Theodosia Burr Alston (June 21, 1783 – January 2 or 3, 1813) was an American socialite and the daughter of the third U.S. Vice President, Aaron Burr, and Theodosia Bartow Prevost. Her husband, Joseph Alston, was governor of South Carolina during the War of 1812. She was lost at sea at age 29. In the spring of 1807, Burr was arrested for treason. During his trial in Richmond, Virginia, Alston was with him, providing comfort and support. Burr was acquitted of the charges against him but left for Europe, where he remained for four years. While her father remained in exile, Alston acted as his agent in the U.S., raising money which she sent to him, and transmitting messages. On December 31, 1812, Theodosia Burr Alston sailed aboard the schooner Patriot from Georgetown, South Carolina. The Patriot and all those on board were never heard from again. Immediately following the Patriot’s disappearance, rumors arose. The most enduring were that the Patriot had been captured by a pirate, that something had occurred near Cape Hatteras, notorious for wreckers who lured ships into danger.
First Appearance Historical figure (b. 1783 – d. 1813)
First Publisher ○
Appearance List Theodosia, the First Gentlewoman of Her Time by Charles Felton (1907), “The Strange Disappearance of Theodosia Burr” in Fate magazine (June 1954), “The Nags Head Portrait” in Famous Sea Mysteries by Patricia Lauber (1962)
Description Theodosia Burr Alston (June 21, 1783 – January 2 or 3, 1813) was an American socialite and the daughter of the third U.S. Vice President, Aaron Burr, and Theodosia Bartow Prevost. Her husband, Joseph Alston, was governor of South Carolina during the War of 1812. She was lost at sea at age 29. In the spring of 1807, Burr was arrested for treason. During his trial in Richmond, Virginia, Alston was with him, providing comfort and support. Burr was acquitted of the charges against him but left for Europe, where he remained for four years. While her father remained in exile, Alston acted as his agent in the U.S., raising money which she sent to him, and transmitting messages. On December 31, 1812, Theodosia Burr Alston sailed aboard the schooner Patriot from Georgetown, South Carolina. The Patriot and all those on board were never heard from again. Immediately following the Patriot’s disappearance, rumors arose. The most enduring were that the Patriot had been captured by a pirate, that something had occurred near Cape Hatteras, notorious for wreckers who lured ships into danger.
