Lucius Junius Polk
Lucius Junius Polk (1802–1870) was an American politician and planter from Tennessee.
Lucius Junius Polk | |
|---|---|
 Polk in the 1860s | |
| Born | March 16, 1802 |
| Died | October 3, 1870 |
| Occupation | Politician, planter |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ann Eastin, d. 1847 Frances Anne Erwin, d. 1858 |
| Children | 9 who survived infancy |
| Parent(s) | William Polk |
| Relatives | Leonidas Polk (brother) Lucius E. Polk (nephew) |
Early life
Lucius Junius Polk was born in 1802 in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1] His father was Colonel William Polk.[1] He moved to Maury County, Tennessee, in 1823.[1]
Career
Polk served in the Tennessee Senate from 1831 to 1833.[1][2] He served as Adjutant General for the state of Tennessee from 1851 to 1853.[2]
Polk was also a wealthy cotton planter.[2] He owned 30 slaves in 1836 and 52 slaves in 1840.[3]
He was a Knight Templar.[1]
Personal life
Polk married Mary Ann Eastin, a grand-niece of Rachel Jackson (the wife of President Andrew Jackson) in April 1832.[1] Their wedding took place at the White House in Washington, D.C..[1] They resided at Hamilton Place near Columbia, Tennessee,[1][2] and had a large family together.
After Mary Ann Polk had died, Lucius married Frances Anne Erwin, with whom he had an additional son and daughter. Frances Polk also died in her 30s.
Death
He died in 1870.[1] He was buried on the grounds of St. John's Episcopal Church.[1]
References
- Garrett, Jill K. (Spring 1970). "St. John's Church, Ashwood". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 29 (1): 3–23. JSTOR 42623126.
- Richard Quin, Hamilton Place, The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, December 25, 2009
- Betterly, Richard D. (Summer 1994). "St. John's Episcopal Churchyard: Material Culture and Antebellum Class Distinction". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 53 (2): 88–99. JSTOR 42628371.