The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-03-09
George Washington Family,

lsL Louis Republican,
Tho Washingtohs were north of
England people, who some time
lived in Durham, then in Lup-
cashirc, and finally IN Norlhomp.
tonshiro 1t is safe to go back TO
the reign Of tho seventh and eighth
llarrys ior II founder, and We find
him in Sir Thomas Kilson, Que Of lle
great merchants who developed tie
wool trade The first of the family
TO sotIlo in the rich pNstumgo Of tho
midland county Of Northampton
was Lawrence Washington, whose
mother &as Kitson, Lawrence
was n barrister, but he gave up his
profession Of tho law for the good
aud ancient reason, perhaps that
though no was bred to the law, The
law was not bread for him, and 50
he retired to the country to look
after his upclc Kitsons flock of
mcwnocs, Lawrence Tust have
been man Of some significance, for
he was made may or of Norlbamp-
ton, and when Bluff Hal radcd tho
mopssteries, Lawrence bong iden-
tilted with the cause of reformation,
came in for share Of what in val
gar parlance might BIO called the
"swag' In other words the king
made n grant to him Of the mon
astic lands Of Sulgrave. Near this
was Althorp, the family seat Of the
Spencers, and the Lady Spencer Of
that day was the daughter Of Sir
Thomas Ktson, and consequently
the first cousin Of Lawrence Wash.
ington. The rector of the parish
was Dr. LaytoA, who was Lord
Cromwell's prime commissioner for
the dissolution Of monasteries, by
which we reach another cause, ia
addition to his blood relationship
to the Spencers, of why the lands
of Sulgrave should have been given
to Lawrence Washington.
For three generations the WaSl
ingtons held Sulgravc, taking rank
among tho nobility and landed
gentry of the country, but after
that their fortunes wancd. Sulgrave
was sold, and the family retired to
the parish of Brington, under the
care and patronage as it were Of
poor relationship to the Spcncer's.
Prosperity, however, came to them
here quickly, and it came in way
to prove the responsibility Of their
Lineage. The eldest son Of the fam
ily married the halfsister of George
ViIliers, duke of Buckingham, and
thus we see the Washingtons inter
marrying with two of the best fam
lilies in all England. The Washing
ton who emigrated to America in
1867 was the grandfather Of the hero
who sleeps on the banks of the
Potomac. In 1862 he was knighted
by James l., and it is known that he
was on the most friendly terms with
the Spencers down to the very eve
of the civil war. In that struggle
the Washingtons drew their swords
for the king. Sir Henry Washing
ton led the storming party at BriS-
tol. and defended Worcester. Sir
Henry held the rank of colonel, and
was man so noted for his Bravery
that it became n provcrb in the
army when u difficulty arose:
away with it, quoth Washington
In Brington church are two sep
ulchral stones, one bearing the date
of 1916 over the grave of the father
of Washington the emlgrant. in
which his arms appear impaled
with those OF biz wife. The other
stone covers the remains Of his
uncle, and presents on bass the
simple family shield with the cres-
cent appropriate to younger
brother. We have transcript ct
this shield, and froIa il we are con-
strained to believe that the United
States flag as seen now very GER
tainlS took its origin In this
shield are five horizontal stripes, OF
alternate gules aud white, as are
those of the national flag, while the
three stars in the upper stripe have
the parallel popularity of being
fivc-pointed All this may not be
of interest to those who care very
little whether George Washington
had a grandfather or not, but then
again there may be Others who VIII
not think any the less of the father
of the great republic because his
ancestors fought against Cromwell
and his lronsides to keep Charles