The Mystery of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson Solved

Elizabeth Jackson memorial in Lancaster, SC

Elizabeth Jackson was buried somewhere in Charleston, SC away from her family. She was the mother of the 7th U.S. president, Andrew Jackson. Her family does not know where her body remains and it has been unsolved as to where the could have been buried and why.

I think I can clarify this for some people. My theory is that Elizabeth was buried in Charleston on a hill somewhere which is now known as Magnolia Cemetery. 

It is another possibility that I think is more likely, they dropped her remains in the Harbor. She was helping the prisoners with illness. They probably put her body where they put the prisoners. Which would explain why the remains were never found and why all the monuments were put around Charleston because she deserved a grave even though she was not there.

She sacrificed her life to help save other lives and that needed to be memorialized especially after Andrew became president because he had the power to make those things happen.

Elizabeth Jackson grave on
College of Charleston Campus

Elizabeth Jackson's grave on College of Charleston Campus states "Mother of President Andrew Jackson. She gave her life cheerfully for the independence of her country for the independence of her country on an unrecorded date in Nov, 1781, and to her son Andy this advice: 'Andy, never tell a lie, nor take what is not your own, nor sue for slander, settle those cases yourself.'" 

She is memorialized in many places in Charleston such as: on the College of Charleston Campus (as seen to the left), in Washington Square as seen below, and others.

Elizabeth Jackson grave in Washington Square

I walk by this grave everyday never looking down to notice it. Around the College of Charleston campus people walk past the die in socket grave all times of day everyday of the week. Most people pass by it but never know what it is, why it is here, or how it got here.  The answer to those questions are not completely answered and the story is long. 

The story begins when the war began in 1780, but first some briefly history on Elizabeth to how she got to America.

Elizabeth Jackson was born in Carrickfergus, Ireland around 1740. Elizabeth married Andrew Jackson Sr. around 1761 in Carrickfergus. They had two sons together named Hugh and Robert, the family later moved to the US in 1765. They left Ireland due to religious restrictions from the Anglican fraction. They settled in the upper state of South Carolina in an area with barely anything.


Elizabeth got pregnant with her third boy, right before the baby boy was born Andrew died suddenly on March 15, 1767. Elizabeth named the baby Andrew Jackson II who grew up to become the 7th President of the United States.

They remained  here until Charleston was captured by the British on May 12, 1780. Her sons joined a patriot regiment to help fight when Hugh died in a battle. Andrew, and Robert then became prisoners in Camden but contracted the smallpox but got transferred back home by their mother. Robert died and after weeks Andrew got well and Elizabeth left him at the age of 14 to go to help prisoners in Charleston.

Elizabeth got word that two of her nephews were being held prisoner on a ship in the Charleston harbor and went to go help them. She was helping many sick people on the ship when she then contracted cholera.  She was buried somewhere in Charleston but her remains have never been found. Andrew Jackson came down to Charleston when he had grown up to find her remains but never could.

Sources Used

Behre, Robert. “BEHRE COLUMN: This History Is a Mystery.” Post and Courier, 18 Dec. 2011, www.postandcourier.com/columnists/behre-column-this-history-is-a-mystery/article_f0a6388f-dac2-5f25-ab58-2246049e150d.html.

“Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson.” History of American Women, 2 Apr. 2017, www.womenhistoryblog.com/2008/12/elizabeth-hutchinson-jackson.html.