The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1883-02-22
GEN. wAsHINGToNs GREAT-GREAT-
GRANDFATHER

Perhaps no place in ''the old country is cal
culated to be Of more interest to Americans than
the parish of Brington, in Northamptonsh SHIRE its
old church containing, as il does, memorials of
the most curious and suggestive of the Wash
ington ancestry, while at Althorp House, and
the villages of Great and Little Brington. there
are mementoes of the same family no less inter
esting. The parish of BringtOn is situated
about six miles from Northampton and contains
the villages of Great and Little BringtOn, No.
bottle, and AlthOrpe, the seat of the Spencer
family-a family that has been power in the
State, and has influenced the turn of affairs for
many generations. Great BringtOn Tor Brich-
ton, as it is called by the natives from bryn
hill, aud ton, town. is a village of some hundred
to "A hundred and twenty HORSES and is tbs.
seat of the parish church. Little Brington
and NObOttle are mere hamlets. The former
is about half mile from Great Brington and
is noteworthy as containing the hOuse formerly
occupied by the ancestors of George Washing
ton.
The church at Little Bringtou-an ancient
structure dedicated to the Virgin-bears traces
of many alterations aud RESERVATIONS Original
~ of the style known as decorated it now has
the appearance of a perpendicular church, from
the repairs and additions made by the families
of Ferrers, Grey, and Spencer, during the fif-
teenth and sixteenth centuries. Ii consists of
n tower containing five bells, nave north, and
south asles, modern sOuth porch, chancel, and
north chapel. The north chapel is divided from
the chancel by three pointed arches completely
built up with monuments, and from the north
aisle by an arch closed with wooden SCREEN
Ii is lighted by three uniform windows. This
is the mOrtuary chapel of the Spencers and eN-
hibits an interesting and almost unbroken series
of tombs and cihgies from the time of TndOrs TO
the present day. Of the mural monuments one
of the latest is in marble, sculptured by Flax
man, to the memory of Georgina Countess Spcn-
GER. Another is to the memory of Sir John
Spencer, the third of the Althorpe linz. who
married n Kitson, daughter of Sir Thomas Kit
son, London merchant, and through whom he
became related to the Northauts Washington
family.
There is a tradition that when Charles l. was
a prisoner at HOlmby HOuse-'the fair house of
Holmby"-situated within some three miles of
Brington, and distinguishable amid the trees to
the southwest from the church yard, he used to
come and receive the communion through the
altar rails, he being more or less excOmmunca-
ted by the chaplain of the mansion where he
Il state prisoner. The church is supposed
to have been erected toward the end of the
thirteenth eentury, and many parts Of the in
terror resemble portions of Henry the Seventies
chapel at Westminster. This from the
circumstance that the same architect had been
employed on both.
Bnt more interesting to Americans than the
tombs of the Spencers or the tradition of kings
are the memorials Of the family which gave
birth to one who was more than a king amongst
men. On the pavement of the chancel, be-
meath, the shade. as il were, of the splendid
Spencer monuments, is a stone slab. bearing the
inscription:
'Here leth the bOdi of Lawrence Washington
some and heire of Robert Washington of Sovl-
grave in the COuntie of Northampton Esquier
who married Margaret the Eldest daughter of
William Butler of Tees in the COuntie of Sus-
sexe Esquier who had issue by her sonnes and
daughter, which Lawrence Deceased the Ii of
December A. Dni. 1916.
Those that by chance or choyce of this hast sight