Edith Hern Fossett

Edith Hern Fossett (1787–1854) was an African American chef who for much of her life was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson before being freed. Three generations of her family, the Herns, worked in Jefferson's fields, performed domestic and leadership duties, and made tools. Like Hern, they also took care of children. She cared for Harriet Hemings, the daughter of Sally Hemings, at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation when she was a girl.

Hern worked as a cook for President Jefferson at the President's House, now called the White House, with her sister-in-law Fanny Gillette Hern beginning in 1802. They learned to cook French cuisine from Honoré Julien, a French chef. Three of her children with Joseph Fossett were born during her tenure at the President's House. They stayed with her until 1809, the end of Jefferson's second term. While she worked in Washington, D.C., she did not receive a salary, but she earned a two-dollar a month gratuity.

When Hern returned to Monticello, she became the chief cook. She had access to a modern kitchen for its time, which allowed her to cook up to eight items on individually controlled burners, using up to 60 copperware pans and relying on the best tall clock in the house for timing. Her ingredients were freshly gathered from the plantation fields or its ancillary operations, such as the brewery. Every day, she created sumptuous meals—with multiple meat, vegetable, and dessert dishes—for 12 to 25 people a time.

Hern had ten children with her common-law husband, Joseph Fossett. The son of Mary Hemings, he lived at Monticello as a child and worked his way up from a nail-maker to chief blacksmith. Although Joseph Fossett was freed through Jefferson's will, Edith and nine of their ten children were put up for auction in 1827. One of their children had already been given away to Thomas Jefferson Randolph, Jefferson's grandson. Joseph was able to arrange for the purchase of Edith and two children in 1827 and more family members in 1837. That year, Joseph made a statement listing the family members, including Edith, who were emancipated and manumitted. Joseph and Edith moved to Ohio about 1837 and settled in Cincinnati in 1843. Most of Joseph and Edith's children were with them before they died in 1858 and 1854, respectively.

Early life

Edith Hern was born to David Hern (1755–after 1827) and Isabel Hern (1758–1819) of Monticello. David was an enslaved carpenter. Isabel was an enslaved woman who worked as a domestic and farm laborer. James was an enslaved foreman of farm labor. James's wife was at another plantation.

Three generations of the Hern family, which included Isabel and David's grandchildren, "raised Jefferson's crops, drove his wagons, cooked his meals, cared for his children, built his barns, directed his laborers, and made nails, barrels, plows and plow chains."

President's House

When Thomas Jefferson was president, he brought Edith Hern and Fanny (Gillette) Hern to Washington, D.C., in 1802 and they learned to cook at the President's House. Edith was 15 years old and Fanny was 18. Honoré Julien, a French chef, taught them how to cook and create French-style foods and elegant desserts. Margaret Bayard Smith remarked of the food, "The excellence and superior skill of his [Jefferson's] French cook was acknowledged by all who frequented his table, for never before had such dinners been given in the President's House". Edith did not receive a wage, but earned a two-dollar gratuity each month. During the nearly seven years that she worked in Washington, she gave birth to three children: James, Maria, and a child who did not survive to adulthood. Her children were kept with her at the President's House. |name=Peter preparing meals for 12 to 25 people each day The women had use of 60 pieces of French copper cookware, including tart pans, fish cookers, skillets, and chafing dishes. They also had a costly, accurate tall-case clock to ensure precise timing as they cooked. As a child, he performed odd jobs around the plantation and fabricated nails. He was made a blacksmith at the age of 16. In the summer of 1806, while Jefferson was visiting Monticello and Edith was in Washington, Joseph received word that there was disturbing news, perhaps about his wife, at the President's House. He was able to earn money at the shop after work hours and keep one sixth of the earnings.

Children They had ten children, was given by Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Jefferson Randolph in 1816. Maria (born October 1807) was at Tufton, one of Jefferson's farms, in 1827. It is unknown what happened to her after that. Ann-Elizabeth (also known as Elizabeth-Ann or Betsy) (1812–1902) was purchased at the 1827 auction by John Winn, a local merchant. She was freed by her father and moved to Ohio in 1840 with her husband, Tucker Isaacs, and children. Because they still had family members in slavery, the Isaacs returned to Charlottesville. They then moved to Ross County, Ohio, where they acquired a 158 acre farm, which was a station on the Underground Railroad. An auction was held at Monticello in January 1827, where "130 valuable negroes" were put up for sale, and resulted in the separation of families. Jesse Scott, a "free man of color" bought Edith and two of her children, Daniel and William, for $505. Joseph, with the help of his mother, Mary Hemings Bell, freed Edith, their five children, and four grandchildren in 1837. Peter's owner refused to sell him. To say that they were emancipated means that they were free from ownership or control by another, and since they were considered their owner's property, the transaction was documented by a legal deed of emancipation and filed with the government. There are therefore two fundamental ways for a person to be free: one is being freed, generally through purchase, of an owner, the other is the status of being a free person. Virginia had different laws beginning in 1619, and cities within Virginia also had their own laws, for manumission of slaves that specified the manner in which someone may be free. For instance, Virginia enacted a law in 1806 in which freed slaves could be returned to slavery if they stayed in the state more than 12 months.

Know all men by these presents that I Joseph Fossett of the County of Albemarle and state of Virginia have manumitted, emancipated and set free, and by these presents do manumit, emancipate and set free the following negro slaves to wit, Eady, Elizabeth Ann, William, Daniel, Lucy and Jesse and her grandchildren James, Joseph, Thomas and Maria Elizabeth an infant. And I heareby [sic] declare the said Eady, Elizabeth Ann, William, Daniel, Lucy and Jesse, James, Joseph, Thomas and Maria Elizabeth hereby emancipated are of the following description ages and height—viz.: Eady a woman of brown complexion 5 feet 2 inches and 44 years old. — Joseph Fossett By the time of Joseph and Edith's deaths, almost all of the Fossett children were in Ohio. Their descendants include attorneys, artists, caterers, musicians, and civil servants. Every generation has "fought for freedom and equality".