The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-04-09
Tbe mother of washington.

1he Boston Iransc1lpt puoisbes al Interesting
letter from Mr.. George Field, an English scholar,
who offers 10 present TO the American Severn
ment an original portrait of Mrs. Washington. We
give the letter. 1t will be seen that the writer
inclines to the opinion that Washington was born
in England, This Is the first time we have
heard such an idea suggested. We presume the
members of the Washington family will put this
doubt at rest:
have still the portrait you mention, and shall
be douby happy in affording yourself the Oppor.
tunty of copying either that OF -, or of the mo-
ther of the immortal Washington As l entered my
18th year on the day you date your letter, il may
fairly be supposed my memory has declined, though
/ am not conscious Of any change from my earliest
recollection sand | will state to you the facts
mentioned when you were here, IN proof of the
authenticity of the portrait of Mrs. Washington.
alt happened when was boy, that being in
the neghborhood of Cookham, in Berkshire, with
an uncle Of inc, he pointed out a pretty country
cottage in which the parents OF General Washing
ton resided, and from which they removed to
America. Our road led a green or common
where there resided Mrs. Ann Morer, whose
maiden name was, ] believe, Taylor, who there
showed me the portrait of Mrs. Washington, and
other relics of the family, given to her when they
quilted the place for America, to which country
her aunt and mother, she told me, took their son
George Washington) in her arms / believe /
use her own expression.
"Some years after this, happening to be in the
neighborhood of Cookham l called on Mrs Morer
who again showed me the portrait, and mentioned
that two American gentlemen, friends of WASH
ington, or the family, had sought her out as the
nearest relative OF his nurse and presented her two
guineas.
Again, about 1912, when residing on the edge
of Windsor Forest, my wife hired a servant, Han
nah Taylor, and finding she came from Cookham,
| inquired if she knew Mrs. Morer, when learned
gt bar hat oh.ah bad f1u
that her effects were about to be sold by auction.
On which | requested Hannah Immediately to
write to her mother, and desire all the pictures to
be bought for me, which done, and | obtained
the portrait in question with two other heads, and
have kept it since showed it to you. As
there can have been purpose beyond the truth
in this statement, have never doubted and con.
tnue to believe it firmly. have shown the por-
trait to numberless persons, and was induced to
address letter to Judge Washington at Mount
Vernon in 1924 (supposing him to be the repre-
sentative OF the famiiy,) offering to restore the pic
ture but did not receive an answer.
Mr. Chapman, an American artist, known to
the family, took a slight sketch of the head, in
which he recognized a family likeness Of the
Washingtons-nor is it without resemblance to
Washington's portraits
Mr. Justice Carlton, of New Orleans, to whom
showed the port ait, mentioned ia confirmation
of my statement, the circumstance of the marriage
| Of Augustine Washington, March 9th, I730) with
Miss Ball, (the parents of the great George Wash
ington,) in this country, and her emigrating with
him to America. GU will find an imperfect ac.
count Of it in 'Colton's Lacon, vol. II, cxlvii,
| 1l2
81 confess, none OF the Memoirs of Washington
that have seen give any account of his birth iu
| this country; and have had the church register
| of Cookham searched, without finding any entry
of his christening but is not improbable that, a,
l he was taken over in his nurses arms, he wa.
Il cbriSt pad ini, tl.
statements of his birth in America, copied from on
| printed Llfe,' to another, l have imagined ais
t'ihatihe American writers copied in our publica
tions, may have preferred the attaching him I
j The soil.
+" If am not mistaken, Washington evinced
somewhat narional and personal regard for Ems
land. | need only add 10 this statement that III
portrait is attribu ed to Sir Godfrey Kneller, [rh
4 mnst be q mistake ] Several of my friends St
l high, value on il, but / shall never nut profit il
| competition with truth and honor concerning it
| and would with pleasure present it to the Genera
Government of the North American United States.
INTERESTING LIBERIA NEws.-Three nativ
Afr cans sat upon the jury at late trial for capi
| tai offence at Grand Bassa. Other natives hot
| commissions from the government, as policemen
etc.
Some Of the most intelligent men in Liberia lef
this country when children, and have received al
their education in the colony. Several of the Bap
tst schools are taught by converted natives.
| The Cotton plant is said to live and bear frui
six or seven years. Judge Benson has twent
acres of Coffee at Bassa, on which are 1000 trees
The company which lately went to the Sino
| settlement, from Savannah, (about $50 persons,
took with them property of their own to the amour
of $4,000 In this region three settle
| ments, Greenvile, Rossville, and Readville, COR
| prislug about 500 persons. One of the settler
Mr.. Morris, has $500 coffee trees set out. Other
l have 500 etc