Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-07
SALE OF GOLD WASHINGTON HALL"
The Ancient Seat OF the Ancestors of
George Washington in England.

The Newcastle England Daily Chroni-
Gle of January 22d last announces the
SALE the night before for fi05, to Joseph
Dickinson, "a well-known tradesman." or
"the old mansion known as old Washing
ton Hall. That is the ancient seat Of the
Lords Of Washington-ancesto it is
said Of George Washington, first Presi-
dent Of the United States and the Father
of his Country"
Surtus, the historian of the Palatlnate,
gives an account of the manor, and de-
scribes the place, in 1890, as "a scattered
| village on irregular, broken ground"
at the time of the 'Boldon Buke-Ihe
| Domesday Book of the Bishopric-Wil-
| liam~de Hertburne held Washington save
| the church and its lands in exchange for
| Hertburne Cor Hartburn), now a township
in the parish of Stockton-on-Tees."
1t seems probable, Surtus remarks, :that
| either William de Hertburne or his imme-
| date SUCCESSORS assumed the local name,
! for William de washington occurs as
witness 70 charters of Bishop Robert de
| Stichell Q2GO-7D and de Ursula Q27i-SO.
William de Washington, Cheyalier, had
license to settle the manor on himself,
his wife Katharine, and his own
right heirs in 1850. and died In 1867.
The property descended through the
Tempests and the Mallorys. and was from
time TO time subdiyided. The subdivision
continued through the Spearman, Mus
grave, and the Shafto families.
Speaking of the old Lords Of Washing
ton, the county historian says: 1T is pos
sible that from cadets OF this ancient
house descended the Washingtons OF
Adwicke-le-Street, County York, whose
pedigree appears in Dugdale. 1866. and
those OF Leicestershire ancestors of the
American patriot, George Washington
Washington Irving. in his genealogy of
the Washington family QS55) begins with
william de Hertburne, the progenitor or
the Washington" and traces the line
downwards. showing how the branch from
which General Washington descended was
an offshoot Of the Washlngtons of Dur
ham.
As an external evidence OF Washing
tons descent, reference is made 10 the
famous Star and Stripes of the American
republic, which IL is said are a develop
ment of the arms OF the Washingtons as
emblazoned in Brington church-"ArGent.
two bars gales, in chief three maIlets."
The crest was a raven with wings in
dorsed proper, issuing out Of a ducal coro-
net; Or
The connection between the branch or
the family in Washington, County Dur
ham. and the branch In Northampton
shire Is evidenced by the fact that the
Washington" of the Bishopric is the
English home OF the family that first ap-
pears with this heraldic distinction.
The Rev ]. n. Simpkinson, a former
rector of Brington, in Northamptonshire,
suggests that in the reign Of Henry Viii,
Lawrence Washington. of Wurton, In Lam |
cashire, left his native village and settled
eventually in Northamptonshire. where he
reached position of influence and became
Mayor in 1882.
The hall was built by Bishop James, pro-
badly soon after his purchase of the ma
nor II Is a stone structure with null
lloned windows and boldly projecting
porches and a large outstanding chimney
nj one end. The area Of the grounds now
is but little more than an acre.