Lawrence Washington (1602-1655)
Encyclopedia
Rev. Lawrence Washington (1602–1653) was an English
rector
, and the great-great-grandfather of George Washington
. Rev. Washington was born about 1602 in Sulgrave Manor, Northampton
, England
, and died about Jan 1652/53 in Little Braxted
, Essex
, England. Rev. Washington was buried 21 Jan 1652/53 in Maldon
, Essex, England. Also, he is a great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Lewis Washington
; great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of George Corbin Washington, James Barroll Washington, Mary Ann Washington, Eliza Ridgeley Washington, Betty Lewis Washington, William De Hertbrun Washington; great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of William Lanier Washington.
. His degree there was awarded in 1623. He resigned from his Fellowship in 1633. According to the college records he left in debt, "owing 17s 10d personally and £9 5s 9d on behalf of a pupil". College Fellows at Oxford at the time were held liable for their students' debts. The college accounting books read: "Mr Washington to be sued", but no lawsuit was ever filed.
The college recounts the following story of the debt: "In 1924 a party of Canadian and American lawyers were shown the account of these debts during a visit to the College, and they suggested that they should pay the personal debt of 17s 10d, subject to no interest being charged. A pound note was produced amidst much laughter. Unfortunately this light-hearted gesture was not appreciated by some of George Washington's more seriously minded supporters. A letter to the Daily Express and an article in the New York Herald
both denied that any debt had ever existed."http://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/345/brasenose-college-archives-and-history-38/american-connections-213/george-washington-426.html
Lawrence's stay at Oxford coincided with the rectorate (1619-1645) of Giles Widdowes at St Martin's
. Widdowes was chaplain to Katherine Villiers, Duchess of Buckingham
of whom Lawrence became the in-law.
of the village of Purleigh
, in Essex
, from 1632 until 1643. He lost his position during the Civil War
when Essex where his living was situated came under the government of the Long Parliament
. He died in poverty after he had been ejected from Purleigh and relocated to the rectorate of Little Braxted, at present an eastern outskirt of Witham
(1643). He is buried in the nearby town of Maldon
http://www.maldon.gov.uk/Welcome+To+Maldon/HistoricSites/AllSaintsChurchMaldon.htm.
By then Sir Samuel Argall
had become Deputy Governor of Virginia (between 1617-1619). When his widowed mother, Mary Scot, had remarried Laurence Washington of Maidstone (great uncle of Lawrence Washington (1602–1655)), Sir Samuel became the first Washington relative with firm footing in America.
George Washington: a Biographical Compendium (Frank E. Grizzard, Jr.
, 2002) details the portrait of Lawrence Washington with the contemporary phrasing of the charge laid against him and that led to his removal from Purleigh:
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, and the great-great-grandfather of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Rev. Washington was born about 1602 in Sulgrave Manor, Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and died about Jan 1652/53 in Little Braxted
Little Braxted
Little Braxted is a village and a civil parish located near the town of Witham, in the Maldon district, in the county of Essex, England. Little Braxted has a church called St Nicholas.- External links :...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. Rev. Washington was buried 21 Jan 1652/53 in Maldon
Maldon, Essex
Maldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon district and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk...
, Essex, England. Also, he is a great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Lewis Washington
Lewis Washington
Lewis William Washington was a great-grandnephew of President George Washington, who is principally remembered as a hostage of abolitionist John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia and as a prosecution witness in the subsequent trial of Brown.Lewis Washington was the son of George Corbin...
; great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of George Corbin Washington, James Barroll Washington, Mary Ann Washington, Eliza Ridgeley Washington, Betty Lewis Washington, William De Hertbrun Washington; great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of William Lanier Washington.
Biography
Washington was a Fellow of Brasenose College, OxfordBrasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
. His degree there was awarded in 1623. He resigned from his Fellowship in 1633. According to the college records he left in debt, "owing 17s 10d personally and £9 5s 9d on behalf of a pupil". College Fellows at Oxford at the time were held liable for their students' debts. The college accounting books read: "Mr Washington to be sued", but no lawsuit was ever filed.
The college recounts the following story of the debt: "In 1924 a party of Canadian and American lawyers were shown the account of these debts during a visit to the College, and they suggested that they should pay the personal debt of 17s 10d, subject to no interest being charged. A pound note was produced amidst much laughter. Unfortunately this light-hearted gesture was not appreciated by some of George Washington's more seriously minded supporters. A letter to the Daily Express and an article in the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
both denied that any debt had ever existed."http://www.bnc.ox.ac.uk/345/brasenose-college-archives-and-history-38/american-connections-213/george-washington-426.html
Lawrence's stay at Oxford coincided with the rectorate (1619-1645) of Giles Widdowes at St Martin's
Carfax, Oxford
Carfax is located at the conjunction of St Aldate's , Cornmarket Street , Queen Street and the High Street in Oxford, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city, and is at...
. Widdowes was chaplain to Katherine Villiers, Duchess of Buckingham
Katherine Villiers, Duchess of Buckingham
Katherine Manners, Duchess of Buckingham, 19th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley , also known as Catherine, was the daughter and heir of the 18th Baron de Ros. She was known as the richest woman in Britain, apart from royalty...
of whom Lawrence became the in-law.
Purleigh
Washington became rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the village of Purleigh
Purleigh
Purleigh is a village on the Dengie peninsula about south of Maldon in the English county of Essex. The village is part of the Purleigh ward of the Maldon district.-History:...
, in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, from 1632 until 1643. He lost his position during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
when Essex where his living was situated came under the government of the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
. He died in poverty after he had been ejected from Purleigh and relocated to the rectorate of Little Braxted, at present an eastern outskirt of Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
(1643). He is buried in the nearby town of Maldon
Maldon, Essex
Maldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon district and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk...
http://www.maldon.gov.uk/Welcome+To+Maldon/HistoricSites/AllSaintsChurchMaldon.htm.
By then Sir Samuel Argall
Samuel Argall
Sir Samuel Argall was an English adventurer and naval officer.As a sea captain, in 1609, Argall was the first to determine a shorter northern route from England across the Atlantic Ocean to the new English colony of Virginia, based at Jamestown, and made numerous voyages to the New World...
had become Deputy Governor of Virginia (between 1617-1619). When his widowed mother, Mary Scot, had remarried Laurence Washington of Maidstone (great uncle of Lawrence Washington (1602–1655)), Sir Samuel became the first Washington relative with firm footing in America.
George Washington: a Biographical Compendium (Frank E. Grizzard, Jr.
Frank E. Grizzard, Jr.
Frank E. Grizzard, Jr., is an American historian, writer, and documentary editor. He was born in 1954 in Emporia, Virginia, graduating from Greensville County High School in 1971. He earned B.A. degrees in history and religious studies from the Virginia Commonwealth University, and M.A. and Ph.D....
, 2002) details the portrait of Lawrence Washington with the contemporary phrasing of the charge laid against him and that led to his removal from Purleigh:
- common frequenter of ale-houses, not only himself sitting daily tippling there, but also encouraging others in that beastly vice
- in op. cit. p. 5, s.v. Ancestry
See also
- Strickland (surname), The Washington family are direct descendants of the Strickland family from Westmorland in England.