In Herald's College, London, vol. i, p. 54, is given: Washbourne, "A name of ancient Norman descent; the founder was knighted on the field of battle by William the Conqueror and endowed with the lands of Little Washbourne and Great Washbourne, counties of Gloucester and Worcester." Burke's General Armory gives: Washbourne, county of Worcester, a family of knightly degree, previous to time of Edward III. Arms: "Argent on a fess between six martletts gules, three cinquefoils of the field." Crest: "On a wreath a coil of flax argent, surmounted with another wreath argent and Gules, thereon flames of fire proper." Motto: "Persevere decogue confide." The name is derived from two words — wash, the swift current of a stream, burn or bourne, a brook or stream. The name is still spelled Washbourne in England, but in America Washburn is almost universal. The earliest form of the name was "de Wassebourne."
John Washborne was the first secretary of the Plymouth council in England and was succeeded by William Burgess in 1628. Whether the same John ever came to America is a matter over which genealogists differ. In America the name is a distinguished one. Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and Wisconsin have all had governors from the Washburn family; three brothers served as congressmen from three states at the same time, and some of the nation's greatest men in civil and private life, statesmen, soldiers in all American wars, have borne the name. The emigrant ancestor of all the early New England families was John Washburn, there being strong probability and grave doubt as to whether he was the Secretary John Washborne previously mentioned or not.
(I) John Washburn, born at Eversham, Worcester, England, settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in 1632. He and his son John, who came later, were among the fifty-four original proprietors of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in 1645. They bought the lands from the Indian sachem, Massasoit, for seven coats of one and one-half yards each, nine hatchets, twenty knives, four moose skins, ten and one-half yards of cotton cloth. The transfer was signed by Miles Standish, Samuel Nash and Constant Southworth. He died at Bridgewater in 1690. His wife Margery bore him John and Philip, the latter born in 1624, died unmarried.
(II) John (2), son of John (1) and Margery Washburn, was born at Eversham, Worcester, England, in 1621; married Elizabeth, daughter of Experience Mitchell. By the marriage the Washburn descendants gain "Mayflower" ancestry, through Francis Cook, the Pilgrim. Jane, daughter of Francis Cook, married Experience Mitchell, and their daughter married John Washburn (2). John (2) was eleven years old when he came to America with his mother and brother Philip on the ship "Elizabeth." Experience Mitchell was with the Pilgrims at Leyden and came to Plymouth in the third ship, the "Anne," 1623. Children of John (2) and Elizabeth Washburn:
- John, married Rebecca Lapham;
- Thomas, married (first) Abigail Leonard; (second) Deliverance Packard;
- Joseph, married Hannah Latham, granddaughter of Mary Chilton, "the first to land at Plymouth from the Mayflower";
- Samuel, born 1651, married Deborah Packard;
- Jonathan, married Mary Vaughn;
- Benjamin, served in Chipps expedition against Canada;
- Mary, married Samuel Kingsley, 1694;
- Elizabeth, married (first) James Howard; (second) Edward Sealey;
- Jane, married William Orcutt (2);
- James, married Mary Bowden, 1693;
- Sarah, married John Ames, 1697.
John Washburn (2) died at Bridgewater before 1690. Samuel, his fourth son, was the ancestor of the Washburns of Maine. In that line the next seven generations bore the name of Israel, Joseph, third son of John (2), was the ancestor of ex-Governor Washburn of Massachusetts, 1853. Samuel was also the progenitor of the, family in Albany, New York, herein recorded.
(III) Samuel, son of John (2) and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Washburn, was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts, 1651, died 1720, at Bridgewater. He was called "Sergeant Washburn." He married Deborah, daughter of Samuel Packard, who came from Windham, England, on the ship "Delight of Ipswich," and settled at Hingham, Massachusetts, 1638. Children:
- Samuel (2);
- Noah, married Elizabeth Shaw;
- Israel, married Waitstill Summer;
- Nehemiah, see forward;
- Benjamin, married Joanna or Susanna Orcutt;
- Hannah, married Joseph Keith.
(IV) Nehemiah, son of Samuel and Deborah (Packard) Washburn, was born 1686, at Bridgewater, Massachusetts; married, 1713, Jane Howard, and had issue.
(V) Nehemiah (2), son of Nehemiah (1) and Jane (Howard) Washburn, married Relief, born September 21, 1729, daughter of John and Lydia (Lincoln) Joy, of Hingham, Massachusetts (see Joy V). Relief Joy was a sister of Lydia Joy, who married Timothy Edson, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and removed to Stafford, Connecticut.
(VI) William Edson, son of Nehemiah (2) and Relief (Joy) Washburn, was born in Connecticut, about 1750. He appears in Otsego county, New York, during the revolutionary period, in the towns of Milford and Westford. The Edsons also were early settlers in Otsego county. settling in Milford, where there was a hamlet known as Edson's Corners. The Edsons and Washburns were connected by marriage and seem to have been close friends. William E. Washburn purchased land, married, reared a family and was a prosperous, respected farmer.
(VII) Hiram Lucius, son of William Edson Washburn, was a contractor and builder. He removed to Albany, where he carried on extensive building operations. He was the builder of a great many churches in the vicinity of Albany, and prospered. He later retired to a farm in Montgomery county, New York, in the section early farmed by the Indians, also the scene of some of the fights with Sir John Johnson and his Indian-Tory allies. Here he ended his days. He married Magdalena T. Clark, and had issue. A tradition in the family is that the branch of the Clark family descended from a Sergeant Clark, of the English army, who when the British evacuated New York was too sick to be moved, was left behind, recovered, remained in America, married and reared a family.
(VIII) Hiram Lucius (2), son of Hiram Lucius (1) and Magdalena T. (Clark) Washburn, was born in Westford, Otsego county, New York, June 14, 1840, died in Albany, September 5, 1904. He was educated in the schools of Albany and at Ballston Institute. He studied law with Hungerford & Hotaling, attorneys, of Albany, and in 1862 was admitted to practice at the Albany county bar, continuing in practice until his death. He was connected with several of the loan associations of that period between 1860 and 1875 at Albany, and spent a great amount of time in the office of the county clerk, searching titles. He tried and won a famous case in New York legal reports involving the rights under the law of soldiers who had enlisted to fill unexpired terms. The decision in this case caused the United States government to suspend the granting of writs of "Habeas Corpus" for a period of six months, in order to hold soldiers to their enlistments, should they seek that remedy. He was greatly interested in the New York National Guard, and was instrumental in improving the marksmanship of the soldiers. He was inspector of rifle practice with the rank of major on the general staff for ten years, and spent a large amount of his time in the performance of his duty. He was on duty at the time of the West Albany riots. He was at various times connected with the Third, Fifth and Ninth brigades, New York National Guard. He was a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Master's Lodge, No. 6, Free and Accepted Masons; De Witt Clinton Council, Royal and Select Masters. He was a member of the Episcopal church. He married, April 18, 1866, Phebe, daughter of Joseph B. and Elizabeth (Holmes) Neemes, of Albany. Joseph B. Neemes was born in Cumberland county, England, and Elizabeth Holmes was of Welsh descent, born in Chester, England. Children:
- Lucius Hiram, see forward;
- Elizabeth W., married Dr. William J. McKown, a practicing physician of Albany;
- Katherine W., married, June 3, 1896, Randall J. Le Boeuf, son of Peter J. and Sarah A. (Saunders) Le Boeuf.
(IX) Lucius Hiram, son of Hiram Lucius (2) and Phebe (Neemes) Washburn, was born in Albany, New York, January 12, 1869. He was educated in the public schools of Albany, and graduated from the high school. He studied law with his father and was admitted to the Albany county bar, July 7, 1896. He has been continuously in practice from that date in Albany. His practice is general, but in real estate and corporation law and practice in the surrogate's court he devotes particular attention. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Episcopal church. His clubs are the Aurania and Unconditional of Albany. He belongs to the Masonic order, affiliating with Ten Eyck Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and Capital City Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He married, September, 1899, in Albany, Anna D., daughter of John J. and Anna (Kirchener) Holler, of Albany.
(The Joy Line)
The earliest mention of Thomas Joy, the immigrant ancestor of most of the Joy families in America, is found in the records of Boston, Massachusetts. He was born in England, about 1610, came to America between the years 1629-40. He was an architect and builder. Until 1646 he was a prosperous, successful man. In that year his independent spirit brought him into collision with the established authorities, with disastrous results. His principal resistance was against the narrow policy of the colonial government which restricted the right of suffrage to the members of the local Puritan churches. He failed in his efforts, removed his family to Hingham, and made his home in the Rev. Peter Hobart's parish. He afterward regained his fallen fortune, returned to Boston in 1656, and in 1657, in company with Bartholomew Bernard, was awarded the contract to build the first "Town House" of Boston, which links his name forever with an interesting and historical edifice. This first capitol of Massachusetts stood for half a century. It was destroyed by fire in 1711, and on its site was erected the "Old State House," one of themost venerated monuments of Colonial Boston. Thomas Joy died October 21, 1678, aged sixty-nine years. He and his wife were buried in the Hingham churchyard back of the meeting house, which still stands, the most ancient Protestant church in the United States. He married Joan Gallup (Gallop), born in England, daughter of Captain John and Christabel Gallup. Captain John Gallup came from England in 1630 in the ship "Mary and John." He was a skillful pilot and Indian trader of dauntless courage, and distinguished himself on many occasions in the Indian warfare constantly going on. His trading shallop was the principal means of communication between the Bay Colony and the settlement on Narragansett bay and Long Island sound.
(II) Joseph, son of Thomas and Joan (Gallup) Joy, was born April 1, 1645. He was constable, carpenter, farmer and ensign of the "train band." He married Mary, daughter of John and Margaret Prince. He died May 31, 1697.
(III) Joseph (2), son of Joseph (1) and Mary (Prince) Joy, was born July 30, 1668. He was constable, 1697-1711. His gravestone with the inscription still legible is in Hingham churchyard. It is the most ancient Joy grave mark in America. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Ruth Andrews. He died April 29, 1716.
(IV) John, son of Joseph (2) and Elizabeth (Andrews) Joy, was born February 7, 1695. He married, December, 1724, Lydia, daughter of Samuel and Deborah (Hershey) Lincoln. "Lydia Joy was admitted to the First Church of Hingham February 1728." Lydia Joy, his eldest daughter, married Timothy Edson (2), son of Timothy (1) and Mary (Alden) Edson, descendant of John Alden and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden, of the "Mayflower," and of Deacon Samuel Edson, an original proprietor of Bridgewater, born in England, 1612.
(V) Relief, second daughter and third child of John and Lydia (Lincoln) Joy, was born September 21, 1729. She married Nehemiah Washburn, a descendant in the fifth generation of John Washburn "the emigrant," one of whose representatives in the ninth generation is Lucius H. Washburn, of Albany, New York,(see Washburn V).