There's Something About Martha Washington

Martha Washington was married twice. Martha fell for Daniel Parke Custis, who, at the time, was one of the most eligible bachelors in Virginia. She married him in her late teens. About a year and a half after Custis passed away, she then married George Washington on January 6, 1759 at her plantation, which, incidentally, was called White House. She was 27 years old and was married to Washington for forty years.

Martha Washington had four children. She had four children during her seven-year marriage to Daniel Custis: Daniel Parke Custis (1751-1754); Frances Parke Custis (1753-1757); John Parke Custis (1754-1781); and Martha Parke Custis (1756-1773).  Her youngest, Martha Parke “Patsy” Custis, suffered from epilepsy from a young age and had frequent seizures. The Washingtons did everything they could to help Patsy, but she died after a severe seizure at age 17. During Martha’s marriage to George Washington, she did not give birth for reasons that cannot be explained.

Martha Washington was an animal lover. She enjoyed riding horses as a young woman, but she also appreciated good horses. She once wrote to her sister Anna Maria to say how happy she was about a new horse Anna Maria had just acquired and that she hoped she had “found great benefet from riding everyday.” Martha also enjoyed dogs and had many dogs on the Mount Vernon Estate, including a “coach dog,” otherwise known as a Dalmatian, named Madame Moose.

Martha Washington hated to travel. In numerous letters exchanged between Martha and her family and friends, it was implied that she didn’t like traveling from home and she only made the trip to George Washington’s military headquarters out of sheer loyalty for her husband.

Martha Washington was a leader. During the summer of 1780, Martha Washington helped organize and coordinate fundraising and clothing donations for the Continental Army. Women from New Jersey to Virginia joined in the effort and would send all moneys collected to Martha at her husband’s headquarters, according to a Philadelphia newspaper.

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