Daniel Parke Custis

Daniel Parke Custis was born on October 15, 1711, in York County, Virginia. He was the son of John Custis IV (1678–1749) and Frances Parke Custis. The Custis family was considered among the wealthiest and most socially prominent families in Virginia. Custis's maternal grandfather was Daniel Parke, a political opponent of the Custis family. Through inheritance from his father, Custis acquired the Southern plantations owned by the Custis family. Despite his status, he did not pursue a prominent role in colonial Virginia politics.

At age 37, Custis became acquainted with Martha Dandridge, who was 16 years old at the time. They met at St. Peter's Church, where both attended, and Custis was a vestryman. Although his father, John Custis, initially disapproved of their relationship, he eventually consented. After a courtship of two years, Daniel Custis and Martha Dandridge married on May 15, 1750. They resided at Custis’s plantation named the White House in New Kent County, Virginia.

The couple had four children:

* Daniel Parke Custis, Jr., born November 19, 1751, and died February 19, 1754.

* Frances Parke Custis, born April 12, 1753, and died April 1, 1757.

* John Parke "Jacky" Custis, born November 27, 1754, and died November 5, 1781.

* Martha Parke "Patsy" Custis, born in 1756 and died June 19, 1773.

Daniel Custis died on July 8, 1757, in New Kent County, Virginia. The cause of death is variably reported as either a heart attack or a severe throat infection. He was buried in the graveyard of Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, alongside his children Daniel Jr. and Frances.

Following Custis’s death, his widow Martha married George Washington on January 6, 1759. Custis died intestate, meaning without a will; consequently, his estate was divided such that Martha received a life interest in one-third of his property, known as the dower share. The remaining two-thirds were placed in trust for their children. The estate at the time included at least 85 slaves. By 1799, the dower share included 153 slaves, according to the Mount Vernon slave census. The estate inventory from October 1759 listed approximately 17,779 acres of land across five counties.

Upon her marriage to Washington, Martha’s dower rights and her inheritance of the estate came under Washington's control, in accordance with the legal doctrine of seisin jure uxoris. He also became guardian of her minor children and administrator of Custis’s estate. Only John Parke Custis reached majority, inheriting the non-dower portion of his father’s estate. After George Washington’s death on December 14, 1799, the dower share and the associated slaves reverted to Martha. Washington’s will included a provision for the emancipation of his 124 slaves after Martha's death; however, they were ultimately freed at her request on January 1, 1801. Washington cited concerns for her safety and fears that the slaves’ knowledge of their impending freedom could cause unrest. The slaves owned by Martha themselves, including one she inherited, were not part of the Custis estate and were freed at her initiative. Martha died on May 22, 1802, at which point her dower rights reverted to the Custis estate. The estate was subsequently divided among John Parke Custis’s widow, Eleanor Calvert Custis Stuart, and their children. Additionally, Martha bequeathed ownership of one slave, Elisha, to her grandson George Washington Parke Custis.