Joseph Jeater

Cite this Page

"Joseph Jeater," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/160.

Position: Steward
Years in President's House: 1817 – 1825
Legal Status: Free Person
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Presidency: James Monroe
Biography: Joseph Jeater worked as a steward for President James Monroe, likely at both Caldwell House where Monroe resided before the White House rebuild was completed, and then at the White House. (1) Birth, life, and death information remain scarce for Joseph. The 1820 census for James Monroe indicates that three "Foreigners not naturalized” were part of his household. (2) One of these individuals could be Joseph Jeater. Many early nineteenth century White House stewards emigrated from Europe. (3)
: (1) William Seale, The President’s House, (The White House Historical Association, 2008), 155, 168; “Mapping Monroe’s Influence,” James Monroe’s Highland, accessed August 14, 2025, https://highland.org/mapping-monroes-influence/.
(2) “James Monroe in the U.S. Census Records,” National Archives and Records Administration, accessed August 14, 2025, https://www.archives.gov/research/census/presidents/monroe.
(3) Matthew Costello, “The Enslaved Households of President James Monroe,” The White House Historical Association, February 25, 2020, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-households-of-president-james-monroe.
Birthplace: Unclear from Context