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Enslaved Labor at Tudor Place
American history is comprised of stories of all who have voluntarily or forcibly called this country home. This includes stories of the oppression, resistance and perseverance of generations of enslaved people. These stories are foundational to the story of Tudor Place. As enslavers, Martha and Thomas Peter exploited the knowledge, labor and bodies of Black individuals enslaved at Tudor Place and other Peter family properties. The experiences of these laborers reveal a profound denial of humanity through family and community separations, the economic transfer and treatment of people as assumed property and the perpetuation of physical and emotional trauma.
Contained in these experiences is the agency exercised by people during their enslavement that directly challenged the fundamental design of the institution of slavery. In a system that continuously denied Black people their humanity, enslaved and free individuals repeatedly reinforced it for themselves in the fostering of family and community. This perseverance is represented in the words of John Luckett, the hired gardener of Tudor Place, in his recorded recollection of his own self-emancipation: “I just kept on…”
Reflective of their marginalized status in the eyes of enslavers, primary sources record little information about the experiences of enslaved people. Written records that exist , namely ledgers and lists, include information relevant to their assigned status as property. These fragmented records, which present the enslaved people in a quantitative manner with the absence of their own perspectives, have created a “silence” in the historical record. To learn more about the silence and gaps in the Tudor Place Archive, click here.
Tudor Place is focused on collecting and critically analyzing these resources with the goal of extracting and restoring humanity to those people long marginalized by the dominant narratives of their enslavers. This begins with obtaining a deeper understanding of two surviving lists of people enslaved at Tudor Place. Together, these lists mention 109 people who experienced exploitation at the hands of the Peters, representing individuals with families, legacies and communities that outlived their enslavers.
The first record in the “Daybook of Thomas Peter” is a list of 61 people who were transferred in 1796 to Martha Peter as inherited property from her father, John Parke Custis, on the occasion of her marriage in 1795. The rest of the Daybook details property and financial transactions, further dehumanizing the people on this list. Analysis has led to the conclusion that the enslaved people named are most likely grouped together by family relationships, beginning with parental names, then the children in descending order of age. The names, ages and assigned monetary values were the only fragments of information deemed necessary by their enslavers to record. Within months of their transfer, the Peters sold several people, tearing families apart and fracturing communities. This included the sale and transfer of a child less than one year old, without the accompanying sale of either parent.
The second surviving list of people enslaved by the Peters records the transfer of 48 people to Martha Peter following the death of her grandmother, Martha Washington in 1802. There were over 160 people in Martha Washington’s widow’s inheritance, from her first marriage to Daniel Parke Custis. Upon her marriage to George Washington, the people enslaved to her husband, Daniel, remained enslaved to her. The families and communities enslaved to both George and Martha Washington were woven together; intermarried and interconnected. George Washington eventually emancipated the people he enslaved, but Martha did not. Those enslaved to Martha Washington, who were laboring at Mount Vernon and surrounding Washington properties, were divided between her four grandchildren (Martha Peter, Eliza Custis Law, Nelly Custis Lewis and George Washington Parke Custis) upon her death. From this group of people, 48 were transferred to Martha Peter, according to the division of property documents owned by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. You can learn more about the 1802 division of enslaved people here. While the final whereabouts of each of the 48 people are unknown, it is likely that many were sold to different enslavers.
There were numerous other people enslaved by the Peters whose lives are still being uncovered. Several names of enslaved individuals appear in Peter family reminiscences and correspondence, but details of their personhood and lives beyond labor are unrecorded. Once Tudor Place was purchased in 1805, the enslaved people, already in the custody of Martha and Thomas Peter, who were not already sold, labored at Tudor Place or were sent to labor at the Peter’s agricultural properties in Montgomery County, Maryland and Northeast DC. This further severed familial and community connections. The Tudor Place Archive and other records show that some people were forced to live at Tudor Place while others “lived out” (resided off the Tudor Place property). Those who resided at Tudor Place likely did not have permanent quarters and may have slept in rooms determined by the needs of their enslavers. In addition, archaeological excavations conducted in 2022 uncovered a likely enslaved dwelling in the orchard. More information on these discoveries can be found here.
Emancipation in the District of Columbia
While Tudor Place continues to investigate the fates of people enslaved by the Peters, it is likely most were sold by Martha and Thomas Peter, or their daughter Britannia Peter Kennon before the Civil War. Any enslaved person not sold by 1862 would have been emancipated through the District of Columbia Emancipation Act passed on April 16, 1862. While this act preceded the Emancipation Proclamation by eight and a half months, it directly compensated former enslavers loyal to the Union up to $300 for each newly free person. Formerly enslaved people received no compensation for their labor. More information about this legislation can be found here.
Tudor Place is dedicated to the ongoing research of the lives of the individuals and families enslaved and affected by the Peter family and will continue working with descendants and stakeholders to amplify, contextualize and centralize their stories with the respect and humanity that they are owed.
Enslaved People at Tudor Place:
Ibby (ca. 1742-unrecorded)
Unknown position.
Ibby appears on the 1796 patrimony list of enslaved individuals inherited from the Custis estate where she was identified as 54 years old and valued at £10. The list also included Ibby’s son, Will.
Patty Allen (1770-after 1831)
Patty Allen was born in 1770, likely in New Kent County, Virginia. In 1795, she was moved to the newly formed District of Columbia, as part of Martha Parke Custis’ patrimony upon her marriage to Thomas Peter. Patty was 25 years old.
While enslaved by the Peters at Tudor Place, Patty lived with her free husband off the property. Every day, Patty labored as the cook for the Peter family. A cook’s role required skill and experience, so it is likely that Patty learned these skills from her mother or another family member while in New Kent County. Patty’s days began very early, as Britannia Peter Kennon recalled, before the “crack of day,” as she would not only have had to build the cooking fires, but also walk from her home in Georgetown to Tudor Place. During Patty’s enslavement, the kitchen was separate from the main house, so in some ways, it became her domain. She kept logs on the “great open fireplace,” which required a keeping a constant eye on the state of their burn. Patty used an “old Dutch oven, a crane and innumerable pots and kettles” to prepare meals at Tudor Place. With this cookware, Patty likely prepared meals such as bread puddings, soups and stews and roasted meats for the Peters and their guests.
Read Patty Allen’s full story as we’ve uncovered it here.
Will Johnson (ca. 1775-unrecorded)
Coachman.
Will was a “Dower slave.” This term refers to a group of enslaved individuals who were enslaved by Daniel Parke Custis, and worked at the Mount Vernon farms during Martha Dandridge Custis’ marriage to George Washington. These enslaved people were inherited by Martha’s grandchildren when she passed away in 1802. Martha Peter of Tudor Place inherited around 90 individuals, following Martha Washington’s death. The son of Ibby, Will served as the Peter family’s coachman and also tended the Smokehouse where he was responsible for curing and smoking meat. Conflicting records show his birth year as 1775 and 1781.
Will Twine (1784-1832)
Gardener.
He lived off-property with his free wife. Died during the Cholera epidemic of 1832. His parents have not been identified, but the surname Twine appears on the other inventories of Custis Dower slaves.
Elvy (ca. 1789-unrecorded)
Lady’s Maid.
A lady’s maid for Britannia’s sister America P. Peter. Elvy appears on the 1796 Patrimony list of Custis Dower slaves, which notes her age then as seven years old and value as £23. She was presumably transferred to America P. Peter at the time of her 1826 marriage to W.G. Williams.
Ralph Anderson (1790-unrecorded)
Ralph Anderson was born prior to February 27, 1790, to enslaved parents Agnes and Sambo Anderson, at George Washington’s River Farm in Fairfax County, Virginia. In 1802, Martha Washington died, and the Custis enslaved people held by her were divided among her four grandchildren, including Martha (Parke Custis) Peter. Ralph Anderson, his mother Agnes and his siblings were part of Martha and her husband Thomas Peter’s inheritance of 48 enslaved people.
For the next seven years, Ralph worked at Thomas Peter’s plantation, Seneca Farm, in Montgomery County, Maryland. In May 1810, Ralph self-emancipated. Thomas Peter seemed confident that Ralph sought to be reunited with his father, Sambo Anderson. Sambo’s home near Mount Vernon was over forty miles from Montgomery County and Ralph would have had to traverse dense forests and follow the Potomac River south, likely crossing at a narrow point, all the while avoiding detection. Ralph’s physical description, provided by Peter, stands out – a quiet man with heavy eyes. It is possible that his life of hard field labor and a prolonged separation from his father, and possibly his mother and siblings, had taken a toll on Ralph’s body. Ralph was eventually arrested and captured.
Read Ralph Anderson’s full biography here.
Anastacia "Stacia" Hepburn (1801-1895)
Anastacia “Stacia” Hepburn was born about 1801, likely in Montgomery County, Maryland, and was enslaved to the Peter family. Almost nothing is known about Stacia’s adolescence and early adulthood, including the names of her parents or when she was moved to Tudor Place. However, the names of Stacia and her sisters, Elizabeth and Brythe, were recorded by Britannia Peter Kennon in her reminiscences.
While enslaved to Thomas and Martha Peter, and later, Britannia Peter Kennon, Stacia served primarily as a nursemaid. As an enslaved house servant and nurse, Stacia would have been responsible for supervising the children throughout the day and night, tending to their every need. She lived at Tudor Place and was always on call, ready to respond to any sign of illness, and slept on a pallet in the hallway or other space close by, if not in a child’s bedroom. Stacia would have likely learned from an enslaved family member how to treat common illnesses before being moved to Tudor Place. In 1847, Martha Peter recalled in a letter to her granddaughter Martha Custis Williams that Stacia had nursed Markie’s brother, William Orton Williams, through a severe bout of typhoid fever, sleeping on a cot by his bedside.
It is unknown if Stacia would, or could, have remained at Tudor Place during the Civil War, given the Union Army’s presence, but having nowhere else to go, she likely embedded herself in the newly-freed community in Georgetown. The first record of Stacia post-Civil War is her name again in the Cent Society ledger, recorded when the confraternity was reconstituted in 1865. Stacia received aid from the Freedmen’s Bureau – these records show that in December 1866, Stacia resided in Georgetown on Frederick Street between 6th and 7th Streets, and received $1 for groceries and $1.50 for fuel due to her “aged” condition.
Read Stacia’s biography here.
Barbara Cole Williams (1809-1892)
Barbara Cole Williams’ mother, Barbary, was one of 48 individuals inherited by the Peter family from the Custis estate in 1802. Barbara Williams lived at Tudor Place and gave birth to twins named Hannah and Barbara—though Barbara died in infancy. DNA evidence suggests that Hannah’s biological father was a member of the Peter family, possibly one of Thomas and Martha’s sons.
Barbara Cole Williams likely gained her freedom during the 1850s. She lived with her daughter, Hannah Pope, in Georgetown until her death in 1892. She is buried at the historic Black cemetery Mt. Zion.
Hannah Pope (1829-1910)
Lady’s Maid.
The daughter of Britannia’s maid Barbara (see above) and a white father who was a member of the Peter family, Hannah was part of the dowry that Britannia brought to her 1842 marriage to Beverley Kennon. Hannah remained with Britannia after Kennon’s 1844 death. In1845, Britannia sold Hannah to a Georgetown neighbor Col. John Carter because his slave Alfred Pope (1821-1906) wanted to marry her. Alfred Pope and Hannah married in 1847 and were both later freed in Colonel Carter’s 1850 will. After their emancipation, they remained in Georgetown where they resided with their ten children.
Charlie (unrecorded-1824)
Charlie was enslaved at Tudor Place during Britannia Peter Kennon’s childhood. As an enslaved dining room servant, Charlie would likely have set the table for meals and served various dishes to the Peters, along with an unnamed boy. When not working in the dining room, Charlie was also the footman. While often an enslaved footman’s labor included the role of dining room servant, in the Peter family records, Charlie’s duties were separated using the above language. Enslaved footmen were messengers, assistant to the coachman and fulfilled other duties as assigned. It is likely that Charlie met guests at the North Door, carried in packages, suitcases, and tended deliveries. The Peters frequently entertained family, friends, and dignitaries at Tudor Place. Enslaved people, like Charlie, whose labor had them interacting constantly with their enslavers and their guests – and their guests’ enslaved – forced them to learn to be discreet and knowledgeable about the social statuses of visitors and routines of the house.
On the evening of March 5, 1824, Charlie was riding on the back of the Peter’s painted yellow coach with enslaved coachman Will Johnson seated in front. The coach was pulled by two black horses, with Charlie standing at the back holding onto two leather straps to ensure he wouldn’t fall off. Inside the coach was Britannia and several members of her family. Charlie and Will transported the group into Washington from Tudor Place for an evening’s entertainment. On the way home, Charlie’s coat caught in the coach’s wheel and he lost his balance. He fell to the ground and the wheel passed over his leg, crushing it. As a witness at 9 years old, Britannia recalled Charlie had “been drinking.” Due to the damage to his leg, an amputation was deemed necessary by Dr. Peregrine Warfield and Dr. Thomas Sim; and according to their records alcohol was not noted as playing a role in the fall. Sadly, Charlie did not survive the effects of the operation. Ultimately, Charlie’s enslavement cost him his freedom and, in the end, his life.
Annie Gray (unrecorded life dates)
Annie Gray was enslaved as a seamstress at Tudor Place. While the exact dates are unknown, Britannia recalled that Annie was enslaved during Britannia’s youth, so it can be assumed that Annie was enslaved at Tudor Place during the early 19th century. During the 19th century, the skills of enslaved seamstresses were greatly valued by enslavers. Annie would have also been tasked with labor beyond the skills of her needle. It was common practice for an enslaved woman to have other household chores to complete each day. It is likely laundry would have fallen under Annie’s responsibilities, and with the increased desire for this kind of skilled labor, Annie could have been hired out locally.
Annie lived in the house at the corner of the garden with her two children. She was mother to a daughter and a son, named Jack Gray. This is according to Britannia’s recollection of Annie’s family living on property.
Brythe (unrecorded life dates)
Unknown position.
The sister of Stacia and Elizabeth, Brythe was given to America Pinckney Peter (1803-1842) as a wedding present by her father Thomas Peter in 1826. Brythe died in 1838 and was buried in the “free range” plot at Trinity Church Upper Grave Yard, now known as Holy Rood Cemetery.
Elizabeth (unrecorded life dates)
Nurse.
The sister of Stacia and Brythe, she was a nurse given to America Pinckney Peter (1803-1842) as a wedding present by her father Thomas Peter in 1826. In 1832, Elizabeth was taken to Cape Cod by America’s husband William G. Williams when he traveled there on a survey expedition and she subsequently escaped. Records regarding Elizabeth have not survived past 1834.
Nancey (unrecorded life dates)
Laundress.
The enslaved laundress at Tudor Place that Britannia Peter Kennon recalled from her childhood, ca. 1820-1830.
