Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-06-04
Masnic.t.r's al:as.rY.
THE OLD MAJOR HOUSE OF LAWRENCE
WASHINGTON IN ENGLAND, AND GOSSIP
CONCERNING THE FAMILY.


THE OLD MAJOR HOUSE OF LAWRENCE
WASHINGTON IN ENGLAND, AND GOSSIP
CONCERNING THE FAMILY.
Correspondence of the Pttsburg Gazettc.I
In the very heart of England. in the
midst of a rural landscape So pretty and
picturesque and finished looking that my
first exclamation when | saw it was,
"How very thoroughly English y on the
edge of a quaint and crooked village OF
graystonc, straw -thatched cottages, |
have recently visited what may be called
| the Grade of America.
1t is 4 simple Old manor house OF grey
stone. covered with ivy and lichens.
Once the abode Of stately gentlefolks,
it is now but a simple, somewhat tumble
down farmhouse. bat it is and has been n
house designed Tor peace and plenty.
/ We drove to Sulerave and halted. 1t
WAS the quictest and dullest of villages,
| but it had for me an interest which my
kind host duly appreciated. We went TO
the little stone church. with lis square
tower. and a village girl let us in. 1t is a
rough old church, III n truly deplorable
condition. The worst taste of the worst
period is shown everywhere. Ugly wood
! en- galleries, horrid ceiling, hideous pews,
I lcface the not otherwise unloyely shell of
ancient stonework. A barer. more neg
lec.ed looking church or chapel have
vet to see in England. There are some
marbles ON the walls recalling the mem
oriCs of lonG-forgotten nobodies, but the
point oi interest is in the aisle, where on
tie floor some fragments only of an old
brass tombstone are to he seen. The
rough wooden pews are SO bullt as to
covera portion of this interesting monu-
! men! and portion has disappeared
through the ravages of time and relic
hunters First there Is an inscription
which copied:
Here lyeth buried " hodys of Laurence
Washington. gent,
Fl AG.ir hi- wli; lay whome he hal
Issue iit suns and
of -- ann Is
IL Anne deceased the vi ,lay OF Oc.J-
her ana dinn 1864.
Below this is the hcatlless figure of
gentleman i'll brass, and below him four
lads in n row, each just half head short
er than the other. and below them again
are seven young ladies', all properly sized
and standing in row, and below them a
defaced coat of arms From the church
We went to the old manor house of Sui
grave, where this patriarchial Washing
ton lived 1t has been fine old hall,
bnt has got more and more out Of repair,
until now it is the home Of a plain
farmer
Once it was the property OF the priory
of ST. Andrews. but, upon the dissolu-
tion of that community, Lawrence Wash
ington received it with certain other land
us grant, and the said Lawrence Wash
ington Of Northampton, Gent, died in
1888 1. leaving tine manor house to his
sons, Robert and Lawrence, who, no
doubt, Were two Of the nicely graded
bows on brass plate in the church but
rs they got the estate they might at least
have filled in the date of their fathers
death on the tablet which he had proba
bly, had prepared when his wife Annie
died i'll 1861.
Robert and Lawrence did not care for
their patrimony. and sold it 10 their
nephew, Lawrence Makepcacc, and in
1910 Lawrence Washington removed to
Brighton. where he lived and died, and
whence his son John emigratcd to Amcri
ca about the middle of the seventeenth
century and his great grandson was the
father of his country and 50 We come
back to the .itamptschluss, rs | have
called the manor house Of Su!graTo.
There is but little Of interest to be seen
in the house, for the old woodwork and
stained windows have been removed in
great part, and hath and plastcrpartitions
have destroyed the proportion of hall
and kitchen. On the walls of one OF the
rooms are still to be seen lion rampant
and n griffin, both i'll stuccO and outside
in stone over the entrance porch these
same two hcraldic monsters support Il
shield bearing the arms Of the Washing
ton family. three stars and three stripes.
Those simple arms have attained proud
distinction since the day they were carved
in the stone over that pretty porch.
What are the achievements of the llOhcn-
zollorn or Bourbon. or Victim. the Ro-
manofT or the Bradcnburg when com
pared with the mighty victories of peace
gained beneath those arms of Sulgrave
manor? The triumphs of the Fredcricks
and Franchises and Louiscs pale INTO in
Significance before those mightier tri-
umphs Of liberty and humanity which
have been achieved beneath or inspired
10y those simple stars and stripes. And
what may | ask, are the grandeur and
/ power Of II single monarch, even such as
the emperor of Germany, II noble de
sc;ndant of mighty line, compared 10
III, ,oOn, 900 sovereign people all Legitimate,
/ heirs of that coat Of arms, and, us loyal
children OF their country, whose father
/ WAS George Washington, all lneally de
sccndcd from Lawrence Washington,
/ gent, who lies buried III Sulgravc church.