Martha Jefferson Randolph

Martha "Patsy" Randolph (née Jefferson) was born on September 27, 1772, at Monticello, the estate of her father, Thomas Jefferson, located near Charlottesville, Virginia. She was the eldest daughter of Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. Her parents were married for ten years and had six children, of whom only Randolph and her sister Mary (Polly) survived beyond early childhood. Following her mother's death on September 6, 1782, when Randolph was nearly ten years old, she experienced significant personal and family upheaval.

During her childhood, Randolph received an education at home, which included dance lessons. In 1779, her father became the governor of Virginia, prompting the family to relocate to Williamsburg and subsequently to Richmond in 1780. After her mother's death, Randolph traveled with her father to Philadelphia in 1782 and again in 1783 when he represented Virginia at the Congress of the Confederation. While in Philadelphia, Randolph received private instruction in French, dance, drawing, and music, consistent with her father's intent to cultivate her as an esteemed, well-educated lady. Her education emphasized moral behavior, spelling, cleanliness, and social decorum.

In 1784, Randolph and her father traveled to France, arriving in Paris in August of that year. She lived there from age 12 to 17 while her father served as the United States Minister to France. She was enrolled at the Pentemont Abbey, a convent school, where she learned arithmetic, geography, Latin, and history, and was influenced by the French Enlightenment. Her peers included members of the French elite and she engaged in social activities such as balls and concerts. During her years in France, Randolph became acquainted with prominent European women and observed political and social upheavals, including the early stages of the French Revolution.

Randolph returned to America in 1790 after her father's departure from France. At the age of 17, she married Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., a planter and politician, on February 23, 1790, at Monticello. He was her third cousin and a descendant of Pocahontas. The marriage connected her to a family involved in political scandals, including accusations against some of her husband's relatives. Jefferson gifted them eight slaves as a wedding present, including Molly Hemings, the daughter of Sally Hemings.

The couple initially resided at Randolph's estate, Varina, in Henrico County, and later at Edge Hill. Martha Randolph and Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. had twelve children, eleven of whom survived to adulthood. Their children included Ann Cary Randolph, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, Ellen Wayles Randolph, Cornelia Jefferson Randolph, Virginia Jefferson Randolph, and Mary Randolph, among others. In the 1830s, Randolph established a school at Edge Hill where she taught painting, sculpture, and drawing, and translated a French horticultural treatise entitled "The Parlor Gardener."

Throughout her life, Martha Randolph played a significant role in managing family estates, including Monticello, and assisting her father in his personal and political affairs. She frequently corresponded with Jefferson when separated and provided emotional support during his political career and later years. During Jefferson’s presidency, she served as an informal First Lady at the White House. After her father's death in 1826, she inherited Monticello and managed his remaining debts, which included the sale of some of the estate’s enslaved people to cover financial obligations. Martha Randolph died on October 10, 1836.