Frances Cox Henderson (July 21, 1820 – January 25, 1897) was the First Lady of Texas and the wife of the first Governor of Texas,

James Pinckney Henderson James Pinckney Henderson (March 31, 1808 – June 4, 1858) was an American and Republic of Texas lawyer, politician, and soldier, and the first governor of the State of Texas. Early years He was born in Lincolnton, North Carolina, on March 31, ...

. She was well-educated and multi-lingual, translating books in Europe. Throughout her life, she was involved in civic work such as women's suffrage, and helped run her husband's law office. She was instrumental in helping the Episcopal Church establish individual congregations in East Texas. In her final years living in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, she established the Good Shepherd home for women.

Early life and education

She was born to John Cox and his wife Martha Lyman Cox on July 21, 1820, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. In 1829, John Cox sent Frances and her siblings to Europe for their educations. Frances became fluent in eighteen of the twenty-five languages she eventually learned to speak., becoming a literary translator at age fourteen. She became adept at mathematics and showed talent as a musician. Later in life, she would exhibit organizational abilities that enabled her in civic endeavors. She was also a supporter of women's suffrage.

Move to Texas

The future First Lady of Texas met James Pinckney Henderson when he represented the Republic of Texas as a minister to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

at the

Tuileries Palace The Tuileries Palace (french: Palais des Tuileries, ) was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine, directly in front of the Louvre. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, f ...

, and to

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at the

Court of St. James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...

. On October 30, 1839, the couple were wed at St George's, Hanover Square. They established a residence and law office in San Augustine. Frances became educated in the practice of the law in order to help run her husband's office.

Faith

Frances Henderson was a member of the Episcopal Church and helped establish churches in the East Texas towns of

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

, San Augustine,

Rusk A rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake, rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the UK, the name also refers to a whea ...

, Palestine and

Nacogdoches Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchitoch ...

. In her final years, she was a devoted member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in New Jersey.

Later years and death

The Hendersons had five children, of which daughters Martha, Fanny and Julia lived to adulthood. Governor Henderson died 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, ...

in 1858 while he was serving as Senator for the Republic of Texas. He is buried at the

Texas State Cemetery The Texas State Cemetery (TSC) is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and vice-president of the Republic of ...

. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Frances sold the Henderson's land holdings in Texas and moved to Europe with her daughters. With the war's end, Frances moved to East Orange, New Jersey with her daughter Julia and son-in-law Edward White Adams. Frances was involved in civic work and established the Good Shepherd home for women.

Bibliography

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Frances Cox 1820 births 1897 deaths Burials at Rosedale Cemetery (Orange, New Jersey) First Ladies and Gentlemen of Texas History of women in Texas People from East Orange, New Jersey People from San Augustine County, Texas People from Philadelphia