The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-05-12


TON, ENGLAND.
About twenty years ago | paid visit
to Aithorp House. the seat of the Spen-
GERS, which has stood for centuries under
the same line of owners; the present Earl
being Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and
President of Her Majesty's counsel. The
house itself is what is known in England
as a show house; that is, visitors. in the
absence of the family, and with free tick
cts issued by the steward, may by cour-
tesy visit and view it, piloted by one of
the upper servants. Here is much to in
terest the vistor-statues, pictures, fur
nture, china, brc-a brac, etc. There is,
too, one of the finest private libraries
i'll the world. One remarkable book
alone cost e., 2G0 or s11 300. There are
in the grounds many white peacocks, the
only specimens ever saw. The Prince
Of Wales paid visit to the Earl and
| Countess short time before his mar
Iiige, in 1862, and hunted with that pop
ular pack of hounds known as the Pytch
ley. Earl Spencer for several seasons
was the master; and hunted them him.
self
After viewing Althorp we visited the
church at Brngton. This is the parish
church for Althorp, and it is here that
the ancestors Of the Spencer family lie
buried. The mausoleum reminds one of
| Westminster Abbey in miniature HeIe
is fine marble carvings by Chantry,
| Flaxman and others-knights, armed cap
" pie, in marble, devoutly folding their
hands, medalions ancient heroes and
departed greatness On passing down
the middle aisle of the church the parish
clerk called our attention to the memori-
al brass plate of the Washingtons which
les there. at the same time remarking:
This is a great curiosity, as it bears
the arms of the family-the stars and
Stripes
Do you mean to say asked |, ''that
the family arms of the WashingtonS were
stars and stripes? -
"Certainly they were" said he, "and
Earl Spencer often brings gentlemen here
to see this brass. Senator Sumner was
here not long ago, and there is monu-
ment in the chancel to Laurence Wash
ington, the brother of Robert, which has
the stars and stripes on, too, and this
| Laurence is the last iineal ancestor who
lies buried in England.
The following is copy of the original,
engraved in Roman capitals:
Here lies inferred We bodies of Eli
Zab: Washington widdOwe who
changed this life for immortallitie We
10Th of March. 1922. AS also We body
| of Robert Washington gent. her late
husband second some of Robert
Washington of Solgrave in We Gown
| ty of North Esqr who deptd this life
We 10th of March 1929 after they lived
lovingly together in this parish.
The brass itself is in far preservation,
but the lower edge has been worn away.
took a rubbing of it with heel ball on
paper and recently traced every letter.
AT sOLGRAvE.
AS pondered the thought occurred to
me that if this was a SOP of Robert Wash
ington. of Solgrave, possibly there may
be other relies in that village. which is
about eighteen miles distant. accord
ingly wrote to the clergyman at Srlgrave,
asking the question, ara received in re-
;,,c
was brass on the grave of Laurence
Washington. | then asked whether |
could get a rubbing of it, and received,
in reply, a beautiful copy of the inscrip-
ton and also of the sheld-the stars and
stripes again-and the date, 156I, which
was the date of the death of Aimee, his
wife. OF these brasses | will speak fur
Their on. This Laurence is the one named
by Jared Sparks. who states in the intro
duction to his life of Washington, that
General Washington was great grand
son of John. who emigrated to Bridges
Greek, in 1851. and sixth in descent of the
first Laurence Washington, of Solgrave."
1t appears he was lawyer of Gray's Inn,
London, and retired 20 Northampton in
/ the early part of the sixteenth century.
and was elected Mayor of Northampton
in 1913, and again in 1916. Northampton
is about the oldest corporate town in
| England, King John held a parliament
there. In the corridor of the Town Hall
there is list of Mayors for the last five
centuries, arranged in five rows. Each
| Mayor has his name on small oak
shield, about six inches broad, and Lau-
renee Washington consequently has two.
bearing the dates of his mayoralty. |
made IA personal visit to Solgrave, and |
strongly advise any travellers inclined to
do the same, to hire a conveyance and a
guide, or they will certainly get lost in
those winding lanes that lead to nowhere
took guide and found the church, but
the vicar had died recently, and his Sue
cesSor had not arrived, SO the flock was
without a shepherd. The church is one
of those few old fashioned ones which
have not been restored. There are the
square oak pews in the gallery for the
yeoman farmer, kept sacred for his own
family. My guide informed me hat some
owners of pews had locks on them, to
keep out intruders. AS Il rule now. in
all English churches, the body of the
church has unappropriated seats, open to
all. found in the western aisle the
graveStone was seeking, and on its sur
face several brasses. all we'll preserved.
except the shield. This had evidently
been walked over for centuries, and it is
difficult to trace the stars and stripes.
Still, dim outlines are there TO show that
they once existed The inscription on
the brass is, on the contrary, almost as
clear and sharp as on the day it was
written. The following is copy of the
wording, the type being old English
Here lyeth We bodys of Laurence
Washington, Gent, and AIMEE his
wyf by whome he had issue iii sons
and VII daughts. We Laurence dyed
We -- day of -. Ano 10, and
AIMEE deceased the VI day of Octo
Der, ano DIN, 1854.
Underneath are the ei1gies of the
father in his mayor 5 robes, and Oh either
side Of him his four sons and seven
daughters, very quaint, but certainly the
dress of the period. Any one reading
the inscription will be struck by the
1 r.. 80