Genealogical Discussion
Was John Washington of Surry the son of Richard Washington of London?
Gary Boyd Roberts in The "Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants" states that John Washington, son of Richard Washington, was probably the immigrant to Surry Co., Virg. His primary reference for this is the article "Washington of Sulgrave Manor, England" by John Bennett Boddie. Since the Boddie article was written in 1960 and the book by Roberts published in 2004, then the fact that no contradictory evidence has been found over 40 years lends more credence to this genealogy.
The following are the relevant parts of this article concerning John Washington of Surry Co.:
Richard Washington, fourth son of Margaret (Butler) and Lawrence Washington, was apprenticed July 7, 1614 to the Clothworkers Company, London. He married Frances Browne, April 17, 1627 at St. Martin's in the Field, Middlesex.
Richard Washington is very probably the Richard Washington who was in Virginia on August 14, 1638. On Dec. 14 1639, one Peter Rigby patented 100 acres of land "in Charles Rivers Co." in the Parish of Poquson near Arthur Seawell and Arthur Meekworth, adjacent John Jackson. By certificate from a court held at Charles River (later York) it appears this land is due for the transportation of Dorothy, his wife, and Richard Washington said Washington having bequeathed the right of his personal adventure to John Jackson, who gave it to Rigby. It appears fron this that Richard Washington acquired these 50 acres sone time before August 14, 1638, for his own personal adventure to Virginia and had evidently departed from there by December 14, 1639. This may be only a coincidence, but he could very well be this Richard Washington who returned to London and was buried there January 8, 1641/2, at St Martins in the Fields. He and his wife Frances had two children who were baptized at St. Martins: Amy Oct. 31, 1628 and John, March 14, 1631/2. John is of the right age to be the John Washington of Surry, Virginia.
Frances, widow of Richard, maried Ralph Hall January 17, 1642/3. Ralph hall made his will July 30, 1658, and mentions "Mrs. Amy Washington, my wifes daughter". No reference was made to her brother, John Washington. It is suggested that he could have been absent in Virginia."
Was Ann Vaughan the daughter of Sampson Lanier?
The descent from John Washington of Surry Co., Virg., to myself is supported by primary evidence except for the identification of Ann Vaughan who died in 1833 in Granville Co., N.C., as the daughter of Sampson Lanier. This line was found in genealogy records of my grandmother (Grace Martin Ward White), and she may have had access to records that I don't, but I will summarize what I have found in my search.
The accounts of the orphans estate of Sampson Lanier, Jr., of Surry County dated 1760 mentioned an orphan Anne Lanier. In the article "The Lanier Family" in Tylers Quarterly, v. 3, p. 135 it says concerning the children of Sampson Lanier that "Anne or Nancy is said to have married Major Vaughan of Roanoke." The line according to my grandmother gives that Ann Lanier (1752-1833) married first William Moore, and married second Col. Vaughan of Roanoke, N.C.
The parish records of Albemarle Parish in Sussex Co., Virg., record the births to William Moore and wife Anne of Patsey, b. April 12, 1773; Betsey, b. June 9, 1774; and Littleton a twin son, b. July 4, 1775. No birth for William or record of marriage of William Moore and Anne was found. Probably William Moore married Ann Lanier around 1772. The will of William Moore was recorded in Sussex Co. on 16 Aug. 1781, and named wife Anne Moore and children under 21 William, Nancy, Patty, and Sally. A marriage bond in Sussex Co. dated Nov. 7, 1781 was found for James Vaughan and Ann Moore, widow. Col. James Vaughan, the second husband of Ann Lanier died in Granville Co., N.C., in 1816.
The will of Thomas Lanier in Granville Co., dated 1804, named Col. James Vaughan of Williamsborough(Granville Co.), and Robert Burton and Joseph Williams of Surry as executors. The following was found in the estate papers of Thomas Lanier: "...Frances Duke...made oath that in the life time of Thomas Lanier of Granville County that Col James Vaughn was frequently at said Laniers house and particular in the time of his sickness; and that said Thos. Lanier did frequently in the time of his sickness and on his death bed particular request said Col Vaughn to take particular care of his daughter Molly Lanier..." The connection of James Vaughan to Thomas Lanier would make sense if he was married to Ann (Lanier) (Moore) Vaughan. According to the article in Tyler's Quaterly this Thomas Lanier was the first cousin of Sampson Lanier, Jr., the probable father of Ann Vaughan.
The final bit of proof that Ann Lanier was the probably the same person as Ann Vaughan comes from some unidentified bible records of the family of William Moore that were in the records of my grandmother. Since she lived in Franklin Co. it is reasonable that she would have access to these records since they were for a Franklin Co. family.
William Moore md. Amy Martin Dec. 31, 1795
Their children were born:
| Joseph Jefferson Moore | October 18, 1796 |
| Martha Moore | August 10, 1798 |
| William Martin Moore | May 18, 1800 |
| James Vaughn Moore | December 23, 1801 |
| Henry Martin Moore | March 12, 1804 |
| Ann Lanier Moore | September 5, 1807 |
| Martha Maria Martin Moore | May 7, 1810 |
| Alexander Somerville Moore | February 12, 1812 |
| Alfred Moore | May 15, 1815 |
| William Lucien Moore | May 24, 1818 |
Clearly the names James Vaughan Moore and Ann Lanier Moore show that Ann Vaughan was born Ann Lanier.