SKU: 38882632745

We Were Always Free: The Maddens of Culpeper County, Virginia: A 200-Year Family History

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We Were Always Free: The Maddens of Culpeper County, Virginia: A 200-Year Family HistoryIn August of 1758, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a poor Irish immigrant named Mary Madden bore a child, Sarah Madden, whose father was said to be a slave and the property of Colonel James Madison, father of the future president of the United States. This daughter, though born a free mulatto, became indentured to the Madisons. There she worked as a seamstress to pay off the fine of her birth until she was 31 years old. Sarah Madden bore ten

In August of 1758, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a poor Irish immigrant named Mary Madden bore a child, Sarah Madden, whose father was said to be a slave and the property of Colonel James Madison, father of the future president of the United States. This daughter, though born a free mulatto, became indentured to the Madisons. There she worked as a seamstress to pay off the fine of her birth until she was 31 years old.

Sarah Madden bore ten children and when the term of her indenture was over, she and her youngest son, Willis, struck out for themselves--Sarah as a seamstress, laundress, and later, with Willis, a dairy farmer and tavern keeper. Stories of Willis and Sarah were passed down in Madden family lore through the generations--their hard work, their business sense, their ability to overcome obstacles, poverty, illiteracy, prejudice. This is the chronicle of those generations, a 200-year history of a kind unusually complete in American history. Two factors make it so--that Sarah Madden and her offspring kept their stories alive, and that they saved hundreds of important documents of their freedom, hardship, and daily work.

These documents came to light in 1949 when author T.O. Madden, Jr. (great great grandson of Sarah Madden) conceived a powerful desire to know more of his bygone generations. He began to investigate, and his search for family brought him to a hidebound trunk originally belonging to his great grandfather Willis. Its contents brought tears to his eyes. Stored there, awaiting discovery, were papers dating back to the mid-eighteenth century, freedom papers, papers of indenture, deeds of land, Sarah Madden's laundry and seamstress record books, letters, traveling passes. In addition, the leather trunk held an exciting, full set of business records for the days of the nineteenth century when Madden's Tavern flourished as a center of activity in Orange County and as a place for travelers to rest on the road to Fredericksburg.

Since that day, T.O. Madden, Jr., has been deeply researching his family, using census reports, other official sources, familly, and friends. All have led to his ably reconstructed family history, and to his own remarkable story. We Were Always Free is a unique and very American family saga.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 06/17/1992
ISBN: 9780393350128
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.57d
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SKU: 38882632745

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Kevin Paul Gauthier
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Strong sturdy reliable and versatile
Color: Black
This is a great little side piece to use for your kitchen sink or bathroom mine is in my kitchen sink it works great it sits on the side it's the perfect length holds my scrubber soap and other stuff I need instead of using a makeshift bowl. It's sturdy rust-resistant and I put it through the tests it gets wet every time I do which is every day in this house. You can use it for just about anything. There are no suction cups on it but there is a gray under it that catches all the loose water which is also very convenient. It looks modern and compliments most sinks and kitchens well
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Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2025
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Andrew Shuler
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 4
Good Quality but Limited Space for Multiple Bottles
Color: Black
This organizer is decent quality, but it ended up being smaller than I expected. For reference, I usually keep the following items at my sink: • Dawn squeeze dish soap • Mrs. Meyers hand soap • Dr. Brown’s bottle soap • A sponge • A bottle brush All of these items fit comfortably in my previous sink caddy that I bought on Amazon. Unfortunately that one eventually started peeling and rusting, which is why I replaced it. With this one, the narrow section on the left side limits how much you can actually store. It works well for the brush, but it reduces the usable space for bottles. Because of that, fitting multiple soap bottles plus a sponge is a little tight. I also think my previous organizer was slightly wider, which made a bigger difference than I realized. One feature I do like is the removable plastic tray on the bottom. It catches water well and keeps the counter from getting messy, which is a nice touch. Overall, it’s usable and I will keep it, but if you normally keep several bottles and tools at your sink like I do, I would recommend paying close attention to the measurements before ordering.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026
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sheryl tumey
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Fits well in any space
Color: Black
This is a great little caddy. It sits nicely in the small area I have and keeps all my stuff organized. The tray comes out to clean it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2026
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SALLY
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Wonderful size and holds the essentials.
Color: A-silver
I have no room for something bigger because I have a drop in sink. This is working wonderful. There is room for a scrubby, sponge my stove top cleaner and scrapper for stove. The tray below to catch any water is great and very easy to remove and drain. It takes a second to do. Great size as it is not huge but holds what I need.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2026
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jaslin5
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Kitchen caddy organizer.
Color: Black
Kitchen caddy organizer is perfectly suited to declutter your kitchen countertop sink area. just the right size to hold a sponge, soap dispenser, and a scrub brush or other utility. Nice design, easy to clean and economical.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2026

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