Who was Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson..."Patty"?

In December 1770, over two years after the death of Martha's first husband, lawyer/planter Bathhurst Skelton, Thomas Jefferson began courting "Patty", a nickname given to her by her father. Jefferson originally met Martha in Williamsburg when she was married to Bathurst, who, years earlier, had been a classmate of Thomas' at William & Mary. After Bathurst’s unexpected death in 1768, Martha and their 3-year old son, John, moved back to The Forest, her father John Wayles' plantation, The Forrest, in Charles City County, where Martha was born and raised.

Patty was a woman of extraordinary beauty,both in form and face. A little above middle height, she was delicate, well poised, gentle, with a queen-like carriage, and was graced with a warm-affectionate disposition. Her abundant hair was the most admired shade of auburn. Her complexion was fair, and her hazel eyes were large and expressive. Patty was charming, well educated, had a delicate singing voice, and played the pianoforte with uncommon skill. 

She possessed habits of good society, and had the uncanny ability to welcome family and friends to perfection. Patty was a gracious hostess, honorable in all her ways, and an industrious housewife, knowing much about raising and educating children, as well as caring for the sick. Besides being the supervisor over the household servants and all their responsibilities, she had a knack for preserving food, recipes, and cooking. She sewed, spun, weaved, knit, enjoyed making soap and candles, and also accompanied Jefferson when working in the garden.

Jefferson and Patty delighted in stimulating conversation, and enjoyed discussing popular classics in front of a crackling fire. They pursued the pleasures of reading Ovid’s epic mythological poem, Metamorphoses, as well as Lawrence Stern’s humorous novel, Tristram Shandy.

Martha’s father, John Wayles, was born in Lancaster, England, on January 31, 1715. He left his family in 1734 at the age of nineteen, and sailed unaccompanied to Virginia. By the age of thirty, he was an established lawyer, slave trader, business agent for a tobacco exporting firm, and a wealthy plantation owner.

John Wayles married twenty-five-year-old Martha Eppes on May 3, 1746, a widow from the town of Bermuda Hundred, the eastern portion of Chesterfield County. They resided at The Forest, his 411-acre thriving tobacco and wheat plantation located in the Tidewater region along the James River, not far from Williamsburg.

Seven and a half months later, on December 23, 1746, Martha Eppes gave birth to twins. The girl was

stillborn and the boy lived only a few hours. Almost two years later, on October 30, 1748, Martha Eppes gave birth to her only surviving child, a daughter they named Martha. Less than a week later, on November 5, 1748, Martha Eppes Wayles died at the age of twenty-seven, due to complications from that birth.

A bright-skinned, 13 year-old mulatto enslaved girl, named Betty Hemings, was put in charge of helping care for the infant at the time of Martha Eppes’s untimely death. For the rest of Martha’s life, Betty Hemings would be the most constant and closest mother figure that Martha ever knew.

John Wayles would remarry twice more, and bury two more wives during young Martha’s upbringing. Together, John Wayles and his second wife, Tabitha Cocke, had four daughters, the first dying at infancy. Young Martha’s surviving stepsisters were Elizabeth, Tabitha, and Anne. Tabitha Cocke Wayles died sometime between August 1756 and January 1760.

John Wayles married his third wife, Elizabeth Lomax Skelton in January 1760, having no children with her. Elizabeth Lomax Skelton Wayles died on February 10, 1761, just over a year after their marriage.

At The Forest, young Martha received a basic education, which focused on the domestic arts, but received further education through private tutors in the areas of literature, music, dancing, Bible, and French. She enjoyed poetry and fiction, was very literate and well read.

Through her father’s third wife, Martha met Bathurst Skelton, the brother of Elizabeth Lomax Skelton’s deceased first husband, Reuben Skelton, and they began to court. Martha married Bathurst

at The Forest on November 20, 1766, one month after celebrating her eighteenth birthday. She gave birth to their only son on November 7, 1767, and named him John.

Tragically, on September 30, 1768, Bathurst died of an unexpected illness, leaving Martha a widow at the age of nineteen, only one year and ten months after they married. Martha and 3-year old John, moved back to The Forest to remain in the care of her wealthy father.

Food for thought by the author:  The common denominator "person" who knew Bathurst Skelton, Martha Eppes Wayles, Tabitha Cocke, Tabitha Cocke Wayles, Elizabeth Lomax Skelton, Rueben Skelton, child John Skelton... was John Wayles.  I often wondered about him, his frame of mind.... Was there a connection with these deathes?  Was he the kind of person that needed to "control his world"? He was not,from what I deduce from his occupation, "...welcome in all societies", as stated in Thomas Jefferson's eulogy of his father-in-law. (John Wayles died May 28, 1773). I don't think Martha "Patty" made Thomas promise that he would never marry again,when on her death bed, because she was selfish.  Couild she have been privy to the family turmoil/relationships between her father and step mothers? This is a nagging question for me... ~ Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox

Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson’s Extended Family Members

 b = birth date    m = married date    d = death date

Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson: was the only child between John Wayles and Martha Eppes Wayles.(b. 30-Oct-1748, d. 11:45 a.m. on 6-Sep-1782) Upon her death, Martha may have suffered from diabetes. which was complicated by the ham/sugar/butter/flour diet at Monticello. Or, it is said that she could have had TB. The people with Martha at her time of death were: Thomas Jefferson, Betty Hemings, 1/2 sister Sally, 1/2 sister Critta, Betty Brown, 1/2 brother Nance, and Ursula.

Father: John Wayles (slave trader-attorney, b. 31-Jan-1715, d. May-1773)

Mother: Martha Eppes Wayles (b. 10-Apr-1712, m. 3-May-1746, d. 5-Nov-1748 childbirth)

Step-Mother #1: Mary Cocke Wayles (stepmother, m. John Wayles, d. 1759)
      Sister: Elizabeth Wayles Eppes (stepsister)
      Sister: Tabitha Wayles (stepsister)
      Sister: Anne Wayles (stepsister)
  

Step-Mother #2: Elizabeth Lomax Skelton Wayles (stepmother, m. John Wayles 3-Jan-1760, d. 28-May-1763)

Betty Hemings: (b. 1735, d.  1807). Mixed race slave of John Wayles. At age 13, Betty was put in charge of raising infant Martha after her mother, Martha Eppes Wayles, died due to childbirth. After John Wayles' second wife, Elizabeth Lomax Skelton, died, Betty became the John Wayles' concubine.  They had six children together. 
     
     Step-Brother: Nance Hemings (slave, half-brother, b. 1761 to John Wayles and slave, Elizabeth "Betty"  Hemings, d. 1827)
     Step-Sister: Thenia Hemings (slave, half-sister, b. 1767 to J Wayles and B Hemings, d. 1795)
     Step-Sister: Critta Hemings (slave, half-sister, b. 1769 to J Wayles and B Hemings, d. 1827)
     Step-Brother: Peter Hemings (slave, half-brother, b. 1770 to J Wayles and B Hemings, d. 1834)
     Step-Sister:  Sally Hemings  (slave, half-sister, b. 1773 to J Wayles and B Hemings, d. 1835)

Husband #1: Bathurst Skelton (lawyer, b. 1744, m. 20-Nov-1766, d. 30-Sep-1768, one son, John
Skelton, died 5 months before Martha married Thomas Jefferson (b. 7-Nov-1767, d. 10-Jun-1771) )

Husband #2: Thomas Jefferson (b. 1743,  m. 1-Jan-1772, d. 4-Jul-1826. They had six children, but only two daughters reached adulthood.  Only the eldest, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson, survived past the age of 26.)

Children of Thomas and Martha Jefferson:

     Martha "Patsy" Jefferson (1772–1836) was 6 years old when her mother, Martha, dies

     Jane Randolph Jefferson (1774–1775)

     unnamed son (1777), lived for 17 days

     Mary "Polly" Jefferson (1778-1804) was 4 years old when her mother, Martha, dies

     Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson (1780–1781)

     Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson (1782–1784)

~

Read more about the marriage of Thomas Jefferson and Martha, as well as Jefferson's first 31 years of life in Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, by Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox. 

Available in Paperback, Kindle,  and mp3 audio download through Amazon:

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Thomas Jefferson Enjoyed Coffee

In 1824 Thomas Jefferson deemed coffee "the favorite drink of the civilised world."

 Jefferson enjoyed the coffee houses of Williamsburg and Paris, and served coffee at the President's House, Poplar Forest and Monticello. 

He preferred beans imported from the East and West Indies, and abhorred the "green" or unripe beans that were popular in America at the time.

 Jefferson estimated that a pound of coffee a day was consumed at Monticello during his retirement. His cellar was stocked with unroasted beans in barrels weighing as much as sixty pounds. 

Small quantities of beans were roasted and ground in the Monticello kitchen, and then prepared according to the recipe of Adrien Petit, Jefferson's French maître d'hotel:

"On one measure of the coffee ground into meal pour three measures of boiling water. Boil it on hot ashes mixed with coal till the meal disappears from the top, when it will be precipitated. Pour it three times through a flannel strainer. It will yield 2 1/3 measures of clear coffee."

 Coffee was served at breakfast, and likely after dinner, in a silver coffee urn made to Jefferson's design.  
                            

                          (An article compliments of Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia) 

                                                                                                  ~

Read more about Thomas Jefferson in Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man:

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Courtship Practices in Thomas Jefferson's Day

     Courting allowed young men and women to meet and socialize largely unchaperoned, often at church, balls, parties, public entertainments, and neighbors’ homes, socializing with groups of unmarried-young people living in their town. When men and women met, they obviously enjoyed each other’s company. Young white men began courting in their late teens, and young women as early as fifteen or sixteen. The average man in Virginia married in his mid-twenties. Men of colonial time tended to wait until they had completed their education and attained some financial security before proposing marriage. Marriage was the next logical step in life as they sought marriage partners who could support their economic efforts while running their households and raising their children.
   Since the young women were not yet responsible for running a household or raising children, they had more freedom during these years than they would ever have again. Courting gave young women power; it was their decision whether to accept or reject a suitor. Some wielded it ruthlessly.

     Although modern Americans imagine colonial-era sexual morals to be Puritanical... in the mid to late 1700's, more than one in three girls were pregnant when walking down the aisle.  So, don't be surprised if the birth of baptismal record of a child researched on Ancestry is dated fewer than nine months after the parents's wedding certificate!  One unusual colonial tradition may have encouraged this premarital fecundity.  "Bundling," or bed courting, involved young, unmarried couples testing their compatibility by sharing a bed for  the night.  More common among lower classes and along the frontier, was the use of a "bundling board", a long- upright plank set up between the couple. 

                                 

                              

     When researching for my book, Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, I did not come across any sexually-charged personal writings between Thomas Jefferson and any of the woman in Jefferson's life that he may or may not have had a relationship with, before he married Martha Wayles-Skelton on January 1, 1772.  If I did, that would have surely been included in the book, since the book is about Jefferson's first 31 years. We can only imagine about his personal courting behavior, and read what was gleaned from research found and reported in the chapter entitled, Courting "Patty".  One thing we know is that Jefferson was a living, breathing, sexual being, just like any other man of his day, possessing the same sexual urges that men do today. That should not be a surprise. But there was lots to write about regarding his courtship with Martha Wayles Skelton, which I found sweet and endearing. 

     It is not certain how Thomas Jefferson met Martha Wayles-Skelton, but it is possible that they met at a social engagement that Martha and her first husband, Bathurst Skelton, attended in Williamsburg. Or, possibly they met at the home of their maestro, while Jefferson and Martha were coming and going from their music lessons.  

     When Thomas first came to woo the lovely 23-year old widow, "Patty", a nickname given to her by her father, John Wayles, Jefferson was 28 years old. Thomas' wealth, high rank in his profession, his excellent character, and his agreeable appearance made him an appropriate suitor. Martha picked Thomas from many interested suitors!
     As a husband, Thomas was devoted to Martha, so much so that he tended, at times, to neglect his professional career in favor of domestic pleasures.  Martha was devoted to her husband, and their short marriage of ten years, was peculiarly happy. (Martha Jefferson died on September 6, 1782.  The exact cause of death is not known, however, it seemed that she never recovered from the birth of her last child, Lucy Elizabeth, who was born May 8, 1782.)

 ~

Read more about the courtship of Martha Wayles-Skelton and Thomas Jefferson, as well as their married life, in Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man:

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Construction Begins at Monticello 1768

By May 15, 1768, at the age of twenty-five, Thomas Jefferson had contracted to level the 250-foot square area of the already gentle top of the 987-foot high mountain, for the main dwelling at Monticello. By the end of 1768, the Monticello mountaintop was cleared, leveled, and ready for construction.  Beginning in 1769, the first bricks were being made on the premises, and the vegetable gardens were being designed.  

Within the year, local white masons and their apprentices, carpenters, as well as several Monticello slaves, had begun construction of the structure Thomas Jefferson used as his office, later known as the Honeymoon Cottage or the South Pavilion at Monticello. 

On November 26, 1770, Thomas Jefferson moved into the South Pavilion, as a result of the devastating Shadwell house fire, which took his family home on February 1, 1770.  In a letter written to his friend, James Ogilvie, in 1771, Thomas Jefferson wrote, 

"I have lately removed to the mountain...I have here but one room which, like the cobbler', serves me for parlour, for kitchen, and hall.  I may add, for bed chamber and study too.  My friends sometimes take a temperate dinner with me and then retire to look for beds elsewhere.  I have hope, however, of getting more elbow room this summer."

This allowed Jefferson to continue to oversee construction of the main house and gardens.

Monticello's West Lawn, which features the "nickel view" of Thomas Jefferson's home, is an icon of American landscape. The winding walk defines the perimeter of the leveled, oval-shaped West Lawn. The smooth-level lawn was a favorite playground for Jefferson's children and grandchildren, although the earliest images of the West Front of Monticello reveal a weedy, disheveled surface. The  lawn was probably scythed once or twice a year and its appearance inevitably reflected the pre-lawn mower technology of the early 19th century.

Today, Monticello is maintained and operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, and they do an exquisite job landscaping the entire property.  It is something you must experience for yourself.  

If you have not yet added Monticello to your bucket list, I highly recommend a visit to the home of Charlottesville's iconic founding father. Charlottesville, Virginia, is a National Award Winning City.

(Portions of my blog were borrowed from the Monticello Blog, Thomas Jefferson Foundation. The rest is taken from the award-winning book, Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man by Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox)

~

Read about Jefferson's first 31 years of life in Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man: 

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Thomas Jefferson's Final Hours

Thomas Jefferson died at his beloved Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of his drafting the Declaration of Independence.  He was 83 years old. The following people surrounded him at his bedside:

Dr. Robley Dunglison, the 27 year old English physician who treated him for migraine headaches, intestinal and urinary infections, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Thomas Jefferson Randolph, his grandson, son of Thomas Mann and Martha Randolph

Nicholas Trist, the husband of Jefferson's granddaughter, Virginia Randolph

On the morning of July fourth, Thomas Jefferson awoke from a  nights rest, and remarked, "This is the fourth of July", but it was only the third. He was fighting with every ounce of his being to l live until the fourth.  Dr. Robley Dunglison came in that morning to administer his medicine, laudanum. Upon seeing Dr. Dunglison, Jefferson said, "Ah doctor, are you still there?" Then he asked, "Is it the fourth?"  Dr. Dunglison answered, "It soon will be."

The night of July third, Jefferson was partly delirious. At eleven o'clock, the morning of July fourth, his lips moved, and his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, applied a wet sponge to his mouth. Then Jefferson lost consciousness.

Death cam two hours later, at 12:50  pm, on the fourth of July 1826, 50 years to the day, after the  official adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson's funeral, by his own request, was a simple and quiet affair, performed by Reverend Frederick Hatch, rector of both the Middle Church in Albemarle County (where Grace Church stands today), and Christ Church in Charlottesville.  At five o'clock in the afternoon, on the day after his death, his remains were carried by servants, family and friends to the Monticello graveyard, where he was interred under the great oak, next to his schoolmate, dearest friend, and brother-in-law, Dabney Carr, fulfilling their childhood promise.  Today, the great oak no longer stands.

Among all of Thomas Jefferson's achievements, he wished to be remembered for only three in his public life.  On his tombstone, it reads:

As Thomas Jefferson requested, "Not a word more...because by these, as testimonials that I have lived, I wish most to be remembered." Thomas Jefferson had written his own epitaph, found in a drawer in his bedroom desk.
                                                                                 ~

Read more about the friendship between Dabney Carr and Thomas Jefferson, as well as Jefferson's first 31 years of life in Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, by Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox. 

Available in Paperback, Kindle,  and mp3 audio download through Amazon:

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The 5-disc audio book set can be ordered directly from author. Visit web site Contact tab:  

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Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man wins AWARDS !

                                   

Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, by Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox, wins 1st Place "Winner" in the Biography category by the Pacific Book Review in 2017 contest. Announced June 4, 2017.

This is a great summer read! 

Have you ever wondered, “Who really was Thomas Jefferson?”  History books tell us he was a brilliant scholar, violinist, surveyor, astronomer, lawyer, bibliophile, planter, architect, founding father, statesman, governor of Virginia, ambassador to France, Secretary under George Washington, Vice-President under John Adams, our 3^rd president, scientists, natural philosopher, family man, and sage. So much is known and written about Thomas Jefferson from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence until his death, but little was known about his first 31 years of life, until now. Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man is a biographical, autobiographical, and historically accurate account of Jefferson's journey to manhood...an era that was been virtually "in the shadows".  You will read about his childhood, adolescence, family, friends, boarding schools, family deaths, college years, romance, his law practice, fire, earthquakes, flood, and more! It is partially written in journal form and supplemented with background text to further inform the reader. It includes over 65 photos, many rare, to help enhance the reader’s imagination.

Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man provides personal information about our iconic founding father that will help unlock the mystery that surrounds Virginia’s most beloved son. As you read about Thomas Jefferson, the boy, you will realize how his early life years helped shape the personality, character, intellect, morals, and religious beliefs of Jefferson, the man. The book is filled with emotion, humor, personal reflection, and fanciful imagery, and includes many authentic quotes within the journal entries. Many say that Thomas Jefferson was complicated.  In order to understand the man, it is important to learn about the boy. Read the award-winning book, Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, and unlock the mystery!

                                     Now in Audio book!

Audio Book: Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, just received "Finalist" award, in the Multi-Voice Actor category, by the Audio Publishers Association in 2017 contest.  Author Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox was recognized at the NYC Gala, June 1, 2017, at the French Institute Alliance Francaise.

                                                            

Meet the Multi-Talented Narrator, Voice Actor James Brinkley 

James Brinkley is a gifted multi-talented actor and producer.  He is a descendant of the 12th century Brinkley family of Berkeley Castle, Goucestershire, England, the oldest castle continuously owned and occupied by the Berkeley family.  His descendant, Richard Berkeley, was one of the 38 settlers who sailed to Virginia from Bristol, England, landing on December 4, 1619, at what was then named the Berkeley Hundred.  These early settlers celebrated our country's first official Thanksgiving, 2 years and 17 days before the Mayflower Pilgrims celebrated their Thanksgiving at Plymouth, Massachusetts. James is a descendant of Sir William Berkeley, twice Governor of Virginia (1614-53 and 1660-77)

Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man is receiving 5-star reviews on Amazon. 

Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, by Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox is:

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