By Marjorie Gaestel, Happy Retreat Historian
And the beat goes on, the heartbeat that is. The Friends of Happy Retreat are happy to introduce you to a new Happy Retreat ancestor, Jesse David Washington.
Jesse David Washington, son of Samuel Thornton Washington, was born in Kanawha County, West Virginia in 1833 and he eventually settled in West Plains, Missouri. His wife was Sarah Marie Bateman.
Jesse’s grandfather was Samuel Washington, son of Charles and Mildred Washington.
This makes Jesse the great grandson of Charles and Mildred. He is the second great grandfather of Craig Washington of Missouri and third great grandfather to Craig’s three sons, Ian, Evan and Eric. Craig Washington reached out to Friends of Happy Retreat early this year and said he was related to our Charles and Mildred. So out comes Burke’s Presidential Peerage, a book of American Presidents and their descendants. Craig’s father, Robert Dean Washington, was the last entry under Jesse David Washington.
Jesse David Washington and Sarah Maria Bateman 1857 Jesse David Washington is the son of Samuel Thornton Washington.
Francis Augustine Washington, Jr. and Lucy J. Walters in 1868 Francis A. Washington, Jr. is the son of Frances A. Washington, Sr. brother of Samuel Thornton.
The fun thing about being the Historian of Happy Retreat, you get to find this kind of history. By 1850 Jesse David and his parents left Kanawha County, West Virginia, and moved West to Arkansas. Jesse’s family lived next door to his twin uncles George Fayette Washington and Francis A. Washington, Sr.
Included with this article is part of the 1850 US Census record showing this family connection. It shows the three brothers Samuel Thornton Washington, George Fayette Washington and Francis Augustine Washington, Sr. ,the sons of Samuel Washington, living next to one another in Des Arc, White County, Arkansas. George Fayette Washington and Francis Augustine Washington, Sr. were twins. All three brothers were farmers. We know Francis A. Washington, Sr. and his family returned to Putnam County, West Virginia, before 1860. Francis is ancestor to our Board Member Kenn A. Miller. Sometimes the world is not as big as we think.
There is a lot more to this story that I will have for you in our next issue of “Rising Sun”.
“Keeping it in the Family Series” is new to our Rising Sun Newsletter. I have had some interesting people contact me about their Washington Ancestors. It’s wonderful to hear from these new family members and their connections to the Washingtons. If you think you have this connection please contact me through our Web Site or Face Book site and I will get back to you and help you make your connection.
