Washburn

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For other uses, see Washburn (disambiguation).
Washburn family coat of arms
Washburn family coat of arms

Washburn (alternatively Washbourne, Washburne, Washborn, DeWashborne, etc.) is an uncommon surname of English origins. The family can be traced back to the lands in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, England called "Little Washbourne" and "Great Washbourne". The name Washbourne may originate from the River Isbourne which flowed nearby. The name comes from the Saxon for "from the flooding brook," with "wash" meaning "swift moving current of a stream," and "burn" referring to a brook or a small stream. It may have also originated from Waseborn in Devonshire. The first known Washburn was Sir Roger Washbourne who lived in the 11th century. John Washburn, a descendant sailed to the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts in the 17th century. According to the 1990 U.S. Census, there were 17,409 Washburns in the United States making it the 1,763rd most common name in the U.S. There are also a number of Washburns in Canada, many of whom are descendants of United Empire Loyalists (Ebenezer Washburn was as loyalist).

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[edit] Coat of arms

The Washburn coat of arms is that of the founder of the family, and was given to him by William the Conqueror when he was knighted in 1066. He was of Norman ancestry. He was also given the lands of Little Washbourne and Great Washbourne. The motto "PURIFICATUS NON CONSUMPTUS" means "Purified, not consumed" in Latin. The birds are believed to be Martins. The Washburn family coat of arms is also used as the crest of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

[edit] Washburns in Canada

[edit] Washburns in the United States

  • Israel Washburn, Sr. (1784-1876) - Father of Israel, Jr., Elihu Benjamin, Charles Ames, and William Drew Washburn. Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1815-16, 1818-19).
  • Cephas Washburn (1793-1860) - Noted Christian missionary and educator who worked with the Indians of northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma; father of the painter Edward Washburn.
  • Israel Washburn, Jr. (1813-1883) - Born in Livermore, Maine. Son of Israel Washburn, Sr.; brother of Elihu Benjamin, Cadwallader Colden, Charles Ames and William Drew Washburn. Member of Maine House of Representatives (1842); U.S. representative from Maine (6th District 1851-53, 5th District 1853-61); governor of Maine (1861-63).
  • Elihu Washburne (1816-1887) - "Watchdog of the Treasury." Born in Livermore, Maine. Son of Israel Washburn, Sr.; nephew of Reuel Washburn; brother of Israel, Jr., Cadwallader Colden, Charles Ames and William Drew Washburn. U.S. Representative from Illinois, 1853-69 (1st District 1853-63, 3rd District 1863-69); U.S. Secretary of State, 1869; U.S. Minister to France, 1869-77; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1880; candidate for Republican nomination for Vice President, 1880.
  • Cadwallader Colden Washburn (1818-1882) - Born in Livermore, Maine. Son of Israel Washburn, Sr.; brother of Israel, Jr., Elihu Benjamin, Charles Ames and William Drew Washburn. U.S. representative from Wisconsin (2nd District 1855-61, 6th District 1867-71); general in the Union Army during the Civil War; governor of Wisconsin (1872-74). Washburn County, Wisconsin is named for him.
  • William Washburn (1820-1887) - Born in Greenfield, Massachusetts. U.S. representative from Massachusetts 9th District, (1863-71); governor of Massachusetts (1872-74); U.S. senator from Massachusetts (1874-75).
  • Charles Ames Washburn (1822-1889) - Born in Livermore, Maine. Son of Israel Washburn, Sr.; nephew of Reuel Washburn; brother of Israel, Jr., Elihu Benjamin, Cadwallader Colden and William Drew Washburn. Went to California for the 1849 Gold Rush; presidential elector for California, 1860; U.S. diplomatic commissioner to Paraguay (1861-63); U.S. minister to Paraguay, 1863-68; novelist; invented an early typewriter.
  • William Drew Washburn (1831-1912) - Born in Livermore, Maine. Son of Israel Washburn, Sr.; brother of Israel, Jr., Elihu Benjamin, Cadwallader Colden and Charles Ames Washburn. Graduate of Bowdoin College (1854). Member of Minnesota House of Representatives (1861); U.S. representative from Minnesota (3rd District 1879-83, 4th District 1883-85); U.S. senator from Minnesota (1889-95).
  • John Davis Washburn (1833-1903) - U.S. minister to Switzerland (1889-92).
  • Charles Grenfill Washburn (1857-1928) - Born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Member of Massachusetts House of Representatives (1897-98); member of Massachusetts Senate (1899-1900); U.S. representative from Massachusetts (3rd District, 1906-11).
  • Albert Henry Washburn (1866-1930) - U.S. minister to Austria (1922-30).
  • Sir Hezekiah Washburn (1884-1972) - Pastor and missionary to the Bakuba people of the Belgian Congo; dubbed "Sir Hezekiah, Knight of the Royal Lions of Belgium" by either Albert I or Léopold III of Belgium (1936).

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