John Bowie Timberlake (c. 1777 – April 2, 1828) was a protagonist in the American political scandal known as the

Petticoat affair The Petticoat affair (also known as the Eaton affair) was a political scandal involving members of President Andrew Jackson's Cabinet and their wives, from 1829 to 1831. Led by Floride Calhoun, wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun, these wo ...

. His wife Margaret was rumored to have had an affair with

John Eaton John Eaton may refer to: * John Eaton (divine) (born 1575), English divine * John Eaton (pirate) (fl. 1683–1686), English buccaneer *Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922), Canadian businessman * John Craig Eaton II (born 1937), Canadian businessman ...

, who became

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

in President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

's cabinet. The scandal brought about the resignation of most members of Jackson's cabinet.

Background

John Bowie Timberlake was a

purser A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. During his initial service in the military, he fell into massive debt. In 1816, when he was around 39 years old, he married teenaged Margaret O'Neill. They moved into a house in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

provided by her father, across the street from his hotel and tavern called the Franklin House. In 1818, the couple met the widowed

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, then aged 28. Eaton, recently elected and the youngest U.S. Senator, stayed at Franklin House. Timberlake and Eaton became fast friends, and Timberlake confessed his financial problems. Eaton introduced a petition to the United States Senate to relieve Timberlake of debts collected while he was in service to the Navy. The Senate failed to act on his request and Timberlake slipped deeper into debt. He returned to the Navy, leaving his wife and their daughter, Mary Virginia Timberlake, behind in Washington. He returned for short periodic visits between voyages. In 1825, he fathered another daughter, Margaret Rose Timberlake. Timberlake left for a four-year voyage on the . During his long absence, Margaret was rumored to have suffered a miscarriage, from a pregnancy that could only have resulted from an affair with another man. Timberlake died at sea on April 2, 1828. He had been ill, and newspapers reported that he had died of pulmonary disease (probably pneumonia) while on board ship in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

. Later reports suggested that he had committed suicide by slitting his own throat because of the alleged affair between his wife and Eaton. When the ''Constitution'' put in at Mahón on the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

island of

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

, Timberlake was buried with full military honors. On January 1, 1829, almost nine months after John Timberlake's death, Margaret Timberlake and John Eaton married. Their action brought widespread criticism because they had not waited until the passing of a proper mourning period. The circumstances of their marriage led to a political crisis, the

, during President

's first term in office. When John Eaton was later appointed Minister to Spain, the Eatons and Timberlake's daughters visited his gravesite.

References

External links

"The Story of Peggy Eaton"
Founders of America via archive.org. Accessed January 25, 2023. {{DEFAULTSORT:Timberlake, John B. Year of birth uncertain Date of birth unknown 1828 deaths People who died at sea United States Navy officers Deaths from pneumonia