Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-28
ABOUT pEDfGREES.
Are the DIVERS. for Example. Only
We're de VercS In Disguise:
Boston Transcript.

A story In one of the magazines about
n woman named Diver, who haunted
genealogsts and experts III heraldry until
she satisfied herself that her family name
was De We're. and Immediately adopted
that aristocratic patronymic affords no
end OF amusement TO paragraphers. a.
Illustrating the height of absurdity III the
quest of ancestry. But may not IN,
worthy Mrs. Diver have been justllled IN
her action2 II Is very probable that DIV
Yer is n plebeian deformity. of De We're
which time. custom, carelessness, ana
an Indifference to descent brought about
Names suffer just such mutilations, and
attrition in the course OF time, ana are
ground down TO an indistinct sound
losing edge and accent in the process
We once heard of a man who signed MS
name Simmer without the slghtest sus
nicion that genealogy would nave Jusu-
fed him in writing IL Seymour. This very
beautiful and euphonious name is treated
with barbarty by many who bear u, VINO
pronounce it Seemore. utterly "biiVious
that II comes from 81 Maur, IN Whlc.
form ii is now written by the Duke Of
Somerset. whose heir Is LORD seymour
This family of Seymours, by. writing the
name in its ancient ana authentic form
and conserving its concentration AS Sty-
nour in one of their titles. undoubtedly
are moved by the purpose of letting the
world know how they would have II pro
nounced. They are a very old race, as
ISOLATED with Saint Maur n N1rmandy
before the Conqueror invaded England
They are as proud as the proudnst; When
Sir Edward Seymour Joined William OF
Orange at Exeter, the latter said: u think
Sir Edward. that you are of the family
of the Duke of Somerset" Pardon me-,
sir" responded the aristocrat of aristo-
cra:s. speaking as the head of the sider
branch. 1.-THE Duke OF Somerset is OF my
family" . .,,,.-
II worth the time and trouble 10 trace
descent in search of an ancestor IL Is
quite possible that he or she may MAKE
a discovery gratifying to family pride
Social lines have been much more closely
drawn in Great Britain in the last Two
centuries than they were in the tunes
Of the Plantagenets and the Tudors II
was no uncommon thing 400 years ago
for the sons of mobiles TO go into trade
associations with men VINO had mace
eir way from very humble beginnings
The sons of country knights were, often
clad to be taken into the counting houses
and households Of rich London merchants
Marriages often followed that united me
bridesmaids family with old. historic lines.
Very kindly relations sprans up pe' WI
archs did not disdain TO mate win ladies'
Of no higher rank than simple gentry.
Edward " married Elizabeth Woodvliie'
who. though the daughter or a baron
was the widow of simple knight when
tn King. who was always taken by d
pretty face, met her. The mighty queen
Elizabeth had among her near kinsfo!k
on her mothers side some gOod-naturef,
everyday country people, who bore the
name Of Brown, ana who when she came
10 the throne visited London In the eN-
DectatiOn of nepOtlsm. A..
The great Queen was NOR TUDOR tiiati
RrOWn-by the way, owen Tudor himsei II
was but a plain Welsh knight. who made
q lucky marriage-and she sent her cOsui Z
try relatives back with an intlmatlon
that court life was not their spher-, ana
with no sinecure TO console them. Or
Doran conjectured that the slang phrase,
Astonishing the Browns long in vogue
in England. may have had its origin in
this incident. The Browns were TYP s.
for there was many plain country gen,
ileman who might with genealogical
justification "cali the king his cousin. ,
All this has changed; caste has hedged
itself in within the last two centurle $:
classes 10 not mingle so much as they
did in the time of the 1udors. when ls
The best period for Americans TO study
when in search of ancestors. il lady
or gentleman with a taste for ancestors
wants to crafty II. II is only an embit-
cred enemy of the Heraldry Office who
viii seek to thWart the endeaVOr.