William Henry Fitzhugh of Chatham

This oval miniature locket contains a painted portrait of Mrs. Lee’s maternal grandfather, William Henry Fitzhugh of Chatham. A lock of brown hair is contained within.

William Fitzhugh was one of the wealthiest men in northern Virginia prior to his death in 1830. He built a home called Chatham that overlooked Fredericksburg, VA. Later, he moved to Alexandria, VA and built a house called Ravensworth. His daughter, Mary, married George Washington Parke Custis in 1804. Robert E. Lee’s family lived in Fitzhugh’s Alexandria townhouse when Robert was a teenager.