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Benjamin Washburn, a Revolutionary War Veteran from 1777-1781 from a listing the 1840 Revolutionary War pensioners in the Kentucky Census. According to service record # S11696, he served as a Private in Virginia under Captains Jack Roberts, James Purvis and Colonel Francis Taylor. It seems he joined the army when he was approximately 15 or 16 to fight in the Revolution. His regiment guarded the Albemarle Barracks when General Burgoyne’s army was held there as prisoners. He also served as a militiaman and was present at the surrender of Yorktown on October 19, 1781.                                                                                            

Benjamin Washburn, my 4th great grandfather was born in Virginia, the son of English emigrants John Washburn (1704) and Susannah Suchy (1720).  After the close of the war, Washburn married Mary Beason (1755-1830), a native of Culpeper County, Virginia, and shortly thereafter in 1784 moved to what is now Kentucky. The Washburns first settled near Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, and after four years settled permanently in Shelby County, where Washburn received a land warrant of 320 acres for his service in the war. Here Benjamin Washburn became a prosperous farmer and stock raiser. Records indicate that in 1789 he contracted with Richard Fallis, a builder, to construct the stone house which was completed in 1791. In Richard Collins' History of Kentucky 1874, Vol.1, Washburn is listed as a Revolutionary War veteran who resided in Shelby County in 1840. Benjamin and Mary Washburn had twelve children. At Washburn's death in 1847, the property was left to his second oldest son, Benjamin, Jr. In turn Benjamin Washburn, III, inherited the house and land and lived there until his death in the 1940s, when it was sold outside of the Washburn family. Information from application for Benjamin A Washburn house on Bellview Pike, south of Shelbyville to be placed on National Register of Historic places.

Benjamin and Mary, according to 1820 census, had one of their sons listed as John B Washburn, my 3rd great grandfather who was born in Kentucky district of Virginia and died in Henry County, KY (1789-1840). John married Nancy Ann Malin (1805-1878) of Henry County, KY on 11 November 1834. John and Nancy had a daughter, Rachel Snell Washburn my 2nd great grandmother (1836-1914). Rachel married George Washington Montgomery (1834-1917) on 6 November 1856 in Henry County, KY. They moved to Grayson County where the census shows they lived with son William Byron Montgomery, my great grandfather (1867-1922). William married Cornelia Florence Anderson (1868-1949). They had a son, my grandfather Ray Earl Montgomery (March 22, 1895-February 22, 1962) born in Caneyville, Grayson County and died in Louisville, Jefferson County, KY. Ray married Mary “Elsie” Romans (December 2, 1901- April 2, 1994) on September19, 1920 in Grayson County, KY. Ray and Mary had a son, James Romans Montgomery, my father on November 23, 1927, who died on March 26, 1965, in Grayson County. James married Mary Daphene Wood (June 22, 1927- June 25, 2007) on 28 January 1949 in Caneyville, Grayson County, KY.

As part of Celebrate America 250, 1776-2026, DAR members will be continuing our series of articles about our Patriots of the American Revolution. If you have a Revolutionary Patriot in your family line and are interested in joining contact any chapter member.