Mount Vernon Plantation, Fairfax County, Virginia
Location: Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Surnames/tags: slavery black_heritage Washington
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Introduction
The purpose of this page is to record the enslaved people owned by President George Washington, and attempt to connect them to their families. Over GW's lifetime, he had control over about 577 slaves.[1]
Other owners from the Will of George Washington:
- Lawrence Lewis & Eleanor Parke Lewis, his wife
- Bushrod Washington, George's nephew, who inherited most of the Mount Vernon estate.
History
The Mount Vernon tract was the original Washington family land on Little Hunting Creek, being part of a grant for 5,000 acres between Little Hunting and Dogue creeks that the proprietors had made on 1 Mar 1674 to Col. Nicholas Spencer (d. 1689) of Albany, Westmoreland County, and George Washington’s great-grandfather, Lt. Col. John Washington (1632–1677) of Bridges Creek, Westmoreland County. [2] The Little Hunting Creek tract was inherited by Mildred Washington (1696–c.1745) who, after her marriage to Roger Gregory of King and Queen County, sold it for £180 to her brother Augustine Washington, GW’s father. [3]
From Augustine the tract passed to GW’s half brother Lawrence Washington, who during the 1740s named it Mount Vernon. [4] After Lawrence’s death in 1752, his widow Ann and her second husband, George Lee (1714–1761) of Westmoreland County, rented the tract and 18 slaves to GW for her lifetime at the rate of 15,000 [31] pounds of tobacco or £93 15s, Virginia currency, a year, and upon Ann’s death in 1761, it became GW’s outright by virtue of a provision in Lawrence’s will. [5] GW purchased several additional tracts adjoining this original Mount Vernon land.[6]Thus the whole of the Mount Vernon estate included several farms on which many of the enslaved lived and worked.
- Mansion House
- Dogue Run Farm
- Muddy Hole Farm
- River Farm
- Union Farm
- Mill Complex (on list of Tithables) (see also Dogue Run and River Farm). The Mill Complex name is used to describe where a slave's workplace is in the database. It probably comprises the two mills on Mt Vernon at Dogue Run and River.
The following places are mentioned in other documents without clarification of whereabouts.
- Ferry Farm was the land on which Augustine Washington was living at the time of his death, which he bequeathed to George Washington in his will. Ferry Farm was also George Washington's boyhood home; it was located "opposite Fredericksburg in King George County" according to the Mount Vernon website.[7]
A further reference to the geographical location of Ferry Farm was provided in the footnotes for another George Washington letter: "Charles Carter (1707–1764), the third son of Robert (“King”) Carter, had his home at Cleve in King George County, on the left bank of the Rappahannock River below Fredericksburg and Ferry Farm, GW’s boyhood home."[8]
- Ships Landing (on list of Tithables) -- this was the name of the Custis family plantation in York County, which was owned by Daniel Parke Custis
- Hunting Creek Plantation aka Creek Plantation
- Bridge Quarter (on list of Tithables)
- Woodlawn Mansion is the mansion built by Lawrence Lewis [son of George Washington's sister, Betty (Washington) Lewis] beginning in 1799.
This page focuses on the slaves held or owned by George Washington, and also those from his wife's dowry, after 1759 on this part of the estate. After his 1759 marriage to Martha (Dandridge) Custis, an additional 84 slaves from her late husband's estate became a part of the Mount Vernon Estate. In his diaries and in many of the inventories, the enslaved are identified by the location where they lived and worked. Mount Vernon is one and is distinguished from the above 11 sites or farms identified in his diaries and inventories.
Slaves prior to 1759
GW inherited these slaves from his father: Slaves of George Washington.
See also: The Slaves of Augustine Washington, George's father.
1786 Mount Vernon Slaves
List of Negroes at Mt. Vernon - Overseers Account Book - 1786[9] The notes indicate blankets to be given to the individual apparently ok'd by a Maj. Wash, aka Major George Washington Parke Custis. Children noted in this first table are taken from the table following to make it easier to create family profiles.
| Names | Distinctions | Places of Abode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will | Val de Chambre | Mt Vernon | |
| Frank | House Servant | Mt Vernon | |
| Auston | House Servant | Mt Vernon | |
| Hercules | Cook | Mt Vernon | |
| Nathan | Cook | Mt Vernon | |
| Giles | Driver/Stabler | Mt Vernon | |
| Joe | Driver/Stabler | Mt Vernon | 1 blanket Dec 9th by Maj. |
| Paris Boy | Driver/Stabler | Mt Vernon | |
| Doll | Almost past service | Mt Vernon | |
| Jenny | Almost past service | Mt Vernon | |
| Betty | Seamstresses | Mt Vernon | 2 children, Oney and Delphy |
| Lame Alice, aka Alce F | Seamstresses | Mt Vernon | 3 children: Richmond, Evy and Delia; 1 Blanket Dec 9 by Maj. |
| Charlotte | Seamstresses | Mt Vernon | 1 child, Timothy |
| Sall | House Maids | Mt Vernon | 1 child, Cyrus |
| Caroline Branham | House Maids | Mt Vernon | 1 child, Wilson ("husband" Peter Branham, aka Peter Hardiman)[10] |
| Sull Brass | Washer | Mt Vernon | |
| Dorchia | Washer | Mt Vernon | 1 Blanket Dec 9 by Maj. |
| Alice, aka Little Alice | Spinner | Mt Vernon | 4 children: Anna, Christopher, Judy and Nina |
| Myrtilla | Spinner | Mt Vernon | 5 children: see table below; 1 blanket for son & dau Dec 9 by Maj. Wash. |
| Kitty | Spinner | Mt Vernon | 7 children: see table below. 1 blanket for elder dau Dec 9 by Maj. |
| Winney | Spinner | Mt Vernon | Almost blind |
| Scamberg | Past labour | Mt Vernon | |
| Frank Old | Stock Keeper | Mt Vernon | |
| Jack | Jobber | Mt Vernon | |
| Gunner | Laborer | Mt Vernon | |
| Boatswain | Laborer | Mt Vernon | |
| Sam | Laborer | Mt Vernon | |
| Anthony | Laborer | Mt Vernon | 1 blanket Dec 9 by Maj. Washington |
| Tom Davis | Laborer | Mt Vernon | 1 blanket Dec 9 by Maj. Washington |
| Will | Laborer | Mt Vernon | |
| Joe | Laborer | Mt Vernon | |
| Jack | Waggonner | Mt Vernon | |
| Simms | Carter | Mt Vernon | |
| Bristol | Gardener | Mt Vernon | 1 blanket Dec 9 by Maj. |
| Isaac | Carpenter | Mt Vernon | |
| Sambo | Carpenter | Mt Vernon | |
| Tom Nokes | Carpenter | Mt Vernon | |
| Nat | Smith | Mt Vernon | |
| George | Smith | Mt Vernon | |
| Peter lame | Knitter | Mt Vernon | 1 blanket Dec 9 by Maj. |
| Peter Branham | Groom W Custis' Estate | Mt Vernon | Washington rented him for 12 pounds/yr; married to Caroline, son Wilson and Rachel[11] |
| Moll | W Custis' Estate | Mt Vernon | |
| Men = 29 | |||
| Women =14 | |||
List of Children at Mount Vernon - 1786
| Names | Ages | Distinctions | Places of Abode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 1 | Caroline's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Oney | 12 | Betty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Delphy | 6 | Betty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Anna | 13 | Little Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Christopher | 11 | Little Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Judy | 7 | Little Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Nina | 5 | Little Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Sinah | 14 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Mima | 12 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Ally | 10 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Lucy | 8 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Grace | 6 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Letty | 4 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Nancy | 2 | Kitty's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Richmond | 9 | Lame Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Evy | 2 | Lame Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Delia | 3 mo | Lame Alce's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Lylla | 11 | Myrtilla's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Ben | 8 | Myrtilla's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Harry | 3 | Myrtilla's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Boatswain | 6 | Myrtilla's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Lalla | 3 mo | Myrtilla's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Cyrus | 11 | Sall's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Timothy | 1 | Charlotte's child | Mt. Vernon |
| Total children =24 | |||
| TOTAL SLAVES = 67 | |||
1790 - 1799 Runaway Information
The Mount Vernon database is divided into time periods and document type; 1790-1799 had many entries, so this section only includes the Runaway notices (not slave sales, health reports, etc)
- Abram (identifier A) Union Farm, 30 Mar 1794
- Caesar (identifier A) Union Farm, 1796, 1797, and 1798.
- Dundee (identifier A)
- Hercules (identifier A)
- Joe (identifier B)
- Lucy (identifier E)
- Oney Judge
- Paul
- Paul (identifier C)
1800-1809
From database section 1800-1809. Named slaves only.
- Davy Gray Payment to Slave, Mount Vernon, March 24, 1800, Manager Ledger (James Anderson), 1798-1800
- Hercules (identifier A) Runaway Mount Vernon December 15, 1801 Letter to Colonel Richard Varick from MW, 15 December 1801
- Marcus (identifier A), Runaway, Mount Vernon, April 28, 1800, Runaway Ad, 30 April 1800
- Moll (identifier A) Provisions, Mount Vernon January 29, 1800 Manager Ledger (James Anderson), 1798-1800
Sources
- ↑ George Washington's Mount Vernon. Author: Mount Vernon's Ladies' Association. Page visited 3 Feb 2022. Link and Archived Link
- ↑ Northern Neck Deeds and Grants, Book 5, 207–8, Vi Microfilm
- ↑ deed of Roger and Mildred Gregory to Augustine Washington, 19 Oct. 1726, ViMtvL
- ↑ will of Augustine Washington, 11 April 1743, DLC:GW
- ↑ deed of George and Ann Lee to GW, 17 Dec. 1754, ketchum, 25; General Ledger A, folio 47; will of Lawrence Washington, 20 June 1752, ViMtvL
- ↑ The Papers of George Washington Digital Edition. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, Rotunda, 2008; https://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/GEWN-01-02-02-0003-0001-0002 [accessed 26 Feb 2022]; Original source: Diaries (11 March 1748–13 December 1799), Volume 2 (14 January 1766–31 December 1770)
- ↑ “Deed for Ferry Farm Land, 7 July 1748,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-01-02-0002. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, vol. 1, 7 July 1748 – 14 August 1755, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983, p. 5.]
- ↑ “To George Washington from Charles Carter, 5 June 1754,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-01-02-0064. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, vol. 1, 7 July 1748 – 14 August 1755, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983, pp. 128–129.]
- ↑ http://catalog.mountvernon.org/digital/collection/p16829coll11/id/310/rec/1
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWMIqBmZmpk
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWMIqBmZmpk
See also:
- Mount Vernon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vernon
- George Washington and Slavery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_and_slavery#Interracial_sexual_relations
- Fred W Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. George Washington Collection
List, "Negroes Belonging to George Washington in his own right and by Marriage", 1799 July Image Link
- https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/
- https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/researching-slavery/
- https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/slavery-database/
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