The evening times., 1900-02-23
TAE WASHINGTON FAMILY
Tracing the Ancestry Of the First
President.
Discoveries in south Cave, England,
Seem to Identify the Great Ameri-
cans Patriots FOrefnthers Win
That Yorkshire Nillage-Records
on Registers and Gravestones.

doubt as to the origin of the practical
founder of the Land Of Liberty should be
set at rest. Washington Irving's assertion
that John Washington. great grandfather
of the hero of the Revolution. live at South
Cave, Yorkshire, England, with his broth
er, Andrew Washington, and that ne heu
thence to Virginia, after an unsuccessfui
rising in favor of the Stuarts, in 1851, has
been powerfully disputed, and an effort has
made to establish the village of Brighton
Northamptonshire, as the home OF the
original emigrant, whose descendant was
destined to effect the freedom of this
country.
Representative Kahn. of San Francisco,
few days ago received letter from Dr.
Robert Davis, of that city. telling of the
successfuf efforts he has made to secure
from England gravestones supposed 10 be
those of Lawrence and Elizabeth Washing
ton, ancestors of George Washington,
which he desires 10 have deposited in the
Washington Monument or the Smithso-
man Institution.
DR.. Davies is said to have located the
stones in churchyard in Wiltshire. but in
every genealogical chain there are missing
links, and il will probably never be abso-
lutely decided which branch Of the tree
was the original parent stem.
Recent researches, however, certainly
seem 10 show that the little village OF
South Cave, favored by Washington Irving,
has as good claim to the homer OF having
been the cradle where was fostered that
splendid spirit of manliness that indomi-
table courage and that love of liberty
which eliminated and combined in the per-
son of George Washington, and carried the
war of independence 70 a successful is
sue.
In one important particular only, so fal
as the claims OF South Cave are concerned
is absolute documentary evidence absent
but since the time when association with
the rebel leader was regarded more as a
slur upon the fair fame of the loyal York
shiremen than as a fact to brag about
has local tradition unhesitatingly supplied
that link and every South Cave resident
of today is as certain that George Wash
ingtOn's great grandfather was a son OF
their soil as they are sure the beck
which now feeds Squire Barnard's fish
pond up at L Castle" ran across the
main street close by the Fox and Coney'
Inn. in the good old times of the '"Ull and
OwdeB coach
On a recent visit to the picturesque little
village the following facts were ascer-
tanned:
First-Henry Washington was married to
Eleanor Harrison in the Parish Church OF
South Cave on October :. 1889.
Second-Susanna. daughter of Henry
Washington. was baptized March "a. 1894
tt Ill 81
Third-Elizabeth. daughter OF Henry
Washington, was baptized in the church
January 13, 1896.
All these are buried within the church
and these records appear in the ancient
register books OF the parish. Unfortu-
nately. records previous to 1852, Just TWEEN
ty-five years after the supposed emigration
of John Washington. of South Cave whom,
Washington Irving believed 10 have been
the great grandfather of George. have not
been preserved Those recently rescued by
MIR. Barnard. of Cave Castle. and carefully
bound are In very imperfect state. many
leaves being missing. These may have
contained entries which would have set al
rest once and forever the vexed question
of George Washington's ancestry.
Tradition of the strongest possible ma
ture, handed down from generation TO
generation of the honest and unsOphisti-
Gated Yorkshiremen, declares that this
Henry Washington was a son of Andrew
Washington. and consequently nephew 10
John Washington, who emigrated TO ViT
ginia in 1867.
That Henry Washington became Lord OF
the Manor of South Cave is proved by I'll
tie deeds still in existence, but the bulk
OF his property appears to have come 10
him by his marriage TO Eleanor daughter
of Richard Harrison, the entry OF whose
death, in 1852. forms the first entry in the
register still preserved, and is recorded
as follows:
"Octobris Z. Rich Harrison de South
Cave, Armiger, Sepultus.'
Richard Harrisons wife mother 10 Mrs
Henry Washington, was daughter of Sil
| William Lowther, from whom the presen
| Earl of Lonsdale is directly descended
| There is an influential family of the Har
risons still living at Ferriby Hall (knowI
as the House of the Year" on account o
| it's exactly 800 windows which is stu
| ated only two miles from Cave. but tn,
| name of Washington has entirely disap
| peared in the vicinity
| The early connection of the Lonsdal,
| family with South Cave is shown by thu
| following entry in the church register:
christopher Lonsdale. generosas Sc
| pult March %. 1893
Henry WashinstOn's Will.
The will OF Henry Washington, which il
and from it, it appears that Washington
| had five surviving children, Richard
| William, Anne. Mary, and Elizabeth. Up
| on two pillars of South Cave Church ar
carved the initials, W. W. and r, W.
| which probably mark the place where TIL
| last Of the male line were inferred. Ann
| Washington married John Idell, and &
| him went the manor of West Hail. Soutl
| Cave. He sold it to an ancestor of Henr.
| Gee Barnard, the present owner. Eliza
| beth Washington married Richard Lloyd
whose descendants sold the manor of Rye
land Hill. South Cave. on which. until re
| Gently stood the old manor house, to G
| G. Macturk esq, the present incumbent
| To Mr.. Barnard and Mr.. Macturk mucl
| assistance in unearthing the history o
the Washingtons of South Cave must b
acknowledged
| One other significant fact in support o
the theory that George Washingtons an
| cestors came from South Cave may her
| be mentioned.
The adjoining parish Of Rowley was tn
| birthplace of the Rev. Ezekiel Rogers, VIII
| In 1859 lounoeu foWiey, Mass lheIe
| a tradition that the whole OF the inhabi
tants of the parish accompanied the min
lister to the new world, and it is possibl
that tidings of their success induced job
Washington, his near neighbor, to emil
CRATE, some few years later.
South Cave is situated In the East Rid
ing of Yorkshire, about thirteen miles fror
the port of Hull, and on the old Roma
road leading thence to the city OF Yorl
The recently constructed Hull and Barns
ley Railroad runs within two miles. of th
sleepy little village. Ten years ago 1t wa
| no OF,