Overview
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
Date Constructed/ Founded
not determined
Associated Surnames
Custis, Washington
Historical notes
Mount Vernon was home to George Washington for more than 45 years. First known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, the Estate was originally granted to Washington's great grandfather John Washington in 1674. It eventually passed to Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence, who renamed the property Mount Vernon after his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy. George Washington inherited the property upon the death of his brother Lawrence's widow in 1761. At the age of eleven (1743), he inherited ten slaves and 500 acres of land. When he began farming Mount Vernon eleven years later, at the age of 22, he had a work force of about 36 slaves. With his marriage to Martha Custis in 1759, 20 of her slaves came to Mount Vernon. After their marriage, Washington purchased even more slaves. The slave population also increased because the slaves were marrying and raising their own families. By 1799, when George Washington died, there were 316 slaves living on the estate.
Associated Slave Workplaces
Dogue Run Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), Ferry Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), Muddy Hole Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), River Farm (Farifax Co., VA), Union Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), Woodlawn Plantation (Fairfax Co., VA)
Associated Free Persons
- George Eskridge Washington (b.1732-d.1799) - plantation owner; first President of the United States
- Martha Dandridge Custis Washington - wife of George E. Washington
- John "Jack" Parke Custis (b.1755-d.1781) - son of Daniel Parke and Martha D. Custis Washington
- Martha Parke "Patsy" Custis (b.1757-d.1773) - daughter of Daniel Parke and Martha D. Custis Washington
- Major Lawrence Lewis - nephew of President George Washington; owner of Woodlawn Plantation (formed from Dogue Run Farm)
- Eleanor "Nelly" Custis Lewis - wife of Lawrence Lewis; granddaughter of Martha Washington, heir of the George Washington estate
Associated Enslaved Persons
1786 Slaves at Mansion House Farm
From George Washington's Diaries, 18 February 1786; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/diaries/list/house.html
"dower" = slaves owned by marriage/ dower of Martha Washington
- Alce (dower) - spinner
- Anna - child of Alce; age 13
- Christopher - child of Alce; age 11
- Judy - child of Alce; age 7
- Vina - child of Alce; age 5
- "Lame" Alice (dower) - sempstress; 4 children
- Richmond - child of Alice; age 9
- Evey - child of Alice; age 2
- Delia - child of Alice; age 3 months
- Anthony - laborer
- Austin (dower) - waiter in the house
- Betty (dower) - sempstress; 2 children
- Oney - child of Betty; age 12; house
- Delphy - child of Betty; age 6
- Boatswain - laborer
- Bristol- gardener
- Caroline (dower) - house maid
- Caroline - child of Caroline; age 1
- Charlotte (dower) - semptress
- Timothy - child of Charlotte; age 1
- Doll (dower) - almost past service
- Dolly (dower) - washer
- Frank (dower) - waiter in the house
- Frank - stock keeper; old
- George - smith
- Giles - driver/ stabler
- Gunner - laborer
- Hercules - cook
- Isaac - carpenter
- "Cook" Jack - jobber
- Jack - waggoner
- James - carpenter
- Jenny (dower) - almost past service
- Joe (dower) - driver/ stabler
- Joe (dower) - laborer
- Kitty (dower) - spinner
- Sinah - child of Kitty; age 14
- Mima - child of Kitty; age 12
- Ally - child of Kitty; age 10
- Lucy - child of Kitty; age 8
- Grace - child of Kitty; age 6
- Letty - child of Kitty; age 4
- Nancy - child of Kitty; age 2
- Moll - child; from Mr. Custis's Estate
- Myrtilla - spinner
- Lilly - child of Myrtilla; age 11
- Ben - child of Myrtilla; age 8
- Harry - child of Myrtilla; age 3
- Boatswain - child of Myrtilla; age 6
- Lally - child of Myrtilla; age 3 months
- Nathan - cook
- Natt - smith
- Paris "boy" - driver/ stabler
- Peter - child; from Mr. Custis's Estate
- Peter "lame" (dower) - knitter
- Sall (dower) - house maid
- Cyrus - child of Sall; age 11
- Sall Brass - washer
- Sam - laborer
- Sambo - carpenter
- Schomerg (dower) - past labour
- Simms (dower) - carter
- Tom Davis (dower) - laborer
- Tom Nokes (dower) - carpenter
- Will - Val de Chambre
- Will (dower) - laborer
- Winny - spinner, old and almost blind
1799 Mansion House Farm slaves
Owned by George Washington in his own right and by marriage (dower)
From George Washington's Will, 1799; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/will/slalis/mansion.html
- Charles Freeman
- Alce (dower) - wife of Charles Freeman; spinner
- Emery (dower) - son of Charles and Alce
- Tom (dower) - son of Charles and Alce
- Charles (dower) - son of Charles and Alce
- Henriette (dower) - daughter of Charles and Alce
- Anna (dower) - husband living at George Town; spinner
- Daniel (dower) - son of Anna; age 6
- Anna (dower) - daughter of Anna; age 4
- Sandy (dower) - son of Anna; age 1 year 6 months
- Ben - ditcher
- Penny - wife of Ben (ditcher); at River Farm
- Ben - miller
- Sinnah (dower) - wife of Ben; cropper
- Nancy (dower) - daughter of Ben and Sinnah
- Betty Davis (dower) - spinner; wife of Dick (Mrs. Washington's)
Note: Mrs. Washington was Elizabeth Foote Washington, widow of Washington's old manager and cousin Lund Washington, who lived at Hayfield, northwest of Mount Vernon. Several other Mount Vernon servants were married to slaves at Hayfield.
- Nancy (dower) - child of Dick and Betty; age 9
- Oney (dower) - child of Dick and Betty; age 6
- Lucinda (dower) - child of Dick and Betty; age 2
- Boatswain - ditcher
- Myrtilla - wife of Boatswain; spinner
- Caroline (dower) - house maid; wife of Peter Hardman
- Rachel (dower) - daughter of Peter and Caroline; age 12
- Jemima (dower) - daughter of Peter and Caroline; age 9
- Leanthe (dower) - daughter of Peter and Caroline; age 8
- Polly (dower) - daughter of Peter and Caroline; age 6
- Peter (dower) - son of Peter and Caroline; age 4
- Charles - ditcher
- Fanny (dower) - wife of Charles; at Union Farm
- Charlotte (dower) - semptress; no husband
- Elvey (dower) - daughter of Charlotte
- Jenny (dower) - daughter of Cahrlotte
- Eliza (dower) - daughter of Charlotte
- Chriss (dower) - house servant; wife at Major West's; Note: Christopher was Washington's body servant who was with him at his death. His wife was either a slave or a free black woman living at Roger West's
- Daniel (dower) - distiller
- Davy - carpenter
- Edy - wife of Davy; at Union Farm
- Delia (dower) - age 14; cropper; no husband; sister of Eve
- Delphy (dower) - spinner; no husband
- Doll (dower) - passed labor; no husband
- Dundee - ditcher; wife at Mr. Lears
- Eve (dower) - age 17; cropper; no husband; a dwarf, sister of Delia
- Forrester - miller
- Frank - house servant
- Lucy (dower) - wife of Frank; (children? see Note); cook
- Frank - passed labor; age 80
- George - smith
- Lydia (dower) - wife of George; at River Farm
- Godfrey (dower) - carter/ wagoner
- Mima (dower) - wife of Godfrey; cropper
- John (dower) - son of Godfrey and Mima
- Randolph (dower) - son of Godfrey and Mima
- Grace (dower) - cropper; wife of Juba (Mr. Lear's)
- Gunner - passed labor
- Judy - wife of Gunner; at River Farm
- Hanson (dower) - distiller
- Harry - gardener
- Isaac - carpenter
- Kitty (dower) - wife of Isaac; milk maid
- Barbara (dower) - daughter of Isaac and Kitty; age 10
- Levina (dower) - daughter of Isaac and Kitty; age 6
- James (dower) - carter
- Alla (dower) - wife of James; knitter
- Jenny (dower) - passed labor; no husband
- Joe - carpenter
- Dolshy (dower) - wife of Joe; spinner
- Sucky (dower) - daughter of Joe and Dolshy; age 5
- Dennis (dower) - son of Joe and Dolshy; age 2 months
- Joe (dower) - postilion (cropper)
- Sall - wife of Joe; at River farm
- Juba - carter
- Judy (dower) - spinner; age 21; no husband
- Letty (dower) - cropper; no husband
- Lucy (dower) - cropper; no husband (children? see Note)
- Marcus (dower) - house servant
- Matilda - spinner; Boson Ditcher
- Molly (dower) - cook; no husband; Note: Molly, Charlotte, and Caroline--all listed here among the dower slaves--were in Washington's room when he died.
- Moses - cooper; no wife
- Nancy (dower) - cropper; no husband
- Peter (dower) - distiller
- Peter "lame" (dower) - knitter; no wife
- Sall (dower) - house maid; no husband
- Sambo - carpenter
- Agnes (dower) - wife of Sambo; at River Farm
- Simms (dower) - carpenter
- Daphne - wife of Simms; at Mr. French's
- Slamin Joe (dower) - ditcher
- Sylla - wife of Slammin Joe; at Dogue Run Farm
- Timothy (dower) - distiller
- Tom Davis (dower) - brick layer; wife at Mr. Lear's
- Viner (dower) - cropper; no husband
- W. Muclus - brick layer; wife at Captian Marshall's; Note: Capt. Thomas Hanson Marshall (b.1731-d.1801) lived at Marshall Hall, just across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, in Charles Co., MD
- Will - shoemaker; lame; Note: Will was Washington's old mulatto body servant Billy, or William Lee, who had served with him throughout the Revolution
- Wilson (dower) - postilion; age 15
Note: the following, dower of Martha Washington are listed as the children of "Lucy":
- Mike (dower) - son of Lucy
- Phil (dower) - son of Lucy
- Patty (dower) - daughter of Lucy
- Burwell (dower) - son of Lucy
Research Leads and Plantation Records
- Schwarz, P.J. (ed.) Slavery at the Home of George Washington. 2001.
- Schook, A., Hayward, N., White, E. Archaeology & Slave Life at Mount Vernon.
Miscellaneous Information
- The Mansion: home of George Washington and his family; Today the Mansion has been restored to its appearance in 1799, the last year of Washington's life.
References
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