John Parke Custis
| John Parke Custis | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1754 White House, New Kent County, Virginia |
| Died | November 5, 1781 (aged 26) Eltham, New Kent County, Virginia |
| Cause of death | Revolutionary War |
| Resting place | Queen's Creek |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Planter |
| Spouse(s) | Eleanor Calvert |
| Children |
Elizabeth Parke Custis Law Martha Parke Custis Peter Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis George Washington Parke Custis |
| Parent(s) |
Daniel Parke Custis Martha Washington |
John Parke Custis (27 November 1754 – 5 November 1781) was a Virginia planter and the son of Martha Washington and stepson of George Washington.
The son of Daniel Parke Custis, a wealthy planter, and Martha Dandridge Custis, he was most likely born at White House, his parents' plantation on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County, Virginia.
Following his father's death in 1757, almost 18,000 acres (73 km²) of land and about 285 enslaved Africans were held in trust for him. In January 1759, his mother married George Washington. The Washingtons then raised him and his younger sister Martha (Patsy) Parke Custis (1756–1773) at Mount Vernon. Washington became his legal guardian, and administrator of the Custis Estate. Upon his sister's death in 1773 at the age of seventeen, Custis became the sole heir of the Custis estate. Jacky was a troubled, lazy and "free-willed" child. He took no interest in his studies.
In 1773, at the age of eighteen, "Jacky", as he was known by his family, announced to the Washingtons his engagement to Eleanor Calvert, a daughter of Benedict Swingate Calvert and granddaughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore. George and Martha were greatly surprised by the marriage choice due to the couple's youth. During that year, Custis began to attend King's College (later Columbia University) in New York City, but left soon afterwards when his sister died.
On February 3, 1774, Custis married Eleanor at her family's home at the Mount Airy estate, whose restored mansion is now in Rosaryville State Park in Prince George's County, Maryland. After their marriage, the couple settled at the White House plantation. After the couple had lived at the White House for more than two years, Custis purchased the Abingdon plantation in Fairfax County, Virginia (now in Arlington County, Virginia), into which the couple settled during the winter of 1778–1779.
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