Susanna Bishop

Susanna Bishop, whose nickname was "Suekey," often worked as midwife for the enslaved women at Mount Vernon. Additionally, Bishop was the wife of Thomas Bishop, one of George Washington's hired personal servants.

Bishop was paid the following sums for her work as a midwife:

• ten shillings on February 21, 1767, for "laying Betty"¹
• ten shillings on July 8, 1767 for "bring Kate to Bed"
• ten shillings on July 31, 1767 for delivering Sue at Dogue Run Farm
• ten shillings on March 4, 1768 for delivering Sarah
• ten shillings on February 27, 1769 for delivering Phillis, one of the house servants
• one pound (ten shillings each) on July 6, 1769 for delivering Muddy Hole Kate and Catherine
• ten shillings on October 26, 1769 for delivering Sarah
• ten shillings on September 4, 1771 for delivering Moll
• ten shillings on October 9, 1771 for delivering Betty
• ten shillings on December 21, 1771 for delivering Alce at the Mansion House Farm²
• ten shillings on January 10, 1772 for delivering Doll
• one pound on June 16, 1772, for delivering Sall at the Mansion House Farm and Kitt
• ten shillings on July 7, 1772, for delivering Muddy Hole Kate³
• one pound on April 19, 1774, for delivering Doll at the Ferry Farm and Betty at the Mansion House Farm
• ten shillings on May 2, 1774, for delivering Betty at the Ferry Farm
• one pound ten shillings in October of 1774, for delivering Kate, Hannah, and Jone
• ten shillings on December 11, 1774, for delivering Alice at the Mansion House Farm⁴
• one pound ten shillings on 5/15/1782, for delivering Susy and Jane at Dogue Run and Lame Alice at the Mansion House Farm⁵
• one pound on 7/15/1782, for delivering "Dorcus' Charlotte"⁶
• one pound ten shillings on 10/4/1782, for delivering Lucy at the Ferry, Leddy in the Neck, and Myrtilla at the Mansion House⁷
• two pounds, 10 shillings on 8/6/1783, for delivering Sarah at Muddy Hole, Lucy at Dogue Run, Betty at the Ferry Landing, Alice at the Mansion House Farm, and Suky in the Neck
• ten shillings on 8/15/1783, for delivering Lydda in the Neck⁸
• ten shillings on 11/6/1783, for delivering Carrolina
• ten shillings on 11/6/1783, for delivering Fanny at the Ferry⁹
• one pound on 4/28/1784, for delivering Peg at Muddy Hole and Alice at the Mansion House Farm¹⁰
• ten shillings on 7/12/1784, for delivering Agnes at River Farm¹¹
• one pound on 11/8/1784, for delivering Myrtilla at the Mansion House Farm and Daphne in the Neck¹²
• one pound on 12/24/1784, for delivering Doll at the Ferry and Doll in the Neck¹³
• ten shillings on 3/18/1785, for delivering Carroline¹⁴
• ten shillings on 5/17/1785, for delivering Charlotte¹⁵
• ten shillings on 9/30/1785, for delivering Lame Alice¹⁶
• ten shillings on 11/24/1785, for delivering Mirtilla¹⁷

Midwifery was not Bishop's only role at Mount Vernon. In addition, she received an additional ten shillings on May 3, 1770, "for Knitting" and five shillings on January 10, 1772, for "Knittg a pr of Stockings."¹⁸

Notes: 1. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 7:482 & 482n.

2. For entries two through nine, see The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 8:5, 70, 169, 169n, 222, 250, 521, 527, 557.

3. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 9:1, 53, 58.

4. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 10:19 & 20n, 39, 168 & 168n, 194 & 196n.

5. See "Hard Money pd. on Act. of Genneral [sic] Washington," Lund Washington Account Book, 109.

6. Ibid., 110.

7. Ibid., 112.

8. See "Cash pd. on Acct. of General Washington," Lund Washington Account Book, 125.

9. See entry for 6 November 1783, “Cash pd. on Acct. of General Washington,” Lund Washington Account Book, 126.

10. See "Cash pd. on Acct. of Genrl. Washington," Lund Washington Account Book, 133.

11. Ibid., 136.

12. Ibid., 140.

13. Ibid., 143.

14. Ibid., 148.

15. Ibid., 150.

16. Ibid., 155.

17. Ibid., 155.

18. The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, 8:60 & 431; "Cash pd. on Acct. of Genrl. Washington," Lund Washington Account Book, 144.