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Spouses, First Ladies and Gentlemen of North Carolina's Governors


From colonial times to the present day, many women -- and one man -- have occupied the role of "first lady" or "first gentleman" to North Carolina's governors. And in a few cases where a wife predeceased her husband, a daughter assumed the role of first lady or "little mistress of the mansion" to her father the governor (see Helen Fowle and Angelia Morrison). No two of these spouses lived similar lives or inhabited the role of first lady or first gentleman in the same way - their stories are as individual as they were. 


This page gathers the names and years of these "first spouses" and includes links to an NCpedia biographical essay, where available. These biographies tell the stories of these individuals as they lived life for a time in the spotlight as the spouses of governors and politicians. The stories also give a sense of their lives "behind the scenes", as they went about everyday life, often in difficult times, many raising families, having careers and interests of their own, and making their own marks on their local communities and on North Carolina history. Each story is unique and also helps provide historical context, particularly for the women, on the role and lives of women during the eras when they lived.


This collection will continue to grow as more biographies are researched and written.


See Also: North Carolina Governors, History of Governorship in North Carolina























































































































North Carolina Governors

First Ladies/Gentlemen/Spouses

Governor

Years in Office

Kristin Cooper Roy Cooper 2017 - present
Ann Gordon Sturgis McCrory Patrick McCrory 2013 - 2016
Robert W. Eaves Jr. Beverly Eaves Perdue 2009 - 2012
Mary Easley Michael F. Easley 2001 - 2009

1993 - 2001; 1977- 1985
Dorothy Ann McAulay Martin  James Grubbs Martin 1985 - 1993
Patricia Ann Hollingsworth Holshouser James Eubert Holshouser, Jr. 1973 - 1977
Jessie Rae Osborne Scott  Robert Walter Scott 1969 - 1973
Jeanelle Coulter Moore  Dan Killian Moore 1965 - 1969

1961 - 1965

1954 - 1961

1953 - 1954

1949 - 1953

1945 - 1949

1941 - 1945

1937 - 1941

1933 - 1937

1929 - 1933

1925 - 1929

1921 - 1925

1921 - 1925

1917 - 1921

1913 - 1917

1909 - 1913

1905 - 1909

1901 - 1905

1897 - 1901

1893 - 1897

1891 - 1893

1889 - 1891

Catherine Bullock Henderson Scales

1885 - 1889

Mary Woodson Jarvis

1879 - 1885

Harriett Newell Espy Vance

1877 - 1879; 1862 - 1865

 

1874 - 1877

Miverva Ruffin Cain Caldwell

1870 - 1874

Louisa Virginia Harrison Holden

1868 - 1870; 1865

Martitia Daniel Worth

1865 - 1868

Mary Weeks Parker Hargrave Clark

1861 - 1862

Mary McKinley Daves Ellis

1859 - 1861

Isabella Cuthbert Bragg

1855 - 1859

 

1854 - 1855

Henrietta Williams Settle Reid

1851 - 1854

Charity Hare Haywood Manly

1849 - 1851

Susannah Sarah Washington Graham

1845 - 1849

Ann Eliza Lindsay Morehead

1841 - 1845

Elizabeth Henry Haywood Dudley

1836 - 1841

 

1835 - 1836

Eleanor White Swain

1832 - 1835

Rachel Montgomery Stokes

1830 - 1832

Lucy Ann Brown Owen

1828 - 1830

Frances Johnston Treadwell Iredell

1827 - 1828

Sarah Wales Jones Burton (Joyner)

1824 - 1827

Mary Smith Hunter Holmes

1821 - 1824

Maria Perkins Franklin

1820 - 1821

Elizabeth Foort Branch

1817 - 1820

Lydia Anna Evans Miller

1814 - 1817

Ann Swepson Boyd Hawkins

1811 - 1814

Sarah Rhett Dry Smith

1810 - 1811

Hannah Turner Stone

1808 - 1810

Elizabeth Chauncey Jones Williams

1807 - 1808; 1799 - 1802

Margaret Polk Alexander

1805 - 1807

Ann Cochran Turner

1802 - 1805

Sarah Jones Davie

1798 - 1799

Elizabeth Jones Merrick Ashe

1795 - 1798

Mary Jones Leech Spaight

1792 - 1795

 

1789 - 1792; 1782 - 1785

Frances Cathcart Johnston

1787 - 1789

Sarah Heritage Caswell

1784 - 1787; 1776 - 1780

Mary Freeman Burke (Doherty)

1781 - 1782

Mary Whitting Jones Nash (Witherspoon)

1780 - 1781

North Carolina Colonial Governors       

Elizabeth Martin Josiah Martin 1771 - 1775
  James Hasell 1771
Margaret Wake Tryon William Tryon 1765 - 1771
Justina Davis Dobbs (Nash) Arthur Dobbs 1753 - 1763
Elizabeth Rowan Matthew Rowan 1753 - 1754
Mary Bursey Rice Nathaniel Rice 1752 - 1753; 1734
Frances Button Johnston (Rutherford) Gabriel Johnston 1734 - 1752
Penelope Golland Maule Lovick Phenney Johnston Gabriel Johnston 1734 - 1752
  George Burrington 1731 - 1734

North Carolina Lords Proprietors

Susannah Kidder Everard Richard Everard 1725 - 1731
  George Burrington 1724 - 1725
Jane Reed William Reed 1722 - 1724
Esther Wilkinson Pollock Thomas Pollock 1722; 1712 - 1714
Penelope Golland Eden Charles Eden 1714 - 1722
Catherine Rigby Hyde Edward Hyde 1711 - 1712
Catherine Glover (Knight, Porter) William Glover 1706 - 1710
Mary Davis Glover William Glover 1706 - 1710
  Thomas Cary 1705 - 1711
Martha Wainwright Daniel Robert Daniel 1703 - 1705
Ann Lillington Walker (Moseley) Henderson Walker 1699 - 1703
Ann Dobson Archdale John Archdale 1695 - 1696; 1683 - 1686
Sarah Catherine Laker Harvey (Gale) Thomas Harvey 1694 - 1699
Frances Culpeper Stephens Berkeley Ludwell Philip Ludwell 1690 - 1691; 1692 - 1693; 1693 - 1695
  Thomas Jarvis 1690 - 1694
  John Gibbs 1689 - 1690
Anna Willix Riscoe Blount Sothel Seth Sothel 1682 - 1689
Joanna Jenkins (Harvey) John Jenkins 1680 - 1681; 1676 - 1677; 1672 - 1675
  Henry Wilkinson 1680
Dorothy Tooke Harvey John Harvey 1679
  Thomas Miller 1677
  Thomas Eastchurch 1675 - 1676
  Peter Carteret 1670 - 1672
Frances Culpeper Stephens (Berkeley, Ludwell) Samuel Stephens 1667 - 1669
Sarah Prescott Drummond William Drummond 1664 - 1667

Governor of the County of Clarendon

Margaret Foster Berringer Yeamans (Walley) John Yeamans 1665-1667

Commander of the Southern Plantation

Frances Culpeper Stephens (Berkeley, Ludwell) Samuel Stephens 1662 - 1664

Original Virginia Colony

Tomasyn Cooper White [not known to have been on Roanoke Voyage]

John White 1587
[not known to have married]

Ralph Lane

1585 - 1586