Eston Hemings Jefferson
| Eston Hemings Jefferson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Eston Hemings 1808 Monticello, Virginia |
| Died | 1856 (aged 47–48) Madison, Wisconsin |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Carpenter, musician |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Ann Isaacs |
| Children | 3, including John Wayles Jefferson |
| Parent(s) |
Sally Hemings Thomas Jefferson |
| John Wayles Jefferson | |
|---|---|
 |
Eston Hemings Jefferson (May 21, 1808 – January 3, 1856) was born a slave at Monticello, the youngest son of Sally Hemings, a mixed-race slave. Most historians who have considered the question believe that his father was Thomas Jefferson, the United States president. Evidence from a 1998 DNA test showed that a descendant of Eston matched the Jefferson male line, and historical evidence also supports the conclusion that Thomas Jefferson was probably Eston's father. Many historians believe that Jefferson had a relationship with Sally Hemings and fathered her six children, four of whom survived to adulthood.
Jefferson freed Eston and his older brother Madison Hemings in his will, as they had not yet come of age at his death. They each married and lived with their families and mother Sally in Charlottesville, Virginia, until her death in 1835. Both brothers and their young families moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, to live in a free state, where Eston Hemings earned a living as a musician and entertainer.
In 1852 Eston moved with his wife and three children to Madison, Wisconsin, where they changed their surname to Jefferson and entered the white community. Their sons both served in the Union Army, and the older one, John Wayles Jefferson, achieved the rank of colonel. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee, becoming a wealthy cotton broker and never married.
Eston's other children, Beverly and Anna Jefferson, married into the white community, and their descendants have identified as white. Beverley Jefferson's five sons were educated and three entered the professional class as a physician, attorney, and manager at the railroad. One of their male-line descendants was tested in the 1998 DNA study.
What is known of Eston's life is derived from his brother Madison's 1873 memoir, a few entries in Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, a handful of contemporary newspaper accounts, various census and land/tax records, and the family history of his descendants.
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Wikipedia