[44] Major Lawrence Washington, proprietor of Mount Vernon, was the second child and oldest surviving son of Augustine and his first wife Jane (Butler) Washington, born at Pope's Creek, Westmoreland county, Va., in 1718, and died at his residence, Mount Vernon, 26th July, 1752. He was the half-brother of the illustrious George Washington and great-grandson of the emigrant, Col. John Washington, who came to Virginia about 1657. It is a matter of tradition that Lawrence was at about the age of 15 sent to England to be educated, and leaving college he received a captain's commission to serve in a regiment raised in Virginia to take part in the expedition against Carthegenia, 1740-42, under the command of Admiral Vernon.
The expedition failed of its purpose, and Major Lawrence Washington returned to Virginia in the fall of 1742. He shortly after became engaged to Anne Fairfax, which induced him to resign from the army. His father died April 12, 1743, leaving a considerable estate and named him, his oldest son, one of his executors. He inherited from his father "the Hunting creek" plantation, consisting of 2,500 acres, on the Potomac but a few miles from and in sight of "Belvoir." On the 19th of July Lawrence Washington was united in marriage to Anne, eldest daughter of the Hon. William Fairfax of "Belvoir." He made many improvements on his plantation and gave it the name of "Mount Vernon," in compliment to his old commander, Admiral Vernon. Lawrence Washington had received a good education, had mixed with prominent personages, had seen much of the world, and was a man of good habits and business qualifications.
His father at the time of his death, was largely engaged in business which Lawrence was obliged to look after and close up. This gradually led him into various business enterprises; such as the manufacturing of iron, buying and selling land, etc. He and his brother Augustin were among the organizers of "The Ohio Company," to explore the western country, encourage settlements, and conduct a trade with the Indians. He was elected to the House of Burgesses of Virginia from Fairfax county in 1748. It was largely through his influence that a charter was granted to the towns of Alexandria and Colchester, both in Fairfax county. He together with Lord Fairfax, George Mason, Hon. William Fairfax, William Ramsay, John Carlyle and others was named as trustee to lay out and govern the town. He was a popular legislator, but declined to serve longer in the Assembly, as it interfered with his present business. He was greatly attached to his brother George, and made it a point to have him with him at Mount Vernon whenever it was practicable without interrupting his studies. Lawrence was always of a delicate constitution, but by his prudent habits and systematic attention to business he accomplished a great deal and enhanced the value of his possessions. He was tall in stature and a man of fine personal appearance, as is shown by an oil painting of him which still hangs upon the wall of the Virginia room in Mount Vernon mansion. He was rapidly becoming one of the leading business men of Virginia, when his health broke down. As a last resort his physicians recommended that he should spend a winter in the West Indies. In the fall of 1751, he resigned his commission as one of the adjutant-generals of Virginia, and taking his brother George with him, he went to the Island of Barbadoes. His pulmonary trouble had progressed too far to be arrested, and after spending some five months on the Island, and finding himself declining he returned home and died in July, 1752. His marriage had been blessed by four children, three of whom had died, his surviving child, Sarah, was still an infant at the time of her father's death. After providing in his will for his wife he left Mount Vernon to his daughter, but in the event of her death without heirs it was to go to his "beloved brother George," who was also named as one of his executors. This daughter Sarah died within a year, and George inherited Mount Vernon before he was 21 years of age. A few years after Lawrence Washington's death, his widow married George Lee, brother to the father of Arthur and Richard Henry Lee, patriots in the Revolution.
[45] The note book which contains this journal of Washington's includes also other memoranda, such as notes of surveys, drafts of juvenile letters, verses, etc., all of which are of interest for the glimpses they give of the character and early life of their author, and are copied with literal exactness and given with the journal and surveys.
The Mannor how to Draw up a Return when Survey'd for His Lordship or any of ye Family
March ye 15th 1747-8
Then Survey'd for George Fairfax Esqr. Three Thousand & twenty Three Acres of Land lying in Frederick County[46] on Long Marsh Joyning Thomas Johnstones Land and bounded as follows
[46] Frederick county, Virginia, was formed by Act of Assembly in 1738, out of Orange county at the same time that Augusta county was created. The boundaries of Frederick county were measurably well defined; to Augusta, however, was left all the western territory belonging to Virginia, much of it at that time an unexplored wilderness. This immense area has since been divided and now forms four great and independent states of the Union, namely, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Frederick county, by a return of the effective militia made to the governor of Virginia in 1777, had but 923 men. The total population of the town of Winchester at that time was 800 and a fraction.—Kercheval.