Harriet Washburn (maiden name: Grey) was born around 1834 in New York to Abigail Grey. Her father probably died sometime before 1850. She lived in New London, Connecticut, and she married Henry W. Washburn on April 6, 1851. They had four children: Mary, born on February 14, 1855; Charles, born on September 29, 1858; Henry, born on August 10, 1863; and Edith, born on September 9, 1867. They lived in New London, Connecticut, and her husband worked as a cooper. By 1860, they owned $150 of personal property. Her husband died on October 12, 1870, and she received a widow’s pension soon afterward. She died sometime after 1882.