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Margaret Lea Houston (April 11, 1819 – December 3, 1867) was the third wife of politician Sam Houston of Texas. They married in 1840 when she was 21, during his term as a representative in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. When he was elected to a second term as the President of the Republic of Texas, in 1841 Margaret became the First Lady of the Republic of Texas. Disliking politics, for thirteen years Margaret remained in Texas while Sam Houston was in Washington, D.C. serving in the United States Senate. After Texas was annexed by the United States, Houston was elected governor in 1858. Margaret became First Lady of the state of Texas. Margaret became a near recluse when Houston was governor. She was pregnant and was fearful due to the hostile political climate at the time. Sam and Margaret had a total of eight children and were together until his death in 1863. Margaret came from a strong, close-knit family in Alabama. The Lea family, some of whom had preceded Margaret in moving to Texas, provided a family nucleus that had not been a part of Sam Houston's life since his years among the Cherokees. Her mother Nancy Lea was a constant in their lives, alternately providing the Houstons with temporary housing, or moving in with Margaret and Sam to manage their household. It was Nancy's foundation as much as Margaret's that converted Sam to the Baptist faith, twenty-one years after he had been baptized a Catholic in Nacogdoches. Margaret and Nancy are buried together. ==Early life and marriage to Sam Houston== Margaret Moffette Lea was born on April 11, 1819 in Marion, Alabama, one of six children of Temple Lea and his wife Nancy Moffette Lea. Temple died when Margaret was 15. Nancy Lea moved into the home of her son and daughter-in-law Henry and Serena Lea, accompanied by her son Vernal and younger daughters Margaret and Antoinette.〔 Margaret was described as a beauty, "accomplished, well-connected and deeply religious."〔Haley (2004) p. 211〕 Margaret was a talented pianist who also played Spanish guitar.〔Seale (1992) pp. 15,17,44,54,64,69.〕 She wrote poetry and loved romantic novels.〔Seale (1992) pp. 6–9,14–15,40,52,57,67.〕 Margaret's father Temple Lea had been a Baptist circuit preacher. Nancy Moffette Lea was the only female delegate at the formation of the Alabama Baptist Convention in 1823. Temple was the state treasurer of the convention . The Moffettes were the source of wealth in the family. Nancy was the financial manager of the family, developing an Alabama cotton plantation.〔Seale (1992) p. 7〕 Margaret Lea was baptized by Reverend Peter Crawford at the Siloam Baptist Church at age 19. She received additional religious training at the Judson Female Institute.〔("Margaret's Life" ), Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Sam Houston State University, accessed 28 Aug 2010〕 Rev. Crawford later performed the marriage ceremony of Margaret Lea and Sam Houston in 1840.〔Seale (1992) pp. 7, 18〕 Sam Houston was introduced to Nancy Lea through her daughter Antoinette's husband William Bledsoe when Houston was in Mobile, Alabama. He was working to promote Texas land sales through a company in which he had a financial interest. Bledsoe had become acquainted with Houston through Martin Lea, one of Nancy's sons. Houston had a business meeting with Nancy Lea, which was followed by a garden party at the Bledsoe's home where Houston met Margaret.〔Seale (1992) p. 11〕 Houston's sales pitch on the land prospects was convincing enough that the Bledsoes and Nancy Lea left for Texas before Margaret and Houston married on May 9, 1840.〔Seale (1992) pp. 15,16〕 She was 21 and marrying for the first time. This was Houston's third marriage (counting his marriage under Cherokee law to the widow Diana Rodgers Gentry, who was part-Cherokee.) Margaret Lea's family had opposed the marriage as they disapproved of Houston's age, divorce, and reputation as a hard drinker and a rake. Because of Margaret's youth and religious nature, many of Sam Houston's friends thought that the marriage would not last for six months, but it was quite successful. They observed that Margaret acted as a tempering influence on Houston, who reformed his behavior in middle age. She encouraged him to stop his heavy drinking, a problem in earlier years, and to attend the Baptist Church. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Margaret Lea Houston」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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