Birth
Martha Dandridge is born at Chestnut Grove Plantation in New Kent County, Virginia, the oldest of eight children born to John Dandridge and Frances Jones.
1750
Marriage to Daniel Parke Custis
Martha Dandridge marries socially prominent Daniel Parke Custis, a vestryman from her family church, who is twenty years older than herself and someone she has known since childhood.
Daniel Parke Custis is Born
Martha Dandridge Custis gives birth to her first child, Daniel Parke Custis, named after his father.
Frances Parke Custis is Born
Martha Dandridge Custis gives birth to her second child, Frances Parke Custis.
Death of Daniel Parke Custis
Daniel, the oldest child of Daniel and Martha Custis, dies at the age of three.
John "Jacky" Parke Custis is Born
Martha gives birth to her third child, John Parke Custis; he will be known in the family as “Jacky” or “Jack.”
Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis is Born
Martha Dandridge Custis gives birth to her fourth and last child, Martha Parke Custis, who will be known in the family as “Patsy.”
Death of John Dandridge, Martha's Father
Martha’s father, John Dandridge, dies at the age of fifty-six.
Death of Frances Parke Custis
Frances, the second child of Daniel and Martha Custis, dies at the age of four.
Portraits by John Wollaston
Artist John Wollaston painted the first known portrait of Martha Dandridge Custis along with companion portraits of her husband and two surviving children, Jacky and Patsy.
Death of Daniel Parke Custis, Martha's First Husband
In July, Daniel Parke Custis died suddenly, leaving Martha one of the wealthiest widows in Virginia, with two small children to raise alone. He was buried at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.
It gave me no small pleasure to hear with how great Christian patience and resignation you submitted to your late misfortune; the example is rare, though a duty incumbent upon us all; and therefore I can not help esteeming it a peculiar happiness when I meet with it.
Daniel Custis's lawyer, Robert Carter Nicholas, to Martha Dandridge Custis
Courting Martha
In the spring of 1758, the young widow Custis is courted by several men, including George Washington, who stops by her home, called White House, in late March and early June.
The Marriage of George & Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis marries George Washington on January 6th, in a ceremony at her home. The couple and the bride’s two surviving children will move to the groom’s home, Mount Vernon, in the spring of that year.
Move to Mount Vernon
George and Martha Washington, her two children, and several enslaved workers moved to the Washington family home, Mount Vernon, at the end of the first week of April 1759.
1760
Measles at Christmastime
Martha Washington comes down with measles on January 1st, but is feeling “a good deal better” by her first wedding anniversary on the 6th. Her favorite sister, Anna Maria, is visiting at this time, probably for the Christmas holidays.
Patsy's "Fitts & Fevours" Begin
Martha Washington’s daughter, Patsy, is afflicted with “fitts & fevours” in late September; these may be the first indications of the seizures which will plague her for the rest of her life and eventually cause her death 13 years later.
Whooping Cough
Martha Washington and both of her children are sick with whooping cough in the late winter and early spring of 1761.
Ten Facts About Martha Washington
Did you know that unlike most women in Virginia in the early 1700s, Martha Washington learned to read and write? Go beyond the stereotypes and learn more about the life of Martha Washington. From mother to First Lady, learn about her many important roles.
Learn more