Nancy Moffette Lea

Nancy Moffette Lea (1780–1864) was the mother of Margaret Lea Houston and mother-in-law of Sam Houston. She was an integral member of the Houston family, running the household when Margaret was ill or pregnant. She is believed to have helped her son-in-law convert and be baptized in 1854. In appreciation, she donated a bell to the Independence Baptist Church in honor of him. The wife of Temple Lea, she inherited an estate from her family that she managed. She purchased a cotton plantation which was operated by 50 enslaved people.

Early years Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on May 1, 1780, Nancy Moffette was the daughter of Henry and Margaret Moffette. The family moved to Hancock County, Georgia, in 1797. They were married in Hancock County, Georgia.

In 1819, the Leas moved to Perry County, Alabama, east of Marion, Alabama.

Together they had six children who survived their childhood and one child who died young. Her husband died January 28, 1834, in Marion, Perry County, Alabama.

Lea, was a wealthy woman, went to Mobile, Alabama, in 1839 to visit her newly married daughter Antoinette Lea Bledsoe and her husband William Bledsoe. After selling her plantation, she wished to discuss potential real estate investments in the West. Margaret traveled with Lea to visit her sister, who held a garden party where Margaret met Sam Houston. Martin Lea, her son, invited Houston to the Bledsoes so that Houston could discuss investments in land in Texas with Lea.

Margaret and Houston became close and when he asked to marry her, Margaret agreed. Lea objected. She found Houston "insufficiently religious, too old, divorced, and a drinker." To Vernal, Jim and his wife Nancy and their children Franky and Bob. To Margaret, he left Vianna, Eliza, Charlotte and the boy Joshua. To Antoinette, Lulian, Martha, Silvy, and child Tom (or Torra) To his wife Nancy, Dinah, Polly, Polly's child Jet, and the child Bingley To Virilla and her husband R.R. Royalton, Sophia - to be equal with his other married children who already received slaves

Other enslaved people and other property, such as household furnishings, stock, and other property were to be managed by Lea until their youngest child became of age or was married.

She donated $1,000 to the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for Bibles. She worked alongside Aunt Eliza to tend to the Houston's children and manage the household duties.

Her son Vernal also decided to move to Texas. Lea lived with Antoinette Lea and William Bledsoe at their sugar plantation in Grand Cane until she heard that Margaret was having a difficult pregnancy. Lea arrived by stagecoach in Washington-on-the-Brazos in December 1842 to take her back to the more civilized Grand Cane to care for Margaret during her pregnancy. Houston was unhappy to be left in Washington-on-the-Brazos. Lea stated "You may have conquered Santa Anna, but you will never conquer me," referring to Antonio López de Santa Anna. The baby was born in Washington-on-the-Brazos. Houston had become very drunk and went to Great Cane to confess to his wife. She returned with him, as did Lea.

Lea provided food for the family and bought a cow to keep baby Sam Jr. nourished when Margaret had a breast tumor, which embarrassed Houston. Lee said that although he could starve for his country, Sam Jr. was “not old enough to undergo... Valley Forge" (of the Revolutionary War). Houston was managing a war with Mexican troops. They arrived at a bargain, Lea would buy the food necessary for the family and Houston would reimburse her out of his salary. Lea, Margaret, and Sam Jr. spent the summer of 1843 with Antoinette and William Bledsoe at Grand Cane.

For a time, Lea raised Virginia Thorn, whose parents had died of yellow fever. She was the adopted daughter of her son Vernal and his wife. She took in the eight-year-old girl after Vernal was widowed. The Houstons later took the girl in, but Houston found the girl to be troublesome and warned Margaret to be watchful of the girl.

She moved to Huntsville in 1847 with the Houstons. In 1852, Lea's son Henry died in Alabama. Into 1854, Lea had become morbid, talking every day of death. She oversaw the construction of her tomb in Independence. Her granddaughter by Antoinette died of pneumonia.

After Houston's death, Margaret moved to Independence in 1864 and lived next to her mother's house.