by Lorri Mealey

Created on: January 30, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Martha (Dandridge) Washington was born on June 2, 1731, just outside of Williamsburg, Virginia. The eldest daughter of John and Frances Dandridge, Martha (called Patsy by friends and family) was born into a life privilege, living on her parent's plantation Chestnut Grove. In keeping with traditions of the time, Martha was educated learning to sew, embroider, garden, and all the other necessities of running a large home. She also educated in basic mathematics, reading and writing, which was somewhat unusual for a girl in the Eighteenth century.

Martha married her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, aged thirty-eight, when she was eighteen. Custis owned a 17,000 acre plantation (today part of that plantation is Arlington National Cemetery). They would have four children together, two of them dying during infancy. Custis died in 1757, leaving Martha a widow at twenty-six with two young children, a son, Jacky, and a daughter, Patsy.

Martha met Colonel George Washington a cotillion (dance) in Williamsburg. She immediately fell in love with the dashing colonel. George it is said, favored a neighbor, Sally Fairfax. However, Sally married another, and George decided the pretty, affable and rich widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, would make as good a wife as any. They were married on January 6, 1759.

The couple moved to George's home, Mount Vernon, where they lived quite extravagantly. Little Jacky and Patsy wanted for nothing. They lived happily for a number of years. However, a string of bad crops, coupled with Martha's shopping habits did put a financial strain on the Washington's bank account. Then, in 1774 Patsy Custis died at the age of 17, from epileptic seizures. Martha was devastated.

While personal misfortune had befallen the Washington's, political unrest in the thirteen colonies was rapidly growing. High taxes from Great Britain had taken its toll on many colonist, and rebellion was in the air. Martha was torn between her loyalty to England, and her fellow neighbors. Eventually she would follow her husband's lead.

George Washington recognized that the fledgling independence movement would need strong support and organization. In 1775 he traveled north to Massachusetts, where he helped organize a militia. Martha traveled to spend Christmas with him. Jacky also came along, bringing his new wife, Eleanor "Nelly" Calvert. Martha stayed on through June before returning to Mount Vernon. She returned to George's side in March,1777, to nurse him through a bought of illness

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