Samuel Washington

Samuel Washington (November 16, 1734 – September 26, 1781) was an American planter, politician and military officer best known for being the younger brother of George Washington, the first president of the United States.

Early life Washington was born in at his father's Wakefield Plantation on Pope's Creek, in Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia, in November 1734. He was the second son born to Mary Ball Washington and Augustine Washington. George Washington was his eldest full brother, but he also had elder half brothers from this father's first marriage: Lawrence Washington and Augustine Washington Jr. (Jane Washington, his half-sister, died shortly after his birth.) His other full siblings were Elizabeth Washington Lewis, John Augustine Washington, Charles Washington and Mildred Washington (who died young). From 1735 to 1738, he resided with his father, mother and siblings at Mount Vernon, then his father moved the family to Stafford County, where he was raised on Ferry Farm.

Samuel Washington suffered from tuberculosis for much of his life, and would ultimately die from the disease at age 46; three of his four sons who reached adulthood also died of that communicable disease.

Washington served in numerous posts in Stafford County, Virginia, including justice of the peace (one of 27 men whose duties ranged from administrative to judicial) from November 1766 until he was listed as removed on July 27, 1767.

On February 5, 1771, Washington took the oath of office as one of the justices of the Frederick County court (likewise helping to administer that county), and on April 17, 1772 Governor John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore appointed Washington as one of the justices of the new Berkeley County court. In 1773 and again in 1776, Washington served as the Berkeley county sheriff. Beginning in 1775, Washington also served as colonel and led the Berkeley County Virginia Militia, but was forced to resign due to ill health on April 3, 1777. When Washington died, most of his children were below legal age, and his brothers who administered his estate discovered he had considerable debts.

Personal life Samuel married five times, surviving four wives, and had nine children who reached adulthood. His first marriage around 1754 was to Jane Champe (1724–1755). who married twice. Tristram Washington , who died young.

After Mildred's death, Washington married for the third time to Lucy Chapman (1743–1763), who also died during childbirth with:

Ferdinand Steptoe Washington (1767–1788), who died of consumption in Lancaster County. George Steptoe Washington (1773–1809), who married Lucy Payne, sister of Dolley Madison, wife of James Madison. Lawrence Augustine Washington (1775–1824), who married Mary Dorcas Wood. Harriot Washington (1776–1822), who married Andrew Parks of Fredericksburg. Together, Susannah and Samuel were the parents of:

Descendants Through his son George, he was the grandfather of Samuel Walter Washington (1799–1831), who married Louisa Clemson, sister of Ambassador Thomas Green Clemson, who served as the United States Superintendent of Agriculture and founded Clemson University in South Carolina.

Ancestry