General Samuel Hopkins Chapter
of
Henderson County, Kentucky

GEORGE WASHINGTON BICENTENNIAL INFOLINE
FEBRUARY 1999 

ALMOST NOT AMERICAN

     February is the month in which we celebrate President's Day to honor the memory and service of both President Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809, and President George Washington, born on February 22, 1732.  Washington was indeed born on this soil, a third generation native son.  However, there was a precarious moment in time when the question of whether George's father, Augustine, and his siblings would be raised in England or in Virginia had to be answered.

     Augustine was the second of three children born to Lawrence and Mildred Warner Washington.  Lawrence, the eldest son of John Washington had been born in September of 1659 in the colony of Virginia.  He served in the House of Burgess and at the age of 27 was wed to Mildred Warner, a daughter of Augustine Warner, the Speaker of the House of Burgess.

     Lawrence and Mildred had three children- John, born in 1691, Augustine, born in 1695 and little Mildred, born in 1698.  Sadly, Lawrence died at the young age of 38 while Mildred was still an infant.  Lawrence's will stipulated that his property was to be divided into fourths with his widow and 3 children sharing equally in the estate.  Provisions were made for the children to remain in the care of their mother until they came of age and for her to use the profits from their share of the estate to pay for their support and schooling.
 
     In 1700, Mildred married George Gale, who soon took his new wife and her children to live in White Haven, Cumberland, England.  Mildred, who was pregnant at this time, became severely ill soon after her arrival in England.  She did give birth to their infant but died shortly thereafter. Before her death, she wrote a will entrusting her children to the care of her husband and stipulating that her estate should be divided equally among her husband and four children.  Gale filed for custody of the Washington children and would have raised them as English citizens had not the Washington family intervened.

     John Washington, a cousin to Lawrence and the executor of his estate, brought before counsel the legitimacy of Mildred's will.  The Washington family felt that Lawrence had left his estate to his children and that Gale could have no interest in it.  The courts found in favor of the Washingtons stating that Gale not only could have no interest in the estates of the children, but that he could also not have custody of them.

     John, Augustine and Mildred were made wards of the court and were placed in the care of John Washington, a Virginian.  Thus, the destiny of Augustine Washington, father to our nation's   thedestiny of Augustine Washington, father to our nation's founder, was set on its course.  So, too, was the destiny of our nation.