In her obituary, DOROTHEA SPOTSWOOD DANDRIDGE
HENRY WINSTON was acclaimed to be
“of the ancient Dandridge family.” Yes, she was of this “ancient
family,” but more than that, she lived in one of
the most important eras of United States history and was “up to the
task” as the expression goes!
Dorothea was born, 25 September 1757, to Nathaniel
West Dandridge and his wife, Dorothea Spotswood
in Hanover County, VA. Spending her early life on a thriving
plantation, she had frequent contact with the
“movers and shakers” of the growing rebellion against English tyranny.
Indeed, she and George Washington’s,
wife Martha Dandridge Custis were cousins.
On 9 October 1777, Dorothea married Patrick
Henry in Hanover County, VA as his second wife. During
his Leatherwood years and his Red Hill years, Patrick Henry, his wife,
and children lived in a frontier
environment. This may be difficult for those of us who live in
this same territory today to imagine. It was in this
pioneer atmosphere with the added dangers of war that Dorothea raised
her family, including HER VERY OWN
AUTHENTIC DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
After Henry’s death, Dorothea married, as his
second wife, Judge Edmund Winston of Hanover County,
VA. Judge Winston died in 1818, and Dorothea spent time visiting
with her children. It was at the home of one
of her daughters, Sarah B. Scott, in Halifax County, VA, that Dorothea
died 16 February 1831. She is buried at
“Red Hill, Charlotte County, VA beside Patrick Henry.
She has lived on in the memories of countless
Daughters of the American Revolution through our chapter,
named in honor of this courageous woman who witnessed the birth of
our nation as an insider. According to a
short history of the chapter written in 1930, founders chose to name
the newly organized chapter Dorothea Henry
in “a moment of frenzied gratitude” to commemorate the women who maintained
homes for their families under
the great stress and hardships of the Revolutionary War. You
will note that these ladies completely ignored her
second husband, concentrating on the father of the REAL DAUGHTERS.
On March 4, 1894, Sallie T. Penn (Mrs. James
G.) organized the Dorothea Henry Chapter, NSDAR.
Those joining with Mrs. Penn as Charter Members in this fledgling chapter
were (as their names appear on the
Charter): Annie Boisseau Beadles, Rena Walker Boatwright, Mary
Eleanor B. Brooks, Kerr Morehead Harris,
Margaret P. Hughes, Jeannie Gray Miller, Eliza Lindsey M. Nelson, Elizabeth
W. Patton, Wilhelmina Glenn
Phifer, Lillie Penn Rison, Vinna Selden Watson, and Fannie Harvie Williamson.
During the chapter’s first 34 years, only three
Regents served. Mrs. Penn served as the first Regent,
holding the position for 23 years. Mrs. John Hagan succeeded
her and served one year, followed by
Mrs. W.T. Hughes who served for 10 years. Since then, most Regents
have served only one three-year term.
Among early accomplishments of the Dorothea
Henry Chapter was helping to organize the Patrick Henry
Chapter, NSDAR in Martinsville and hosting the 1903 and the 1916 VADAR
State Conferences. Also, at the
FIRST VADAR State Conference in 1897, the Dorothea Henry Regent made
the response to the official
Conference Welcome. From the beginning, our chapter has followed
the motto and goals of the NSDAR and
continues today with a busy schedule of programs and activities to
promote Patriotism, Education, and Moral Values.
We think that Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge Henry
Winston, that fine lady of “the ancient Dandridge family”
would be proud to have our chapter as her namesake
.
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updated 02-28-04
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