User:ChrisX9717/Betty Washington Lewis

Betty Washington Lewis[edit]
Elizabeth "Betty" Washington Lewis (June 20, 1733 – March 31, 1797) was an American Colonist. She was the younger sister of George Washington and the only sister that survived childhood. Her stepsister, Jane, died at age 11 and her sister Mildred in infancy. Betty Washington was born into the Washington Family as the first daughter of Augustine Washington and Mary Bell Washington.

Born in Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia, Betty Washington spent her earliest years at the familiy's plantation on the Upper Potomac. At age 7 (her brother George 8 at the time), the Washington Family moved to Ferry Farm close to Fredericksburg, VA in search for better economic prospects. Growing up on Ferry Farm, Betty Washington Lewis enjoyed a carefree childhood and was possibly instructed in horse-riding. She also attended school at the same time as her brother George to whom she kept close relations throughout her life. Her carefree childhood ended with the death of her father Augustine Washington in 1743. She was instructed in domestic arts by her Mother and later sent to Fredericksburg for further education, where she was reunited with George and her four brothers. After George permanently left Ferry Farm to live with his half brother Lawrence Washington at Mount Vernon, Betty took on most of the household tasks. In 1750, at the age of 16, she got to spend significantly more time with her cousin Fielding Lewis. 25-year-old Lewis, who had visited Ferry Farm occasionally, sought comfort in Betty's presence after his first wife, Catherine Washington had died after childbirth the same year. This symbiotic relationsship grew stronger and with mutual attraction on either side, Betty Washington's mother Mary gave her consent. The Wedding was held on the Farm, May 7th, 1750.

The Kenmore Years and Later Life[edit]
After her marriage to Fielding Lewis in 1750 at age 17, Fielding Lewis bought 861 acres of Land close to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Together with inherited property, the entire property included 1270 acres. Soon construction of Millbrook House (renamed "Kenmore House" in 1794) ensued where Betty Washington Lewis and Fielding Lewis would spent most of their lives. The growing involvement of Fielding in the Revolution not only strained the Estate's budget but also left Betty Washington Lewis mostly in charge of the household and the property. Her tasks were widely expanded after her husband Fielding Lewis died, aged fifty-six. Apart from managing Kenmore and her husband's businesses, ownership of the Lewis Store was also passed on to her. After Betty Washington's death in 1797, her stepson John inherited the Estate. After the revolution and Fielding Lewis' death, Betty Washington alone was in charge of running Kenmore Estate which was heavily mortgaged in order to finance Fielding Lewis' engagement in the Revolution. The debts were paid off by selling the land surrounding the Estate and Betty's efforts in running a small Boarding School. After 14 years of running the Estate, Betty Washington Lewis moved to live with her daughter, Betty Carter at Western View in Culpepper County, Virginia. Betty Washington Lewis died at her daughter's Estate on March 31st, 1797 aged 64. Shortly after her death, Kenmore Estate was sold off.

References[edit]

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 * 8) ^ Moore, Charles (1926). The Family Life of George Washington. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 144.