The leader., 1889-11-16

Americans, which needs some comment in
letter touching on Washington. i. e., our
Identical with those of the President and
a~e the same as those borne by the Dur
ham and Northam ptonshire families.
And what have they done, these quarter
ingS? No more nor less than this-supplied
America with her flag. 1t was natural
process. how snoulo Gyoung state. spring
ing into almost sudden existence, be rep
resented to the winds and all nations OF
the world? Where choose q fashion how
how 10 display herself? To one man all
America felt herself behoven. To one man
she believed that she owed the greatest
part of her success in the struggle for lib
erty. What more natural. then, than to
take the quarteringS and seal of that man
torwhom SO much was owed and transform
them into flag? And its device-stars
and strtpes-was an effective emblem. On
some such consultation as this we may be-
lieve those quarterings were taken. The
three stars blossomed out in Washngton's
time to five. and in those later days it in
crossed to thirteen.
We as a family, it is no untruth to say.
have given the flag to America-we, Wash
ingtons. Whyssingtons. Quassingtons of
England. or whatever you may like to
call US.
The arms are: Two bars of gules: in chief
three mullets of the second. Crest, raven
with wings embossed proper, issuing from
a ducal coronet.
The crest, bird issuant, may have had
as well something to say in American en-
blems. That bird issuant shall spread it's
wings. And why not become an eagle with
wings quite Outstretchedp AS the stars
have multiplied from three to thirteen, the
bird may become ennobled. Indicating
the spreading fortunes and Vastness of a
new continent, the humber raven may have
grown into grander bird, and become the
spread-eagle of America, her sign and en-
blem-no uniting pendant to the star
spangled banner.
And now some one will say, Very we'll of
the past. but what of the present? What
are those Washngtons doing in England?
Is there life in the old stock yet? Have
they achieved aught?
Let US hope they are not quite useless in
their generation Five out of the seven
male cousins-chiliren of John and Adam
Washington of the last generation-are in
holy orders in the Church of England.
Four are benefieed in England. One-the
writer of these lines, the eldest son OF the
elder brother-is chaplain to one of the
Anglican churches in Paris with many
American friends and sympathizers among
his flock. Another brother is Commander
in H. b. NJ. service. third is Major in
the Corps of Royal Engineers. Admiral
Washington. father OF the writer. and
Adam Wash ington, respectively fathers of
the living cousins, were, the former in the
ROYAL Navy. the latter a barrister at law.
Such is u brief review of the. family his
tory. past ana present, or the Engnsn
Washingtons.
Al Boston Man Makes Some Interesting
DiscoverIes.I
Mr.. Henry F. Waters. whose discoveries
relative to the ancestors of John Harvard.
the founder Of Harvard College, attracted
so much attention a few years ago. has
now done an equally important work for
the Washington family. says recent Bos-
ton dispatch to the Chicago Tribune.
George Washington's English ancestry has
long been disputed point with historians.
The American line of Washingtons an
cestry has been easily traced back TO John
Washington, who with his brother Lawrence
came to Virginia from England about
1857. but there the course became un-
certain. Mr.. Waters has now cleared this
by his discoveries. Lawrence Washington.
son Of Lawrence Washington OF Sutgrave,
he finds. was fellow of Brasenose College.
Oxford. rector of Burleigh. in Essex. from
1858 to 1643, when he was elected by order
OF Parliament as malignant royalist. He
removed to Tring, in the county of Hert-
ford. where he died before 1866, leaving a
widow. Amphillis. and children John, born
June %. 1885: and William. Elizabeth.
Margaret and Martha. 1t was his sons John
and Lawrence who emigrated to Virginia
about 1857. On only two minor points can
tn ere be any doubt as to these facts. and
on these it is probable that further investi-
cation will remove all doubt.