Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-04-05

Messrs. ALLEN & GENTRY, on Broad street-price two
cents.
THE BIRTH PLACE OF WASHINGTON.
The following extraordinary statement is rapid
ly travelling the round of newspapers in the U.
States, and was copied Inadvertently, we must
presume) in the Richmond Wing of yesterday:
WAS WASHINGTON BORN IN ENGLANp?-The Boston
Transcript Publishes extract from letter dated Isle
worth, Mddesex, England, February 25th. 1851 writ
ten by Mr.. Geo Field and addressed to Geo Harvey
Esq, Winthrop House, Boston, Mr.. Field has in his
possession an original portrait of Washingon's mother
which he wishes to present to our Government. Mr..
Field is seventy five years old, and gentleman in cvery
way to be relied on He raises the question of Wash
ingtons native land by the following paragraph:
1t happened when l was boy, that being in the
nelghborhood OF Cookham, Berkshire with an uncle Of
NINE, he pointed out pretty country cottage in which
the parents Of Gen. Washington resided and from which
they removed to America Our road led to green or
common, where there resided Mrs. Aun Morer
whose maiden name was, believe, Taylor, who there
showed me the portrait of Mrs. Washington and other
reque5 OF the family, given to her when they Quilted
the place tor America to which country her aunt and
mother, she told me, "took their son Geo Washing
tom in her arms l believe use her own express
siou.'
Mr.. Field subsequently purchased this portrait, and
says he has shown to nuberess persons ,nd that he
was induced to address letter to Judge Washington
at Mount Vernon in 1924 offering to restore the picture
but did not receive answer.
Nothing has occurred, within cur recolec-
ton, which reflects less credit upon the manner
OF conducting public journals in this country than
the general publication of this worse than ridcu-
lous story. We are equally surprised and NOR
tilted to find that it has even gained admission to
the columns of prominent political paper
issued in the city which bears the name of
the man whose fame is the most valuable possess
sion of the nation.
No historical factis better established or more
capable ofproof, than that George Washington
was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia. on
the 22d of February, 1882 (new style,) and it is
astonishing that American journalists should be
so wanting in patriotic pride, as TO circulate an
idle, unsustaned assertion that he was a native of
England Every American, and especially eve
ny Virginan might be expected to repel the state
ment Indignantly, asan offence to his intelligence,
But nasmuch as question is said to be by
this English story, as to Washingon's native
land, it may be well to set it to rest.
In Sparks invaluable work. the Life and VIII
tings of Washington, full account is given of
General Washington's family, with continuous
unbroken genealogy, from the beginning of the
sixteenth century. Amongst other interesting
materials, the appendix TO the LIST volume contains
a paper drawn up by Gen. Washington himself.
during his Presidency, at the request of Sir Isaac
Heard, then Garter King-at-Ams in London,
whose curiosity had led him to investigate the
pedigree ofthe great American captain and states
man. Gen. Washington's reply is Dated sphi-
ladelphia, I'd May, 1892" and, in it, with cha
racteristic republican frankness, he tells the Gar.
ter King: "This is subject to which, confess.
have paid very little attention. Ny time has
been much occupied in the busy and active
scenes of life, from an early period of it, that but
small portion could have been devoted to re-
searches of this nature, even if my inclination
should have promptedI to the inquiry The
letter of Gen. Washington covered paper con-
tanning full particulars respecting that branch of
the Washington family which emigrated to Vir-
ginia 1t sufficient for our present purpose,
to quote from this document the following ex-
tracts:
" In the year 1857, or thereabouts and during the
nsnrpaton oil Oliver Cromwell, John and Lawrence
w ashington, brothers, emigraed from the North OF
England and settled Bridges Creek, on the Poo.
mac river in the county of Westmoreland But from
whom they descended the subscriber is possessed of no
document 10 ascertain.
John Washington employed as general
against the Indians in Maryland and as a reward for
his services, made Colonel and the parish where
in he lived was called after him. He married Anne
Pope, and left issue two Lawrence and John aud
one daughter, Anne, who married Major Francis
Wright. The time of his death the subscriber is not
able to ascertain; but it appears that he inferred in
vault that had been erected at Bridges Creek.
Lawrence w ashingtol, his eldest son married Mil
dred Warner, daughter of Col. Augustine Warner of
Gloucester county, by whom he had two sons John and
Augustine and one daughter, named Mildred He died
u 1897 and was inferred in the family vault at Bridges
Creek.
Augustine son of Lawrence and
Mildred Washington, married Jane Butler the daugh-
ter oil Caleb Butler OF Westmareand, April GOTH ms
by whom he had three sons Butler (who died young
Lawrence and Augustine, and one daughter, Jane who
died when child. Jane, wife of Augustine died No.
yenber 21ih lI26 and buried in the family vault AT
Bridges Creek
Augustine then married Mary Ball, March the 9th
iI5o by whom he had issue GEORGE THE writer born
February 18th, old style 1882; Betty born June 2Ob
1905 Samuel, born November l6ih 1874; John Au-
CUISINE, born January 18th, 1875; Charles, Nav Isl
i1oo and Mildred June DIST, 1879, who died October
zoh lo4o Augustine departed this life, April 18th
Mole 10y Mr.. Sparks This tradition probably
arose from the circumstance that John Washington
owned an estate al South Cave in the East Riding OF
the county OF York where be resided before ne anne 10
America