The Washingtons
The Washingtons at Sulgrave
Lawrence Washington’s eldest son, Robert, inherited the manor upon his father’s death in 1583/4 and lived there until his own death in 1619. In 1610 the property was purchased by a grandson of the builder of Sulgrave Manor, Lawrence Makepeace. The Makepeace family, having been Royalists in the English Civil War, sold the Manor out of the family in 1659.
The Journey to America
Having supported King Charles I, in the English Civil War, the Washington’s fell on hard times under the Commonwealth government. Colonel John Washington, the great-great grandson of the founder of Sulgrave Manor, emigrated to the Colony of Virginia in 1657. He married Anne Pope, after his ship ran aground in the Potomac River off Pope’s Landing. It was their great grandson, George, who became the first President of the United States.
The Washington Family Coat of Arms
The façade of the entrance porch at Sulgrave Manor bears the Washington family coat of arms. The arms are also carved into the stone arch of the entranceway. The shield contains three mullets (five pointed stars) over two bars and is believed to have been the inspiration for the “stars and stripes” of the United States flag .
