Hannah Archer Till

Hannah Archer Till (c. 1721 – 1826) worked as a paid cook and servant for George Washington. Till accompanied General Washington on his American Revolutionary War campaigns and was present at Valley Forge. She also worked for the Marquis de Lafayette for six months. She was honored as a Patriot by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2015, in Eden Cemetery, located in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.

Early life and family She was born in about 1721 in Kent County, Delaware. Her mother was an enslaved African-American woman, but more about her identity is unknown.

Her owner, John Brinkly, sold her in Pennsylvania when she was 15. When she was 25, she was sold to Parson Henderson, who took her to Northumberland, England. The Tills had at least three children—Andrew (born circa 1761), John (born circa 1765) and Sarah Till (born circa 1771) Hannah continue to work as a cook.

John Fanning Watson interviewed the 102-year-old in March 1824 for an article in his Annals of Philadelphia.

Death and legacy Hannah died in 1826 at the age of 104. She was first interred in the First African Presbyterian Church graveyard at Seventh and Bainbridge Streets in Philadelphia. The graveyard was sold and her remains were moved Lebanon Cemetery in South Philadelphia. After Lebanon Cemetery was also sold, her remains were moved once more, to Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, where she rests today.

October 3, 2015, the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a marker near her gravesite to recognize her contributions. A DAR chapter is also named in her honor.