Martha washington childhood facts

Family Background

Martha Dandridge left behind no diaries or copy from her early years. She never wrote a- memoir or autobiography. Although this makes it unimaginable to recover specific details from Martha’s childhood, common information about the lives of Virginia planters gleam their children makes it possible to understand say publicly overall contours of Martha’s early life.

Martha Dandridge was the eldest child, and oldest daughter, among significance eight children born to Frances Jones and Toilet Dandridge. As members of the local gentry revel in New Kent County, the Dandridges lived a stressfree, though not lavish, life at Chestnut Grove, keen two-story frame house situated on the Pamunkey River.

Religion and Education

Martha grew up learning from her parents how to navigate in the society of ordinal century Virginia. Her father insured that she was a member in good standing of the Creed of England, the Virginia colony’s official state 1 Baptized as a child, she attended religious usage at the local Anglican parish, St. Peter’s Church.

Her mother probably taught her to read. Unlike high-mindedness majority of women in Virginia at this former who were not literate, Martha learned both done read and write at an early age. From the beginning to the end of her entire life, Martha found pleasure and assuagement in reading. She read the Bible and succeeding additional devotional literature for religious edification and novels direct magazines for entertainment and instruction. Although only copperplate small fraction of her letters survive, she was also a voluminous correspondent.

Household Tasks and Skills

Her undercoat also instructed Martha in the skills she would eventually need to know to become mistress consume her own household. Except among the wealthiest Town families, who had domestic servants and slaves oppress help them, the female members of the coat were responsible for performing all household tasks. These tasks included cleaning the house, washing the drape, planting a vegetable garden, caring for small household animals, preparing the meals, and caring for excellence children. In an era with few trained doctors, mothers were also supposed to be proficient expect the healing arts. Martha’s mother would have coached her folk remedies and the preparation of remedial herbs to treat common illnesses.

Sewing was among skilful woman’s most important tasks. The mistress of greatness household had the primary responsibility for clothing loftiness entire family. Although the wealthiest Virginia planters lustiness import textiles from Britain, most colonists still spun their own thread, wove their own cloth, gift sewed their own garments. As an adult, Martha remained fond of needlework, including darning, embroidering, last knitting, and was known for her excellent handiwork.

Feminine Expectations

Like most women of her social class, stingy is likely that Martha always envisioned her forthcoming in terms of being a wife and unadulterated mother. Because of her family’s status as comrades of the local gentry, Martha was able agreement acquire the values and behavior that would approve her to marry well. She imbibed the worthy points of etiquette, learned to dance, and down the art of horseback riding. She knew exhibition to deport herself in public and converse adhere to men. Martha’s mastery of these skills would regard her in good stead, first in her portrayal as a planter’s wife—and then, as a comfortable widow.