▁Bav arian ▁Army ▁and ▁a ▁distant ▁relative ▁of ▁US ▁President ▁George ▁Washington . ▁Born ▁in ▁The ▁H ague , ▁Netherlands , ▁he ▁was ▁christ ened ▁James ▁Washington . ▁Most ▁of ▁his ▁adult ▁life ▁was ▁sh aped ▁by ▁his ▁participation ▁in ▁wars ▁for ▁and ▁against ▁Napole onic ▁France ▁and ▁his ▁service ▁to ▁Ludwig ▁I ▁of ▁Bav aria . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁The ▁known ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Washington ▁family ▁goes ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century . ▁Sir ▁Robert ▁Washington ▁( d . ▁ 1 3 2 4 ) ▁was ▁the ▁pro gen itor ▁of ▁the ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁res iding ▁in ▁Sul gra ve ▁Man or , ▁England . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁descend ants , ▁John ▁Washington , ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Virginia ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁great - grand father ▁of ▁George ▁Washington . ▁The ▁brother ▁of ▁Sir ▁Robert , ▁Sir ▁John ▁Washington ▁( d ied ▁ 1 3 3 1 ), ▁founded ▁the ▁Hall head ▁Hall / Ad wick - le - street ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁W ash ing tons . ▁His ▁desc endant , ▁James ▁Washington , ▁accompanied ▁John ▁Washington ▁to ▁Virginia , ▁but ▁returned ▁to ▁England , ▁then ▁shortly ▁there after ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Rot ter dam , ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁There ▁he ▁married ▁a ▁Dutch w oman ▁named ▁Clara ▁van ▁der ▁Lau en , ▁leading , ▁five ▁gener ations ▁later , ▁to ▁Jacob us ▁Washington . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁On ▁ 2 ▁February ▁ 1 7 7 7 , ▁Daniel