By Marjorie Gaestel, Happy Retreat Historian
I give credit this time to one of our Board Members, Bill Jackson. Bill has come up with interesting Washington finds several times over the years. But this time he found an important part of Charles Town history and I’d like to share it with our readers.
On 7th of October 1785 Charles Washington wrote his Intent to Petition the name of Charles Town to the Virginia General Assembly.
On the 22nd of November 1785 Charles wrote the actual Petition of Charles Washington and Others, asking the Virginia Legislature for an Act to form the new town by the name of Charles Town in Berkeley County, Virginia,
Charles wanted the streets to carry the names of his family: George Street, Lawrence Street, Charles Street, Samuel Street. Names we are all familiar with. Mildred Street may have been named after his wife or after his sister, born the year after Charles and who died in infancy. Mildred Street is the longest street and runs through the center of the adjoining town of Ranson.
We have a copy of the Intent to Petition and of the Petition of Charles Washington and Others in our Research Library at Happy Retreat. It includes the list of signatures of over 100 petitioners. Too many to list in this article. Among them were Charles’s brother John Augustine Washington and two of his nephews, Thornton Washington and Ferdinand Washington, two of the sons of his deceased brother Samuel.
Transcription: Intent to Petition
The Subscriber gives this Public Notice, that he intends to petition the Assembly that a law may pass to Establish a Town lately laid out on his Land in the County of Berkley (Virginia) by the Name of Charles Town and that the same immunities may be granted to the inhabitants of the same, as are granted to inhabitants of other Towns in said State.
Chas Washington
October 7th 1785
(Thank you Samantha Snyder at Mt. Vernon for the transcription.)
Transcription: The Petition
To the Honourable the Speaker and General Assembly of Virginia,
Charles Washington and others
Humbly showeth
That Charles Washington being importuned by many Persons of Credit who are desirous to encourage Industrious persons of several denominations and other useful purposes by forming a Town. He proposes laying out eighty acres of his land in the County of Berkeley into convenient Lotts situate on the great leading way from Winchester the west and southwestern frontiers of the state to the City of Philadelphia , the towns of Baltimore and Alexandria . . .
And therefore prayeth that an act may Pass granting to the inhabitants of such Town all the privileges and immunities that are in common enjoyed by the Inhabitants of other towns in this State and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray &
Marjorie Gaestel
Historian/Archivist