Letitia Christian Tyler (1790-1842)
Historical highway marker W-39 · New Kent County
Letitia Christian Tyler, wife of Pres. John Tyler, is buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery a mile northeast. Born on 12 Nov. 1790, a daughter of Robert and Mary Browne Christian, she married John Tyler at her home, Cedar Grove, on 29 Mar. 1813. She gave birth to eight children. Her husband served as a congressman (1816-1821), governor of Virginia (1825-1827), senator (1827-1836), vice president (1841), and tenth president of the U.S. (1841-1845). Letitia Christian Tyler was the first First Lady to die in the White House when she succumbed on 10 Sept. 1842 after a series of paralyzing strokes. After a funeral in the East Room, her body was transported to her family home at Cedar Grove for interment.
Department of Historic Resources, 2023