Augustine Washington
Encyclopedia
Augustine Washington was the father of general and president George Washington
. He belonged to the Colony of Virginia's landed gentry
and was a planter
and slaveholder.
, in the year 1694. He was a son of Lawrence Washington
, a militia captain and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
, and Mildred Warner
.
His paternal grandparents were John Washington
and Anne Pope.
; his sister Mildred inherited what was called the Little Hunting Creek property; they both inherited slaves.
When Washington came of age (and into his inheritance) in 1715, he married Jane Butler, an orphan, who had inherited about 640 acres (2.6 km²) from her father. The young couple settled on the Bridges Creek property. In 1718, Washington purchased land on Popes Creek, abridging his property on Bridges Creek. About 1726, he had a new house built there (later called Wakefield) with the help of slave labor and fine craftsmen. In the same year, he purchased the Little Hunting Creek property from his sister Mildred.
In addition to his work supervising overseers and slave labor as a tobacco planter, Washington was active in the Anglican Church and in local politics. He took the oath as justice of the peace
for the county court in July 1716, and served as county sheriff.
Washington and his first wife Jane Butler had four children, only two of whom (Lawrence and Augustine, Jr.) lived to adulthood.
of Lancaster County
in 1731. Their first of three children was George Washington
, born on February 22, 1732, followed by Betty on June 20, 1733 and Samuel on November 16, 1734.
In 1735, the family moved to the Little Hunting Creek property. The reason for the move is unclear, but it may have had to do with Washington's other occupation of iron mining. In 1725, he entered into an agreement with the Principio Company of England to start an iron works on Accokeek Creek
in Stafford County
. In 1728, Washington agreed with the company to bear one sixth of the cost of running Accokeek Furnace. The Little Hunting Creek plantation was closer to the iron mine than was Pope's Creek.
Washington cultivated tobacco
on his plantations, which was labor intensive and required the work of many enslaved
Africans and African Americans. By the time George Washington was born, the population of the Virginia colony was 50 percent black, and most were enslaved.
In 1738, Washington purchased a 260 acres (1.1 km²) property from the estate of William Strother; it was just across the Rappahannock River
from the fledgling town of Fredericksburg, Virginia
. He moved his family to the plantation at the end of 1738. The new property offered easier access to Accokeek Furnace and was within a day's ride of both the Little Hunting Creek and Popes Creek properties. Washington also leased a 450 acres (1.8 km²) parcel adjacent to the Strother property, which he later purchased outright. Although the property included a ferry road and landing, it was not called Ferry Farm during the time of the Augustine Washington's residency.
By 1738, two more Washington children were born: John Augustine in January 1736, and Charles on May 2, 1738. A sixth child, Mildred, was born on the new farm on June 21, 1739, but she died in infancy on October 23, 1740.
Augustine Washington died from "gout
of the stomach" on April 12, 1743, at approximately 49 years of age, in King George County, Virginia
.
Lawrence inherited the Little Hunting Creek property and its slaves. He renamed his property Mount Vernon
, in honor of Admiral Edward Vernon
, with whom he had served in the British Navy during the Battle of Cartagena de Indias
.
Lastly, Augustine, Jr. inherited the Popes Creek property and slaves. At his death, Augustine Washington, Sr. held a total of 64 slaves who were assigned among the various plantations.
According to Augustine's will, if Lawrence died without children, the Little Hunting Creek property would be given to Augustine, Jr. He would then have to give Popes Creek to George. If Augustine, Jr. did not want the Little Hunting Creek property, it would be inherited by George. Lawrence had no living children when he died, and Augustine, Jr. did not want to give up Popes Creek; therefore, George Washington ultimately inherited the Little Hunting Creek property.
Lawrence Washington's widow Ann had a life interest in the Little Hunting Creek plantation. As she remarried and was not living at Mount Vernon, she leased the property to George beginning in 1754. Upon her death in 1761, George Washington
inherited the plantation outright.
Children (by Mary Ball
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. He belonged to the Colony of Virginia's landed gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
and was a planter
Plantations in the American South
Plantations were an important aspect of the history of the American South, particularly the antebellum .-Planter :The owner of a plantation was called a planter...
and slaveholder.
Family
Augustine Washington was born in Westmoreland, VirginiaWestmoreland, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Westmoreland is an unincorporated community in Westmoreland County, in the U. S. state of Virginia.-References:*...
, in the year 1694. He was a son of Lawrence Washington
Lawrence Washington (1659-1698)
Lawrence Washington was a lawyer and planter in colonial Virginia who was educated in England. He was the paternal grandfather of George Washington.- Family :...
, a militia captain and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
, and Mildred Warner
Mildred Gale
Mildred Gale , born Mildred Warner in the Colony of Virginia, was the paternal grandmother of George Washington, the first president of the United States of America....
.
His paternal grandparents were John Washington
John Washington
John Washington was an English Virginia planter and politician. He was the immigrant ancestor and great-grandfather of George Washington, first president of the United States of America.-Early life and family:...
and Anne Pope.
Life
Born in 1694, Augustine was only four years old when his father died. He inherited about 1000 acres (4 km²) on Bridges Creek in Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of...
; his sister Mildred inherited what was called the Little Hunting Creek property; they both inherited slaves.
When Washington came of age (and into his inheritance) in 1715, he married Jane Butler, an orphan, who had inherited about 640 acres (2.6 km²) from her father. The young couple settled on the Bridges Creek property. In 1718, Washington purchased land on Popes Creek, abridging his property on Bridges Creek. About 1726, he had a new house built there (later called Wakefield) with the help of slave labor and fine craftsmen. In the same year, he purchased the Little Hunting Creek property from his sister Mildred.
In addition to his work supervising overseers and slave labor as a tobacco planter, Washington was active in the Anglican Church and in local politics. He took the oath as justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the county court in July 1716, and served as county sheriff.
Washington and his first wife Jane Butler had four children, only two of whom (Lawrence and Augustine, Jr.) lived to adulthood.
Second marriage
After Jane's early death on November 24, 1729, Washington sought a new mother for his children, marrying 23-year-old Mary BallMary Ball Washington
Mary Ball Washington was the second wife to Augustine Washington, and was the mother of George Washington.-Life:...
of Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,567 people, 5,004 households, and 3,412 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 6,498 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
in 1731. Their first of three children was George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, born on February 22, 1732, followed by Betty on June 20, 1733 and Samuel on November 16, 1734.
In 1735, the family moved to the Little Hunting Creek property. The reason for the move is unclear, but it may have had to do with Washington's other occupation of iron mining. In 1725, he entered into an agreement with the Principio Company of England to start an iron works on Accokeek Creek
Accokeek Creek
Accokeek Creek is a tidal tributary of Potomac Creek, itself a tributary of the Potomac River, in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. From it headwaters to its mouth, Accokeek Creek is in total length.-Nomenclature:...
in Stafford County
Stafford County, Virginia
Stafford County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state, and just across the Rappahannock River from the City of Fredericksburg. As of the 2000 census, the population was 92,446, increasing to 128,961 in 2010.. Its county seat is Stafford. In 2006, and again in 2009,...
. In 1728, Washington agreed with the company to bear one sixth of the cost of running Accokeek Furnace. The Little Hunting Creek plantation was closer to the iron mine than was Pope's Creek.
Washington cultivated tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
on his plantations, which was labor intensive and required the work of many enslaved
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
Africans and African Americans. By the time George Washington was born, the population of the Virginia colony was 50 percent black, and most were enslaved.
In 1738, Washington purchased a 260 acres (1.1 km²) property from the estate of William Strother; it was just across the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
from the fledgling town of Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
. He moved his family to the plantation at the end of 1738. The new property offered easier access to Accokeek Furnace and was within a day's ride of both the Little Hunting Creek and Popes Creek properties. Washington also leased a 450 acres (1.8 km²) parcel adjacent to the Strother property, which he later purchased outright. Although the property included a ferry road and landing, it was not called Ferry Farm during the time of the Augustine Washington's residency.
By 1738, two more Washington children were born: John Augustine in January 1736, and Charles on May 2, 1738. A sixth child, Mildred, was born on the new farm on June 21, 1739, but she died in infancy on October 23, 1740.
Augustine Washington died from "gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
of the stomach" on April 12, 1743, at approximately 49 years of age, in King George County, Virginia
King George County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 23,584 people, 9,411 households, and 4,525 families residing in the county. The population density was 93 people per square mile . There were 6,820 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
.
Legacy
After Washington's death in 1743 at the age of 49, his son George inherited the former Strother property and its slaves. As he was only 11 years old, his mother Mary managed the property for him until he came of age. She lived on the property until 1772 when she was 64; George moved her to a house in Fredericksburg across the river.Lawrence inherited the Little Hunting Creek property and its slaves. He renamed his property Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
, in honor of Admiral Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
, with whom he had served in the British Navy during the Battle of Cartagena de Indias
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
.
Lastly, Augustine, Jr. inherited the Popes Creek property and slaves. At his death, Augustine Washington, Sr. held a total of 64 slaves who were assigned among the various plantations.
According to Augustine's will, if Lawrence died without children, the Little Hunting Creek property would be given to Augustine, Jr. He would then have to give Popes Creek to George. If Augustine, Jr. did not want the Little Hunting Creek property, it would be inherited by George. Lawrence had no living children when he died, and Augustine, Jr. did not want to give up Popes Creek; therefore, George Washington ultimately inherited the Little Hunting Creek property.
Lawrence Washington's widow Ann had a life interest in the Little Hunting Creek plantation. As she remarried and was not living at Mount Vernon, she leased the property to George beginning in 1754. Upon her death in 1761, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
inherited the plantation outright.
Children (by Jane Butler)
- Butler Washington - (born 1716)
- Lawrence Washington - (1718-1752)
- Augustine Washington IIAugustine Washington, Jr.Colonel Augustine Washington, Jr. was the second son of Augustine Washington and Jane Butler, and George Washington's half-brother. Augustine married Anne Aylett who was born in 1726 at "Nominy Plantation." According to the will of Augustine Washington Sr., the land now known as Mount Vernon...
- (1720-1762) - Jane Washington - (1722-1735)
Children (by Mary BallMary Ball WashingtonMary Ball Washington was the second wife to Augustine Washington, and was the mother of George Washington.-Life:...
)
- George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
- (1732-1799) - Elizabeth WashingtonBetty Washington LewisBetty Washington Lewis was the younger sister of George Washington and the only sister to live to adulthood. She was the first daughter of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. She is considered a "founding mother" of America.She was born Elizabeth Washington in Westmoreland County,...
- (1733-1797) - Samuel WashingtonSamuel WashingtonSamuel Washington was a brother of United States President George Washington. He was born on November 16, 1734 at Pope's Creek, Wakefield, Westmoreland County, Virginia....
- (1734-1781) - John Augustine WashingtonJohn Augustine WashingtonJohn Augustine Washington was a member of the fifth Virginia Convention and a founding member of the Mississippi Land Company. During the American Revolution he was a member of Westmoreland County's...
- (1736-1787) - Charles WashingtonCharles WashingtonCharles Washington was the youngest brother of United States President George Washington. He was a son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington....
- (1738-1799) - Mildred Washington- (1739-1740)
External links
- Paula S. Felder, "Augustine Washington", Fredericksburg.com
- "Genealogy of Lawrence Washington" (Augustine Washington's father)
- "Lawrence Washington History, 1659-1698", National Park Service