Sarah Shelton Henry
Sarah Shelton (1738–1775), was the first wife of Founding Father Patrick Henry, the first Governor of Virginia.
Early life and marriage
Shelton was born and raised in her family's home of thirteen rooms in Rural Plains in Hanover County, Virginia. In 1754, at age sixteen, Sarah and Patrick were married. Almost a year later, Sarah gave birth to her first child Martha and by 1771, the couple had six children together.
Mental illness
Sarah Shelton did not start to show signs of
It was said that her behavior was so unmanageable that "she was confined in a cellar room, bound in a straightjacket, and attended by a servant."[3] According to research, it is believed that an enslaved woman took care of Sarah in the cellar. There are very few documents about the confinement of Sarah likely due to the fact that her husband became the governor of Virginia and this secret was kept from society. After three or four years in confinement, Sarah died in the spring of 1775. It is possible that she took her own life. Although the precise location of her burial is unknown, it is believed that her grave is thirty feet from the cellar door.[2]
See also
- Or Give Me Death, 2003 novel by Ann Rinaldi
- In Sickness and in Health: The Marriage of Patrick Henry and Sarah Shelton, 2021 biography by Mark Couvillon
References
- ^ "Patrick and Sarah Henry: Mental illness in 18th century America". National Museum of American History. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4787-6885-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-080702204-7.