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The Washington Family

Although George Washington never had any biological children, he did have a rather large family, comprised of his many siblings, step-children, and step-grandchildren.

George Washington's Family

Father
Augustine Washington (1694-1743)
Mother
Mary Ball Washington (1708-1789)
Brothers
Samuel Washington (1734-1781)
John Augustine Washington (1736-1787)
Charles Washington (1738-1799)
Sisters
Betty Washington Lewis (1733 - 1797)
Mildred Washington (1737-1740)
Half-Brothers
Butler Washington (1716-1716)
Lawrence Washington (1718-1752)
Augustine Washington Jr. (1720-1762)
Half-Sister
Jane Washington (1722-1734)
Wife
Martha Washington (1731-1802)
Biological Children
None
Step-Children
Daniel Custis (1751–1754)
Frances Custis (1753–1757)
John "Jacky" Parke Custis (1754–1781)
Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis (1756–1773)
Step-Grandchildren
Elizabeth "Eliza" Parke Custis Law (1776–1831)
Martha "Patty" Parke Custis Peter (1777–1854)
Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis Lewis (1779–1852)
George Washington "Washy" Parke Custis (1781–1857)

Martha Washington

Martha Washington was the first first lady of the United States and spent about half of the Revolutionary War at the front with General Washington. She helped manage and run her husbands' estates and raised her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

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John Parke Custis

John Parke Custis, known as "Jacky" when younger and "Jack" as he got older, was around four years old when his mother Martha married George Washington. 

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Martha Parke Custis

Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis was Martha Washington and Daniel Parke Custis's youngest child. She was adopted by George Washington and spent most of her childhood at Mount Vernon.

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Mary Ball Washington

Despite her many mythologies, George Washington's mother was a strong, complex, and anxious woman. Mary Ball Washington was a fervent reader of devotional books, frugal to a fault, and on occasion, so cash poor as to be unable to feed herself and her dependents.

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Augustine Washington

While Augustine Washington remains a shadowy figure in history, there are several things we do know about the father of the father of our country.

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Lawrence Washington

Lawrence Washington was the elder half-brother of George Washington. After losing his father, young George looked to Lawrence as a paternal influence, as well as a brother.

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Charles Washington

Charles Washington was George Washington’s youngest brother. The two corresponded frequently throughout their lives.

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Elizabeth Parke Custis Law

Elizabeth "Eliza" Parke Custis Law was the eldest of Martha Washington's four surviving grandchildren.

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Martha Parke Custis Peter

Martha "Patty" Parke Custis Peter was born on December 31, 1777, in one of the second-floor bedchambers at Mount Vernon.

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Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis

Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis Lewis was the youngest of Martha Washington’s three granddaughters.

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George Washington Parke Custis

George Washington Parke Custis was the only grandson of Martha Washington. 

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Fanny Bassett

Frances "Fanny" Bassett was Martha Washington's niece. She came to live at Mount Vernon after her mother, Anna Maria Dandridge, passed away in 1777 and became very much like a daughter to Martha Washington.

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Bushrod Washington

Bushrod Washington was George Washington’s nephew. He served in the Continental Army, then practiced law, and in 1798 he was appointed to the Supreme Court. He also inherited Mount Vernon after George and Martha Washington died.

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John Augustine Washington III

John Augustine Washington III was the great-grand nephew of George Washington and the last private owner of Mount Vernon.

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Nelly Custis and Her Paintbox

Young Nelly Custis liked to show off her artistic side by painting and drawing.

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Card Image

From the Collection: Memorial Picture by Nelly Custis

According to family tradition, Eleanor Parke Custis painted this picture in memory of her cousin, Frances Bassett Washington Lear, who died in 1796.

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Buried at Mount Vernon

30 members of George Washington's family are buried at Mount Vernon. Learn about who they were and their familial relationship to the founding father.

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Raised by the Washingtons

George and Martha Washington did not have any children of their own. However, there were always children at Mount Vernon. Together they raised Mrs. Washington’s two children as well as her four grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

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Family Coat of Arms

Throughout his life, Washington had the family’s heraldic crest applied to such diverse personal belongings as silverware, wax seals, horse-drawn carriages, walking sticks, and interiors of buildings including Mount Vernon, where the coat of arms was featured in the middle of the wooden fireplace mantel in the front parlor.

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The Washington Family Quiz

How much do you know about the Washington family?

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Growing Up at Mount Vernon

Dr. Cassandra Good explores what it was like for Martha Washington's children and grandchildren to grow up at Mount Vernon.

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Buried at Mount Vernon

30 members of George Washington's family are buried at Mount Vernon. Learn about who they were and their familial relationship to the founding father.

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