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Eliza Allen (Tennessee)

Eliza Allen
First Lady of Tennessee
In office
January 22, 1829 – April 16, 1829
GovernorSam Houston
Preceded byCecelia Bradford
Succeeded byMary Alexander
Personal details
Born
Eliza H. Allen

(1809-12-02)December 2, 1809
Gallatin, Tennessee
DiedMarch 3, 1861(1861-03-03) (aged 51)
Gallatin, Tennessee
Spouse(s)
(m. 1829; div. 1837)

Elmore Douglass
(m. 1840)

Eliza (née Allen) Houston Douglass[a] (December 2, 1809 – March 3, 1861) was the first wife of Sam Houston. Their marriage, over after just eleven weeks, ended Houston's career as governor of Tennessee. Houston resigned and went to the home of his foster father John Jolly, a leader of the Cherokee people. Allen returned to her family in Sumner County. For years, their marriage was the subject of rumors and theories about what made the marriage unsuitable to both Allen and Houston. They did not publicly expose any information about their marriage and they both seemed to be protective of one another's reputation. Allen's brother, Judge Benjamin Franklin Allen offered his opinion: "like many other couples they were not congenial".[1]

After her brief time with Houston, Allen lived a quiet life. She took care of her younger sisters after her mother's death in 1832 and her father's death six months later. Houston and Allen's divorce was finalized in 1837. In 1840, Allen married a widower, Dr. Elmore Douglass. They had one son and three girls.


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  1. ^ Crook 1990, p. 36.

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