▁natural ists , ▁including ▁John ▁Bart ram , ▁Mark ▁C ates by , ▁and ▁Peter ▁Col lin son . ▁C ust is ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁governor ' s ▁Council ▁from ▁ 1 7 2 7 ▁until ▁increasing ly ▁ill ▁health ▁forced ▁him ▁to ▁request ▁to ▁be ▁susp ended ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 7 4 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 4 4 , ▁John ▁C ust is ▁took ▁the ▁extraordinary ▁step ▁of ▁pet ition ing ▁the ▁Governor ▁and ▁Council ▁to ▁set ▁a ▁slave ▁child ▁free . ▁The ▁pet ition ▁stated ▁the ▁boy ▁was ▁" Christ ened ▁John ▁but ▁commonly ▁called ▁Jack , ▁born ▁of ▁the ▁body ▁of ▁his ▁Neg ro ▁wen ch , ▁Alice ." ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁soon ▁after ▁comple ting ▁his ▁will ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁November ▁ 1 7 4 9 . ▁At ▁his ▁request , ▁he ▁was ▁buried ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sh ore ▁of ▁Virginia ▁at ▁the ▁Ar ling ton ▁plant ation ' s ▁C ust is ▁T omb s . ▁In ▁his ▁will ▁C ust is ▁instruct ed ▁his ▁son , ▁on ▁pain ▁of ▁being ▁cut ▁off ▁with ▁only ▁one ▁sh illing , ▁to ▁place ▁on ▁his ▁mar ble ▁tomb ▁the ▁word ing ▁that ▁C ust is ▁had ▁" Y et ▁lived ▁but ▁Seven ▁years ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁Space ▁of ▁time ▁he ▁kept ▁a ▁B atch el ors ▁House ▁at ▁Ar ling ton ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sho ar ▁of ▁Virginia . ▁This ▁Ins cription ▁put ▁on ▁this ▁Stone ▁by ▁his ▁own ▁positive ▁Or ders ." ▁ ▁His