ONA JUDGE STAINES NEVER CAUGHT

 Patricia Liverpool © April 22-2019

ONA JUDGE STAINES NEVER CAUGHT

Ona Maria Judge was the child of an enslaved woman known as "Mulatto Betty" and a white man who was an indentured servant from England working as a tailor at Mount Vernon. "Mulatto Betty" was a skilled seamstress in the presidential household when Ona was born. Betty had been among the 285 enslaved Africans that Martha Washington had inherited from her first husband Daniel Parke Custis when he died in 1757. When Martha Custis married George Washington in 1759, she took her "property" including Betty, to Mount Vernon. When Ona was born 14 years later Martha Washington owned Ona in spite of the fact that Ona's father was a free white man because children inherited the status of their enslaved mothers regardless of the father's race or position. Ona was a 10 year old child when she became Martha Washington's  personal slave, which included washing Martha Washington’s underwear, brushing her hair, washing and preparing her clothes, drawing her bath, bathing her, tending to her when she was (often) sick and depressed.  

When George Washington became president on April 30, 1789 the Washington household took seven enslaved Africans, including 16 year old Ona Judge to New York City which was then the nation's capital. Ona's mother Betty was left behind at Mount Vernon to worry about her child. The following year 1790 the national capital was transferred to Philadelphia and as the personal slave of the First Lady, Ona Judge was one of nine enslaved persons that moved to Philadelphia with the Presidential household. The Gradual Abolition Act of 1890 meant that any enslaved African living in Philadelphia for more than 6 months was automatically free. George Washington very cleverly bypassed this law by claiming that he only lived in Philadelphia because it was the seat of the federal government but he really was a resident of Virginia the site of his plantation. He moved the enslaved Africans of his household every six months between Philadelphia and Virginia. 

On May 21, 1796 after overhearing that she was going to be a wedding gift to Martha Washington's granddaughter Eliza Custis Law, Ona Judge decided to escape. While the Washington household was planning to take the enslaved Africans from Philadelphia to Virginia Ona fled. In an interview in 1845, Ona said: "Whilst they were packing up to go to Virginia, I was packing to go, I didn't know where; for I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I should never get my liberty. I had friends among the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand, and left Washington's house while they were eating dinner."

The Washingtons were livid that Ona escaped from them, especially Martha Washington. Three days after Ona escaped on May 24-1796 this advertisement appeared in The Philadelphia Gazette: "Absconded from the household of the President of the United States, ONEY JUDGE, a light mulatto girl, much freckled, with very black eyes and bushy hair. She is of middle stature, slender, and delicately formed, about 20 years of age. She has many changes of good clothes, of all sorts, but they are not sufficiently recollected to be described—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; but as she may attempt to escape by water, all masters of vessels are cautioned against admitting her into them, although it is probable she will attempt to pass for a free woman, and has, it is said, wherewithal to pay her passage. Ten dollars will be paid to any person who will bring her home, if taken in the city, or on board any vessel in the harbour;—and a reasonable additional sum if apprehended at, and brought from a greater distance, and in proportion to the distance." FREDERICK KITT, Steward. May 23

Ona Maria Judge was a fugitive always looking over her shoulder. The Washingtons never gave up trying to capture and re-enslave her. With the support of members of the free African American community in Philadelphia Ona Judge made her way to New Hampshire. She was pursued by the Washingtons and attempts were made to kidnap her. On January 8-1797 Ona Maria Judge married Jack Staines but that did not stop attempts by the Washingtons to capture her. In September 1798 as the mother of an infant daughter Ona Judge Staines was again the target of an attempted kidnapping by agents of George and Martha Washington. George Washington died on December 14-1799 and Martha Washington died on May 22-1802 but Ona Judge Staines was part of their estate and "belonged" to their heirs/descendants. When Ona Judge transitioned to the ancestral realm on February 25-1848 she had been living as a fugitive from the Washington clan for 52 years. Ona Judge Staines was never caught.

 Patricia Liverpool © April 22-2019