Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-11-05
WashtngtOn's Ancestors.
A correspondent of The New York Her

u
nov in England says;
Northampton boasts with considerable pride
Ct bes rare and Interesting history, az untortu-
DatsY connected With that of the ruling houses
# Eog!acd, and with no less degree OF self
copslatulation that she can Claim TO have
been the home and birtbplace Of members Of
The Frauku aad Washington families, and
especially Of that Sir John Washington, the
'enigtant,' who Wens to Virginia to be.
como the grandfather OF the Father CT his
Country. Washington'S great.gr grand.
father, LsWrepcs, lies buried 10 the church
ct Bring!on, about seven miles distant from
tbs town Of Northampton, and on the tomb
slab arc the arms which may have suggested
tho stars aud stripes Of the American ensign.
| Says guide book before me, "LaWrence's
son John emig!eted to America about 1857, and
his son settled at Bridges Creek, where the
great George was born 10 1892 The grandfather
of the Lawrence who lies at Brington was twice
| Mayor of Northampton, in 1892 and l545, and
had granted him by Henry VIII the lands Of
SuIerave. which became the chief family resi-
deuce, and the manor house, which still RENAME,
though nov a common farmhouse. A tomb in
tho church of Su'grava still retains the arms
ard names Of one of the family, and within q
few years the shields OF the Washiogtons were
seen by Washington lrvng-where they are to
be seen no !onger-n the kitchen window.
What would the Americans who, having at
frs. expunged "heraldry" from their cyclop.
&c has, are now the chief clients OF the Herald s
| College, give to recover those purolacd or
broken quarri:s? By singular coincidence
from the adjoining parish Of Warden sprung
the family of Lord North, the great antagonist
1 e l,,r; ho
American var" And, moro Interesting still,
the cradle Of the Franklin family is not ten
miles away from the once home of Washing.
tons ancestors. Frauk!in's grandfather was O
blacksmith and small proprietor at Eoton-a
Of Observation-Disclosures bis family had lived
on freehold Of about thirty acres for full three
hundred years, beyond which the records did
not extend. rare ground, you SEQ, for Amer
icau wanderers.
OF the ''enigrant' prior to bis leaving Eog-
land net much bas been discovered. Flo up.
pears, however, above all others Of the family,
to have been On intimate terms with the Spen
GERS to the very eve of tho civil war. When
the civil var broke out the WashlDgtons took
the side OF the King, and fought for him with
that bravery Of devotion which ever appears to
have been characteristic Of the males of the
family The name Of Sir Henry Washington
is we'll kaown to those who are acquainted with
the history of TIC civil wa1; how he led the
5tormug party at Bristol and defended Wor.
cester We have it on the contemporary au
thority Of Lloyd that this Colonel Washington
vas SO well known for bis bravery that II DO.
came provcrb il the army when difficulty
arose, Away with It, quoth Washington.
Simpkirson ooui lectures that Sir John had q
Place at Court, procured there by his tiiead
tee great Duke OF Buckingham, through whom
he suppnses he obtained his manor at South
Cave in Yorkshire, where he last resided prior
to MS departure for Firgini: IN 1867. Wash
iog!on living supposes that nc and his brother
Lawrence went to Virginia 10 consequence or
being implicated ia the royalist conspiracy OF
1856. Whether ali or any Of Sir Johns sous
went With him there are no means or knowing.
The South Cave estate remained 10 the " ash.
icgtoG family for some generations later, as IS
shown by the parish register but the record Is
incomplete, part of the register having boen
destroyed. need rot follow Sir John to
South Cave because the historians have treat
ed the subject fully. J. shall close With the
resume of the relation Of the Washiugtons 10
the parish of Brington and the oher places 10
Northauptorshice mentioned. Some OF the
nfereuces drawa from the laos may be erro.
neous, tus the Facts themselves ere beyond dis
pu'e. Although the Washington memorials at
Briaston ere TO- ulk1oEo, still they are but
ra.tly VISITED by Americana. Mr. Sumner
and Mr. Motley have both been there, the SEX
ton told me, aud f.w Americas visit the
ucig b borhood every year. have heard sloce
my return to London, OF another village, near
E7, where there cZis: 10 the church memorial
windows OF some members Of the Washington
family, recording their connection With tho Re
formation movement a England.