SANKOFA'S SLAVERY DATA COLLECTION
Dogue Run Farm
Location: Fairfax Co., VA
Constructed: ----
History: Mount Vernon was home to George Washington for more than 45 years. First known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, the Estate was originally granted to Washington's great grandfather John Washington in 1674. It eventually passed to Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence, who renamed the property Mount Vernon after his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy. George Washington inherited the property upon the death of his brother Lawrence's widow in 1761.
At the age of eleven (1743), he inherited ten slaves and 500 acres of land. When he began farming Mount Vernon eleven years later, at the age of 22, he had a work force of about 36 slaves. With his marriage to Martha Custis in 1759, 20 of her slaves came to Mount Vernon. After their marriage, Washington purchased even more slaves. The slave population also increased because the slaves were marrying and raising their own families. By 1799, when George Washington died, there were 316 slaves living on the estate.
The skilled and manual labor needed to run Mount Vernon was largely provided by slaves. Many of the working slaves were trained in crafts such as milling, coopering, blacksmithing, carpentry,and shoemaking. The others worked as house servants, boatmen, coachmen or field hands. Some female slaves were also taught skills, particularly spinning, weaving and sewing, while others worked as house servants or in the laundry, the dairy, or the kitchen. Many female slaves also worked in the fields. Almost three-quarters of the 184 working slaves at Mount Vernon worked in the fields, and of those, about 60% were women.
Over the years, Washington enlarged the residence and built up the property from 2,000 to nearly 8,000 acres. He divided the acreage into five working farms: Dogue Run, Muddy Hole, River, Union and Mansion House Farm (where he lived with his family).
In his will, George Washington arranged for all of the slaves he owned to be freed after the death of his wife, Martha. He also left instructions for the continued care and education of some of his former slaves, support and training for all of the children until they came of age, and continuing support for the elderly.
Associated surnames: Custis, Washington
Associated Plantations: Ferry Farm (Fairfax Co., VA); Mansion House Farm (Fairfax Co., VA); Muddy Hole Farm (Fairfax Co., VA); River Farm (Farifax Co., VA); Rose Hill Plantation (Fairfax Co., VA); Union Farm (Fairfax Co., VA)
Associated Free White Names
Associated Black Slave Names
1786: Slaves at Washington's Grist Mill (at Dogue Run)
From George Washington's Diaries, 18 February 1786; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/diaries/list/mill.html
- Ben: miller
- Davy: cowper
- Jack: cowper
- Tom: cowper
1786: Slaves at Dogue Run Farm (*Slaves owned by marriage/ dower of Martha Washington)
From George Washington's Diaries, 18 February 1786; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/diaries/list/dogue.html
- Adam: laboring man
- Ben: laboring man
- *Betty: laboring woman, 1 child
- child Andrew: age 1
- *Brunswick: ruptured
- Charity: laboring woman, 4 children
- child Sarah: age 6
- child Billy: age 5
- child Hannah: age 3
- child Elly: age 6 months
- Dick: laboring man
- *Grace: laboring woman
- Jack: laboring man
- Jack-long: laboring man
- Jenny: laboring woman
- Jones (deceased): 3 children
- child Aggy: age 9
- child Simon: age 4
- child Bett: age 3
- *Lucy: laboring woman, 3 children
- child Jenny: age 9
- child Daniel: age 3
- child Ned: age 6 months
- *Matt: laboring man
- Moll: laboring woman
- *Morris: overseer
- wife Hannah
- *Morris: laboring man
- *Peg: laboring woman
- child Crager: age 6 months
- Robin: laboring man
- *Sall: laboring woman, 3 children
- child Jesse: age 6
- child Kitty: age 4
- child Lawrence: age 1
- Silla: laboring woman, 2 children
- child Sophia: age 3
- child Sabra: age 6 months
- *Sue: laboring woman; old
1799: Dogue Run Farm slaves (in bold) owned by George Washington in his own right and by marriage* (dower of wife Martha Washington)
From George Washington's Will, 1799; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/will/slalis/mansion.html
- Agnes: age 25
- husband *Will: at Mansion House Farm
- son Guy: age 2
- Ben: age 57
- wife *Peg: age 30
- son *Billy: age 6
- son *Fendall: age 2
- dau *Peg: age 8 months
- Betty: age 16; no husband
- Dick: age 46
- wife Charity: age 42
- dau Fomison: age 11
- dau Dick: age 3
- Hannah: passed labor; age 60; partly and idiot
- (Carter) Jack: age 40
- wife *Grace: age 35
- son *Roger: age 10
- dau *Molly: age 6
- dau *Jenny: age 3
- (Long) Jack: age 60
- wife Molly: age 45; cook
- Judy: blind; age 50
- husband Gabriel: at Muddy Hole Farm
- *Kate: age 18
- husband: a negro of Moreton's [editorial note: Moreton was probably Archibald Moreton who lived near Belvoir on the road from Washington's mill to Boggess's house.]
- Lawrence: age 14; son of Matilda
- Linney: age 27; no husband
- dau Bartley: age 6
- dau Matilda: age 1
- *Lucy: age 50
- husband Natt: smith; at Mansion House Farm
- son *Ned: age 14
- dau *Teney: age 10
- Priscilla (Silla/ Siller?): age 36
- husband *Slamin Joe: at Mansion House Farm
- dau Sophia: age 14; no husband
- dau Savary: age 13
- dau Penny: age 11
- son Israel: age 10
- son Isrias: age 3
- son Christopher: age 1
- *Sall Twine: age 38
- husband (Gardener) George; at Mansion House Farm
- dau *Barbary: age 11
- dau *Abbay: age 10
- dau *Hannah: age 4
- son *George: age 1
- Sarah: age 20; no husband
- dau Lucy: age 2
- Simon: age 20; no wife
- *Sue: age 70; passed labor; no husband
1786: Slaves hired From Mrs. French (of Rose Hill Plantation)
From George Washington's Will, 1799; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/will/slalis/french.html
- Abram: in his prime
- wife Nancy: at Muddy Hole Farm
- Daphne: age 40; carpenter and plougher [editorial note: The slave list at NN claims she "Ploughs very Well, and is a good hand at any work."]
- husband: Simm's
- dau Matilda: age 13
- dau Polly: age 9
- dau Maria: age 2
- Delia: age 35; no husband; spinner [editorial note: The slave list at NN describes her as "Equally good at the Spinn<ing Wheel> or Hoe, but has been kept chiefly at the <farm>."]
- son Daniel: age 16
- dau Betty: age 13
- son Jack: age 7
- dau Julia: age 4
- dau Nelly: age 2
- son Ambrose: age 1
- Grace: age 28; plougher [editorial note: The slave list at NN calls her "A very good Plougher--and equally so at all sorts of Work."]
- husband Davy: Mrs. Washington's
- son Bob: age 10
- dau Sall: age 8
- dau Judy: age 4
- dau Augusta: age 1
- Grace: age 12; daughter of Rose (deceased)
- Hannah: age 14; no husband [editorial note: The slave list at NN claims she is "nearly at her full growth and a woman in appear[anc]e."]
- Isaac: age 29; in his prime; no wife; lives at Muddy Hole Farm
- Isaac: age 14; son of Rose (deceased)
- James: age 24; at the distillery
- Julius: age 23; carter [editorial note: The slave list at NN describes him as "A very good Carter, and can do any other work, although defective in Shape from his Infancy."]
- Lucy: age 55; knitter [editorial note: The slave list at NN describes Lucy as "Lame, or pretends to be so occasioned by rheumatic pains, but is a good knitter, & so emplyed."]
- husband George: McCarty's [editorial note: Daniel McCarty, Jr. (1759-1801), lived at Cedar Grove on Pohick Bay.]
- dau Briney: age 12
- son Stately: age 10
- dau Renney: age 6
- dau Raison: age 3
- son Morgan: age 2
- son Phoenix: age 1
- Milly: age 18; no husband [editorial note: The slave list at NN describes her as "A full grown Woman, and <illegible>ly; has been used to Common work only."]
- Moses: age 26; in his prime; plowman and carter
- Nancy: age 16; no husband [editorial note: The slave list at NN describes her as "The same--in all respects." (to Milly)]
- Paschall: in his prime
- wife Cornelia: lately lost (deceased, Muddy Hole Farm)
- Sabine: age 60 [editorial note: The slave list at NN calls her "A good working woman, notwithstanding her <age>."]
- husband
- dau Nancy: age 10
- Siss: age 25; plougher [editorial note: The slave list at NN claims she "Ploughs Well--and can Milk & Churn."]
- husband Jack: Mrs. Washington's
- Spencer: age 20; carter and mower [editorial note: The slave list at NN describes him as "A good Carter and Mower and able at any business."]
- Tom: age 28; in his prime; no wife; getting blind
- Will: old but hearty; looks after the stock
- wife: at Mrs. French's [editorial note: Penelope Manley French lived at Rose Hill, on the back road to Alexandria.]
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