Peter, Martha Parke Custis, 1777-1854

Martha (Patty) Parke Custis Peter (1777-1854): was born to John Parke Custis and Eleanor (Nelly) Calvert Custis on December 31, 1777. She was one of four children in their family to survive to adulthood: Eliza Parke, Martha Parke, Eleanor Parke (Nelly), and George Washington (Washy) Parke. Following the death of their father in 1781, Patty and her older sister, Eliza, lived with their mother and stepfather, Dr. David Stuart, and their large family, while their younger siblings, Nelly and Washy, lived with their grandparents at Mount Vernon. There were frequent visits to Mount Vernon in both childhood and following her marriage to Thomas Peter in 1795. She died July 13 or 15, 1854.

Martha Parke Custis Peter (December 31, 1777 – July 13, 1854)[1] was a granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Washington and a step-granddaughter of George Washington.
Martha Parke Custis was born on December 31, 1777[1][2] in the Blue Room at Mount Vernon.[3] She was the second-eldest surviving daughter of John Parke Custis, son of Martha Washington and her first husband Daniel Parke Custis, and his wife Eleanor Calvert, daughter of Benedict Swingate Calvert and his wife Elizabeth Calvert. Martha married Thomas Peter in 1795 at Hope Park in Fairfax County, Virginia.[1][2][4] The young bride requested from her step-grandfather George Washington a miniature of himself as a wedding gift.[4] Painted in Philadelphia between 1794 and 1795 by Walter Robertson, the miniature was a watercolor on ivory, set in gold, and depicted Washington in his Continental Army uniform.[3]

Martha and Thomas had eight children, but only five of them lived to adulthood.[1]

Martha Eliza Eleanor Peter (January 20, 1796 – August 31, 1800),[5] died in childhood
Columbia Washington Peter (December 2, 1797[6] – December 3, 1821)
John Parke Custis Peter (November 14, 1799 – January 19, 1848), married Elizabeth Jane Henderson[7][8]
George Washington Parke Custis Peter (November 18, 1801[6] – December 10, 1877), married Jane Boyce
America Pinckney Peter Williams[9] (October 12, 1803 – April 25, 1842), married William George Williams
Robert Thomas Peter[8] (November 7, 1806 – October 5, 1807), died in infancy
Martha Custis Castania Peter[8] (October 5, 1808 – April 5, 1809), died in infancy
Britannia Wellington Peter Kennon (January 28, 1815 – January 27, 1911), married Beverley Kennon (1793–1844)[10][8] Upon her marriage, Martha inherited 61 slaves from her late father's estate.[11] Thomas almost immediately auctioned them off to raise cash,[11] an action that may have inspired the stern rebuke against the breaking up of slave families that George Washington delivered in his will.[11] Her step-grandfather bequeathed her $8,000, 1/32 of his estate.[4]

Martha Washington died in 1802, and Thomas Peter served as executor of her estate. The Peters purchased at a private sale many objects from Mount Vernon to preserve her grandparents' legacy.[4] Martha Peter inherited approximately 35 dower slaves from Mount Vernon following her grandmother's death (from grandfather Daniel Parke Custis's estate). She later inherited about 40 additional slaves following the 1811 death of her mother (from father John Parke Custis's estate).[12] Her $8,000 (~$181,190 in 2022) inheritance from George Washington was used to purchase property in Washington, D.C. in 1805.[4] The property, comprising one city block on the crest of Georgetown Heights, had an excellent view of the Potomac River. The couple commissioned Dr. William Thornton,[4] architect of the United States Capitol, to design their mansion which they named Tudor Place.