Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-19
AMERICAN SNOBBERY.
Inc dumbug of Heraldry-Big Fish
Biting at Bare Hooks

Biting at Bare Hooks.
Neao York Truth.
Nearly quarter of a century ago man
named Albert Welles established an
American College Of Heraldry, which had
an exceedingly prosperous career, as will
be made manifest in a few days. when
Melles' effects come under the hammer.
That Welles was charlatan there is no
good reason to doubt, but he secured the
most distinguished lot of dupes which
any OF his kind ever gained. Life men,
bership in Welles' College cost $50. and
among those who paid their money
were Edward Everett; Daniel S. Dickin-
son, who acknowledges receipt of a family
record and is proud that his family could
boast so proud an origin:' Rueben e.
Fenton. who announces his intention TO
have his certificate framed and placed in
his 'home library at jamestown; :" Robert
b Roosevelt, who writes, II inclose
check, but do not think you can make
much OF our coat of arms" Charles
OCOnOr, William c. Bryant, William III.
Seward, Hamilton Fish, Marshall =.
Wilder, James II. Keene and James A.
Garfield.
GENERAL GARFELD'S LETTER.
General Garfield's letter was charac-
terlStic one and as such deserves pub-
licity. Here it is
"HIRAM, OHIO, October II. 1871.
DEAR SIR have received the circu-
lar and prospectus of the Society of 5Ge-
theological Registry of the United States
Tor which please accept my thanks.
Americans have gone so far in despis-
ing those pretensiOns which are based
wholly on birth and family relationship
mat they have neglected to preserve the
materials for family history. and i rejoice
that an attempt is to be made to supply
this want. AS a basis for the study of
character, your records will be most pre-
ciOus.
SIN recent Grafton on the life and char
acter of General George II. Thomas. | had
occasion to say, Each human being pos
sesses forces and qualities that may date
back centuries and find their origin in the
life and thoughts of remote ancestors:
forces, the germ of which, enVeloped in
the awful mystery of life, have been trans
mltted silently from generation to genera
tlon. Each new life is thus the
heir OF all the ages You will see from
this how highly | appreciate all efforts to
preserve the rich materials of family his
tory. Very truly yours,
81. A. GARFIELD"
ROSCOE CONKLING DECLINES,
In marked contrast with it was the let
ter OF Roscoe Conkling, declining to be
caught, as follows:
"UTICA, n. Y, Oct. 10, 1871,
albert VetteS, Esq, President:
DEAR SIR: Acknowledging yours of
yesterday, Just received, / know that l
have been remiss in not responding touch
ing the Genealogical Register, and / know
we'll how provoking it is to encounter in
an enterprise the apathy of others. But
the truth is, l have not the knowledge re-
qulsite to enable me to help, nor have |
n n TO ral,f 81
would assist me in gathering the knowl-
edge you ask for. When add that / am
pressingly occupied all the time, YOU will,
/ trust, excuse me for not undertaking
the matter.
every respectfully,
ROSCOE CONKLING."
1t will be observed that there is a differ
ence Of only two days in the dates of these
epistles.
SOME OF THE DUPES.
When Welles died there was no one who
could carry on the trade in ancestors, and
so all the stuff which he had collected was
sent to auction. A most remarkable col
lection it is. First to be mentioned is
Welles' Doomsday Book, an immense vol
ume filled with blank leaves where any
one could enter his name and family pedi-
gree for a consideration. The only use of
the DOomsday Book was to help to dupe
people by its imposing appearance. How
many were duped through it it is, of
course, impossible to tell, but the auc-
tiOneer will offer for sale something like
1900 manuscript genealOgies of American
families, and handsomely and extensively
printed volumes with portraits and coats
of arms and crests of the following fami-
lies: Barron, Buell., Cary, Page, Frost,
Stokes, Dunbar, Grace, Kip, Cook, Lyon,
Kendell, Flower, Corners, Mortimer,
Snow, Wheeler, Martin, COnover and Fish.
REMARKABLE FAMILY HISTORY.
Some of these genealogies are very
amusing. According to the Fish pedigree,
as given by Welles, Mr.. Hamilton Fish is
descended from an old Saxon family SPELL
ed Fysche. The crest is fish so remark
able that an AgassiZ would find in it
new species.
The late lamented Welles would have
the world believe that all the Martins in
this country are descended from Pope
Martin de EOdi, elected the 73d Pope, A.
ID. 649. In England the Martin family
began with Baron Martin de Tours, who
was eneral in the army of William
the COnqueror. Christopher Martin, with
his wife and child, came over in the May
flower, but they were all kind enough to
die without delay. According to Welles,
the greatest of all the American Martins
are the Martins of New Jersey. William
Augustus Martin, of New York, whose
portrait is given, apparently paid for
these remarkable researches relating to
the Martins.
Bishop Kip, of California, hired Mr..
Welles to tell the history of the Kip fami-
ly, and Welles did it so well that nobody
would suspect from the story that the
first of the Hips in New Amsterdam was
only tailor or something of that kind,
or that he was only called Kip by courtesy
as we now say Reddy the Blacksmith, or
Tommy the Kid. Kip meant chicken, and
old Hendrick something was Familiarity
known in his day as Hendrick the Chicken,
Hendrick Kype,
Mr.. Samuel ConOver, who wanted to be
Mayor some years ago, and whose pOr-
trait is given with the genealOgy of the
ConOvers, was informed by Mr.. Welles
that the COnovers were originally COnen-
hOYens, and only began to be COnoVers in
the sixth generation. Mr.. Samuel Como
yer belongs to the ninth.
EX-MAYOR GRACE A LIFE MEMBER,
These remarkable family histories cam
not fail to excite great deal of interest,
1t may be mentioned that the Grace re-
ferred to above is Mr., William X. Grace,
formerly of Ireland and recently Mayor
of New York. Before he had the geneal-
ogy of the Graces printed, numerous cop
les of which may soon be bought at pub
lie auction, he wrote the late Iamented
Welles the following letter:
"NEW YORK, October Is, 1879,
"Albert W'elles, Esq, President american
COLLEGE for GeRedIOqtcdl Registry, etc.:
"SIR-In compliance with your invita-
ton, l hereby consent to unite with the
Council of Regents and become a life
member of the above named institution,
Herewith find photograph asked for, also
my signature in full. The crest of my
family as used by them in Ireland | will
procure and send to you.
81 will do myself the pleasure of calling
personally at an early date. Very truly
yours, WILLIAM r. GRACE"