Twenty-five years ago, researchers excavated a West Virginia cemetery searching for the remains of George Washington’s younger brother. While that goal remains elusive, five graves yielded skeletal remains, and through DNA analysis, three individuals have now been positively identified. The findings, published in iScience, confirm the identities of two of George Washington’s grandnephews and their mother.
This identification represents a significant advancement in DNA analysis techniques, particularly for historical kinship studies. The research team employed a novel sequencing method focusing on Y chromosome DNA and nearly 100,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These SNPs, specific combinations of base pairs within DNA, provided a detailed genetic fingerprint enabling accurate ancestry prediction.
Harewood Estate in northeastern West Virginia. Photo: AcroterionHarewood Estate, located in northeastern West Virginia, is the site of the cemetery where the remains were found. This historic estate has ties to George Washington and other prominent figures, including the Marquis de Lafayette. It was also the site of James and Dolley Madison’s wedding.
The identified individuals are George Steptoe Washington and Samuel Walter Washington, grandnephews of George Washington, and their mother, Lucy Payne Washington. Charla Marshall, a molecular anthropologist at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory and the study’s senior author, highlighted the importance of these findings in a Cell press release. The method used allowed for “extended kinship prediction” with degraded DNA samples, proving invaluable for historical identification.
The research leveraged reference DNA from a living descendant of Samuel Washington, one of George Washington’s brothers, to confirm the familial relationships. Tracing the lineage through multiple generations of Samuels in the Washington family tree, the team connected the historical remains to a contemporary relative, providing the key to unlocking their identities.
Lucy Payne Washington, sister of Dolley Madison, holds a unique place in history as the first bride to be married in the White House. Her marriage to Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd took place there in 1812. The identification of her remains alongside her sons adds another layer to the story.
A close up image of a personDetail of the DNA analysis results, highlighting the identified SNPs. These genetic markers allowed the researchers to accurately trace the familial relationships of the deceased individuals.
This DNA analysis not only identifies these historical figures but also validates the efficacy of advanced sequencing methods for analyzing degraded DNA. Marshall emphasized the broader implications of this research for identifying remains from past conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. The ability to utilize DNA from more distant relatives opens new possibilities for resolving historical unknowns.
The identification of George Washington’s relatives provides a fascinating glimpse into the past, enriching our understanding of his family history. While the original quest to find George Washington’s brother continues, this discovery represents a valuable contribution to historical and genealogical research, demonstrating the power of modern DNA analysis to unravel mysteries of the past.
