One of the most impressive homes in Williamsburg, and my favorite tour. Peyton Randolph and his wife were childless so they lived alone here, with their orphaned niece, and were served by up to 20 slaves.
Peyton Randolph was an influential citizen during these times. So much so that he was right up there with his buddy George Washington on the list of V
irginians that the Crown wanted to capture and hang. The Randolph family was large, well-connected and related to everyone, including George's wife Martha and young Thomas Jefferson. After Peyton's death, he left 
his entire law library to Jefferson.
I didn't realize Randolph left all of his law library to Jefferson. Very interesting connections.
ReplyDeleteBut what really struck me about your post is that the Randolphs had 20 slaves for just the two of them (well, and the niece).
KWIZ! I asked that very question about the slaves, too! About six of the slaves worked outdoors exclusively, tending to the horses (Randolph had many) and carriages and grounds. Also they entertained a great deal and many of their guests stayed over night. A gracious host would naturally assign each guest his or her own negro. (Gal is shaking her head as she writes this. What an obscene waste.)
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