The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-25
NOBLE ANCESTRY OF
GREAT AMERICANS,
Families That Can Trace Their
Lineage Back to Feudal
Lords and Barons.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New York. July 2S.-Heraldry, that hand
maid of genealogy, which Ruskin deemed
at the same time an essential to the study
OF the gentle arts. has drawn aside the
curtain which separated some of Americas
foremost citizens from their forbears.
bringing them in touch with the period
when every man was a soldier and every
soldier of noble birth bore some armorial
device to signify his rank and distinguish
him in battle from the combatant of low
degree.
Adopting Heraldic Insignia.
Thus 1t has been revealed that President
Mckinley Is descended from the children
of the mist, who held their feudal estates
IN the Scottish Highlands by virtue Of the
sword or battle ak; that centuries before the
Rockefellers took fortunes from the soil
OF America their ancestors ruled over ba-
ronial estates in Normandy having as as
sociates the founders Of the house of Flow
er and of other families, whose names are
associated with the commercial, political
and social progress of the United States,
and that Chauncey NJ. Depew. John B.
Foraker, Benjamin f. Tracy. William T.
Wardwell and the Grant family have traced
their lineage far back.
No Frills for the President.
With one exception all have adopted the
coats of arms of their sires. President Nc
kinley alone has failed to make use of
the heraldic insignia. Even his coat of arms
has been painted. and Is reproduced from
the collection OF Lieutenant Colonel Henry
Dudley Teetor, a student of genealogy, who
has been consulted by scores of American
families. The Mckinley motto is mot Too
Much" and, although it was adopted by his
there may be those who will find in 1t an
application to problems OF the present day.
There is the elk (argenD on a background
of red. surmounted by a mailed hand, bear
ing branch of olives, suggesting recent
happenings in Cuba and the Philippines and
Mr.. MckInley's refusal to be considered as
a candidate for third time. it may be
said, is consistent with the motto en-
blazoned upon the shield
All of this Information is due to the re-
search of Colonel Henry D. Teetor. a
noted genealogist of this city.
Rockefellers Originally Farmers.
THE Rockefellers are not of Scotch ori-
gin." Colonel Teetor said They originally
came from Normandy. Rockefeller means
rock and field. The first of them to come
here were farmers.
When Julia Dent Grant married Rus
sian nobleman," Colonel Teetor continued.
'.she might have easily matched her ances-
try against his. Authenticated records
show that the Grants are descended from
q certain FRINGE named WO0lne. who came
out of Asia about the year 60 and settled
in Norway, where he built a great city and
where prayers and sacrifices were made by
thu Norsemen.
Matthew Grant. who landed in this
country at Nantasket, Mass, on Nav 20.
1859, was lineal descendant of this old
Norse-Scotch race. General u. s. Grant
was the seventh in line of descent from
Matthew Grant. and his children consti-
tute the eighth generation OF the family
in America.
General Benjamin F. Tracy's first Ameri-
can ancestor was stephen Tracy, who dis
embarked from the good ship Ann at
Plymouth. in 1852; The. family is one Of the
Oldest of which there is record.
THE history and genealogy of the Flower
family is being complied by me for Mrs
John S. Flower. banker of Denver"
Colonel Teetor said. The work takes in
the family of the late Governor Roswell p
Flower who was relative of Mrs. Flow
er of Denver. This family is of Morse orr
gin.
Dcpew's Connection With Mobility.
II traced the personal designation Depew,
DePew or Dupuy,'' Colonel Teeter ex-
planned, ito little mountain in Dauphine.
France, which gave it's name Dupuy to an
ancient and illustrious family. traced
Chauncey NJ Derew's ancestry to this
source hut he has mOdeStly cbosen tho