John Parke Custis

1712 - 1781  (69 years)

• Name	John Parke Custis
  Born	1712
  Gender	Male
  Died	1781	Virginia
  Person ID	I23151	My Reynolds Line
  Last Modified	20 Jun 2021

  
  

  Family	Martha Dandridge,   b. 2 Jun 1731, New Kent, New Kent County, Virginia ,   d. 22 May 1802, Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia  (Age 70 years)
  Children	+ 1. George Washington Parke Custis,   b. 30 Apr 1781, Colonial Virginia ,   d. 10 Oct 1857, Alexandria County, Virginia  (Age 76 years)
  Last Modified	19 Jun 2021
  Family ID	F8737	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Histories

  John Parke Custis-Sale of Land The Virginia Gazette Oct 10, 1777

  
  

• Sources

  [S100] Internet Source, https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/george-custis.htm. George Washington Parke Custis The Washington Family The Washington family by Edward Savage. George Washington Parke Custis stands at the left next to his adopted father, George Washington. National Gallery of Art Born in 1781, George Washington Parke Custis was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington through her first marriage. After his natural father, John Parke Custis, died in 1781, G.W.P. Custis went to live at Mount Vernon where George and Martha Washington raised him as their own son. During his childhood, Custis became very attached to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1802, Custis started the construction of Arlington House on land that he had inherited from his natural father. When completed in 1818, he intended the house to serve as not only a home but also a memorial to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1804, Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. The two had four children, but only one, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, survived. [S100] Internet Source, https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/george-custis.htm. George Washington Parke Custis The Washington Family The Washington family by Edward Savage. George Washington Parke Custis stands at the left next to his adopted father, George Washington. National Gallery of Art Born in 1781, George Washington Parke Custis was the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington through her first marriage. After his natural father, John Parke Custis, died in 1781, G.W.P. Custis went to live at Mount Vernon where George and Martha Washington raised him as their own son. During his childhood, Custis became very attached to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1802, Custis started the construction of Arlington House on land that he had inherited from his natural father. When completed in 1818, he intended the house to serve as not only a home but also a memorial to his stepfather, George Washington. In 1804, Custis married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. The two had four children, but only one, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, survived. Custis derived his living from large inherited estates, worked by many enslaved people, though he was a poor manager and his properties were not very profitable. He devoted most of his energies to other activities, many and varied including painting, playwriting, music, oratory, and promoting the improvement of American agriculture. None of his endeavors were marked by great or lasting success. He frequently held celebrations, special programs and other social events which attracted thousands of visitors to the Arlington estate over the years. Regarding himself as the heir to the Washington tradition, Custis collected and displayed, a large number of Mount Vernon relics at Arlington. He was always eager to comment on the collection and the Washington legacy for famous guests and curious strangers. Custis saw his daughter marry Lt. Robert E. Lee at Arlington in 1831. Robert and Mary Anna came to call Arlington home and Custis was a prominent figure in the lives of the seven Lee children. In his later years, Custis did not stray far from Arlington. He made his will in 1855, and he increasingly relied on his son-in-law, Col. Lee, to handle his tangled business affairs. Until his death, Custis retained his old bedchamber in the north wing of the mansion, where he died after a short illness on October 10, 1857.