Rachel Montgomery Stokes

Rachel Montgomery Stokes (1776–1862) was an American heiress and landowner who, as the wife of Montford Stokes, served as First Lady of North Carolina from 1830 to 1832. She inherited Morne Rouge Plantation from her father.

Rachel Montgomery Stokes
First Lady of North Carolina
In office December 18, 1830 – December 6, 1832
Governor	Montfort Stokes
Preceded by	Lucy Ann Brown Owen
Succeeded by	Eleanor White Swain
Personal details
Born	October 25, 1776 Wilkesboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	November 1862 Wilkesboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Resting place	Stokes Family Cemetery
Spouse	Montfort Stokes
Children	10
Residence	Morne Rouge Plantation
Occupation	planter, slave owner

Biography

Stokes was the daughter of Hugh Montgomery of Salisbury, North Carolina, a wealthy colonial merchant landowner from England who bought his land in Western North Carolina from Moravian settlers.^[1][2] She grew up at Morne Rouge, her father's 10,000-acre plantation north of Wilkesboro.^[3] Upon her father's death, the plantation was divided in half between Stokes and her sister, Rachel.^[1][4]

She married Montfort Stokes, becoming his second wife, in 1796.^[2][1] They had five sons and five daughters.^[5] The family lived at Morne Rouge.^[6] Stokes also owned a home, called The Bend, along the Yadkin River and a 500-acre stock farm in Ashe County.^[7]

From 1830 to 1832, her husband served as the governor of North Carolina and she served as the state's first lady.^[8] Her husband was later elected to the United States Senate.^[9]

She died in November 1862 and was buried in the family cemetery at Morne Rouge. Following her death, her estate was auctioned off, including farmland, livestock, furniture, and slaves.^[7]