The New York herald., 1878-11-04
WASHNG7ON'S ANCESTORS.
Interesting Memorials Of an English
County Family.
A VISIT TO BRINGTON.
Origin of the Stars and
Stripes.
The Washngtons and Frankns Of
Northampton
A VISIT TO BRINGTON.

LONDON, Oct. ID. 1878.
Tho Royal Archaeological Society OF Great Britain
and Ireland, tho president ol which Is for the time
being the Lord Talbot do Malahds, r. 8. A., lately
held ts annual meeting at Northampton. The
place chosen for the meeting OF the society Is one
exceedingly rich, not only regards its historical
importance, but also In respec. TO its objects Of
rch@ology and architectural interest. The county
Of .ssQuires and spires" connected with some OF
The most stirring pages OF English history; It can
boast OF tho oldest ecclesiastical and military
monuments in the United Kingdom, aud il rare
hunting ground for 'qusslsrs OF ancient remains
THE wAsHISGroNs FRANKLrSs.
Northampton boasts with considerable pride Of her
and interesting history, as unfortunately con-
neoted with that Of the ruling houses OF England
and with NO less degree OF graduation that
she claim to have been the homo and birthplace
Of members OF The FRANKLIN and Washington families,
and especially OF that Sir John Washington, tho
"emigran,," who went TO Virginia to. become the
grandfather OF the Father OF his Country Washing
TOMS Lawrence, lies buried
In the church at Brngton about seven miles distant
from the town Of Northampton, and on the tomb
slab are the arms "which may have suggested the
stars and stripes OF tho American ensign" Says q
guide book before me, "Lawrencs's son John emf
grated to America about 1867. and his son
settled a. Bridges Creek. where the great
George was born In 1732 The grandfather
OF the Lawrence who lies at Brinaton was twice
Mayor OF Northampton, IN 1882 and 1916, and had
granted him BY Henry VIII. the lands OF sulgrave.
which became the chief family residence. ana tho
manor house. which stili remains though now
common farmhouse. A tomb in the church OF Sui;
grave still retains the and names OF OF the
family. and within few years tho shields Of the
Wasningtons were seen W Washington Irving-wnere
,hey are longer-in tho kitchen
window. What would tho Americans who.
having at nrst sxpunged "heradry" IRON
Iher cyclop@ lias, are now the chief clients
u the Hsra!ds College, give 10 recover those
purloined broken quarries? By . singular coin
cdeuce from the adjoining parish OF Warden sprung
The family OF Lord North, the groat antagonist OF
Washingt Ton, and Primo Minister during The American
war;" Aud more interesting still, tho cradle OF tho
Franklin family is not ten miles away from the once
home Of wssnington's ancestors Franklin's grand
father was a blaoksmith ana small proprietor at
Ecton-a little village about two miles outside OF
town OF iNorthampton--wnere his iamily had lived
on a freehold OF about thirty acres for full threc
hundred years, beyond VIII the did not
bend Arare ground, you see, for American wander
ers.
ARCHAE0LoGIsT.
visited Northampton in order accompany the
members OF the Archaeological Institute their in
tsresting wanderinGs, induced by the promise OF n
visit 10 Brington, tho home OF Washingtons ances-
soon lost sight OF the srch@oogists, for be-
camo very troublesome TO look ut every church and
gravostone which had only local interest started
alone 70 Bringion too, and was amply repaid for my
trouble The story OF the ancestors vi Washington
descent accurately traced from the Washing tons Of
Sulgrave and from thence TO South Cave, In YORK
nre ~. x,,m,o from wnoh .r place 'ns m,sf.S ,o
ton iam,y had resided at the little village
d Brngson was not known unt,l some
Row john Nassau Simpknson, rector OF the village,
delivered lecture on the subject. and ncrward wrote
Country Parish IN the Seventeenth Century," Tho
Rev. Mr. SImpxinson at that time great favOrtc
WITH the American colony IN London, and every
kourt: Of July he came ~ ne metropolis and spoke
on his tavorite subject. am afraid that as novel
tue Rev. Mr.. simpkinson's book on ''rhe Washing.
tous" must be considered failure. The heroine Is
Amy Washington but the only interest she ever In
spires IN the reader when she VISITS LORD Spencsrs
halls and banques, and thus gives the learned
An excuse Tor describing TO US rural lie 10
bygone age. And even this he does badly. An his
torcal essay would. however, have been much more
valuable ait; but nfortunstsly. the reverend gen.
teman nad all tho materials, only he tosk pains to
bury II under a painful load Of Theological fiction
winch Is very tiresome 20 wade through. Stiii as
said, the book contains sixty or seventy pages OF
most valuable "notes" on tho washingto oi Sui
wsrk is preiaccd with sxseion. views OF the little
church OF Brington and the small house In Little
Brins,on supposed 70 have been oScap,sd by the
we owe everything we Know about the Washington
family Ia It's distress.
THE PILGRIMAGE.
Tho journey from Northampton TO Bringtcn Is q
most charming drive, along pleasant lanes and shady
hedges, ana, you WIZ ,ns0Ssn sn sng n0os PARK ,s ..
Carter Lord Lieutenant OF the county, member OF the
House o Peers and keeper OF the nnest pack OF fox
hounds the county. Tho distance is aoout seven
miles; the country i asrcujturaily speaking, rich
aud lovely, anG gazing on u wnis in all toe beauty
and fruitiulness OF It's summer state can vol un.
derstand The tensity Of the struggle posses
sion Tor centuries between Brlon Roman,
Saxon; D.ns s,en sn0 as msS I'm. PARK Anop
wooded, aud drive along ITS snady avenues on
bright sunny day - delightful boyona description.
Herds OF ialow deer gaze nj you In shy wonder;
rpendid cattle Craze the grassy slopes Ito IN
lazy ENJOY beoeath the cool shade OF magnificent
blns Deecnes, while 0vorhead lar above the tops OF
The mighty trees, on outstreiched wing, wheels tho
wacnfui hawk or kcstrel or flaps the dark her
way TO avorite nshlng spots In the near valley Of
Non, Tor Allhorp has been the home or the heron
from time ,mmsmoria. The mansion, like so
many OF tho houses OF The elder nob,liiy,
consists oil an extensive range ol build
ings In the Italian style. Il 10 at
present UNDERGOING repairs and ressoration and
family consequently living Southampton House,
hard by. One deOouches from The park cioss Bring
ton church. which forms sufficiently spicuous OBJ
ject. standing ast does on tnc brow sIocp hill
the northeast angle oil tho village, whence the eye
may wander over magnificent cxpanse OF country
rolling, fertile richly wooocdat present streaksd
and patched with tho gold Of the coming harvest.
Away the right, nj distance OF somc three miles
may be deserted Holmoy Housc-s.the fair house OF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. rs DcinR tue nrst oil that sertcs
prisons through which King Charles passed ~ the
scalold.
a MODEL VILLAGE.
The village OF Brington Is II struggling collection OF
from q hundred and hfty to two hundred cottage
houses, laid out IN ono long winding street. The
cottages really charming little dwellings; IN iact
II thev were placed along tho banks OF tue Rhine
they might be styled, with some degree Of justice,
villas, for tho lord Of tho broad manor rich and
. good landlord anu he loves those noieI cot.
tagos his estates In place Of the Bulgarian huts
that SO frequently disngure the charm OF
English landscapes. Leaving tho beauu ul park
there Is long, narrow avenue OF trees,
shading a well aravelied pathway--lt Is the pri-
vatc ootpnth used by the lord oil the when no
goes TO the church hts dcvotions-uscd doubtless
many q ,timo by Lawrence Washington and the Lord
Spencer OF earlier days, when, after morning service
on sundays my lord would nsk his Impoverished rel
attve 10 dine ut tho hall, and sent messenger to
MISTRESS Washington, down 10 the small house al
Little Brnston TO say that she should not expect her
good man home Till alter dinner Emerging from the
shady avenue we como upon the village churcn, and
near by, large Elm Leneath which stili stanus the
sillage cross In tocrably good state OF preserva-
uon, anu bcaring dial on ltS Great lbouph