Jemmy Grant
Cite this Page
"Jemmy Grant," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/258.
- Position
- Doorkeeper
- Years in President's House
- circa 1843
- Legal Status
- Unclear from Context
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- Unclear from Context
- Presidency
- John Tyler
- Biography
- In late 1843, newspapers printed an account of an unnamed individual who visited Washington, D.C. This person purportedly visited the White House, where he encountered an “Irish doorkeeper” named Jemmy Grant who took the party upstairs and told them, “You will find the old man [President John Tyler] in that room.”1 The article also mentions that Grant used his “gruff voice” to chase several members of Congress out of the president’s office, clearing the way for the author to meet with President Tyler. While an interesting story, this is the only known reference to Jemmy Grant working at the White House. It is possible that the story and existence of Grant was fabricated by the author, who included him to serve as a caricature of Irish workers to entertain readers. Alternatively, this story may be based on someone else who actually worked at the White House, as there were Irish workers serving as doorkeepers, gardeners, and other roles.
- “The Unknown Belle,” The Washington Union (Washington, D.C.), October 13, 1843, pg. 2.
- Birthplace
- Unclear from Context
- Unclear from Context