Mary Hemings Bell (1753-after 1834) was born into slavery, most likely in Charles City County, Virginia, as the oldest child of Elizabeth Hemings, a mixed-race slave held by John Wayles. After the death of Wayles in 1773, Elizabeth, Mary, and her family were inherited by Thomas Jefferson, the husband of Martha Wayles Skelton, a daughter of Wayles, and all moved to Monticello. While Jefferson was in France, Hemings was hired out to Thomas Bell, a wealthy white merchant in Charlottesville, Virginia. She became his common-law wife and they had two children together. Bell purchased her and the children from Jefferson in 1792 and informally freed them. Mary Hemings Bell was the first Hemings to gain freedom. The couple lived together all their lives. (They were prohibited from marriage by Virginia law at the time.) In 2007 Mary Hemings Bell was recognized as a Patriot of the Daughters of the American Revolution, because she had been taken as a prisoner of war during the American Revolution. By this honor, all her female descendants are eligible to join the DAR. Early life Mary, the daughter of Elizabeth "Betty" Hemings, was born into slavery. Betty was the biracial daughter of an enslaved African woman and, an English sea captain whose surname was Hemings. Mary was the first of Elizabeth's twelve children. Hemings lived at John Wayles' plantation until his son-in-law, Thomas Jefferson, received her as part of a division of Wayles' estate on January 14, 1774. She was a "valued household servant" and seamstress. Like her mother and sisters, she worked in the household where she took care of Martha Jefferson and her children, sewed, and cleaned. The overseer did not have control or responsibility for managing the work of the female members of the Hemings family. Family Mary Hemings had six children, some of whom were freed and some of whom were separated from her when they were sold. Initial children She initially had four children: Daniel Farley (1772-1837), Jefferson gave him to his sister, Molly Hemings (1777-after 1790), Jefferson gave her to his daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph as a wedding gift, along with seven other slaves; Joseph Fossett (1780-1858), his father was believed to be William Fossett, a white craftsman at Monticello. In 1826 Jefferson freed Joseph Fossett by his will, in recognition of his valuable service as an ironworker. To settle debts of the estate, 130 Monticello slaves were sold,