Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge CHAPTER ONE AMERICA’S DAUGHTER ONA’S STORY BEGINS IN VIRGINIA around 1773, when the United States is not yet the United States, and slavery is considered acceptable by many of the white people who live in what comprises the first thirteen colonies. In April 1774, one of Martha Washington’s enslaved housemaids, Betty, gave birth at Mount Vernon to a daughter named Ona Judge. Ona worked as Martha’s enslaved housemaid for the next seven years before running away. Vernon. Ona Judge was the daughter of Andrew Judge who was from England. She walked out of the house and quickly rushed to safety. There are seven enslaved people that go, only two women, and Ona’s one of them. Judge, who … Ona probably lived with Betty in a small cabin near the mansion house, completing simple chores, helping her mother with easy tasks in their cabin, or playing unsupervised with other enslaved children.2 When Ona was twelve, Martha brought her into the mansion house to begin her official training as a housemaid. When a reporter asked why she chose that moment to escape, Ona said “she was determined never to be her slave,” referring to Eliza Custis.8 Eliza had earned a reputation among the enslaved women for being highly volatile and erratic—dangerous qualities in a slave owner. By then, Ona had an infant, and her husband [s2If !is_user_logged_in()] When he was just 11 years old, George Washington inherited 10 slaves from his father’s estate. by the Rev. ‘MasterChef Australia’ judge Melissa Leong has announced her separation from husband Joe Jones. In November 1790, they moved into a new house in Philadelphia when the government relocated. Ona Judge was the daughter of Andrew Judge who was from England. Much like George’s enslaved manservant, coachmen, and postilions, these individuals wore fancy livery because their uniforms needed to reflect the president’s wealth and status; Ona’s clothing was an extension of Martha’s status. Stunned by Ona’s lack of cooperation, he returned to Langdon’s house to regroup. TOPICS: George Washington, Martha Washington, Mount Vernon, Slavery, Washington or Custis Family by Kathryn Gehred, Research Editor July 6, 2018. In 1845, Ona Judge was interviewed by an abolitionist newspaper. Though Ona Judge lived a life of relative comfort, the few pleasantries she was afforded were nothing compared to freedom, a glimpse of which she encountered first-hand in Philadelphia. He complained that they were unreliable and lazy, yet George seemed to like and trust Andrew. That encounter with Oney (who also went by Ona) was more than 20 years ago. Far from a passive bystander in the perpetuation of slavery, Washington at this point was actively engaged in returning Judge to his (or his wife’s) possession. To evade a gradual abolition law that took effect in Pennsylvania in 1780, the Washingtons made sure to transport their enslaved workers in and out of the state every six months to avoid them establishing legal residency. When Whipple tracked Judge down (by falsely advertising that he was seeking a female domestic for his home), he asked her about her reasons for fleeing bondage, and offered to negotiate on her behalf. Which administration holds the record for the number of Christmas trees displayed at the White House? For example, Christopher Sheels, Washington’s enslaved manservant received shoes once per year. Ona Judge Staines lived with her husband and their three children until Jack’s death in 1803. Oney had three children with Staines, all of whom predeceased her, as did her husband. At sixteen, Ona may have been growing still and she may have outgrown her earlier shoes. Ona took the opportunity to share her thoughts on the institution of slavery, proclaiming, “that she never received the least mental or moral instruction, of any kind, while she remained in Washington’s family.”30 She also criticized the Washingtons’ piety, saying she never saw or heard any indication of “piety and prayers” while she was enslaved. Washington had given him “orders to take her by force, and carry her back” if necessary and he shared these plans with Langdon.24 Langdon’s family had a long history of slave ownership, so Bassett assumed the senator would support his mission. Ona also knew her siblings. “A Slave of George Washington,” Benjamin Chase, Auburn, NH, December 1846. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge. Whipple owed his position to the Washington administration, so he reluctantly agreed to help send Ona back to Mount Vernon. In 1796, a 22-year-old enslaved woman named Ona Judge fled President George Washington’s household for a life of freedom in New Hampshire. Her husband died only seven years after their marriage and she could not afford to support her three children, two of whom pre-deceased her. Yet freedom would not come without its costs. 1 Ona’s father was Andrew Judge, a white indentured servant who was employed on the estate. Washington knew of Judge's whereabouts by September 1, when he wrote to Oliver Wolcott Jr., the Secretary of the Treasury, about having her captured and return… Market Square in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1853. On October 4, 1796, Whipple wrote to Wolcott that he had failed to secure Ona. Many decades later, when all of her family members had died, Ona gave two interviews about her life and escape to freedom. Her mother, Betty, was recognized as the finest seamstress on the plantation and was a “dower slave,” technically still owned by the estate of Martha Washington’s first husband, Daniel Peake Custis. Instead, she … Her mother, Betty, was an enslaved seamstress; her father, Andrew Judge, was an English tailor working as an indentured servant at Mount Vernon. While Ona lived in Virginia, she was surrounded by several family members. Judge was secretly placed aboard the Nancy, a ship piloted by Captain John Bowles and bound for Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She probably did the laundry, cooked meals, scrubbed floors, and cleaned the home—all physically demanding labor.16 In January 1797, she married a free man named Jack Staines and they moved into their own home. She also secured work as a domestic servant. So, as the household prepared for the Washingtons’ return to Mount Vernon for the summer, Judge made plans for her escape. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Shortly after George Washington‘s death, the London newspaper Bell’s Weekly Messenger praised the first U.S. president’s decision to free his slaves in his will. Six years after Ona was born, Betty gave birth to another daughter, Delphy.3. She is also the author of Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave Ona Judge. Ona’s father was an English indentured servant who had worked at Mount Vernon. Ona Maria Judge was born around 1774 at Mount Vernon. Philadelphia's father is unknown, but in 1807 she was freed from slavery and married William Costin, an abolitionist and free man, who was the son of an enslaved woman, Ann Dandridge, and whose father was possibly John Parke Custis, Martha Washington's son. It must have been incredibly scary for sixteen-year-old Ona to travel to New York City, a place she had never visited before. So, when the opportunity presented itself, Judge left everything she knew to escape to New England. (Credit: Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images). Additionally, if women’s shoes wore out more quickly than men’s shoes, Ona may have needed more pairs than the enslaved coachmen or postilions. Either way, she quickly discovered his purpose for traveling to Portsmouth. Four months later, George Washington died, freeing all of his enslaved workers according to his will. Andrew Judge’s indentured servitude ended in 1776, but he worked for Washington until 1781. The secret town of Rockton has seen some rocky times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders. And Ona really becomes, and had already really become, Martha Washington’s top slave, for the lack of a better term or phrase. READ MORE: The Massive, Overlooked Role of Female Slave Owners, In the spring of 1796, when she was 22 years old, Judge learned that Martha Washington planned to give her away as a wedding gift to her famously temperamental granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis. He told his friends that he was looking for a good maidservant to help his wife. White House Historian, This article is part of the Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood initiative. Usually George Washington did not prefer white indentured servants. The exhibition will furthermore profile 18 other former slaves. It was common practice for slave owners to give their enslaved workers nicknames that ended in”y” to subtly infantilize adult men and women. This book puts a face and a story to that of early enslaved people and makes it clear that enslaved people always desired the ability to make choices for themselves. The person shot Salas’ 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, when he answered the door and then shot her husband multiple times before fleeing. Ona Maria Judge Staines is the protagonist of Erica Armstrong Dunbar ’s Never Caught.Born into slavery at George and Martha Washington ’s Mount Vernon estate in 1773, Ona was, as a teenager, assigned to a position in the Washingtons’ home, where she worked as Martha’s seamstress and personal “go-to girl.” When George Washington ascended to the presidency, bringing Martha along … Tobias Lear Account Books, Philadelphia Household Accounts, 1789-1797. Vernon. In 1773, Ona Judge … The New Years’ Day reception became a White House tradition with President John Adams in 1801 and ended with President Herbert Ho... Congress passed the Compensated Emancipation Act to end slavery in the District of Columbia and President Abraham Lincoln signed the... Women are often overlooked in history for their role in the institution of slavery. After his election, John Adams resided in the same house in Philadelphia, before moving into the White House in Washington, D.C. on November 1, 1800. George Washington to Joseph Whipple, 28 November 1796. The gunman arrived at the home of Judge Esther Salas in North Brunswick, New Jersey, around 5 p.m., NBC New York reported. Over more than five years in Philadelphia—traveling in and out every six months—she met and became acquainted with members of the city’s free black community and former enslaved workers who had gained their freedom under the gradual abolition law. Ona Judge, a young enslaved woman in her 20s, has recently received some terrifying news. Ona probably attended this church to hear Reverend Samuel Haven's sermons. Safe for the time being, she started building a life in Portsmouth, and married Jack Staines, a free black sailor, in early 1797. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. When Martha brought Ona to the President’s House, Ona left her family for the first time. She has many changes of good clothes, of all sorts, but they are not sufficiently recollected to be described.11, The advertisement also listed a $10 reward for her capture and return, and conveyed the Washingtons’ shock and outrage that Ona would escape: “As there was no suspicion of her going off nor no provocation to do so, it is not easy to conjecture whither she has gone, or fully, what her design is.”12 Of course, it never occurred to the Washingtons that enslavement served as plenty of provocation for Ona to escape. Explore the Timeline. Judge holds attorney husband of RHOBH star Erika Jayne and his law firm in contempt after he misappropriated $2M in funds meant for the families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash. Betty, Ona Judge’s mother, came to Mt. In fact, as Erica Armstrong Dunbar writes in her book, Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, Oney would have been in the minority as a enslaved woman in Philadelphia; fewer than 100 slaves lived within city limits in 1796. Martha Washington, who lived until 1802, couldn’t even legally have emancipated her enslaved workers upon her death (including, technically, Oney Judge Staines and her children), as they were part of her inheritance from her first husband and by law went to her surviving grandchildren. Several years before her death in 1848, she granted two interviews to abolitionist newspapers recounting her journey from bondage. PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Stepping off a boat in a New Hampshire port in 1796, 22-year-old Ona Judge was on the run from the family of President George Washington. Joseph Whipple to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 4 October 1796, Dunbar. Never Caught Summary. What are some interesting facts about presidents and first ladies? As Dunbar writes, “Martha Washington’s decision to turn Judge over to Eliza was a reminder to Judge and everyone enslaved at the Executive Mansion that they had absolutely no control over their lives, no matter how loyally they served.”. Published in The Liberator in 1846. Trying to act discreetly, Washington got in contact with Joseph Whipple, the collector of customs in Portsmouth and the brother of famed Revolutionary General William Whipple. First Lady Julia Dent Grant, wife... Born to an affluent family in 1790, John Tyler spent most of his life in Charles City County, Virginia. Kathleen Van Cleve teaches creative writing and film at the University of Pennsylvania. Because of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 which Washington signed into law in Philadelphia (probably in his private office barely a dozen feet from where Oney slept), she lived the rest of her life as a fugitive. There are no records to indicate why Ona received new shoes several times a year, but she likely received them because she was in New York and Philadelphia with the Washingtons.7, Ona may have been tempted to pursue her freedom during the early years of Washington’s presidency, but there were severe consequences for such an act. How many weddings have been held at the White House? Few enslaved workers left written records, let alone participated in interviews with reporters. Runaway advertisement requesting the return of Ona Judge. Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge - Ebook written by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Though the gesture was far from meaningless, it didn’t go far enough. So Ona Judge passed the disease of slavery through her lineage to her children, making Ona and her children the property of Martha Washington. Eventually, Judge’s husband, a sailor, passed away. During the summer after she escaped, Judge was walking in Portsmouth when she saw Elizabeth Langdon, the daughter of New Hampshire Senator John Langdon. Ona’s status as Martha’s preferred lady’s maid meant that she received a fancier wardrobe than most enslaved people because she visited homes and buildings normally off-limits to enslaved people. He was one of George Washington’s preferred tailors, eventually creating the blue uniform George wore when he was named commander in chief of the American forces in 1775. October 21, 2019, Next ED: [00:21:26] She opens the door and she sees a face that probably drained the blood from hers. The shoe purchases are especially telling. Ona Judge Staines died in Greenland, New Hampshire on February 25, 1848. Ona died on February 25, 1848, in Greenland, New Hampshire as a free woman.32. Looking for a means to escape, Ona agreed to meet Whipple at the docks and return to Virginia. And Ona really becomes, and had already really become, Martha Washington’s top … She has written several books, including the award-winning middle grade novel Drizzle. It tells about a very determined Ona Judge and very sneaky Washingtons. But because her mother was enslaved, Judge, by law, became a slave, too. Her mother, Betty, was recognized as the finest seamstress on the plantation and was a “dower slave,” technically still owned by the estate of Martha Washington’s first husband, Daniel Peake Custis. Her husband died only seven years after their marriage and she could not afford to support her three children, two of whom pre-deceased her. In August 1799, Washington asked his nephew, Burwell Bassett Jr., to try and seize Judge and any children she may have had on his upcoming business trip to New Hampshire. PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) - Stepping off a boat in a New Hampshire port in 1796, 22-year-old Ona Judge was on the run from the family of President George Washington.. Judge… © 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. When Bassett dined with Langdon and told him of his intention, the senator quickly got word to Ona through one of his servants. Vernon as a slave, when Martha accepted the hand of George Washington to marry him as her second husband in 1759. After fulfilling his four-year work contract at Mount Vernon, Andrew Judge moved off the plantation to start his own farm. (Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press, 1977), pp. But New York City, and then Philadelphia, offered new opportunities.4 Ona encountered a sizable free African-American community for the first time, saw interesting sights, tasted different foods, and met new people. When Ona opened the door, perhaps with her one-year-old daughter, Eliza, in her arms, she may have recognized him from her time at Mount Vernon. "Interview with A Slave of George Washington." At age 10, she began serving as a personal maid to Martha Washington at the Virginia mansio… Describe Ona Judge's life as a slave in Never Caught.How did her experience differ in Virginia, New York, and Philadelphia? Benjamin Chase. Bassett insisted Ona return to Virginia and “used all the persuasion he could” but Ona “utterly refused to go with him.”22 He even promised that the Washingtons would free her once she returned to Virginia, to which she replied “I am free now, and choose to remain so.”23, As an elite white southerner, Bassett was accustomed to African Americans obeying his every command. Ona Judge became Ona Staines and understood that her husband’s long absences at sea meant that she would have to defend herself if slave catchers … A family member was perfect for this unsavory task that Washington wished to keep under the radar. The Washington slaves knew that the president had taken precautions to prevent them from taking advantage of this law. (Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press, 1977), pp. Beginning in 1789, she worked as a personal servant to First Lady Martha Washington in the presidential households in New York City and Philadelphia. … Watcher in the Woods is the next gripping installment of #1 bestselling Kelley Armstrong's riveting Casey Duncan series.. While she was likely grateful for the work, it was a change from the needlework and tending to Martha’s needs. Learn more about Ona Judge’s path to freedom. She revealed that her life in Portsmouth had been difficult. Betty was lucky to be able to keep her son Austin with her with the move to Mt. In 1789, the new federal government was located in New York City. Built c. 1824-1826. “Improving upon this direction of her husband, Mrs. Washington, ... Martha actively tried to recapture her enslaved maid Ona Judge after Judge ran away in Philadelphia. She was never caught and would spend the remainder of her life in New Hampshire Accordingly, Tobias Lear, Washington’s household manager, documented regular purchases of textiles for dresses, bonnets, stockings, and shoes for Ona. The 38-year old shared … Her mother, Betty Davis, served a seamstress for the Washingtons at their Mount Vernon plantation. Martha announced that she planned to give Ona to Eliza as a wedding present, separating Ona from her family and the life she knew in Philadelphia and at Mount Vernon. “Runaway Advertisement,” Frederick Kitt, Philadelphia, 24 May 1796. Upon arriving in Portsmouth, Bassett made himself comfortable at Senator John Langdon’s home.21 Bassett then went to the Staines’s house and knocked on the door. Considered the last “Founding Father” president, James Monroe was born in 1758 into an affluent, slave owning family in Westmoreland County, Virg... Andrew Johnson’s close association with Abraham Lincoln, as both his vice president and his successor, often disguises Johnson’s own... Uncovering the lives of enslaved people poses many challenges. Washington, his family, and his enslaved workers lived in two different homes in New York City until the summer of 1790. Moll, the enslaved nanny for Martha’s grandchildren, did not usually join them out of the house, so she likely needed fewer pairs of new shoes. 248-50.. The History and Traditions of a Classic Dessert, Lindsay M. Chervinsky After she became too old for physical labor, Ona herself lived in poverty, relying on donations from the community. In the end, Washington and his fellow founders would push the hard decisions about slavery off onto future generations of Americans–with explosive consequences. In September 1798, he sent his nephew, Burwell Bassett, to bring Ona Judge Staines back. At some point during the spring of 1796, Ona made contact with members of the free black community that would facilitate her escape. Ona also accompanied Martha on her social visits and attended to the first lady’s needs at home. When a reporter from the Granite Freeman asked her if she regretted leaving the relative luxury of the Washingtons’ household, as she had worked so much harder after her escape, Ona Judge Staines memorably replied “No, I am free, and have, I trust been made a child of God by the means.”. While the records of her son’s life are inconclusive, it’s possible his name was William and he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a sailor. However, Landgon’s family had freed their slaves and rehired them as paid workers, even if they didn’t consider themselves abolitionists.25 Langdon “entertained Bassett very handsomely, and in the meantime sent word to Mrs. [Ona] Staines to leave town before twelve o’clock at night.”26 Upon receiving the message, Ona hired a horse and carriage to take her to Greenland, New Hampshire, where she hid in safety at “Mr. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. MasterChef judge Melissa Leong has announced her separation from husband Joe Jones, after almost four years of marriage. I knew the Washingtons had slaves but I just didn't know how sneaky they were to work around their 'human property'. Thank you to Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar for her work on Ona Judge. Yet, he remained in the area until at least 1784, when Washington loaned him £12. by the Rev. But as his reaction to Judge’s escape made clear, Washington was not ready to give up on the bound labor on which his Virginia plantation—and his life—was built. Paul Jennings was born in 1799 at Montpelier, the Virginia estate of James and Dolley Madison. This article was originally published While I was aware that the Washington's held slaves, the history surrounding Ona Judge was new to … Whenever possible, this article uses Ona’s words to tell her remarkable story. Ona Judge would look over her shoulder for the rest of her life. When Law arrived in Philadelphia, he brought his two illegitimate children that he had fathered while in India and he was plagued by rumors about his character. Ona’s calculations changed after March 21, 1796, when Eliza Custis, Martha’s granddaughter, married Thomas Law. Ona Maria Judge was born around 1774 at Mount Vernon. Another, more insidious possibility also exists. So said former slave Ona Judge during an interview in 1845, long after she had obtained her freedom, and long after her owners, George and Martha Washington, had tried to get her back. She quickly became suspicious, however, when Whipple began asking personal questions to verify her identity—the type of questions that would be unusual in a job interview. Finally, Ona may have worried about Law’s questionable reputation. They believed they had treated her like a daughter and felt betrayed by her departure. Sharing the news with her Instagram followers on … PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Stepping off a boat in New Hampshire port in 1796, 22-year-old Ona Judge was on the run from the family of President George Washington. She worked exclusively for Martha Washington in every capacity of a personal maid and was shocked and horrified that Martha would callously give her away to her incredibly selfish and nasty-tempered granddaughter as a wedding present! The couple went on to have three children: Eliza, Will, and Nancy. Like her mother, she became a talented and highly valued seamstress, and was later promoted to become Martha Washington’s personal maid. Her two daughters, Eliza and Nancy, were sadly forced into indentured servitude; both died before their mother. Ona Judge was owned by the first In the 1700s and 1800s, many white people, including George Washington, believed that enslaved people were better off in slavery than free. Jack Staines was at sea at the time, but Ona managed to escape to the neighboring town of Greenland, where she and her infant daughter hid with a free black family, the Jacks, until Bassett left Portsmouth, empty-handed. In 1845, Ona Judge was interviewed by an abolitionist newspaper. Ona Judge was born around 1773. So, Ona Judge and six other enslaved people are taken to New York, where the nation’s first capital is. Erica Dunbar: [00:00:13] She found out that she was going to be given away as a wedding gift to her owner's granddaughter, that she would be returned to the South, a place that she had no interest in living.