David Poe Jr.

His father, David Poe Sr., had emigrated from Dring in Kildallan parish, County Cavan, Ireland, to the United States around the year 1750,[1] and was well known for his patriotic self-sacrifice as a quartermaster during the American Revolution, paying for supplies out of his own pocket, including $500 for clothing for the troops.

[4] One critic said of Eliza and David, "the lady was young and pretty, and evinced talent both as a singer and actress; the gentleman was literally nothing.

"[5] The couple's eldest child, William Henry Leonard Poe, was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 30, 1807, nine months after their wedding.

An ill-tempered alcoholic for much of his adult life, David Jr. abandoned the stage and his family some time before July 1809, disappearing from historical record.

In David's absence, Eliza gave birth to a daughter in December 1810, but the true paternity of Rosalie Poe remains uncertain.