“The Dentist” — Paramaribo & Maryland
Working Document — March 2026
George Francis (P.) Lashley was the son of Francis O’Neil Nicolaas Lashley (1872–1940) and Gerredina Johanna Cornelia Samuels (1876–1933), and the grandson of George Francis P. Lashley (from Barbados) and Alexandrina Leetz (from Nickerie, Suriname). He is the connecting ancestor through whom this branch of the Lashley family links to us.
GEORGE FRANCIS (P.) LASHLEY
Born: c. 1900, Nickerie District, Suriname
Died: c. 1978
Father: Francis O’Neil Nicolaas Lashley (1872–1940)
Mother: Gerredina Johanna Cornelia Samuels (1876–1933)
Title: Dr. (dentist / tandarts)
Marriage 1: Beulah (Irene) Bush, 1922, Maryland
Partner 2: Hilde Heloise Dennert
Known address: Hotel Lashley, Paramaribo (destroyed by fire 1975)
The most vivid historical record comes from the Baltimore Afro-American, August 22, 1931, in a social column: “DR. AND MRS. PERCIVAL BATSON have as their house guest, Mrs. Beulah Bush Lashley, wife of Dr. George P. Lashley. Mrs. Lashley is sailing this week for Nicaragua, to visit her father.”
This tells us:
• George held the title “Dr.” by 1931.
• Beulah’s father (James K. Bush) was in Nicaragua at that time.
• They were socially connected to the Batson family — Dr. Percival Batson was almost certainly married to George’s sister Louise Helena Edith Lashley.
• Beulah was active in Baltimore’s Black professional social circuit.
Maiden name: Bush. Full name: Beulah Irene Bush (per US Social Security Application). Mother’s maiden name: Archibold (confirmed across 3 independent MyHeritage trees). Father: James K. Bush of Bluefields, Nicaragua. Married George in 1922 in Maryland (Ancestry Maryland Marriages collection). Arrived in the US as an alien in 1978 — the same year George died, suggesting she may have returned after his death. Died 1997.
Children with George:
• Anita Barrow (born Lashley) — married into the Barrow family.
• One other child — listed as “Private” in active family trees.
No marriage date recorded. Children:
• Otto George Dennert (carries the Dennert surname).
• One other — listed but kept private.
The Buku — Bibliotheca Surinamica article about Emma Lashley (George’s sister) states: “In 1975, the disaster struck. In a major fire, Hotel Lashley, the dental practice of tandarts Lashley situated beneath it, and the pharmacy Lashley all went up in flames.”
This places a dentist named Lashley operating from the same address as Hotel Lashley in Paramaribo. The hotel, the dental surgery, and Emma’s pharmacy were all co-located in a single building. George Francis Lashley is the only Lashley of the right generation known to hold a “Dr.” title, and is therefore almost certainly the tandarts in question.
▶ OPEN QUESTION — CONFIRM WITH FAMILY
George married Beulah Bush in Maryland in 1922, suggesting he was in the United States as a young man — likely studying dentistry. But the 1975 fire destroyed his dental practice in Paramaribo. This means he returned to Suriname at some point. Speculative timeline:
c. 1900 — Born in Nickerie
c. 1918–1922 — Travels to US for dental training (Howard University?)
1922 — Marries Beulah Bush in Maryland
1920s–1930s — Returns to Paramaribo, establishes practice at Hotel Lashley
1931 — Beulah visiting Batsons in Baltimore, sailing to Nicaragua
1975 — Practice destroyed by fire (George would be ~75)
c. 1978 — George dies; Beulah arrives in US as alien same year
This timeline is speculative but fits all available data points. Needs confirmation from family.
Lashley Web Site — mgr: Bryan Lashley
Lashley Familie Web Site — mgr: Patrick Lashley
Lashley stamboom — mgr: Cedric Lashley
Breet-Stamboom-website — mgr: Diego Breet
Wagemaker Web Site — mgr: Margot Wagemaker
Simons Oldenstam Web Site — mgr: Joan Simons
Baltimore Afro-American, Aug 22, 1931 — social column mentioning “Dr. and Mrs. Percival Batson” hosting “Mrs. Beulah Bush Lashley, wife of Dr. George P. Lashley.”
1. Exact birth date and birthplace (Nickerie vs. Paramaribo).
2. Where George trained as a dentist — Howard University (DC) is the leading hypothesis.
3. When George returned from the US to Paramaribo.
4. Children of Anita Barrow (born Lashley) — the next generation in our line.
5. Identity of the “Private” second child with Beulah.
6. Otto George Dennert and the other Dennert child.
7. What happened to George after the 1975 fire (he died c. 1978).
8. US immigration records for Beulah (1978 arrival).
9. Confirm: is George the dentist? Did he train in the US?
10. Confirm: is Anita Barrow the grandmother, or is the connection through the other child?