Frances Jones (mother of Martha Dandridge Washington)
Encyclopedia
Frances Orlando Jones was born in New Kent County, Virginia
, where she also died.
Frances married John Dandridge
on July 22, 1730 in New Kent County, Virginia. Frances was the daughter of Orlando Jones and Martha Macon, prosperous Virginia landowners, and she is more commonly known as the mother of the first First Lady of the United States
, Martha Washington
.
, the leading legislative body in Colonial Virginia. Her grandfather, Col. Gideon Macon
(father of Martha Macon), was also a member of the House of Burgesses from 1696 to 1702, and was secretary to Sir William Berkeley, governor of Virginia
, during his second term in office.
Upon Col. Macon's death in 1702, his widow, Martha Woodward Macon, married Captain Nathaniel West who was also a representative in the House of Burgesses.
Captain Nathaniel West and Martha Woodward Macon West had two children. Their daughter, Unity West, married Orlando Jones brother, William Dandridge. William Dandridge was appointed to the Governor's Council in 1727, the highest political position available to colony residents. All of this would suggest that Frances, her husband, and children would have been quite familiar with colonial politics.
on Queen's Creek
within easy distance of the growing capital. Frances had an older brother, Lane Jones, born in 1707, and Frances was born in 1710. Her mother, Martha Macon Jones, died when Frances was only six years old.
Orlando Jones soon remarried. His second wife, Mary Elizabeth William Jones, became the sole parent of the two children just three years later when Orlando Jones died. Orlando and Mary had no children together.
A year later, Orlando's widow married John James Flourney and her stepchildren lived with them in Williamsburg. Mary Elizabeth William Jones Flourney was their guardian, and as such, could use the income from the Queen's Creek plantation to support the two stepchildren. The sister of the late Orlando Jones sued twice for custody of her niece and nephew, but was denied. When Lane Jones reached the age of eighteen, he legally emancipated
himself and moved in with his aunt in Timson's Neck.
Ten months later, when Frances was sixteen, she also sued for emancipation. She did not move in with her aunt, but instead lived with a planter in New Kent. Her mother's parents had been from that region and a number of Macon relatives lived there.
. John Dandridge
became Clerk of Courts
in New Kent and kept that position for the next 26 years. He was also vestryman
and churchwarden
for St. Peter's Church
, Church of England. John was a prominent planter, and a Colonel in his military district.
The Dandridge's home, Chestnut Grove
, was on the bank of the Pamunkey River
in New Kent County, Virginia
. John's older brother, William Dandridge (1689–1743), lived on the opposite bank of the river with his wife Unity West Dandridge at their estate, Elsing Green
, in King William County, Virginia
.
Unfortunately, Chestnut Grove Plantation burned down in 1926, but its former site was only 4 miles from the location of the current county court house for New Kent.
Along with their plantation in New Kent, John and Frances Jones Dandridge also owned a house in Williamsburg
and visited there frequently.
being the eldest. As was typical of the time, the children were educated at home, their education being considered quite liberal. John and Frances employed a tutor for their children. It was also quite unusual that Martha was presented to society in Williamsburg at the young age of 15.
Their daughter, Martha, first married Daniel Parke Custis
. Following his death she later married George Washington
and became First Lady of the United States of America.
One of their sons, Bartholomew Dandridge
, followed in his father's footsteps and became Clerk of Courts in New Kent County. And he, like his father, also served as both vestryman
and churchwarden
, but at the Blisland Parish rather than the St. Peter's Parish.
Illegitimate children of John Dandridge:
, died in Fredericksburg
on 31 August 1756. He was interred at St. George's Episcopal Church
in Fredricksburg.
There are a number of conflicting reports on the date of death for Frances Jones, but the one most commonly reported is July 9, 1785.
New Kent County, Virginia
At the 2000 census, there were 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile . There were 5,203 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, where she also died.
Frances married John Dandridge
John Dandridge
Colonel John Dandridge of Chestnut Grove was a distinguished colonel, planter, and Clerk of the Courts of New Kent County, Virginia from 1730 to 1756...
on July 22, 1730 in New Kent County, Virginia. Frances was the daughter of Orlando Jones and Martha Macon, prosperous Virginia landowners, and she is more commonly known as the mother of the first First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
, Martha Washington
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
.
Politics Runs in the Family
Frances' father, Orlando Jones, was a Burgess for New Kent County in 1718 in the House of BurgessesHouse of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
, the leading legislative body in Colonial Virginia. Her grandfather, Col. Gideon Macon
Gideon Macon
Gideon Macon was an early American settler.Gideon Macon's parents were from Loire, France, but Gideon had to have either been born in England or have become an English citizen to have been permitted to come to Virginia since only English citizens could live in the colony at the time...
(father of Martha Macon), was also a member of the House of Burgesses from 1696 to 1702, and was secretary to Sir William Berkeley, governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
, during his second term in office.
Upon Col. Macon's death in 1702, his widow, Martha Woodward Macon, married Captain Nathaniel West who was also a representative in the House of Burgesses.
Captain Nathaniel West and Martha Woodward Macon West had two children. Their daughter, Unity West, married Orlando Jones brother, William Dandridge. William Dandridge was appointed to the Governor's Council in 1727, the highest political position available to colony residents. All of this would suggest that Frances, her husband, and children would have been quite familiar with colonial politics.
Childhood
Frances, or Fanny, was born on a plantation near WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
on Queen's Creek
Queen's Creek
Queen's Creek is located in York County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States...
within easy distance of the growing capital. Frances had an older brother, Lane Jones, born in 1707, and Frances was born in 1710. Her mother, Martha Macon Jones, died when Frances was only six years old.
Orlando Jones soon remarried. His second wife, Mary Elizabeth William Jones, became the sole parent of the two children just three years later when Orlando Jones died. Orlando and Mary had no children together.
A year later, Orlando's widow married John James Flourney and her stepchildren lived with them in Williamsburg. Mary Elizabeth William Jones Flourney was their guardian, and as such, could use the income from the Queen's Creek plantation to support the two stepchildren. The sister of the late Orlando Jones sued twice for custody of her niece and nephew, but was denied. When Lane Jones reached the age of eighteen, he legally emancipated
Emancipation of minors
An emancipated minor is a minor who is allowed to conduct a business or any other occupation on their own behalf or for their own account outside the influence of a parent or guardian. The minor will then have full contractual capacity to conclude contract with regard to the business. Whether...
himself and moved in with his aunt in Timson's Neck.
Ten months later, when Frances was sixteen, she also sued for emancipation. She did not move in with her aunt, but instead lived with a planter in New Kent. Her mother's parents had been from that region and a number of Macon relatives lived there.
Their Virginia Home
Shortly after their marriage on July 22, 1730 in New Kent County, Virginia, John and Frances Jones Dandridge moved to their new home, Chestnut GroveChestnut Grove (plantation)
Chestnut Grove was an 18th-century plantation on the Pamunkey River near New Kent Court House in New Kent County, Virginia, United States. Chestnut Grove is best known as the birthplace of Martha Washington, wife of George Washington, and the first First Lady of the United States...
. John Dandridge
John Dandridge
Colonel John Dandridge of Chestnut Grove was a distinguished colonel, planter, and Clerk of the Courts of New Kent County, Virginia from 1730 to 1756...
became Clerk of Courts
Supreme Court of Virginia
The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears appeals from the trial-level city and county Circuit Courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative law cases that go through the Court of Appeals of Virginia. It is one of...
in New Kent and kept that position for the next 26 years. He was also vestryman
Vestryman
A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body. He is not a member of the clergy.In England especially, but also in other parts of The United Kingdom, Parish Councils have long been a level of local government rather than being solely ecclesiastical in nature...
and churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
for St. Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church (New Kent, Virginia)
St. Peter's Church is an Episcopal church in New Kent, Virginia, United States. Built in 1703, the church was designated as "The First Church of the First First-Lady" by the Virginia General Assembly in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.-History:St. Peter's Church...
, Church of England. John was a prominent planter, and a Colonel in his military district.
The Dandridge's home, Chestnut Grove
Chestnut Grove (plantation)
Chestnut Grove was an 18th-century plantation on the Pamunkey River near New Kent Court House in New Kent County, Virginia, United States. Chestnut Grove is best known as the birthplace of Martha Washington, wife of George Washington, and the first First Lady of the United States...
, was on the bank of the Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
in New Kent County, Virginia
New Kent County, Virginia
At the 2000 census, there were 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile . There were 5,203 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
. John's older brother, William Dandridge (1689–1743), lived on the opposite bank of the river with his wife Unity West Dandridge at their estate, Elsing Green
Elsing Green
Elsing Green Plantation, a National Historic Landmark and wildlife refuge, rests upon nearly along the Pamunkey River in King William County, Virginia, a rural county on the western end of the state’s middle peninsula, approximately northeast of the City of Richmond. The 18th-century plantation,...
, in King William County, Virginia
King William County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,846 households, and 3,784 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 5,189 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
.
Unfortunately, Chestnut Grove Plantation burned down in 1926, but its former site was only 4 miles from the location of the current county court house for New Kent.
Along with their plantation in New Kent, John and Frances Jones Dandridge also owned a house in Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
and visited there frequently.
The Dandridge Children
John and Frances Jones Dandridge produced eight children, Martha DandridgeMartha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
being the eldest. As was typical of the time, the children were educated at home, their education being considered quite liberal. John and Frances employed a tutor for their children. It was also quite unusual that Martha was presented to society in Williamsburg at the young age of 15.
Their daughter, Martha, first married Daniel Parke Custis
Daniel Parke Custis
Daniel Parke Custis was a wealthy Virginia planter whose widow, Martha, married George Washington.He was the son of John Custis , a powerful member of Virginia's Governor's Council, and Frances Parke Custis...
. Following his death she later married George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and became First Lady of the United States of America.
One of their sons, Bartholomew Dandridge
Bartholomew Dandridge
Bartholomew Dandridge was an early American lawyer, jurist, and planter.-Early life:Dandridge was born in 1737 at Chestnut Grove in New Kent County, Virginia. He was the fourth child and third eldest son of John Dandridge and his wife Frances Jones...
, followed in his father's footsteps and became Clerk of Courts in New Kent County. And he, like his father, also served as both vestryman
Vestryman
A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body. He is not a member of the clergy.In England especially, but also in other parts of The United Kingdom, Parish Councils have long been a level of local government rather than being solely ecclesiastical in nature...
and churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
, but at the Blisland Parish rather than the St. Peter's Parish.
- Martha Dandridge Custis WashingtonMartha WashingtonMartha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
(2 Jun 1731 - 22 May 1802) - John Dandridge (1733–1749)
- William Dandridge (1734–1776)
- Bartholomew DandridgeBartholomew DandridgeBartholomew Dandridge was an early American lawyer, jurist, and planter.-Early life:Dandridge was born in 1737 at Chestnut Grove in New Kent County, Virginia. He was the fourth child and third eldest son of John Dandridge and his wife Frances Jones...
(1737–1785) - Anna Maria "Fanny" Dandridge Bassett (1739–1777)
- Frances Dandridge (1744–1757)
- Elizabeth Dandridge Aylett Henley (1749–1800)
- Mary Dandridge (1756–1763)
Illegitimate children of John Dandridge:
- Ann Dandridge Costin
- Ralph Dandridge
Later life
Her husband, Colonel John DandridgeJohn Dandridge
Colonel John Dandridge of Chestnut Grove was a distinguished colonel, planter, and Clerk of the Courts of New Kent County, Virginia from 1730 to 1756...
, died in Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
on 31 August 1756. He was interred at St. George's Episcopal Church
St. George's Episcopal Church
St. George's Episcopal Church may refer to:* St. George's Episcopal Church * St. George's Episcopal Church * St. George's Episcopal Church * St. George's Episcopal Church...
in Fredricksburg.
There are a number of conflicting reports on the date of death for Frances Jones, but the one most commonly reported is July 9, 1785.