Margaret Matilda Denson (née Cowan), known by her middle name "Matilda" was born in Brunswick County, North Carolina on January 26, 1836. As a young woman, she was involved in the social scene around Wilmington. She eventually married John Claudius Baker Denson, a soldier and professor, and the couple had at least four children. She died in Pittsboro, North Carolina on March 7, 1923.