Daniel parke custis with martha

  • John parke custis
  • Frances parke custis
  • Martha washington children

    • •

    Martha Washington

    First Lady of the United States from to

    For the comic book character, see Martha Washington (comics).

    Martha Washington

    Portrait after Gilbert Stuart, early-midth century

    In role
    April 30, &#;– March 4,
    PresidentGeorge Washington
    Preceded byPosition established
    Succeeded byAbigail Adams
    Born

    Martha Dandridge


    ()June 2,
    Chestnut Grove, Virginia, British America
    DiedMay 22, () (aged&#;70)
    Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S.
    Resting placeMount Vernon, Virginia, U.S.
    38°42′″N77°05′″W / °N °W / ;
    Spouses

    George Washington

    &#;

    &#;

    (m.&#;; died&#;)&#;
    Children
    Parent(s)John Dandridge
    Frances Dandridge
    Signature

    Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, O.S. – May 22, ) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the inaugural firs

    •

    Burial

    Daniel Parke Custis’s untimely death on July 8, forced Martha into action.  She ordered a black walnut coffin for her husband’s burial. Because Virginians did not practice embalming, burial occurred within a day or two after death. To commemorate Daniel’s final resting place, Martha later purchased an expensive marble tombstone from England. As was customary for the time, Martha donned somber mourning dress and ordered mourning clothes for the rest of the family, including house slaves.

    Yet Martha’s sense of grief must have been overwhelming. By all accounts, the Custis’s marriage, though relatively brief, had been a happy one. Fortunately, many members of the Dandridge family lived nearby. To help her cope with her new circumstances, Martha turned to her brothers and sisters for aid, comfort, and support.

    Intestacy and Coverture

    Martha especially needed this help because her husband had died without having made a will. Often men in colo

    •

    Daniel Parke Custis’s Family

    As Martha Dandridge approached her late teens, her thoughts undoubtedly turned toward marriage. In colonial Virginia, most women of Martha’s social class met their potential mates through friends and family, or at church, court day, or a ball held at a neighbor’s house. Tradition holds that Martha met her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, at their local Anglican church.

    What is known for certain is that Custis was the son of one of the wealthiest men in Virginia, John Custis IV, who owned thousands of acres of land, had almost slaves, and sat on the Governor’s Council, the highest governing body in the colony. The elder Custis was also known to be arbitrary, capricious, and ill-tempered, even when it came to the happiness of his own children.

    Martha’s Talents

    Martha possessed a unique combination of talents. Only about five feet tall, she was lovely and attractive with a lively personality. She was strong but dutiful,

  • daniel parke custis with martha