Antedating of "First Lady"

[Shapiro, Fred]

first lady (OED 1853)

According to Wikipedia, the Boston Courier, June 12, 1843, p. 4, wrote about Martha Washington that "The first lady of the nation still preserved the habits of early life. Indulging in no indolence, she left the pillow at dawn, and after breakfast, retired to her chamber for an hour for the study of the scriptures and devotion".

Fred Shapiro

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