Martha Dandridge

1731 - 1802  (70 years)

• Name	Martha Dandridge
  Born	2 Jun 1731	New Kent, New Kent County, Virginia
  Gender	Female
  Died	22 May 1802	Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia
  Buried	Mount Vernon Estate Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia   [1]
  Person ID	I23152	My Reynolds Line
  Last Modified	29 Sep 2021

  
  

  Family 1	John Parke Custis,   b. 1712,   d. 1781, Virginia  (Age 69 years)
  Children	+ 1. George Washington Parke Custis,   b. 30 Apr 1781, Colonial Virginia ,   d. 10 Oct 1857, Alexandria County, Virginia  (Age 76 years)
  Last Modified	19 Jun 2021
  Family ID	F8737	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	George Washington,   b. 22 Feb 1732, Pope's Creek, Westmoreland Co., Virginia Colony ,   d. 14 Dec 1799, Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia  (Age 67 years)
  Last Modified	26 Sep 2021
  Family ID	F8738	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Edward Savage Painting of The Washington Family EdwardSavage23152TheWashingtonFamily.jpg

  
  

• Sources

  [S32] Find-A-Grave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2382/martha-washington. Martha Dandridge Washington BIRTH: 2 Jun 1731 New Kent, New Kent County, Virginia DEATH: 22 May 1802 (aged 70) Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia BURIAL: Mount Vernon Estate Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia [S100] Internet Source, https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/george-custis.htm. George Washington Parke Custis The Washington Family The Washington family by Edward Savage. George Washington Parke Custis stands at the left next to his adopted father, George Washington. National Gallery of Art Born in 1781, George Washington Parke Custis was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington through her first marriage. After his natural father, John Parke Custis, died in 1781, G.W.P. Custis went to live at Mount Vernon where George and Martha Washington raised him as their own son. During his childhood, Custis became very attached to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1802, Custis started the construction of Arlington House on land that he had inherited from his natural father. When completed in 1818, he intended the house to serve as not only a home but also a memorial to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1804, Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. The two had four children, but only one, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, survived. [S100] Internet Source, https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/george-custis.htm. George Washington Parke Custis The Washington Family The Washington family by Edward Savage. George Washington Parke Custis stands at the left next to his adopted father, George Washington. National Gallery of Art Born in 1781, George Washington Parke Custis was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington through her first marriage. After his natural father, John Parke Custis, died in 1781, G.W.P. Custis went to live at Mount Vernon where George and Martha Washington raised him as their own son. During his childhood, Custis became very attached to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1802, Custis started the construction of Arlington House on land that he had inherited from his natural father. When completed in 1818, he intended the house to serve as not only a home but also a memorial to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1804, Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. The two had four children, but only one, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, survived. Custis derived his living from large inherited estates, worked by many enslaved people, though he was a poor manager and his properties were not very profitable. He devoted most of his energies to other activities, many and varied including painting, playwriting, music, oratory, and promoting the improvement of American agriculture. None of his endeavors were marked by great or lasting success. He frequently held celebrations, special programs and other social events which attracted thousands of visitors to the Arlington estate over the years. Regarding himself as the heir to the Washington tradition, Custis collected and displayed, a large number of Mount Vernon relics at Arlington. He was always eager to comment on the collection and the Washington legacy for famous guests and curious strangers. Custis saw his daughter marry Lt. Robert E. Lee at Arlington in 1831. Robert and Mary Anna came to call Arlington home and Custis was a prominent figure in the lives of the seven Lee children. In his later years, Custis did not stray far from Arlington. He made his will in 1855, and he increasingly relied on his son-in-law, Col. Lee, to handle his tangled business affairs. Until his death, Custis retained his old bedchamber in the north wing of the mansion, where he died after a short illness on October 10, 1857.