Betsy, as she was called by her parents, was the oldest child to survive to become an adult. Like her sister and brothers, she began her schooling at home. She was taught to read, have good penmanship, appreciate music, and do needlework.

In a letter to her husband, Betsy's mother wrote, "Betsy is better than when you left her... She is, I believe very attentive to her learning, and has never staid from school but when she was taking physic [sick]. She shows me great attention and never has had the least gloom on her countenance."

When she was 16 or 17 years old, Betsy made her formal entry into the community and was introduced to the wealthiest people of the city. She fell in love with a famous painter's son, and her father wasn't very happy about it. In 1803, she married General William MacPherson and they had two daughters. After the General died in 1813, she moved back into her father's house with her daughters and served as the household manager for almost twenty years until her death in 1831. She contributed to the community in many ways and was the manager of the Female Bible Society of Philadelphia.