Valley Forge FAQs

"Pet name" for Martha Washington

Q.What "pet name" did George Washington use for his wife Martha?
Natalie, DE

A.After the death of George Washington, Martha burned all of their correspondence. Only a few pieces survive. When Martha wrote of her husband, she would always refer to him as Mr. Washington or the "General." He may have called her some endearments, like "dearest," but as to a specific pet name, I am unfamiliar with one. You may want to contact Mt. Vernon for that information: http://www.mtvernon.org

When Washington married Martha, she was a widow with two children. Those children were John and Martha. They each had nicknames that they were called by rather than their first names.

• John Custis — "Jacky"
• Martha Custis — "Patsy"

John Custis married a woman from New York and they had four children. They were Elizabeth, Martha, Eleanor and George. In their early years, the two youngest — Eleanor and George — went to live with their grandparents, George and Martha Washington. They essentially became the children they never had. Both children grew up at Mount Vernon as well as the Presidential homes in Philadelphia and New York. (The two eldest girls remained with the mother after the death of John Custis.) All of these children had nicknames of some sort.

• Elizabeth Parke Custis — "Betsy"
• Martha Parke Custis — "Patsy"
• Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis — "Nelly"
• George Washington Parke Custis — "Wash"

SAS, Courtesy The Valley Forge Historical Society