White House Historical Association

Robert Dougherty

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"Robert Dougherty," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whitehouseworkers.org/Detail/workers/106.
Position
Footman
Years in President's House
1807 – 1809
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Presidency
Thomas Jefferson
Biography
There is little information about Robert Dougherty. It is likely Robert was born in Londonderry, Ireland, like his brother, and immigrated to the United States. His brother Joseph served as a coachman and likely helped Robert obtain the position. Robert replaced footman Joseph Pernier at the White House in 1807.1
  1. Lucia Stanton, ‘Those who labor for my happiness’: slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2012), 43.
Birthplace
Londonderry, Ireland
Burial Place
Unclear from Context
Blue markers indicate birthplaces and green markers indicate burial places. Black markers are used for places of both birth and burial.
Related Workers
Joseph Dougherty
Coachman, 1801 – 1809
John Pernier
Footman, Valet, 1804 – 1807
Mary Murphy Dougherty
Maid, 1801 – 1809
Abraham Golden
Footman, Valet, 1801 – 1804
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