The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-03-29
rHE MAsHINGTONs.
An Interesting Account Of tho washington
Family.


15Oth anniversary OF the birth of
George Washington. Old style still
prevailed throughout the British en-
pire in much the greater part Of the
regin of George IL. (1727-60), and did
so in 1731.32, the year beginning on
the 25th of March, as o rule; so that
Washington was born in the year 1871,
according to the ordinary mode of fix
ing years and dates and days in the old
country, the usages of which governed
the new country to which Virginia
even then the ancient dominion-be-
longed one hundred and fifty years ago.
When the English adopted the REFORM
in 1852, 270 years later--things were
properly arranged, the year being made
TO commence on the 1st of jan
uary, while eleven days were omitted
from the calendar-the Sd of Septem-
Der being reckoned as the 14th of Sep
tember, 1852, whence the call of so
many Of the intelligent men OF that
year, "Give us back our eleven days T.
Washington's birthday thus was made
to fall on the 22d of February, and he
completed his majority on that date in
1853. He was the eldest SOD, by a
second marriage, of Augustine Wash
ington, grandson of John Washington
who came to America, it is supposed,
in the year 1857, or thereabout- say
some two hundred and twenty-four
years ago. His mother was
Mary Ball, Augustine's second wife, who
survived her husband for more than
forty-six years, as she died in August,
1889, and his death occurred in April,
1743. She lived to see her eldest son,
become one of the most immortal of
men. The Washingtons were
of the English gentry, and of
a very old race. It is believed
that they were of some note in the
tenth century, long before the Con-
quest. 1t is certain that they were of
established fortune in the thirteenth
century, living in the north of Eng
land, Durham, q county Paldtine.)
William De Hertburn was the first of
them who can be considered indisputa-
bly, historical. Exchanging his estate
for that of WeSsington, he took the
latter name; and he must be considered
the progenitor of all the Washingtons,
and they are many. The family were
of considerable distinction, and spread
to many parts of England-Northum-
berland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, War
wickshire and Northamptonshire Law
renee Washington, whose father (John)
is known, was mayor of Northampton in
1882, just three hundred and Fifty
years ago. This was temp Hen. VIII;
and in 1889 Lawrence obtained part
of the spoil Of the monasteries-the
manor of Sulgrave. This long remained
in the family, and came to be known
as the Washington manor. The John
Washington and Lawrence Washington
who came to America in 1857 were
great-grandsons of the first Lawrence
Washington of Sulgrave; and George
Washington was the great-grandson of
the John Lawrence who came over in
1867, accompanied by his brother
Lawrence. The pedigree is very re-
spectacle. even if we go no farther back
than to John Washington of Warton,
father of the mayor of Northampton,
who probably was born under the
Plantagenetss that dynasty becoming
extinct in 1485. The active Washing
tons of the time of the great civil wat
were royalists, and some of them were
persons of distinction, and fought on
those fields
"Where the wicked cavaliers did run
The clean contrary way"
But the fortunes of war fiually were
with the RJundheads, and the two
brothers, John and Lawrence, who ar
rived in Virginia in 1867, were politi-
chl exiles, who had found it would be
good for their health to leave England
General " ashington, in 1892, spoke o.
"the usurpation Of Oliver Cromwell,
though he had played part in Americi
not unlike to that which Cromwell hat
performed in England. Our first Pres
ident was man of good lineage
Probably he was of the best blood o
any of the Presidents, who, though O
good positions, were oftenest sons o
their own works, or grandsons. Mr.
Hawthorne, in his "English Note
Books" writes concerning his jour
ney from Newcastle to York, il
1856: "Al remember of thi
tract of country is that one of tn,
stations at which we stopped for an in
stant is called Washington, and this il
no doubt the old family palace wher,
the De Wessingtons, afterward tht
'Washingtons,' were first settled il
England" There is a parish of Wash
ington in Durham, and a township O
Washington in that parish; and a par
ish of Washington in Sussex-and il
Derby there is township of Wessing
ton or Washington in the parish O
Orich. There is ahamlet of washington
or Washington in the parish of Oampden
Chipping, Gloucester. Thus the nam
is somewhat common in widely-separ
ated English shires. though it does no
appear to be borne by any place of note
The title of Wellington is derived from
the parish and market town of Yelling
ton, in Somersetshire, which is not
large place. But little is known of tn
Northern Wessingtons, but we ca
easily believe that they were all aliv
and active, and that they cut Scottisl
throats, or had their throats cut b
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