Louisa Johnson Adams

6/5/2025

Louisa and Shrewsbury Cookies

Louisa Johnson Adams*

John Quincy Adams*

Jump to Recipe

First Ladies - 1800 to 1850

First Lady Louisa and President John Quincy Adams
First Lady from - 1825 - 1829
Quote from Louisa - "Under all circumstances we must never desert ourselves."
Factoids-

At that time, Louisa was the only 1st lady born outside the U.S., in England.
Louisa was a bit untraditional, hosting a dance at her son's wedding and sometimes playing the harp for guests.

Bio -

Born in England, Louisa was educated in both France and England, learning French so well, that she forgot English for awhile! She studied the harp, piano, math, sewing, and philosophy. She also wrote poetry, plays, and essays.
Louisa's family entertained American visitors at parties in France, including U.S. President John Adams and his son, John Quincy. She and John Quincy fell in love and married in 1797.
John Quincy was assigned to American diplomat to Prussia, where Louisa became a very popular political wife and hostess, despite some health issues.
John Quincy was Secretary of State for President James Monroe. Their home became popular in Washington for large parties and dances. Louisa used her charm learned from living in multiple countries as a way to advance her husband and his campaign for President.

As First Lady, Louisa had health problems and felt lonely and removed from general society. She developed creative pastimes during her years as First Lady. She continued her love of sewing and even raised silkworms and harvested silk strands for fabric.
After her term as First Lady, Louisa continued to campaign with her husband against slavery and also for women's rights. Even after John Quincy's death, she continued relationships with politicians, gathering support for her causes. She also wrote several autobiographical essays and a play called, "Metropolitan Kaleidoscope", about an ambitious politician.
When Louisa died, Congress adjourned for the day - the first time this had happened for a woman.

About John - John Quincy Adams, the son of John Adams, was a skilled diplomat and former Secretary of State before becoming President. During his Presidency, John had ambitious plans for national infrastructure and education, but he faced opposition in Congress. After leaving office, he served in the House of Representatives for 17 years, becoming a leading anti-slavery voice.

Shrewsbury Cookies

View / Print Recipe Card

Recipes for Shrewsbury Cookies (or cakes) date back to cookbooks as early as the 1600s! They're named after the town of Shrewsbury in England. Born in England, First Lady Louisa Adams brought this recipe to The White House when her husband, John Quincy Adams became President.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup of sugar
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup raisins

Steps

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Stir in the slightly beaten egg yolks and lemon zest.
Next stir in flour, gradually, then the raisins. Stir until the dough forms a bit of a mound.
Divide the dough in half and roll out half on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the rimof a glass, cut out circles and put on cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches between cookies.
Bake at 350° F for about 15 minutes or until edges lightly brown. Cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

Recipe Card

Portrait Credits*
Louisa Adams - Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Younger Louisa - trading card - Trading Cards NPS, CC <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
John Quincy Adams - Pieter Van Huffel, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons