Lawrence Washington (1659–1698)

Lawrence Washington (1659 – February 1698),[1][2][3] a colonial-era American who is principally remembered as a member of the Washington family and the paternal grandfather of George Washington. He was the owner of a substantial Virginia plantation that he inherited from his father, John Washington, as the firstborn son under the law of primogeniture.

For other people named Lawrence Washington, see Lawrence Washington.
Lawrence Washington
Born1659
Bridges Creek, Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia
DiedFebruary 1698 (aged 38–39)
Warner Hall, Gloucester County, Colony of Virginia
Resting placeWakefield, Colony of Virginia, British America
OccupationLawyer, soldier, planter, politician
Spouse(s)Mildred Warner
ChildrenJohn Washington III
Augustine Washington
Mildred Washington
Parent(s)John Washington
Anne Pope

Washington was sent to England to finish his education. In addition to being a landowner and planter, he was a lawyer, soldier, and a politician in colonial Virginia.

Family

Lawrence Washington was the eldest son of Lt. Col. John Washington (from Essex, England) and Anne Pope. He was born in 1659, on his father's estate at Bridges Creek, in Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia. He had two siblings: John (c. 1660 – 1698) and Anne Wright (c. 1660 – 1697).

Lawrence was named for his paternal grandfather Rev. Lawrence Washington (1602–1652).

Life

Lawrence was sent to England to be educated, where he trained as a lawyer.

As the eldest son of the Washington family, Lawrence received the benefits of primogeniture, as was common at the time. Upon the death of his father, Washington inherited two substantial estates on the Potomac River: Mattox Creek (1,850 acres) and Little Hunting Creek (2,500 acres)[4] (which would eventually be renamed Mount Vernon by Lawrence's grandson and namesake, Lawrence Washington).

He did not add substantially to either property during his lifetime, which suggests that he was more interested in politics and the law than in the plantations.[5][6] In notable pursuit of these occupations, Lawrence served as Sheriff of Westmoreland County, and was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1685.[6][7]

In 1688, Lawrence married Mildred Warner, one of three daughters of Mildred Reade and the wealthy Gloucester County planter Augustine Warner Jr.[6][8] By her, he had three children: John (1692–1746), Augustine (1694–1743), and Mildred (1698–1747). Lawrence died at the age of 38 in February 1698, the same year in which his daughter was born.

Following his death, Mildred Warner Washington married George Gale, who moved the family to Whitehaven, England. Mildred died in 1701 at 30 following a difficult childbirth.[5][8] Her will stipulated that Gale become the guardian of her children, but in 1704 Lawrence's cousin John Washington successfully petitioned to have custody transferred to him. At that point, the three Washington children returned to Virginia to his care, and they lived near Chotank Creek. He had the use of the lands and personal property they had inherited while he acted as their guardian.[5]

Children by Mildred Warner
  • John Washington III (1692–1746)
  • Augustine Washington (1694–1743)
  • Mildred Washington (1698–1747)

References
  1. White, Jim (2013). Washington : 25 Generations October 19, 1781. LuLu Press. pp. 19–20.
  2. "Ancestry". George Washington's Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  3. "Lawrence Washington George Washington's Grandfather". Kenmore.Org. The George Washington Foundation. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  4. "Ancestry", Mount Vernon
  5. "Washingtons", Genealogy, The George Washington Foundation
  6. Randall, Willard Sterne (2014). George Washington, A Life. p. 15.
  7. "Members of the House of Burgesses". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia Historical Society: 245. January 1901. lawrence washington member of house of burgesses 1685.
  8. "Washington Family: Third Generation" Archived 2009-01-04 at the Wayback Machine, Genealogy.com
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