The New York herald., 1877-11-18
Washington Declared To Be a De-
scendant of King Odin.
Republican Craving for Crests
and Coats OF Arms. {.
SIXTEEN QUARTERIN G S
Depend upon II, my snobbish friend.
Your family tree you cunt ascend;
Without good reason to apprchend
You may find 1t wax-d at tho other end
BY som. plebian avocation.
n. ~. sl.us 4, t..A ltRa

poem OF "Mss MacBridc," are not TO be deferred by
these satircal lines from exploring the history Of
their ancestors 1t true that instances VIII
where the explorer In reaching out tho gcnealogi
cal tree discovers a progenilor who may have stood
in tho piory for picking pockets or have been
h,nyed Tor sheep stealing; but even in The very best
regulated families a bar sinister in form or
other Is sure marx one moro individual members
ir tho OF generations. The test OF ''sezo
Quartiers', TO prove first English noblcman
gentleman has long since been surrendered In England
the grounds Of Its utter impractcability Vhc SIX
teen quarters in Continental Europe arc still con-
sidcred the test OF blood, but tho English havo the
sense to understand that descent from sixteen pro-
gentors entitled 10 armorial bearings, halt OF whom
might have been titled robbers and outlaws, Is not
essential TO make true noblcman or gentleman
CRAVING cREsrs ARMS
In this country since the late war and the accumu-
aLon the tor genealogical studies and the
ing tor family aud coats OF arms has grown
quite marked. In 1860 hcrads' college started
in this city with council Of regents
bracing large number OF the most prominent
citizcns OF New York Il has now become well es-
tablsbed institution, and carries extensive cor
respondence In this country and Europe. 1t is Of q
similar character 10 the English Herads' College, de-
signed TO gather geneaogies or family records
and exploits OF peoples ancestors may be proved
perpetuated or course in America, where tho great
majority OF the people have neither timo for
dwelling on the past, and who little whether
they are descended IN a direct limo from kings
and princes us from swineherds and cobbers II Ia
natural TO expect great dearth OF genealogical works
But tho time Is coming whom the study OF genealogy
promises to be a iavorite one, and the argument Of
those who partial 10 1t is that If the Herd Book
and the ''Pcuigrec OF Horscs' highly appreciated
in democratic communities the of
should be dear enough to man to cause them to be
preserved The origin of few nations or individuals
be traced up to their The light becomes
ialncr proceeds, the OBJECTS rendered more
obscure and uncertain, until Time spreads her sable
mantle over them and they are Deheld no moro
FAMILY tradition, however, can supply IN great
measure the want Of personal knowledge cover
hoary Time with the green mantle OF Youth and carry
people back TO their iorea,hers bring their FORE
fathers down TO thom. 1t is easy TO imagine the
Citations awakened in tracing the limbs iumin-
a,ed family 1t is hardly possible peruse with
emotion these limbs branching in various di-
rections, recalling memories OF many long gone. Be.
yond the stimulus which the desire oil distinction gives
10 those VINO rising in the world thore rs an i'm
portant bonent derived from tho sentiment Of family
antiquity IN the tendency which 1t has TO unite and
hold together the mass OF those families who have a
stake the country Tor their mutual preservation.
THE nERALDs COLLEGE AND yrs PRESIDING GENIUS
In this city there is herads' college. IL occupies
Just one room and the presiding genius of the place
alone and unaded his curious labors OF lfetimc,
exhibits with some degree oi pride printed volume,
wherein he traced his own gencalogy back to seven
years before Cnarlemagnc ascendeu The throne of
France. The room has u large, upright glass
in ono corner, hlied with books OF genealogical rel
Some Of these extremely valuable, cspe-
cia'iy one large volume, which II must have taken
many years TO compile. entitled ''rhe Baronage OF
Great Britain,' with the date OF London, 1875.
long table in the centre OF the room COW
Fred WIN piles Of letters and manuscript Around
the walls are hung numberiess heraldic desgns A
cory ol Magma Charta, containing on the margin the
different emDlaZoned shelds and seals OF the leadng
burons OF England, along with the great seal OF King
joan, hangs one side, and opposite the family co It
OF arms OF Columbus. In conjunction with his own
he had bestowed on HIM the royai arms OF spain und
an additional quartcring created OF the New World
1t needless TO add that these OF great
large pass Of raers, covering various important
State trials III England Is heaped IN one corner OF
tho room; but these the vigilanl genealogist
keeps under lock aud key, tor there are
creis contained between Their pages that might
give pause and bring confusion TO many an
enthusiastic explorer OF the family tree. glass
case the remote END OF the room contains
Iownscnd's history OF the late rebellion, In over two
score bulky volumes containing extracts from ali the
leading papers OF America OF the different incidents
IRON DAY 10 day IN the long four years struggle. The
value ol this collection Can be best appreciated by tho
future historian. multitude OF heradlc designs, il-
termngled with slips OF prlnted and manuscrp mat
Ter, are scattered about in every direction and to the
uu Inflated eye, the place seems to be in state OF de-
o paper and every ruae draft OF heraidic device IS
precious AZ virgin eold, all Is well ordered method
ERRORS ABOUT wAsHINGToS's ANCESTRY.
'Jaieu sparks and Washington Irving" observed
the geneaosst IN the course OF his very interesting
CONVERSATION, ''shoud have confined themselves
writing the Ito Washington TO Wash ngton himself
and IL mediate ancestors When they
tracing his remote gcnSalogy they fell into Tho most
absurd blunders."
But don't you think they had all possible facilities
afforded them IN Enga Tor tracing the ancestry Of
Washington through every avui able channel Ia pri-
and public libraries in government archives,
&c.y y''
II will admit all that, but purely literary man like
Washington Irving, more anxious to display the line
iucuies of his genius tor sentiment Inscription
voted the lcdioas work OF exact genealogical inquiry
bore Od took the materials nearest at hand SUIT
his purpose doubt II Washington Irving ever took
any pains TO sludy-n TACT bepsn to doubt if he Knew
oi The existence oil those rccorcs-lho Common Pleas
Rolls These rolls run over 1000 skins oi parchment
for every year. and are closely wrltton both sides
IN abbreviated Latin. They contain ytnlng rclat-
ing 10 law, both civil aud criminal In al parts ol Eng
land. with the Coroncrs' Rolls, &c They form an
extensive and valuable historical depository, and
been tho means OF clearing up and correcting
amount OF tho early history Of the country at the
time o. and subsequent TO the Norman Conquest
but wnat has all that got to do with the Washing
ton pcdigrcc?o
.lt has lns that these rolls, having bcen inacces
Bibc because inscr utabc, nave mover been used ny
the bistorians ot Washington the gcncaogisls who
have attempted 10 compile Washington pedigree,
and their disputes and controversies have been bitter
and fruiucss General Washington's ancestors Tor
many generations before they emisratcd to America
were agrcuitursts, and the reason that the OF
the two brothers, Lawrence ana john who came IN
1869, appear IN the published lists was because
they not subsidy men, but farmers OF good
estate; and this accounts also tor the tact that tho
historians we're unable 10 tho pedigree OF tho
Washington family IN England, as il could not be
found N any OF the public records except the Common
Pleas Rolls !"
TnE FOUNTAIN HEAD or wAsmiNGroS's ENGLISH an
CEsrRy.
swell, where uocs Washington Irving mako his
blundersy"
"wny, ne states that tho progcntor OF the Wash.
ington iamily England from whom was derived |
George Wasningiou, nrst President oi the United
Stalcs, was William dc Hcrlburn, OF Durham 1854
exchanged his village oi Hcrtburn the manor
anu village OF Wessyngton IN Durham, and changed
ms with tho estate 10 De Wessyngton, nd cc
the Boldcn Book 10 prove him the ancestor OF tho
Washington family, which the book tails 10 do, but
only rccItes tnat De Hortourn made tho !
exchange. lie mentions, next, William DO |
McsSyngton, who at tho battlo OF f.cwes.
IN i.6i lnerentiay son or grandson OF Wlinan
dc Ncrtburu, winch he was not. AS he was son ui
Waller. i'll Bondo DC Wcssyngton, Of Kavensworth,
Yorkshire. he next mentions Sir Stephen dc Wcs- |
sypgton. OF Durham, A. u. 1854 but docs state