As the British began their march to Washington D.C., work at the President’s House continued as planned. On AugBritish forces led by Major General Robert Ross defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg in Maryland. 1 Click here to learn more about the enslaved households of President James Madison. These two figures, along with several others, were responsible for saving a number of significant White House artifacts from destruction during the War of 1812. Paul continued to work as President Madison’s valet but often fell under Dolley Madison’s authority as a dining room servant.
In this capacity Paul became a vital member of the household, so much so that when Madison won the election in 1808 the family brought him to the President’s House. Trained first as a footman Paul later became James Madison’s valet, assisting Madison with his clothing, appearance, and every day undertakings. As a young enslaved servant of the Madison family Paul performed domestic duties and often attended Dolley’s son John Payne Todd. While Paul had no documented relationship with Benjamin and probably never met him, he did adopt the ‘Jennings’ surname as his own. His mother, an enslaved woman of African and Native American descent, told him that his father was the local English trader Benjamin Jennings. Paul Jennings was born in 1799 at Montpelier, the Virginia estate of James and Dolley Madison.
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