Thomas Mann Randolph

Personal and Family Information

Thomas was born on 1 Oct 1768 in Goochland, Virginia, the son of unknown parents.

He died on 20 Jun 1828 in Albermarle County, Virginia.

His wife was Patsy Jefferson, who he married in 1790 in Virginia. They had no known children.

Events

Notes

Note 1

Patsy Jefferson Randolph. United States Presidential First Lady. She was First Lady of the United States during her father's administration and is one of two ladies to be both "First Daughter" and First Lady of Virginia. The oldest child of Thomas and "Patty" Jefferson, "Patsy" Jefferson was left completely in her father's care after her mother died in 1782; educated under his direction and largely in his image she was thus far more learned than most girls of her time.

While still a young teenager she served as Jefferson's official hostess during his 1785 thru 1789 service as Minister to France, at one point considering conversion to Catholicism which resulted in Jefferson's quick withdrawl of her and her younger sister Polly from their convent school.

Patsy married her cousin, Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., in 1790; though the union produced twelve children it was rocky due to Randolph's mental illness, physical abusiveness, and drinking problems, with frequent estrangements. (Interestingly, Jefferson had once estimated that there was an 84% chance of Patsy landing a "blockhead"). Patsy and her children were thus forced to spend most of their time at Monticello; when Thomas Jefferson took office as President in 1801 Patsy assumed the duties of White House hostess and First Lady and was to carry this responsibility during much of Jefferson's time in office.

She was also First Lady of Virginia while her husband was Governor from 1819 to 1822, but due to the state of her marriage lived most of the time at Monticello. During the post-White House years she was her father's closest confidante and friend, then found herself saddled with the massive debts and the forced sale of Monticello after Jefferson's July 4, 1826, death. Patsy reconciled with her husband before he died in 1828 and lived out her days at her estate, Edgehill. Her image was captured by several noted painters of the day including Thomas Sully.

Bio by: Bob Hufford

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Thomas Mann Randolph Jr

U.S. Congressman, Virginia Governor. By marrying Patsy Jefferson 1790, he became the son-in-law of the 3rd U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. He also was the father of George Wythe Randolph, and grandfather of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge. He attended the College of William and Mary Virginia and the University of Edinburgh Scotland, (1785-88). Entering politics, he was a member of the Virginia Senate, (1793-94). In 1803, he was elected as a Republican to the Eighth and Ninth Congresses, serving until 1807. He served as a Colonel in both the Virginia Militia and as a Colonel of the 12th Infantry, U.S. Army and during the War of 1812. After the war, he was a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates, (1819-20). In 1819, he was elected as a Republican the 21st Virginia Governor, serving until 1822. After leaving office, he again served as a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates, (1823-25). It was later said, he had died from exposure after giving his cloak to a beggar on the highway.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith

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