Augustine Washington's Children: The Father Of The First U.S. President

George Washington, the first president of the United States was the son of Augustine Washington Sr.

He was a member of the wealthy elite of the Virginia Colony. Washington also owned various plantations where leave labor was used to run the operations.

He was involved in operating iron mines and also investing in underdeveloped areas. Even if he did not become a part of the government, Augustine Washington worked in various positions in the counties where his assets were located.

Augustine Washington was a part of the local politics. After attaining the required age in the year 1715, Augustine Washington acquired 404 hectares (1,000 acres) on the Bridges Creek which was located in the county of Westmoreland while his sister acquired the Little Hunting Creek. They both acquired the slaves along with them.

In 1718, Washington bought land on Pope's Creek, which was adjacent to his Bridges Hunting Creek property, and began establishing himself. Augustine Washington agreed to start an ironworks on Accokeek Creek in Stafford County by partnering with the Principio Company in 1725, and he also acquired an interest in their Maryland ironworks.

The family relocated to Little Hunting Creek property, which was closer to the Accokeek Furnace, in 1735.

Lawrence Washington inherited Little Hunting Creek and called it 'Mount Vernon' after Admiral Edward Vernon, with whom he had served in the Royal Navy during the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in the War of Jenkins' Ear in 1741. Augustine Jr. preferred the Popes Creek estate and slaves to the former Strother estate, which became Mount Vernon.

Lawrence Washington's wife Ann leased Mount Vernon to George in 1754 because she had remarried and was no longer living there. George Washington received the plantation fully after she died in 1761.

He named his son Lawrence Washington, after the father and his son Charles Washington. Augustine Washington was involved in politics as well as the church along with the local militia. In July 1716, he was sworn in as the justice of the peace in the Westmoreland county court and also worked as a county sheriff.

The couple had four children together but only two survived to adulthood, Lawrence and Augustine Jr. After Jane Butler Washington lost her life Augustine Washington got married again to Mary Ball in the year 1731. Samuel Washington served many positions in Stafford County, Virginia.

These positions included justice of the peace from the November of 1766 until his removal in July of 1767.

Mildred Washington was also one of his sons. Lieutenant Colonel John Washington and Anne Pope, who was his first wife, were Augustine Washington's grandparents.

In this article, we will learn about Augustine Washington’s early life and his family life. We will also take a look at his children’s career, their legacy, and their death. Continue reading if you are curious to know more about the history related to his Hunting Creek Plantation.

Afterward, also check facts about George Washington and George Washington symbols.

Augustine Washington Children's Early Life And Family Life

Born in the month of November in 1694 Augustine Washington was the son of Captain Lawrence Washington and his wife Mildred Warner. Lawrence Washington was the captain of a militia and also a Virginia House of Burgesses member. His birthplace was Westmoreland County which is in Virginia.

Lieutenant Colonel John Washington and Anne Pope, who was his first wife, were Augustine Washington's grandparents. The maternal grandparents of Augustine Washington were owners of Warner Hall and the Pope Creek plantation and other plantations that were associated with it in Gloucester county.

When Augustine was merely four years old when his father died. Then his mother married again and moved with her family to England.

Unfortunately, she too passed away when her children were very young. Even though George Gale was the children’s stepfather and was named by their mother to be their guardian in her will, their cousin named John Washington fought to be named their Guardia and eventually was able to bring them back to Virginia.

As Augustine grew up and claimed his inheritance in 1715 he married Jane Butler. Jane Butler was an orphan and had inherited around 259 hectares (640 acres) left to her by her father Caleb Butler.

The couple started living on the Bridges Creek property. The couple had 4 children together but only two sons Lawrence and Augustine Jr could survive to adulthood.

After Jane Butler Washington lost her life Augustine Washington got married again to a woman named Mary Ball in the year 1731. The couple together had three kids. None of these kids were adults when their father, Augustine Washington died.

Augustine Washington Children's Career

Augustine Washington had 10 children in total. With his first wife, Jane Butler he had four children namely; Butler Washington, Lawrence Washington, Augustine Washington Jr, and Jane Washington.

With his second wife Mary Ball Washington, he had six children namely; son George Washington, Elizabeth Washington, Samuel Washington, John Washington, Charles Washington, Mildred Washington.

The children spend much of their childhood in their Ferry Farm home in the Ferry Farm plantation. When son Samuel Washington came of age he inherited 600 acres in the watershed of Potomac River in Stafford County and 485 hectares (1,200 acres) of undeveloped land in the watershed of Rappahannock River.

Samuel Washington served many positions in Stafford County, Virginia. These positions included justice of the peace from the November of 1766 until his removal in July of 1767.

He might have been removed because he signed against the Stamp Act in February 1766. His traveling to develop his western properties could be another reason.

He was once also a vestryman and was also elected at one point by St. Paul’s Parish.

In February of 1771 oath of office was taken by Samuel as the justice of Frederick County court and on April 17 the following year he was appointed as a justice of the County Court of Berkeley. John Augustine Washington on the other hand was given 283 hectares (700 acres ) of land at the ‘head of Maddox.’

This was the first land the family-owned in Virginia and Bridges Creek. It became a national monument not long after George Washington’s death.

John Augustine Washington used to manage Mount Vernon for George, his brother when he was a young man as George Washington surveyed western lands. His wife Hannah came to live here in the year 1756. In 1759 the couple shifted to Bushfield for two reasons.

Hannah’s father was ill and on his deathbed and also because George Washington got married to Martha and was planning to live in Mount Vernon.

Due to becoming executor of John Bushrod’s will Hannah inherited 35 slaves and her daughter, Mary Ball and Jenny inherited six slaves. In Westmoreland County in the year 1766, John Washington and 110 other men signed, ‘Westmoreland Resolves,’ which formed an association to protest against the Stamp act.

John became the head of the Westmoreland County relief committee that arranged bushels of grain for the people of the Boston port.

303 hectares (750 acres) of land was inherited by his other son Charles Washington when he became an adult. In the year 1761, he bought two plots in Fredericksburg and got a house constructed there.

The house still exists and goes by the name of, ‘Rising Sun Tavern.’ An additional piece of land was bought by him in Spotsylvania County.

Even though Charles Washington was the Youngest son of his parents, he still became the owner of a huge amount of property as when his eldest half-brother Lawrence died he did not have any children. Charles Washington made use of enslaved labor to develop his property.

Charles was a vestryman of the Church Episcopal. He also founded Charles Town in October of 1780.

He built a house named Happy Retreat here. He named many streets of the town after his brothers and one after his spouse Mildred.

Augustine Washington Sr. gave the land that we know today as Mount Vernon to Lawrence Washington. They were also instructed that if Lawrence died without having an heir the property would automatically find its owner in son Augustine Washington Jr.

This would happen under one condition, that he gives the Poes Creek property which is also known as Wakefield to his brother George Washington. It so happened that Augustine did not part with Pope Creeks’ property and George inherited Mount Vernon.

Augustine Washington Children's Death And Legacy

Samuel Washington lost his life at 46 years old in September of 1781. The cause of his death was tuberculosis. He took his last breath just three weeks prior to the decisive war between the French and Americans at Yorktown.

He was most probably buried in an unmarked grave in his estate. After Samuel’s death, it was discovered by his brothers that he had a lot of debts. None of his children were of legal age at the time.

George Washington and his younger brother John Augustine Washington made honest efforts to make sure that the Harewood House stayed with his children. John Augustine Washington met an untimely death at Bushfield in the January of 1787. The date is unclear.

A messenger delivered this news to Mount Vernon. It is believed that he and his wife Hannah were buried in unmarked estates on the Bushfield estate. However, their graves cannot be found in the family plot.

To honor him a stone was built in the yard of a church named Pohick church in the year 1986. This was done by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

At the time of the war of 1812 Bushfield was burned down by the British but it was later built again. Charles Washington died on a fateful day in the year 1799,  sometime between the month of July and September. George Washington died only a short while later on December 14, 1799.

The son of Charles Augustine, George Augustine Washington had died before him. Although his other children were alive and healthy when he died. The grave of Charles Washington and his sister Mildred Washington is located near Evitts Run and has been enclosed by a stone wall not a long while back.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Augustine Washington children then why not take a look at George Washington vs Thomas Jefferson, or Mahatma Gandhi children.