Captain, Augustine Washington Sr. ^1079,1664

   Cause of his death was Died from a chill not long after being surprised by a sudden downpour of rain while riding his horse.

  General Notes:

Augustine Washington and his son George Washington, 1694 to 1743

Born into a an uncertain world
Augustine Washington was born at Mattox Creek, in Virginia, in 1694. Mattox Creek was the property Augustine's successful and seemingly energetic grand father John who received the property as a wedding gift and upon his death willed the land to Augustine's father Lawrence. Young Augustine was faced with tragedy at the tender age of 4 when his father Lawrence died leaving Augustine's mother Mildred Warner Washington a widow with three small children. Mildred married shortly thereafter to George Gale who returned to his home in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England with his new wife and step children. George intended to keep the children in England, and it seemed certain that Augustine Washington (father of the father of "our country" George Washington) would not return to America in his formative years, if ever. George Gale sought proper schooling for his step children and enrolled them in the prestigious Appleby School in Westmoreland, England. Life in England seemed very promising for young Augustine Washington when he was faced with a second tragedy. His mother Mildred died in 1701 only three years after his father Lawrence's death. Augustine at age 8 had already endured the loss of both parents.

Finding stability in Virginia
Lawrence Washington provided that upon the death of he and his wife, his estate should revert to and be managed by his first cousin John Washington of Chotank, King George County (then Stafford County) Virginia. Upon learning of the death of his cousin's wife, John dispatched George Gale and the Courts of Stafford County, petitioning for the legal adoption of Young Augustine and his older brother and younger sister under the terms of Lawrence Washington's Will. The courts found in favor of John and George Gale relinquished custody of Augustine. In 1706 Augustine Washington's life changed abruptly again. At the age of 10 he was forced to give up the comforts of Appleby School and return to the rurals of Virginia and Chotank. Yet it was this move to Chotank that gave Augustine perhaps his first element of stability in what heretofore had been a somewhat turbulent and tragic childhood. He spent the rest his childhood and teen years at Chotank and in 1715 at the age of 21 set out on his own.

Augustine moves to his father's property
Augustine Washington as a young adult began to show the vigor and interest that his grandfather John had displayed. At 21 Augustine married Jane Butler in 1715. Jane brought to the marriage 1,300 acres of inherited land. Augustine as young adult was already in possession of more land that his father ever achieved. He established his new home on the property that his father Lawrence had only started to develop at the time of his death. This was the parcel known as the Lisson Estate which was immediately across Bridges Creek from Augustine's grand father John's home, later his Uncle John's home, and finally the family cemetery plot where Augustine's father Lawrence had been buried 17 years earlier.
Augustine and Jane began their family at the Lisson place on Bridges Creek when a baby named Lawrence was born in 1718. Their first child Butler had died in infancy in 1716. Augustine purchased another parcel of land approximately a mile from the Lisson home site. This 180 acres of property he named Popes Creek Plantation. He purchased the property from Joseph Abbington who had established a modest two room home with a cellar. In the early 1720s Augustine owned both parcels of property and it is uncertain in which home he chose to reside at with his family. A second son named Augustine, Jr. (Austin) was born at one of the two sites in 1720. Augustine probably chose to settle at Popes Creek due to its enhanced navigation and accessibility. Bridges creek especially near the Lisson property was noted as being a marsh. Perhaps the navigable quality of Bridges Creek had diminished in the 60 years since John Washington had first settled on the creek.

Starting a life a Popes Creek Plantation
Augustine Washington officially moved to Popes Creek in 1726 with his wife Jane Butler Washington and his two sons Lawrence and Austin. This was an ideal place to access the large ships on the Potomac River via flat bottom boats and other small craft. Augustine had great success growing tobacco. England had an insatiable appetite for tobacco and merchants paid top prices for it. Augustine used a keen sense of investment and speculation and began to purchase as much land as he could obtain in the area. Soon he has amassed 1,000 acres between his original Lisson property and his new Popes Creek property. He purchased his grandfather John Washington's Bridges Creek property and maintained the Washington family's cemetery. In this period of great entrepreneurial success, Augustine was besieged by the death of his wife Jane Butler in 1729. Augustine had sent Lawrence and Austin to the somewhat prestigious Appleby School and at the age of 30 found himself living a comfortable but solitary life.

A second Popes Creek family and the birth of George Washington
Three years after Jane Butler's death, Augustine again found a bride. He married Mary Ball of Lancaster, Virginia. Mary Ball would bring even more property into an already land rich family. The new couple settled in at the Popes Creek home that Augustine had purchased from Joseph Abbington. On February 22, 1732, Mary Ball Washington would give birth to a baby boy whom she named George. Little did Augustine and Mary Ball Washington know that they had just witnessed a major change in the history of world. The child they brought forward on that cold winters day would be recognized more than any other person in the creation of the first free republic since the demise of Roman Republic approximately 2,000 years prior.
That innocent little baby would grow up to defeat global tyranny and present the opportunity for common men and women to decide how they should be governed. Mary Ball was pregnant almost immediately after George Washington's birth and in early 1733 she gave birth to a little girl named Betty. Mary Ball became pregnant a third time and in late 1733 gave birth to George's little brother Samuel. Augustine added only a small addition to his modest home at Popes Creek. His goals and ambitions would lead him away from Popes Creek. He entrusted his plantation to an overseer and moved 70 miles up river.

The Augustine Washington family moves to Hunting Creek
In 1735, Augustine Washington established a second modest home on the Potomac River at Hunting Creek. This is the property his Grand Father John had purchased back in 1674. It was at this plantation that he continued his farming. Augustine and Mary Ball added two more children to their family at Hunting Creek with the births of John Augustine in 1735 and Charles in 1738. While Augustine, Mary and their five small children resided at Hunting Creek, Augustine's oldest son Lawrence returned from England and stayed with his father's new family. The child George met and was awed by his adult half-brother Lawrence for the first time. Lawrence had completed his formal English education and was ready to establish his own home. Augustine Washington prepared his family for a third move. This time the family relocated across from the small town of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River between Popes Creek and Hunting Creek. Lawrence received Hunting Creek as a gift from his father with its modest home. Lawrence established a large Georgian mansion and dependency on the property and gave the plantation and name befitting its grandeur. He named the property after the famed English Admiral Vernon with whom he had served during England's war with Spain. Mount Vernon with its magnificent home had been established.

Relocation to Strother Plantation across from Fredericksburg
Augustine purchased the Strother Plantation and its home on the Rappahannock River in 1738. The Rappahannock River, although not as wide as the Potomac River, was still a viable artery for commerce. The town of Fredericksburg was emerging as a thriving port of commerce as well. Augustine used his keen entrepenural skills by investing as a part owner of three blast iron furnaces - the closest of which was Accokeek. The Strother plantation (later known as Ferry Farm Plantation) was equally located between all three furnaces. Iron was desperately needed by England in its quest to defeat Spain and France in this new era of imperialism and global conquest. Augustine knew production of pig iron would be very profitable for he and his King.

Augustine Washington's son receives Popes Creek Plantation
In 1742 Augustine Washington, Jr., (Austin) returns home to Virginia from the Appleby School in England. Austin like his older brother Lawrence was received by his father Augustine now as a man and a gentleman. Austin probably met his father and his 5 new half-brothers and sister at Strother Plantation. It was at this juncture that Austin learns of his new gift - his father's Popes Creek Plantation. Austin takes ownership of the plantation and enjoys 20 years of success and wealth with a family at the location. History is not clear as to which home he chose to reside within. One interpretation is that he remained in his father's modest home for 18 years before even expanding the two room dwelling. This is very hard to believe especially compared to Lawrence's construction of a Georgian mansion at Mount Vernon. A second interpretation may be that Austin Washington did in fact build a Georgian mansion not unlike Lawrence's home on the exact spot of the modern day Washington Birthplace Memorial House and perhaps not unlike the 1932 Memorial House. If this is the case, he kept the first home (the birth home of George Washington) perhaps as a guest home or servant's quarters.

Augustine Washington's final days
Augustine Washington's ambitions and achievements were very impressive. He amassed a tremendous amount of land and wealth. He carefully arranged for his sons to settle in nice plantation homes in splendid locations. His third plantation (Ferry Farm) he would give his third son - George Washington. Perhaps Augustine had planned to send George to Appleby School in England just as he had done for the two older sons. If George was destined to be a proper Englishman, his future was abruptly cut short in 1743 when Augustine Washington died from a chill not long after being surprised by a sudden downpour of rain while riding his horse. At the age of 49 Augustine left Mary Ball with 5 children. George Washington at age 11 was the oldest son and probably became the "man of the house".

Mary Ball Washington carries on
Mary Ball continued to live at Stother Plantation across from Fredericksburg. She was assisted by her teenage son George for another 4 years. She never chose to remarry. In time George Washington became the owner of Strother Plantation. He sold the property and with the money he made from the sale, arranged for a home to be completed for his mother. Mary Ball Washington lived the rest of her life in a very comfortable home with ornate gardens in the emerging town of Fredericksburg next to her daughter Betty's plantation and estate. Betty had married Fielding Lewis, a successful businessman, and together they had built the grand Kenmore mansion. Mary Ball Washington lived to the age of 81, surviving her husband Augustine by over 40 years. She remained a Tory and chose not to embrace the revolutionary cause of the American Colonies. Mary Ball died in 1789 on the eve of her son George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States of America.

From: http://www.nps.gov/gewa/Gus&history.htm

  Birth Notes:

Mattox Creek

  Death Notes:

Ferry Farm

Augustine married Jane Butler in 1715 in Westmoreland County, Virginia, USA.¹⁶⁶² (Jane Butler was born on 24 Dec 1699,¹⁰⁸¹ died on 24 Nov 1728 in Gloucester County, Virginia, USA ¹⁰⁸¹ and was buried in Bridges Creek Washington Family Cemetery (Westmoreland County, Virginia, USA) ¹⁰⁸¹.)

Augustine next married Mary Ball on 6 Mar 1730 in Virginia, USA.¹⁶⁶³ (Mary Ball was born in 1708 in Lancaster County, Virginia, USA,¹⁰⁷⁸ died on 29 Apr 1789 in Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg (city), Virginia, USA and was buried in Kenmore Plantation & Gardens (Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA) ¹⁰⁸¹.)