Mason Locke Weems

Mason Locke Weems (October 11, 1759 – May 23, 1825), usually referred to as Parson Weems, was an American minister, evangelical bookseller and author who wrote (and rewrote and republished) the first biography of George Washington immediately after his death. Some popular stories about Washington thought during the 20th century to be apocryphal can be traced to Weems, including the cherry tree tale ("I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet"). Weems' biography of Washington was a bestseller that depicted Washington's virtues and was intended to provide morally instructive tales for the youth of the young nation. Recent examinations of Weems, particularly by James Bish, and Dr. Richard Gardiner have found that Weems' knowledge and sourcing may have been stronger than assumed by previous scholars. Weems corresponded with Washington, had family ties to Washington, and evidently relied on members of the Washington family for information. Provided by Wikipedia