John Dandridge

John Dandridge was born on July 14, 1700, in England, with possible birthplaces including London or Oxfordshire. He was the youngest son of John Dandridge (born April 29, 1655, in Oxford, died 1731) and Bridget Dugdale (born circa 1656 in Oxford, died 1731). His paternal lineage included Capt. William Dandridge I (1612–1693) as his grandfather, and Col. Bartholomew Dandridge (1580–1638) as his great-grandfather.

His brother, William Dandridge II, continued the family naval tradition and became a merchant and planter in Virginia. William married Unity West Dandridge, daughter of Capt. Nathaniel West and Martha Woodard Macon, and operated the plantation Elsing Green on the opposite bank of the river from where John later established his residence.

John Dandridge emigrated from England to Virginia, where he established himself as a planter and became a prominent figure in the colony. He served as clerk of New Kent County from 1730 until his death in 1756, a tenure of approximately 26 years. In addition to his role as county clerk, Dandridge was a colonel in his military district, a vestryman and churchwarden for St. Peter's Church, and a landowner. His residences included Chestnut Grove in New Kent County and a house in Williamsburg, which he visited regularly.

In Virginia, Dandridge married Frances Orlando Jones on July 22, 1730, in New Kent County. Frances was born in 1710 and died in 1785. She was the daughter of Orlando Jones and Martha Macon Jones West. The couple had eight children: Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731–1802); John Dandridge III (1733–1749); William Dandridge III (1734–1776); Bartholomew Dandridge II (1737–1785); Anna Maria Dandridge Bassett (1739–1777); Frances Dandridge (1744–1757); Elizabeth Dandridge Aylett Henley (1749–1800); and Mary Dandridge (1752–1777).

Following their marriage, John and Frances established their primary residence at Chestnut Grove on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County. Dandridge maintained his role as county clerk throughout his life, and his status as a prominent planter and landowner extended to multiple properties, including a residence in Williamsburg. He also held military rank as a colonel and was active in local religious affairs.

John Dandridge died on August 31, 1756, at the age of 56, while visiting his niece and her husband, Alexander Spottswood, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is buried at St. George's Episcopal Church burial ground in Fredericksburg. The original site of Chestnut Grove was destroyed by fire in 1926, but it was situated approximately four miles from the current New Kent County courthouse.

He is recognized for being the father of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, the first First Lady of the United States, and for his descendants' continued involvement in Virginia's political and social affairs, including his grandson John Dandridge, who served in the Virginia General Assembly.