Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1895-05-24
ABOUT PEoleaeEs.
Tho DIVERS. for Example, May he were
do veres In Dlsz uise.

W0EOs
tie Veres In Disguise. -
A story in one of the, magazines
about a woman. named Diver, who
haunted genealogists and experts in
heraldry until she satisfied herself that J
her family name was De We're, and i'm
mcdiately adopted that patriotic patro-
nymic, affords no end of amusement to
photographers as illustrating the height
of absurdity in the quest of ancestry, s
says the Boston Transcript. But may
not the worthy Mrs, Diver have been
justified in her action? It, is very prob
able that Diver is p1ebeian, deforln-
ity of De We're, which time, custom,
carelessness and indifference to de-
scent 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 euphonius
name is treated with barbarity by
many who bear it, who pronounce it
Seemore, utterly oblivious that it comes
from ST. Maur. in which form it is now
written by the duke of Somerset, whose
heir is Lord Seymour. This family of
Seymours, by writing the name in it's
ancient and authentic form, and con-
serving its concentration as Seymour
in one of their titles, undoubtedly are
moved by the purpose of letting the
world know how they would have it
pronounced. Icy are q very old
race, associated with st. Maur in Nor
mandy before the Conqueror invaded
England. They are as proud rs the
proudest. When Sir Edward Seymour
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 said
the aristocrat of aristocrats, speaking
as the head of the elder branch, ''the
duke of Somerset is Of my family"
If a man or woman in America thinks
it worth the time and trouble to trace
descent in search of an ancestor it is
quite possible that he or she may make
II discovery gratifying to family pride.
Social lines have been much more close
ly 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
four hundred years ago for the sons of
mobiles to go into trade in association
with men who had made their way
from very humble beginnings. The
sons of country knights were often
glad to be taken into the counting
houses and households of the rich Lon
don merchants Marriages often fol-
lowed thabunitcd the bridesmaids fam
lily with old, historic lines. Very kind
ly relations sprang up between the pal
aces and "the city" Even monarchs
did not disdain to mate with ladies of
no higher rank than simple gentry.
Edward ". married Elizabeth Wood
vile, who. though the daughter of q
baron, was the widow of a simple
knight when the king, who was always
taken by n pretty face, met her. The
mighty Queen Elizabeth had among her
near llinsfolk on her mothers side some
good-natured everyday country 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 plain Welsh knight
who made lucky marriage-and she
sent her country relatives back with an
intimation that court life was not their
sphere, and with no sinecure to console
them. DIR. Doran conjectured that the
slang phrase: Astonishing the
Browns" long in vogue in England,
may have had it's origin in this Incl
dent. The Browns were types, for
there was many a plain coun-
try gentleman who might with genoa
logical justification "call the king
his cousin" All this has changed;
caste has hedged itself in within the
last two centuries; classes do not min.
gle so much as they did in the time OF
the Tudors, which is the best period for
Americans to study when in search OF
ancestors. If lady or gentleman with
L. - g..