Washburn Family

Washburns In England

All Washburns in America descend from Roger de Washbourne who was born in 1227 in Little Washbourne, Gloucestershire. Henry III was King of England. It was the time of Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Richard the Lionheart had died less than 20 years before.
 
The first names of his forbears are lost in antiquity, but what is known is that the original founder of the Washbourne line was knighted on the battlefield by William the Conqueror in 1066 and endowed with the lands of the Little Washbourne and Great Washbourne in the county of Gloucestershire. Little Washbourne (sometimes called Knight’s Washbourne). They also had lands and lived in the Worcestershire towns of Wichenford (near Worcester), Bengeworth at Evesham and Stanford-on-Teme (near Stourport-on-Severn).
 
Sir Roger married Joan (maiden name unknown) about 1258. They had one child, John, who was born about 1259 in Little Washbourne. He was known during his father’s life as John de Dufford, taken from the name of his estate. After his father’s death in 1299, he became known as John de Washbourne (1259-1319).
 
John married Isabella Cassey about 1290. They had one son whom they named John, who married and in due course had a son named Peter, who had two sons named John and William.
 
Numerous Johns and Williams followed after that up to a John who was born on July 2, 1597 and a William who was born on November 9, 1601. Both were born in Bengeworth at Evesham, Worcestershire. Researchers consider that all the American Washburns descended from these two.
 
Both married in Bengeworth and raised families there, but this was a time of great exploration and immigration to the new world of America and both emigrated to the Americas in the 1630’s.
 
John Washburn

This branch of the Washburn family descends from John Washburn (1620-1686) and Elizabeth Mitchell (1627-1684) of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

John Washburn, who was my great great grandfather, married Sarah Davis in Switzerland County, Indiana. Based on census data, he was born somewhere between 1795 and 1804. This John was the 3 greats grandson of John Washburn and Elizabeth Mitchell.

John’s parents were Jeremiah Washburn and Elizabeth Duvall Milage. Jeremiah had a son John Washburn who was listed as the fifth son and oldest son by Jeremiah’s wife at the time of his will dated 20 July 1801 which was probated in Mason County, Kentucky. The will referred to John as an infant. Based on that and census data John was born between 1795 and 1801.

Jeremiah was most likely the biological son of Susannah Washburn, but he was born out of wedlock and it appears that his uncle, Lemuel Washburn claimed him as his son. Susannah Washburn married George McKoy when Jeremiah was 7 years old. Jeremiah refers to his step-father George McKoy in his Will dated July 20, 1801. Susannah Washburn and Lemuel Washburn were brother and sister and their parents were Jonathan Washburn and Rebecca Perry, so Jeremiah’s line to the Mayflower ancestors would be the same regardless of which one is the biological parent.

Benton P. Washburne in his book The Washburn Family in America has Jeremiah and his brother Nathaniel as he sons of Thomas, but admits that that placement was just a guess. He provides:

Nathaniel and Jeremiah were brothers, but there is no known proof of their father. They are placed in this branch of the family as the judgement of Delos Cuyler Washburn. Both lived in Sussex Co., N.J. prior to the Revolution. Nathaniel moved to Massie’s Station, Adams Co., Ohio after the Revolution. Much of the material in this section was originally compiled by Cathy Gowdy of Mill Valley, Cal.

Since Mr. Washburne’s book was published, Jeremiah has been accepted as by the Mayflower society as the son of Lemuel. Nathaniel’s placement as the brother of Jeremiah is less certain but based on Mr. Washburne’s statement that they were brothers, I have also placed Nathaniel as the son of Lemuel.

Jeremiah was the great great grandson of John Washburn, born 26 Nov 1620 in Bengeworth, Worcestershire, England, and his wife Elizabeth Mitchell, born 27 Aug 1627 in what is now Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. John and Elizabeth had eleven children, including seven sons. It is estimated that 90% of all Washburns in America descend from John and Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s grandparents were Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu who came over on the Mayflower.

Sarah Davis

Sarah Davis, the wife of John at his death, was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Dixon) Davis. John was mentioned in the settlement of his father-in-law’s estate in May 1939, so he as alive at that time. Sarah is listed without a husband in the 1840 census. Presumably John died between May 1839 and mid-1840 when the census was taken.

John and Sarah married on 14 Mar 1833, in Switzerland County, Indiana. John and Sarah apparently had only two children: Samuel and John. Samuel’s death certificate lists his mother as Susanna Davis. However, this is incorrect. Her first name was Sarah. This is supported by several census records and the record of her second marriage to James Moore on 17 Oct 1842 in Switzerland Co., Indiana.

John Washburn was married at least one other time to Sarah Bell in 1819 in Switzerland County, Indiana. John is listed in the 1820 census in Switzerland County, Indiana. At that time, he would have been married to Sarah Bell. The census shows the household with one female under 10 years of age. This could be a daughter of John’s, a daughter of Sarah’s from a prior marriage, or some other relative.

Benton P. Washburne in his book The Washburn Family in America has John, the son of Jeremiah, married to Sarah Naylor. He indicates that most of the information on the Jeremiah Washburn family came from another source, but he could not remember the name and author of the or the source. I have yet to find any record of a John Washburn marrying a Sarah Naylor and Mr. Washburn does not site any source. If John married a Sarah Naylor, it is likely that the is his first of three wives. Pending further research, I have not added Sarah as a wife of John.

Sarah Davis, the second wife of John Washburn (about 1800 – about 1840), was born about 1818 the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Dixon) Davis. In addition to Sarah, Samuel and Elizabeth has several other daughters:

  • Elizabeth who married William Morris in 1832 in Switzerland County, Indiana
  • Fanny Maria Davis who married Joseph M. Hewitt in 1845 in Switzerland County, Indiana
  • Mary Davis who married Thomas Jackson in 1828 in Switzerland County, Indiana. Mary was referred to as Polly in her father’s will. Polly was a nickname for Mary during this time period.
  • Jane
  • Julia Louise
  • Caroline who married David Stephenson in 1844 in Gallatin County, Kentucky
  • Malinda who married Matthew Stephenson in 1848 in Ohio County, Indiana
  • Zerelda who married Joshua Stephenson in 1850 in Switzerland County, Indiana

The above daughters are listed in the will of their father, Samuel Davis. the three Stephenson men, above, were born to William Stephenson and Catherine Stevens in Guilford, North Carolina.

After John Washburn’s death, Sarah remarried James Moore in 1842 in Switzerland County. Indiana. James was born about 1790, the son of August and Johanna Moore. Sarah and James had the following children: Louisa, Amanda, Pamela and Mary. These daughters are based on census records. There might have been others.

Nothing is known about these daughters of Sarah and James, except for Amanda. Amanda (who went by the nickname of Molly) was born August 1849 and died 1932 in Jefferson County Kentucky. She married William Henry Herman in 1879 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Both William and Amanda are buried in Calvary Cemetery in Jefferson County, Kentucky. They did not have children.

Samuel Washburn

WASHBURN ELIZA GULLION AND MOLLIE MOORE HERMAN
Eliza Dillon (Gullion) Washburn, wife of Samuel Washburn (left) and her sister-in-law Amanda “Mollie” (Moore) Herman

Samuel Washburn, son of John and Sarah (Davis) Washburn, was born 1836 in Switzerland County, Indiana and died 1925 in Carroll County, Kentucky. He married Eliza Dillion Gullion in 1865 in Carroll County, Kentucky. Elizabeth was the daughter of James and Sarah (Moore) Gullion and a descendant of Patrick Gullion. For more on the Gullion family, go to my Gullion family website at: www.gullionfamily.org. Samuel was married first to Jane Webster, the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Webster in 1863 in Carroll County, Kentucky. Samuel and Jane apparently did not have children.

Samuel worked on a river boat taking logs down the Mississippi to New Orleans earlier in his life. Samuel’s bother John also worked on a river boat on the Mississippi. John went missing while on a Mississippi River trip during the civil war and was not heard from again.

John Washburn’s Parents

John’s parents were probably Jeremiah and Elizabeth Duvall Milage Washburn. There is not hard proof of this fact, but I base my conclusions on the following:

John was listed as the son of Jeremiah Washburn in Jeremiah’s 1801 Mason County Kentucky will. He was referred to in the will as an “infant.” This would generally the same period of birth as John Washburn who is known to be the father of Samuel Washburn.

There were several other Washburns in Switzerland Co., Indiana about the same time as John. Jeremiah Washburn who married Syntha/Sally Evans on 1 Dec 1823 in Switzerland County, Indiana and Samuel Washburn who married Polly Evans on 4 Apr 1819. Samuel is known to be the son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Duvall Milage Washburn. Elizabeth’s maiden name was Duvall and Milage was the surname her prior husband. She was listed as “Milage” in the documents related to her marriage to Jeremiah. Jeremiah is known to be the grandson of Jeremiah through his son Nicholas by Jeremiah first wife, Rebecca Devore.

The Washburn family of Jeremiah are known to have lived in Adams County, Ohio, Switzerland County, Indiana and Mason County, Kentucky. There appears to only one John Washburn in the area during that time period.

The elder Jeremiah’s was claimed as the son of Lemuel Washburn who was born 18 Aug 1714 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, a descendant of John and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Washburn. However, he as probably born out of wedlock to Lemuel’s sister Susannah.  Being a descendant of John and Sarah (Davis) Washburn, I have tested, based on DNA tests, as being related to several persons who have established lineages from John and Elizabeth.

Based on the above and based on the fact that there appear to be no other likely candidates for the ancestors of John Washburn in the area, I have concluded that it is likely that John is the son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth. Hopefully more research will help prove this conclusion.

Clarence Arnold Washburn

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Clarence Arnold Washburn with his wife, Elizabeth Ann (Hicks) Washburn

Clarence Arnold Washburn was the youngest child of Samuel and Eliza Gullion Washburn. He served in the navy during World War I and tried to re-enlist during World War II, but was turned down for active duty. He married Elizabeth Ann Hicks. They lived all of their lives near English, Carroll County, Kentucky. He operated a grocery and furniture store. Up until near his death at age 89, he tended several acres of garden at his home in English.

Betty (Washburn) Hill

Betty Washburn Hill - Copy
Betty Jean (Washburn) Hill

Betty Jean (Washburn) Hill was the fifth youngest of seven children of Clarence Arnold and Elizabeth Ann (Hicks) Washburn who lived to adulthood. Betty married Horace Edgar Hill and lived her adult life in Henry County, Kentucky. She died at the age of 85.