Sarah Yorke Jackson

Sarah Jackson (née Yorke; July 1805 – August 23, 1887) was the White House hostess and acting first lady of the United States from November 26, 1834, to March 4, 1837. She served in this role as the daughter-in-law of U.S. President Andrew Jackson after marrying his adopted son, Andrew Jackson, Jr. She had initially been named as mistress of the Jackson residence in Tennessee, the Hermitage, but she moved to the White House and became co-hostess with Emily Donelson after the Hermitage was damaged in a fire. When Donelson fell ill, Jackson took on the position of White House hostess in its entirety for the remainder of the term. After leaving the White House, she returned to the repaired Hermitage, living there for the remainder of her life. Early life Sarah Yorke was born in July 1805, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a wealthy Quaker family. Her father Peter Yorke, a sea captain and successful merchant, died in 1815. Her mother Mary Haines Yorke died during a trip to New Orleans in 1820, leaving Sarah and her two sisters orphaned. She was raised by two aunts, Mrs. George Farquhar and Mrs. Mordecai Wetherill. Sarah Yorke married Andrew Jackson, Jr., the adopted son of President Andrew Jackson, in Philadelphia on November 24, 1831. The president's schedule prevented him from attending the wedding, but the couple was invited to stay at the White House over the following months. Their stay in the White House served as an extended honeymoon, and several parties were held in their honor. She bonded with the president, who considered her to be like a daughter. There was speculation as to whether she would become the new White House hostess, but the role remained with the president's niece, Emily Donelson. Upon leaving the White House, the new couple went to The Hermitage, Jacksons' plantation in Tennessee. Wishing to clearly distinguish Sarah Jackson's role from that of White House hostess Donelson, the president had appointed Jackson as the "mistress of the Hermitage". This was in part to avoid any potential animosity between them, but the decision was primarily to ensure that Donelson's husband remained in the White House as the president's secretary. Jackson gave birth to all five of her children at the Hermitage, beginning with her daughter Rachel in 1832.