See Also: North Carolina Governors, History of Governorship in North Carolina
From colonial times to the present day, many women -- and one man -- have occupied the role of "first lady" or "first gentleman" to North Carolina's governors. And in a few cases where a wife predeceased her husband, a daughter assumed the role of first lady or "little mistress of the mansion" to her father the governor (see Helen Fowle and Angelia Morrison). No two of these spouses lived similar lives or inhabited the role of first lady or first gentleman in the same way - their stories are as individual as they were.
This page gathers the names and years of these "first spouses" and includes links to an NCpedia biographical essay, where available. These biographies tell the stories of these individuals as they lived life for a time in the spotlight as the spouses of governors and politicians. The stories also give a sense of their lives "behind the scenes", as they went about everyday life, often in difficult times, many raising families, having careers and interests of their own, and making their own marks on their local communities and on North Carolina history. Each story is unique and also helps provide historical context, particularly for the women, on the role and lives of women during the eras when they lived.
This collection will continue to grow as more biographies are researched and written.
North Carolina Governors |
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First Ladies/Gentlemen/Spouses |
Governor |
Years in Office |
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Anna Stein |
Josh Stein |
2025 - present |
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Kristin Cooper |
Roy Cooper |
2017 - 2024 |
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Ann Gordon Sturgis McCrory |
Patrick McCrory |
2013 - 2016 |
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Robert W. Eaves Jr. |
Beverly Eaves Perdue |
2009 - 2012 |
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Mary Easley |
2001 - 2009 |
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1993 - 2001; 1977- 1985 |
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1985 - 1993 |
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1973 - 1977 |
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1969 - 1973 |
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1965 - 1969 |
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1961 - 1965
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1954 - 1961
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1953 - 1954
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1949 - 1953
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1945 - 1949
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1941 - 1945
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1937 - 1941
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1933 - 1937
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1929 - 1933
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1925 - 1929
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1921 - 1925
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1921 - 1925
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1917 - 1921
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1913 - 1917
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1909 - 1913
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1905 - 1909
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1901 - 1905
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1897 - 1901
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1893 - 1897
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1891 - 1893
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1889 - 1891
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Catherine Bullock Henderson Scales
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1885 - 1889
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Mary Woodson Jarvis
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1879 - 1885
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Harriett Newell Espy Vance
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1877 - 1879; 1862 - 1865
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1874 - 1877
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Miverva Ruffin Cain Caldwell
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1870 - 1874
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Louisa Virginia Harrison Holden
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1868 - 1870; 1865
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Martitia Daniel Worth
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1865 - 1868
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Mary Weeks Parker Hargrave Clark
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1861 - 1862
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Mary McKinley Daves Ellis
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1859 - 1861
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Isabella Cuthbert Bragg
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1855 - 1859
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1854 - 1855
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Henrietta Williams Settle Reid
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1851 - 1854
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Charity Hare Haywood Manly
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1849 - 1851
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Susannah Sarah Washington Graham
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1845 - 1849
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Ann Eliza Lindsay Morehead
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1841 - 1845
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Elizabeth Henry Haywood Dudley
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1836 - 1841
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1835 - 1836
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Eleanor White Swain
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1832 - 1835
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Rachel Montgomery Stokes
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1830 - 1832
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Lucy Ann Brown Owen
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1828 - 1830
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Frances Johnston Treadwell Iredell
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1827 - 1828
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Sarah Wales Jones Burton (Joyner)
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1824 - 1827
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Mary Smith Hunter Holmes
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1821 - 1824
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Maria Perkins Franklin
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1820 - 1821
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Elizabeth Foort Branch
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1817 - 1820
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Lydia Anna Evans Miller
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1814 - 1817
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Ann Swepson Boyd Hawkins
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1811 - 1814
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Sarah Rhett Dry Smith
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1810 - 1811
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Hannah Turner Stone
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1808 - 1810
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Elizabeth Chauncey Jones Williams
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1807 - 1808; 1799 - 1802
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Margaret Polk Alexander
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1805 - 1807
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Ann Cochran Turner
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1802 - 1805
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Sarah Jones Davie
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1798 - 1799
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Elizabeth Jones Merrick Ashe
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1795 - 1798
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Mary Jones Leech Spaight
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1792 - 1795
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1789 - 1792; 1782 - 1785
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Frances Cathcart Johnston
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1787 - 1789
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Sarah Heritage Caswell
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1784 - 1787; 1776 - 1780
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Mary Freeman Burke (Doherty)
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1781 - 1782
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Mary Whitting Jones Nash (Witherspoon)
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1780 - 1781
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North Carolina Colonial Governors |
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Elizabeth Martin |
1771 - 1775 |
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1771 |
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Margaret Wake Tryon |
1765 - 1771 |
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Justina Davis Dobbs (Nash) |
1753 - 1763 |
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Elizabeth Rowan |
1753 - 1754 |
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Mary Bursey Rice |
1752 - 1753; 1734 |
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Frances Button Johnston (Rutherford) |
1734 - 1752 |
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Penelope Golland Maule Lovick Phenney Johnston |
1734 - 1752 |
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1731 - 1734 |
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North Carolina Lords Proprietors |
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Susannah Kidder Everard |
1725 - 1731 |
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1724 - 1725 |
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Jane Reed |
1722 - 1724 |
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Esther Wilkinson Pollock |
1722; 1712 - 1714 |
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Penelope Golland Eden |
1714 - 1722 |
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Catherine Rigby Hyde |
1711 - 1712 |
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Catherine Glover (Knight, Porter) |
1706 - 1710 |
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Mary Davis Glover |
1706 - 1710 |
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1705 - 1711 |
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Martha Wainwright Daniel |
1703 - 1705 |
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Ann Lillington Walker (Moseley) |
1699 - 1703 |
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Ann Dobson Archdale |
1695 - 1696; 1683 - 1686 |
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Sarah Catherine Laker Harvey (Gale) |
1694 - 1699 |
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Frances Culpeper Stephens Berkeley Ludwell |
1690 - 1691; 1692 - 1693; 1693 - 1695 |
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1690 - 1694 |
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1689 - 1690 |
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Anna Willix Riscoe Blount Sothel |
1682 - 1689 |
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Joanna Jenkins (Harvey) |
1680 - 1681; 1676 - 1677; 1672 - 1675 |
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1680 |
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Dorothy Tooke Harvey |
1679 |
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1677 |
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1675 - 1676 |
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1670 - 1672 |
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Frances Culpeper Stephens (Berkeley, Ludwell) |
1667 - 1669 |
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Sarah Prescott Drummond |
1664 - 1667 |
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Governor of the County of Clarendon |
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Margaret Foster Berringer Yeamans (Walley) |
1665-1667 |
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Commander of the Southern Plantation |
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Frances Culpeper Stephens (Berkeley, Ludwell) |
1662 - 1664 |
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Original Virginia Colony |
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Tomasyn Cooper White [not known to have been on Roanoke Voyage] |
1587 |
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[not known to have married] |
1585 - 1586 |
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