Person:Augustine Washington (1)

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Augustine Washington Sr. (November 12, 1694 – April 12, 1743) was the father of the first U.S. president, George Washington. He served as an officer in the British Navy during the War of Jenkin's Ear although he belonged to the Colony of Virginia's landed gentry. Like his father and sons, Washington owned plantations which he operated by the use of enslaved labor, as well as speculated in less developed land and even operated an iron mine. Although Washington did not serve as a legislator (unlike his father and son), he held various offices in the counties in which he held land.

Biography

Augustine's father Lawrence died when he was about four years old and he inherited about 1000 acres on Bridges Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He married in 1715 and settled on the property. In 1718, he purchased two other properties, Popes Creek and Little Hunting Creek (which is sister Mildred had inherited from their father). He and his wife Jane moved to Popes Creek and had four children.

Jane died in 1729, and he remarried in 1731 to 23-year-old Mary Ball. They had six children, including future president George. They moved to Hunting Creek in 1735, and in 1738 they moved to a 150 acre property across the Rappahannock River. At this time, Augustine was engaged in iron mining at the Accokeek Creek furnace, which was closer to the Rappahannock property than his others.

Upon Augustine's death, his son Lawrence inherited the Little Hunting Creek property. He renamed it Mount Vernon in honor of an Admiral Vernon he had served with in the British Navy. Under Augustine's will, if Lawrence died without children, the LIttle Hunting Creek property went to his brother Augustine, Jr., who would then pass Popoes Creek to their half-brother George, or, if Augustine Jr. did not want Little Hunting Creek, it would go to George. That was apparently what happened, and the Mount Vernon property passed to George when Lawrence died. Lawrence's widow Ann retained a life interest in the property, but she leased it to George beginning in 1754. It passed to him outright at her death in 1761.^S1

Augustine Washington's will dated April 11, 1743, proved May 6, 1743 names "my present wife" (Mary Ball), "daughter Elizabeth, and sons Lawrence, Augustine, George (son of second wife), Samuel, John and Charles."

Early Land Acquisitions in Virginia

Acquisition of Land from Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants:

• E-486: Capt. Augustine Washington of King George County, 536 acres between Mr. John Washington, Mr. Robert Vance, John Jervis, Capt. John Elliot in Westmoreland County. Lisson's Patent now Augustine Washington's. Surv. by Mr. James Hore. 28 July 1742. [Survey Plat in Deed Book]. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742, Vol. 1, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 145].

Acquisition of Land from Orange County, Virginia Records:

• Pages 74-75. 25 Aug. 1742. Stafford County. John Bruce of Orange County to Capt. Augustine Washington and Company, owners of the Accokeek Iron Works. Mortgage to secure ₤60 current money. Two tracts, one containing 2,300 acrres in the little fork of Rappahannock River... joyning to the land of William Eddings and others; 1,600 acres upon Sharrandoah (Shenandoah) River joyning the land of Jacob Stoger (prob. Stover) and others. (signed) John Bruce. Wit: Antho. Rhodes, Nathll. Chapman, Cs. Bouman. 27 9ber [Nov.} 1742. Acknowledged by John Bruce. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book 7, Dorman, pg. 43].

1.   Augustine Washington, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Roberts, Gary Boyd. Ancestors of American Presidents. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009)
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