One of my favorite historical objects in the collection are photographs. Not particularly for artistic reasons, but as a documentation of a moment, a time, a person, a world that no longer exists. During the Victorian era (1837-1901), there were extraordinary developments in the field of photography. In a span of forty years, photographs went … Continue reading An Image Captured: The Development of Photography through Lewis Family Descendants
family history
Introducing Caty: More Than “Merry Laugh…and Lively Wit”
Editor’s Note: At George Washington’s Ferry Farm, we are always interested in reexaminations of accepted history. Archaeology is creating new and more complete understandings of George’s Washington’s youth as well as of Mary Washington as a person. Mary has been both revered and reviled by history but archaeological discoveries at Ferry Farm are painting a … Continue reading Introducing Caty: More Than “Merry Laugh…and Lively Wit”
Harriot’s Happily Ever After
As we saw in this blog post, Harriot Washington lost both of her parents by the time she was five years old. Her childhood was spent shuffling from one relative’s household to another. Finally, she came into the care of her uncle George Washington, who along with aunt Betty Washington Lewis, provided stability and support … Continue reading Harriot’s Happily Ever After
The Marriage of Mary Ball and Augustine Washington
March 6, 2017 was the 286th wedding anniversary of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s amazing parents. In addition to calling to mind how grateful we are for their role in raising the boy who would become our courageous General and first president, this anniversary also provides us with an opportunity to discuss the circumstances … Continue reading The Marriage of Mary Ball and Augustine Washington
Harriot Washington’s “Hard Knock Life”
With one sister and three brothers, George Washington was uncle to numerous nieces and nephews. One niece was Harriot Washington was born sometime in 1776 to his brother Samuel and Samuel’s fourth wife Ann Steptoe. Harriot was orphaned by the time she was five years old, when her mother died in 1777 and her father … Continue reading Harriot Washington’s “Hard Knock Life”
“A time to be born… a time to plant”: Timing Labor in the Washington Family
Recently I was contemplating Augustine and Mary Washington’s family bible. Like many families at the time, the Washingtons recorded the births of their children on their bible’s end pages. As I casually perused the handwritten notes that I had read so many times, I discovered something that I had never noticed before: each of Mother … Continue reading “A time to be born… a time to plant”: Timing Labor in the Washington Family
Meet the Lewis Family: John and Fielding Jr.
Fielding Lewis was married twice. He and Catharine Washington, his first wife, had three children: John, Frances and Warner. Both Warner and Frances died leaving John as the sole heir from this first marriage. After Catharine’s death, Fielding married Betty Washington, and not quite a year later Fielding Lewis Jr. was born in 1751. Although … Continue reading Meet the Lewis Family: John and Fielding Jr.
Samuel Washington: George’s Brother and Wartime Confidant
Samuel Washington was born in Westmoreland County on November 16, 1734 at “…about 3 in the morning.” He was the third child and second oldest boy of Augustine and Mary Washington.[1] Aside from his relationship to his famous older brother, George Washington, there is relatively little known about Samuel Washington when compared to what is known … Continue reading Samuel Washington: George’s Brother and Wartime Confidant
The Truth As We Know It
I love stories. I mostly love true stories but I also love those stories that may not actually be true but are perceived by many to be true. It is in those perceived truths that one can make discoveries about how people and societies see history. Likewise, studying a collection of one’s own oral stories … Continue reading The Truth As We Know It
Meet the Lewis Family: George Lewis
George Washington Lewis was Fielding and Betty Lewis’s fourth son, being born on March 14, 1757. His birth came within months of the deaths of two of his older brothers – Augustine and Warner, ages 4 and 1 – and was a bright spot in dark days for his parents. He was named for his … Continue reading Meet the Lewis Family: George Lewis
Lives & Legacies 