Eleanor Calvert

Background

Eleanor Calvert was born in 1758 at the Calvert family"s Mount Airy plantation near Upper Marlboro in Prince George"s County, Maryland. Eleanor was the second eldest daughter of Benedict Swingate Calvert, son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, and his wife Elizabeth Calvert Butler. Eleanor married John Parke Custis, son of the late Daniel Parke Custis and Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (and stepson of George Washington), on February 3, 1774 at Mount Airy.

Career

Her portrait hangs today at Mount Airy Mansion in Rosaryville State Park, Maryland. She was known to her family as "Nelly." As a teenager, Eleanor was an exceptionally pretty girl and well-mannered. In 1792, Eleanor, David and their family left Abingdon and moved to David"s home at Hope Park in Fairfax County.

About ten years later, they moved to Ossian Hall near Annandale, also in Fairfax County.

She was originally buried at Effingham Plantation in Virginia.

Connections

associate:

George Washington