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Document 261590

GEORGE WASHINGTON and MARTHA WASHINGTON. Authenticated strands of the hair of George Washington and Martha Washington (three of each) mounted on an 8½x11 page reproducing handwritten provenance: (1) "Gen. Washington's hair/Given by Mrs Robinson to/Miss Lucy Lyons Hopkins,/afterwards Mrs Turner./Mrs T. was sister of 1st Mrs Cassius Lee". Mrs. Cassius Lee was Hannah Philippa Ludwell Hopkins Lee (1808-1872) ,who was married to Cassius Francis Lee (1808-1872). He was the first cousin to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) and the son of Edmund Jennings Lee (1772-1843). Martha Custis Washington's (1731-1802) son was John Parke Custis (1754-1781), whose granddaughter married Robert E. Lee. Obviously, Martha Washington had a close personal and familial tie to the Lee family. According to librarians at Mt. Vernon and at Woodlawn Plantation (both in Virginia), it was commonplace for Martha Washington to give as a gift her husband's hair both during his life and after his death. History indicates that this tradition was passed onto the other women in Martha's family. (2) "Mrs George Washington's hair/presented by her to C. Lee at Mt. Vernon Feb. 9". Reproduced at the far right of the page: "Given to me by Mrs. Cassius Lee/in Alex[andria]. May 29 1904". The "C. Lee" to whom Martha Washington presented her hair was probably Charles Lee (1758-1815) as Cassius was not alive during her lifetime. Charles was Cassius and Robert E. Lee's uncle. Cassius went on and had a son bearing his name Cassius Francis (1844-1892). He married Mary Lloyd, who probably is the Mrs. Cassius Lee referenced in the above 1904 note. In 1996 the two sets of hair were purchased from a direct descendant of Robert E. Lee. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from John Reznikoff of University Archives, a respected specialist in hair collecting today. The strands are separately encased and mounted to a sheet showing a 4¾x5½ reproduced color portrait of George and Martha Washington at a reception. Fine condition.

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