The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-02-15

purchased of Joseph Arlington $50 acres Of the
Popes Creek-Bridges Greek peninsula, lying on
the northwest side OF Popes creek and including
the site OF the recent Improvements at Wake
held The tract may have had residence on
1T, for the purchase included "all houses, ed-
fees buildings, tobacco houses, fences, orchards
land) gardens
have discovered no document stating what
improvements, IL any, Augustine made on the
Arlington tract, or giving the date OF his re-
moval to It, That he was living there on Fehru-
ary 23, 1726 we know certainly by deed OF
uses" OF that date made by himself and hts
wife, Jane, OF the one part and Lawrence But
Ter and George Eskrldge, of the other part. In
which occurs the clause. whereas the aforesaid
Augustine Washington is seized In fee simple OF
one PARCEL and tract OF land being the land
where he now lives, which land he the said Au-
gustne purchased of one Joseph Abingdon"
Six years before the birth of his illustrious
son he Is therefore known to have been living
In house on the Popes creek side OF the penin-
sula. he Is also known to have spent the last
years OF his life first on the Hunting creek Mount
Vernon) plantation In Prince William county
and later on the Strother plantation near Fred
ericksburg. Three OF his children were born after
he left Westmoreland county. Almost every year
between 1888 and 1889 has been given as the
probable date OF his removal have established
the date as certainly between March rs and No
vember is, 1875. 1t Is therefore conclusive that
Augustine was living In house near Popes creek
between 1925 and 1875; his son, George, was
born In 1892. The early maps locating Georges
birthplace near Bridges creek and the numerous
writer's locating 1t elsewhere than near Popes
creek are certainly erroneous.
After his purchase of the Arlington tract Au-
gustine Washington continued to increase his
holdings on the peninsula In 1925 he bought 215
acres on the Potomac river, and In 1874 25 acres
OF lots. Islands, and marshes at the mouth OF
Popes creek. In 1742 by an exchange OF lands
with his cousin, John Nv) he obtained tract
on the southeast side of Bridges creek which In
-eiuded- the graveyard and the ancestral home
site, and for the first time all of the popes
Creek Bridges Greek peninsula was In the DOS
session Of single Washington
The ancestral domestic at Bridges creek,
therefore, could not have been the birthplace OF
George since his father did not own 1t until
1742. The date of its abandonment as an ances-
trail residence is not known
On the death OF Capt Augustine Washington
April IL. 1743 the Popes Creek Bridges Creek
plantation fell to his son Col Augustine, who
lived and died there.
George Washington who regarded the geneal-
ogy OF his family as of very little moment"
wrote of Col. Augustine his half brother, that
he lived at the ancient mansion seat In West
moreland county, where he died, and was In
tered In the family vault"
Col. Augustine represented his county In the
House of Burgesses from 1755 Tor 1854 to 1853.
On his death his widow Anne (Aylett) Washing
ton and her children including her eldest son,
William Augustine l757-1810), who inherited
the plantation, continued to occupy Its residence
The widow Is described by her illustrIous
brother-in-law as an 'heiress" and In May, It'll,
when he visited her. as of "Pope's Creek" thus
locating her residence as on or near that creek.
William Augustine Washington was living In the
house when 1t burned When he died In 1910 1t
fell to his son, George CorbIn Washington.
The possessions OF George CorbIn Washington
did not include the whole OF the peninsula In
herted by his grandfather Col. Augustine Wash
ngton- In 1743. 1t did include the plantation
known at this time as Wakefield, first so called
by William Augustine Washington, according to
the authority OF William Laner Washington.
who died In 1888. The designation is known to
have been In current use early as 1773
In 1918 George Corbn Washington, then res
ident OF Georgetown, d. c., sold to John Gray of
Stafford county, Virginia. for 1920 pounds and
10 shlngs the Wakefield plantation, contain
ing 9811a acres, together with two other small
tracts. Later Wakefield came again into the DOS