John Parke Custis
John Parke Custis ( "Jacky" ) (born November 27, 1754 , † November 5, 1781 in New Kent County ) was a planter from Virginia and the stepson of George Washington .
Life
He was likely born on his parents' White House plantation in New Kent County, Virginia. He was the son of Daniel Parke Custis , a wealthy planter, and Martha Dandridge Custis . After his father's death in 1757, he inherited nearly 18,000 acres (73 km²) of land. In 1759, his mother married George Washington and moved to Mount Vernon with their children . Custis attended King's College (later Columbia University ) for a short time in 1773 .
On February 3, 1774, Custis married Eleanor Calvert . Eleanor was the second eldest daughter of Benedikt Swingate Calvert, the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore and his wife Elizabeth Butler Calvert. The couple moved to the White House plantation after the wedding . After living at White House for over two years, John Parke Custis bought Abingdon Plantation, where the couple moved in 1778. Of her seven children, four reached adulthood:
- Elizabeth Parke Custis Law , "Eliza," (1776-1831) ∞ Thomas Law
- Martha Parke Custis Peter , "Patsy", (1777–1854) ∞ Thomas Peter
- Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis , “Nelly,” (1779–1852) ∞ Lawrence Lewis
- George Washington Parke Custis , "Wash" (1781–1857) ∞ Mary Lee Fitzhugh
Custis served in the Virginia House of Representatives from 1778 to 1781 . He owned the land that is now Arlington National Cemetery . He served as Washington's Wing Adjudant during the Siege of Yorktown . He is reported to have said that he does not share his stepfather's ambition. He developed a fever in camp and died in New Kent County shortly after the Cornwallis surrender . He was buried in York County near Williamsburg .
Individual evidence
- ^ Edmund Jennings Lee: Lee of Virginia, 1642-1892 . Heritage Books. Retrieved March 1, 2008.
literature
- Frank E. Grizzard Jr .: George Washington. A Biographical Companion. 2002, pp. 67-70.
- John T. Kneebone et al. (Ed.): Dictionary of Virginia Biography . Library of Virginia, Richmond 1998ff., Volume 3, pp. 639-640, ISBN 0-88490-206-4
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Custis, John Parke |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Custis, Jacky |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American planter and stepson of George Washington |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 27, 1754 |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 5, 1781 |
| Place of death | New Kent County |