Ambrose Madison

Ambrose Madison was born on January 17, 1696, in Virginia. He was the son of John Madison, who held roles as sheriff, planter, politician, and major landowner, and Isabella Minor Todd. Madison received education and training from his father with the intention of preparing him for a career in plantation management. He had an older sister named Elizabeth Ann Madison, born in 1687, who was married to George Penn, the great-uncle of Admiral Sir William Penn.

Madison's paternal great-grandfather, Isaac Madison, was born in London in 1590. Isaac Madison emigrated to Jamestown in 1608, one year after its founding, originating from Aycliffe. The Madison family had roots in England before establishing themselves in Virginia.

In 1721, Ambrose Madison married Frances Taylor, the daughter of James Taylor. James Taylor was known for his participation in the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition, which crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Tidewater region. Taylor later acquired approximately 8,000 acres of land in the Piedmont area, contributing to the migration of planters seeking new tobacco cultivation land. Through his connection to the Taylor family, Madison gained assistance in land acquisition.

In 1723, Madison and his brother-in-law, Thomas Chew, acquired 4,675 acres of land in what is now Orange County, Virginia. This land became the site of their tobacco plantation, initially called Mount Pleasant, which was later referred to as Montpelier. To develop the plantation, Madison purchased 29 enslaved Africans, likely of Igbo origin. The enslaved laborers worked under white overseers for about five years before the Madisons moved to the property.

The Madison family moved to the plantation in 1732 after constructing a house and beginning tobacco cultivation. Ambrose Madison and Frances Taylor had several children, including their oldest son, James Madison Sr., who would become the father of James Madison, the future U.S. President.

Ambrose Madison died on August 27, 1732, at the age of 36, following a brief illness. His death was believed by the family and local authorities to be a result of poisoning by enslaved individuals. Three slaves were charged with his murder; they were tried and convicted by the Virginia Commission of Peace. Evidence and court records from the period are limited, and historian Douglas B. Chambers notes uncertainty regarding the basis of the charges. The slaves Dido and Turk, owned by widow Frances Taylor Madison, were punished with whippings and returned to her custody, while Pompey, owned by a neighboring planter, was believed to be the ringleader and was executed. According to Chambers, these convictions marked the first time in Virginia that slaves were convicted of killing a planter.

Following Madison's death, his widow Frances Taylor Madison did not remarry. She maintained control over the plantation, which generated revenue from tobacco cultivation, and may have received support from her Taylor relatives. Her son, James Madison Sr., inherited the property when he reached legal age in 1744. By the 1750s, the estate was known as "Home House." James Madison Sr. expanded the plantation to approximately 5,000 acres, and his son, James Madison Jr., eventually called it Montpelier. James Madison Jr. became notable for his political career and served two terms as President of the United States.