Montpelier's Digital Doorway

Montpelier's Digital Doorway

Montpelier's Digital Doorway

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  • About
    • Archaeology & Landscape Restoration
    • Architecture & Historic Preservation
    • Curatorial & Collections
    • Education & Visitor Engagement
    • Research
  • Digging Deeper Blog
  • Projects
  • Stakeholders
  • Visit!

Digging Deeper

Behind the Scenes at James Madison's Montpelier

The Naming Project: Charity

The Naming Project: Charity

October 14, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

Charity was listed on James Madison Sr.’s personal property tax records for three years (1782-1784), after which time she disappears from the historical record.

The Naming Project: Demas (Demars)

The Naming Project: Demas (Demars)

September 10, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

Demas was born September 12, 1777. James Madison Sr. gave Demas – along with mother Eliza and his brothers and sisters – to his daughter Nelly when she married Isaac Hite.

The Naming Project: Jason

The Naming Project: Jason

September 9, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

In 1803, Jason escorted 11-year-old John Payne Todd from Montpelier to his boarding school in Alexandria, and then delivered horses to William Thornton in Washington.

The Naming Project: Reuben

The Naming Project: Reuben

August 3, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

Reuben, a weaver, appears in James Madison Sr.’s tax records in the 1780s. In 1795-96, he had a 3-month bout of rheumatism that prevented him from weaving.

The Naming Project: Katey

The Naming Project: Katey

July 24, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

Born July 26, 1782, Katey was an infant when James Madison Sr. gave her, her mother Truelove, and her brother and sisters to his newlywed daughter and son-in-law.

The Naming Project: Pamela Barbour Taliaferro

The Naming Project: Pamela Barbour Taliaferro

July 12, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

Pamela Barbour, enslaved by Nelly Madison, married Frank Taliaferro and had two children, Solomon and Judy. After Nelly’s death, Pamela was able to choose her next enslaver.

The Naming Project: Anthony

The Naming Project: Anthony

July 6, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

Anthony, age 17, escaped from Montpelier on June 14, 1786. He was captured a year later, escaped the next day, and was last known to be heading toward Philadelphia.

The Naming Project: Daughter of Gabriel

The Naming Project: Daughter of Gabriel

June 24, 2021By Hilarie M. HicksResearch No Comments

“Gabriel & Daughter” appear on an 1845 list of enslaved people drawn up by Dolley Madison’s son, John Payne Todd. The name of Gabriel’s daughter is unknown to us.

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