Jane Findlay Harrison ( ''née'' Irwin; July 23, 1804 – May 11, 1847) was the acting

first lady of the United States First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a title typically held by the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been Code of law, codified or offici ...

from March 4 to April 4, 1841, during the presidency of her father-in-law

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

. She took the position as a substitute for the president's wife,

Anna Harrison Anna Tuthill Harrison ( ''née'' Symmes; July 25, 1775 – February 25, 1864) was the first lady of the United States in 1841 as the wife of President William Henry Harrison. She served in the role for only one month, as her husband contracted p ...

who was unable to travel to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

. Harrison was only acting first lady for thirty days, as the president died in office after this time. In addition to being the daughter-in-law of President William Henry Harrison, she was both the maternal aunt and the paternal aunt-by-marriage of President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

Early life

Jane Irwin was born in her family's limestone mansion in

Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Mercersburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, the state capital. Due to its location in a rural area, it had a relatively la ...

, on July 23, 1804. She was a granddaughter of James Ramsey, the owner of Millmont Farm in

Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania Montgomery Township is a township (Pennsylvania), township that is located in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,740 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, an inc ...

. Her father was Archibald Irwin Jr, a miller, and her mother was Mary Ramsey Irwin, the daughter of a miller. She had a sister, Elizabeth, and three brothers: James, John, and Archibald. Her father later married Sidney Grubb. From this marriage, Jane received seven half-siblings: Joseph, William, Mary, Nancy, Louisa, Sarah, and Sydney. While Irwin and her sister were visiting their aunt in

North Bend, Ohio North Bend is a village in Miami Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. It is a part of the Greater Cincinnati area. The population was 835 at the 2020 census. History North Bend was founded in 1789. It was pl ...

, they met the

Harrison family The Harrison family of Virginia has a history in American politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600s. Family members include a Founding Father of the United States, Benjamin Harrison V, ...

. Irwin married William Henry Harrison Jr on February 18, 1824. Jane Harrison had two sons: James and William. The marriage was a difficult one, as her husband suffered from

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

and severe

problem gambling Problem gambling, ludopathy, or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to DSM-5 if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological ...

. Her husband died in 1838. In

1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Janu ...

, her father-in-law was elected

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

White House hostess

When William Henry Harrison became president,

did not travel to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, instead waiting until the weather was more suitable for travel given her poor health. William Henry Harrison appointed Jane Harrison as the

hostess, the traditional role of the

, in her stead. She made the journey to Washington with the president-elect. Accompanying them was her paternal aunt Jane Findlay. Jane Harrison had asked her aunt to join them as a social adviser, as Findlay had previously lived in Washington, D.C as the wife of a congressman. The Harrisons originally intended to have Anna arrive in Washington the following spring to serve as first lady, at which point Jane would possibly be relegated to a role of an assistant hostess. This never came to be, as Harrison's tenure as acting first lady ended abruptly upon the death of President Harrison, only thirty days after his inauguration. Due to the short nature of her father-in-law's tenure as president, she hosted only two social events.

Death and legacy

After returning to North Bend, Harrison married widower Lewis Whiteman. She died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

a few years later.According to her grave marker, she died on May 11, 1847. It was common for younger women to act as surrogate first ladies during this period in American history, and Harrison was one of many such women to serve as White House hostess in the stead of the president's wife.

Carl Sferrazza Anthony Carl Sferrazza Anthony is an American author, historian, and commentator known primarily for his extensive scholarship on the First Ladies of the United States, presidential families, and White House history. He served as a speechwriter for Nancy ...

described Harrison as the least influential of all acting U.S. first ladies, citing the short duration of her tenure. Many of the details of her tenure have been lost, as she left no written record of her experiences as first lady. Her aunt, Jane Findlay, has sometimes been erroneously credited as the acting first lady, as she had assisted Jane Irwin Harrison at the White House. Harrison's sister Elizabeth Ramsey Irwin married William Henry Harrison's son

John Scott Harrison John Scott Harrison (October 4, 1804 – May 25, 1878) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1853 to 1857. He was a son of U.S. president William Henry Harrison and First ...

in 1831, and their son

later became president of the United States. As Benjamin was the son of her sister and her brother-in-law, Harrison became both the maternal aunt and the paternal aunt-by-marriage of a future president.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Jane Jane Harrison 1804 births 1847 deaths 19th-century American women 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis First ladies of the United States People from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Tuberculosis deaths in Ohio