Margaret Mackall Taylor (née Smith; September 21, 1788 – August 14, 1852) was the first lady of the United States from 1849 to 1850 as the wife of President Zachary Taylor.

Margaret Taylor (born September 21, 1788, Calvert County, Maryland, U.S.—died August 14, 1852, East Pascagoula, Mississippi) was an American first lady (1849–50) and the wife of Zachary Taylor, 12th president of the United States. Margaret Smith was the daughter of wealthy plantation owners Ann Mackall and Walter Smith.

Although she would make two brief forays to join Taylor while was he was stationed at Fort Gibson and Fort Smith in Arkansas, she now preferred living at her Baton Rouge cottage, even if separated from her husband.

Margaret Mackall Smith “Peggy” Taylor served as First Lady from 1849 to 1850 as the wife of the 12th President, Zachary Taylor. Due to ill health, she left, however, much of the official hostess duties to her daughter Betty Taylor.

Margaret Mackall Smith "Peggy" Taylor (21 September 1788 – 14 August 1852), wife of Zachary Taylor, was First Lady of the United States from 1849 to 1850. Early Life and Marriage.

Margaret “Peggy” Smith was born in Calvert County, Maryland, on September 21, 1788 to Ann Mackall and Walter Smith, a major in the Revolutionary War and wealthy tobacco plantation owner. In 1809, visiting a sister in Kentucky, she met young Lieutenant Zachary Taylor.

Nov 4, 2024 · …long forgotten by history, Margaret Smith was a Mackall on her mother’s side. They were a prominent Maryland family, whose distaff members were said to be the belles of Baltimore. Margaret Smith (1788-1852) alas, was the youngest of a large brood.

Dec 2, 2009 · Margaret Taylor (1788-1852) was an American first lady (1849-1850) and the wife of Zachary Taylor, an American military hero and the 12th president of the United States.

As a figure in her husband's presidential life, Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor seemed to be more a phantom than a person, and for good reason. Few actually saw her either in person or on paper as she refused to sit for an official portrait or for a photograph.

Margaret Taylor was sixty years old and a semi-invalid when her husband, Zachary, became President. The prospect of assuming the role of First Lady did not interest her. She lived her sixteen months in the White House in seclusion.