Elizabeth Parke Custis Law

Elizabeth Parke Custis Law (August 21, 1776 – December 31, 1831), also known as Eliza Law, was the granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Washington and step-granddaughter of George Washington. She was born on August 21, 1776, as the second daughter of John Parke Custis and Eleanor Calvert. Her father, John Parke Custis, was the son of Martha Washington and her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis. Her mother, Eleanor Calvert, was the daughter of Benedict Swingate Calvert and Elizabeth Calvert. Elizabeth was the eldest surviving grandchild of Martha Washington and was the first of Martha Washington's grandchildren to reach adulthood.

Elizabeth had siblings named Martha "Patsy" (1777–1854), Eleanor "Nelly" (1779–1852), and George "Wash" (1781–1857). She also had three unnamed sisters who died shortly after birth—an elder sister in 1775 and twins in 1780. During early childhood, she was raised at the Abingdon plantation, which her father purchased. After her father's death in 1781, Elizabeth and her sister Martha continued to live with their mother at Abingdon, while their younger siblings moved to Mount Vernon to live with George and Martha Washington. In 1783, her widowed mother remarried Dr. David Stuart, a physician and business associate of George Washington, to whom Elizabeth was also related through family connections.

In 1785, Dr. Stuart purchased Hope Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, where the family resided. Elizabeth and Martha made frequent visits to Mount Vernon, often traveling in George Washington’s coach. During Eleanor Calvert Stuart's absence in 1788, Elizabeth and Martha remained in the care of Martha Washington.

On March 20, 1796, Elizabeth married Thomas Law, the son of Edmund Law, Bishop of Carlisle, and brother to Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough, George Henry Law, and John Law, bishops in Ireland and England. Law had notable experience with the East India Company’s administration and invested in real estate in Washington, D.C. He became known as one of the city's wealthiest citizens, though he faced financial difficulties later. The marriage was a surprise to George and Martha Washington due to Law's age—twice Elizabeth's age—and his bringing two natural, Anglo-Indian sons from India, Edmund and John Law. John Law later became a lawyer in Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth and Thomas Law separated in 1804 and divorced on January 15, 1811. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Law, born on January 19, 1797, who married Nicholas Lloyd Rogers in 1817. Elizabeth Law and Rogers had three children: Edmund, Eliza, and Eleanor.

At her wedding, George and Martha Washington could not attend but invited the Law couple to honeymoon at the President's House in Philadelphia. Martha Washington attempted to gift the couple a slave, Oney Judge, but she fled after learning of the plan. Martha Washington ultimately bequeathed Oney Judge’s sister, Delphy, to Elizabeth and Thomas Law. Delphy married William Costin, a free man, in 1800, and they lived in Washington, D.C. They were manumitted in 1807, and Elizabeth maintained a relationship with the Costin family throughout her life.

Elizabeth Law inherited approximately 80 slaves from her father's estate upon her marriage, 35 dower slaves from her grandmother Martha Washington's estate in 1802, and about 40 additional slaves after her mother’s death in 1811, some of whom she likely sold. In March 1796, Elizabeth and Thomas Law resided in the Thomas Law House near 6th and N Streets Southwest; this house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. After their separation, Elizabeth resided between 1805 and 1809 at a property called Mount Washington on Seminary Hill in Alexandria, Virginia, later known as Hoxton House.

Martha Washington bequeathed Elizabeth a portrait of George Washington, a dressing table, and a looking glass. Elizabeth Law died in Richmond, Virginia, on December 31, 1831, at a friend's home. Her body was interred at Mount Vernon on January 7, 1832. Her estate and settlement matters continued after her death, involving her son-in-law Nicholas Lloyd Rogers, the administrator of her estate, and the estate of Thomas Law, which was subject to legal disputes until a Supreme Court decision in 1854.