Lucy Flucker Knox

Lucy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, into a wealthy family of privilege as the daughter of Thomas Flucker and Hannah Waldo, the daughter of Samuel Waldo. Lucy's father was one of Boston’s wealthiest merchants and the Massachusetts royal secretary, and her brother, Thomas Flucker Jr., was a captain in the British army. == Marriage to Henry Knox ==

Lucy’s family wanted Lucy to marry someone of a similar social status and political identity to the Fluckers. they disowned Lucy because Henry was a merchant-class suitor at the time. Her family later fled Boston for England and she would never see her family again. == Life during the American Revolutionary War ==

After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Henry, an artillery expert, was pressured into British military service by the Fluckers’ family friend, General Thomas Gage. At Valley Forge, Knox established a close relationship with Martha Washington as they spent much time performing camp follower duties together. Even when they were separated for months at a time, Lucy and Henry didn't let their love die out. They were connected through the letters they sent each other. They provide a first-hand view of one of the closest people to General Washington as well as an insight into the life of a war-hero spouse. == Life after the American Revolution ==

Although the War ended in 1783, Henry remained in the military until he resigned his commission in 1784. Lucy had hoped to set roots down in her family’s land, but Henry was appointed as the Secretary of War for the newly formed United States of America in 1785, so the couple headed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania instead. During this time, Lucy made it clear to Henry that she expected all future family decisions to be made together, and Henry generally abided to this agreement. Additionally, Lucy was able to reestablish some connection with some of her family in England, but their contact was often limited and shallow. In 1795, the Knoxes moved to what is now Rockland, Maine, on land which was part of Lucy’s inheritance of the vast tracts of land of the Waldo Patent. There, she and Henry built a nineteen-room mansion, which they named Montpelier, where they entertained hundreds of guests. Henry died in October 1806 at 56 years of age, leaving Lucy, 49, a widow. She died in 1824 at the age of 67. == Legacy and Descendants ==

In total, Knox gave birth to thirteen children, but only three survived to adulthood: married Ebenezer Thatcher, a Harvard-educated attorney. who would serve as a commodore in the American Civil War and be responsible for the capture of Mobile, Alabama near the war's end. Henry Thatcher would later be promoted to the rank of rear admiral following the Civil War in 1866. == References ==