Caroline Branham, C. 1764 - 1843

Caroline Branham served as an enslaved housemaid in the Mansion, tending to the daily needs of the Washington family and their guests. She also sewed clothing and household linens for the plantation. She and her husband, Peter Hardiman, met at Mount Vernon where she was born. He was an enslaved groom rented by Washington to care for his horses.

Branham became the property of George Washington Parke Custis after the death of his grandmother, Martha Washington. He was believed at the time to be the father of Branham’s youngest daughter Lucy. Branham never gained her freedom. She is buried in the graveyard of Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

Learn more about Caroline on the Faces of Mount Vernon’s Enslaved Community webpage.