The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-14
ABOUT PEDIGREEs.
Are the DIVERS, for Example, Only
We're dc Veres in Disguisef
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
A story in one of the magazines about
a woman named Diver who haunted
genealogists and eUerts in heraldry
until she satisfied herself that her fam
lily name was De We're and Immediately
adopted that aristocraud patronymic
affords no end of amusement to para
graphers as illustrating the hight of
absurdity in the quest Of ancestry. But
may not the worthy Mrs. Diver have
been justified in her action? 1t is very
probable that Diver IS a plebsan de-
formity of De We're, which time, Gus
tom, carelessness and an indifference to
descent brought about. Names suffer
just such mutilations and attrition in
the course of time, and are ground down
to an indistinct sound, losing edge and
accent in the process. We once heard
of a man who signed his name Simmer
without the slightest suspicion that
genealogy would have Justified him in
writing it Seymour This very beautiful
and euphontous name Is treated with
pronounce it Seemore, utterly oblivious
that II comes from st, Maur, in which
form 1t Is now written by the Duke of
Somerset, whose heir is Lord Seymour.
This family of SeymouFs, by writing
the name in its ancient and authentic
form, and conserving its concentration
as Seymour IN one Of their titles, un.
letting the world know how they woule
nave It pronounced. They are a very
old race, associated with Saint Maur in
Normandy before the Conquerer in
vaded England. They are as proud as
the proudest. When Sir Edward Sey-
mour Joined William of Orange at
Exeter the latter said: Il think, Sir
Edward, that you are Of the family
of the Duke of Somerset" Pardon me,
sir responded the aristocrat of aristo-
a. ~fr1r~ If h. IA,
family"
II man or woman in America thinks
II worth the time and trouble to trace
descent in search of an ancestor it is
quite possible that he or she may make
q 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 times
of the Plantagenets and the Tudors. 1t
was no uncommon thing 400 years ago
for the sons of mobiles to go into trade
in association with men who had made
their way from very humble beginnings
glad to be taken into the counting
houses and households of rich London
merchants. Marriages often followed
that united the BRIDESMAIDS family with
old, historic lines. Very kindly relations
sprang UP between the palaces and the
city Even monarchs did not desdain
10 mate with ladies Of no higher rank
than simple gentry. Edward ". married
Elizabeth WOodVtlle, who. though the
daughter or a baron, was the WIDOW OF
a simple knight when the king, who
was always taken by a pretty face, met
her. The mighty Queen Elizabeth had
among her near kinsfolk on her mothers
side some good-na tured, everyday coun-
try people who bore the name of Brown
and who when she came to the throne
visited London in the expectation Of
nepotism.
The great queen was more Tudor than
Brown-by the way, owen Tudor himself
was but a plain Welsh knight who made
n lucky marriage-and she sent her coun-
try relatives back with an intmation
that court life was not their sphere, and
with no sinecure to console them. DR.
Doran conjectured that the sfSng phrase
astonishing the Browns" long in vogue
in England, may have had II origin in
this incident. The Browns were types
for there was many a plain country
gentleman who might with genealogical
Justification "call the king his cousin"
All this has changed; caste has hedged
itself in within the last two centuries;
classes do not mingle 50 much as they
did I'm the time OF the Tudors, which Is
the best period for Americans 20 study
when In search of ancestors. II a lady
or gentleman with a taste for ancestors
wants TO crafty II, il rs only an embit-
tered enemy OF the Herald office who will
seek 70 thwart the endeayor.