John Parke Custis, often overshadowed by his stepfather, George Washington, was a significant figure in colonial Virginia and the early American republic. Born into wealth and privilege, John Parke Custis navigated the complexities of land ownership, politics, and military service during a transformative period in American history. This article delves into the life of John Parke Custis, exploring his early years, his role as a planter and politician, and his contribution to the American Revolution, shedding light on a man who played a vital, if less celebrated, part in the nation’s founding narrative.
Born on November 27, 1754, John Parke Custis, likely at White House plantation in New Kent County, Virginia, was the son of Daniel Parke Custis and Martha Dandridge Custis. His early life took a dramatic turn when his father passed away in 1757. At a young age, John Parke Custis inherited a vast estate, a testament to his family’s prominence in colonial Virginia. This inheritance included over 17,880 acres of land spanning several counties, town lots in burgeoning settlements like Jamestown and Williamsburg, and even islands in the Chesapeake Bay. Beyond land, John Parke Custis also inherited substantial personal property, enslaved people, and liquid assets, collectively valued at a considerable £30,000, along with £10,000 in liquid assets. The young heir and his sister became entangled in a protracted legal battle over their inheritance, dating back to 1723, involving relatives in the Leeward Islands. This complex situation led Martha Dandridge Custis to seek the legal expertise of John Robinson. While Robinson agreed to represent the Custis children in the transatlantic lawsuit, he declined to manage their extensive property holdings.
A significant change in John Parke Custis‘s life occurred on January 6, 1759, when his mother, Martha Dandridge Custis, married George Washington. The family relocated to Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, becoming part of Washington’s estate. In April of that year, George Washington gained limited rights to manage his stepchildren’s estates. By October 21, 1761, after securing a substantial £20,000 bond, Washington officially became their guardian, further shaping John Parke Custis‘s upbringing and future prospects.
John Parke Custis, affectionately known as Jacky, received private tutoring at Mount Vernon until late 1767, focusing on classical Latin and New Testament Greek, hallmarks of elite education at the time. In June 1768, he began attending Jonathan Boucher’s boarding school in Caroline County, continuing his studies with the Anglican minister even after Boucher relocated to Annapolis. Boucher’s correspondence reveals a somewhat critical view of young Custis, noting his disinterest in academics and a keen interest in women. Boucher famously remarked that he had never encountered a student “so exceedingly indolent, or so surprizingly voluptuous,” humorously suggesting that Custis might be better suited as an “Asiatic Prince.” Hoping to instill discipline and broaden his horizons, Boucher took John Parke Custis on a grand tour of Europe in 1772. Upon their return, John Parke Custis enrolled in King’s College (later Columbia University) in May 1773. However, his studies were cut short due to the tragic death of his sister from an epileptic seizure the following month, leading him to leave the school in September.
Despite his youth, John Parke Custis married Eleanor Calvert on February 3, 1774, at Mount Airy, her father’s estate in Maryland. The Washingtons initially had reservations due to his age, but eventually consented. John Parke Custis and Eleanor Calvert Custis had a large family, including seven children: Elizabeth Parke Custis Law and Eleanor “Nelly” Parke Custis Lewis, who became prominent figures in society, and George Washington Parke Custis, a noted writer and orator. The family divided their time between White House, Mount Vernon, and Mount Airy until late 1778. Two years after John Parke Custis’s death, his widow, Eleanor Calvert Custis, married David Stuart, a physician who later served in the Convention of 1788. They had at least seven more children, further extending the family lineage of John Parke Custis.
John Parke Custis: Planter and Politician in Revolutionary Times
Following his marriage, John Parke Custis began to actively manage and consolidate his extensive landholdings. In 1778, he divested himself of the Mount Pleasant estate in King and Queen County, spanning 1,980 acres. He also sold land in Hanover and New Kent counties, along with his family’s town lots in Jamestown and Williamsburg, strategically streamlining his assets. Seeking property closer to Mount Vernon, John Parke Custis acquired two adjacent estates a few miles above Alexandria in northern Fairfax County (later Alexandria County). He purchased an 1,100-acre tract, which his son later named Arlington, for £12,100 outright. For the second tract, Abingdon, comprising 904 acres, he entered into a less favorable mortgage agreement at £12 per acre with compound interest, payable in full after twenty-four years. This arrangement would have required a staggering £48,000 payment in 1802, a testament to the financial complexities of land ownership in the era. In December 1778, John Parke Custis moved his family to Abingdon. In the summer of 1781, he attempted to renegotiate the Abingdon land transaction for more manageable terms, recognizing the potential financial strain. Tragically, eleven years after John Parke Custis‘s death, David Stuart, acting as guardian for his minor son, reconveyed Abingdon to its original owner after paying £2,400 in rent for the period the estate was under Custis’s possession, highlighting the financial burden the initial agreement had placed on the estate of John Parke Custis.
John Parke Custis identified as a conservative revolutionary. In the early stages of the American Revolution, he voiced criticism of Maryland counties for extending voting rights to anyone bearing arms, reflecting a more traditional view of civic participation. However, dissatisfaction with Virginia’s perceived ineffective war efforts spurred him to enter politics. In 1778, John Parke Custis ran for election to the House of Delegates, declaring himself “a true Friend to the Independency of America” who had “laid aside every Thought of returning to our former Masters.” Remarkably, he campaigned simultaneously in both Fairfax and New Kent counties. He was elected to represent Fairfax County but arrived late for the session commencing on May 4, 1778. Despite his late arrival, he was appointed to the Committees of Propositions and Grievances and of Religion. John Parke Custis‘s attendance was sometimes inconsistent, and during the House’s reconvening in October, he and other absent members were ordered to be taken into custody by the sergeant at arms to ensure their presence. Despite these attendance issues, John Parke Custis was reelected to the assemblies of 1779 and 1780–1781. His habitual late arrivals, often attributed to personal business or his wife’s pregnancies, unfortunately resulted in missed opportunities for assignments to more influential committees within the House.
Military Service and Final Days of John Parke Custis
As the sole male heir in his family and his mother’s only surviving son, John Parke Custis initially faced strong opposition from both his mother and stepfather regarding military service in the burgeoning Continental army. Despite this, the escalating threat to Virginia and his own property along the Pamunkey River eventually compelled him to action. In September 1781, as the combined French and American forces converged on Yorktown, John Parke Custis successfully persuaded George Washington to allow him to serve as a civilian aide-de-camp. Before departing for camp, John Parke Custis diligently organized his affairs. However, shortly before his planned departure, he fell ill with a fever, a common occurrence in the Tidewater region. Despite this setback, he finally departed for Yorktown at the end of September. En route, John Parke Custis made inquiries about enslaved people who had absconded from his plantations but was unable to locate them amidst the turmoil of war. John Parke Custis served alongside his stepfather during the Siege of Yorktown, a pivotal moment in the American Revolution. Tragically, the unsanitary conditions of war, rife with smallpox and camp fever, led to another illness.
John Parke Custis was taken to Eltham, the New Kent County plantation of his uncle Burwell Bassett, in a final attempt to recover. Sadly, he succumbed to his illness and died on November 5, 1781. Two days later, John Parke Custis was buried in the Custis family burial ground at Queen’s Creek plantation in York County, near Williamsburg. While a grave marker may have existed, it was no longer standing by 1895. In that year, the local camp of Confederate Veterans relocated the remaining Custis gravestones to Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, ensuring the memory of the Custis family, including John Parke Custis, would endure. Though his life was cut short, John Parke Custis left behind a significant legacy as a landowner, politician, and participant in the American Revolution, forever linked to the founding era through his family and his own contributions.
