyler, who served as president of the United States from 1841 to 1845. Mrs. Tyler, whose maiden name was Letitia Christian, was born on Nov. 12, 1790. Her father was a wealthy planter, and her birthplace was the family’s plantation near Richmond, Virginia.
Letitia Christian married John Tyler in 1813. The couple had eight children. The children were, in order of birth, Mary, Robert, John, Letitia, Elizabeth, Anne, Alice, and Tazewell. Mrs. Tyler tended to avoid social functions and devote herself to her family. In 1839, while John Tyler was a U.S. senator, she suffered a paralytic stroke. She became first lady in April 1841, but her health made her unable to host White House social functions. Her daughter-in-law, Priscilla Cooper Tyler, handled that role in her place. Mrs. Tyler’s only public appearance in the White House was at the wedding of her daughter Elizabeth in January 1842.
Mrs. Tyler died on Sept. 10, 1842, about 17 months after her husband became president. She was the first person to die while holding the position of first lady. John Tyler remarried in 1844.
See also Tyler, John .
