The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-22

The geneaIogy and early life of George
Washington was the interesting topic II
an address delivered recently before the
Young Mems Society of the Mount Vernon
N E Church by L. S. Cannon. During
The course of his remarks Mr.. Cannon
said:
The genealogy Of the Washington fam
I lily, which is shown 10 be of an ancient
English stock. has been traced back TO
/ the early part Of the century Immediately
| succeeding the Conquest. which took place
in the year 1866. At that time landed
estates and immortal privileges were en-
joyed only by those. or their descendants,
who had accompanied William the Con-
queror from Normandy. or had fought
under his standard. All landed property
in those warlike times implied military
services. Among the knights who held
estates on warIike conditions was William
de Hertburn. the progenitor Of the Wash
ingtons. The name William indicates
Norman descent. The surname de Hert-
burn was taken from the name OF a VIII
lage which was situated on the estate e
held in knights fee in the county of Dur
ham, probably the same village now call
ed HEARTBURN on the banks of the Tees.
Norman families of rank Usually took
surnames from their castles or estates,
but it was after the Conquest that the
/ common people assumed sUrnames. The
custom of the surnames was brought from
! France in Edward the Confessor's time,
about fifty years before the Conquest; but
did not become universally settled for
: several centuries afterward. At first they
did not descend hereditarily on the fam
( lily, but changed with the change of es-
tates
About 1883 William de Hertburn ex-
/ changed his village of Hertburn for the
manor and village Of WesSynton, and the
( family consequently assumed the surname
! of de WessyntOn. which name existed in
England prior TO the Conquest and is
( probably Of Saxon origin The village of
( Wassengtone Is mentioned in a Saxon
/ charter as early as 973-
In the Thirteenth Century.
In 1864. about 29O years after the Con-
/ quest. we ind the name William Wesh-
ington. Of Washington, in connection
/ with the same estates. About 1867 the
/ name had been changed in spelling 10
( De washington, when Sir William de
/ Washington, as son and heir, succeeded
I to the estate. This Sir William was the
! last male of the line to which the inner
iJance Of the manor was confined, and
} was. therefore. the last Of the family
j that rendered feudaI services. After his
: death The estate passed from the De
! WessyntOns by reason of the marriage
/ OF his only daughter and heir, DiOnisia
with Sir William Of Temple Stud.ey, and
! by the year 1900 it had become the prop
! erty of the Blaykestons-
Though the name Of De Wessyngton
10 longer figured on the chivalrous rolI,
! Il continued 10 flourish in the clCisters in
/ the persons of John de Wessyngton and
others till the year 1916.
/ The De Wessyngtons separated into
/ diTers branches. and held estates in va
/ riOUs parts Of England. Some distin-
/ guished themselves in the learned pro-
/ LESSONS and others received knighthood
I for public services. The name appears in
county histories and on many monuments
/ in churches and cathedTals, among The
names Of English worthless BY degrees
! the seignioriai sign Of DE" disappeared
+ frcm the surname, giving way in the
/ esqUier (esquire) among the heads of
: (gentIemanl among younger sons. The
! ington Washington, Wase. ington, and
/ finally TO Washington.
! Though disputed by some, it is quite
! certain that George Washngton's lineaI
! descent is traced from the ancient fam ~
! of that name at Washington parish, in
/ the county of Durham. in which the an
! Gent manor OF Wessyngton was situated.
and that cur Washington sprarg from
Laurence Washington. Esquire, Of Gays
Inn, son Of John Washington, OF Whar-