Evening star., 1903-07-06
THE TRUE BETSY ROSS
WOMAN WHO MADE OUR FIRST
FLAG WAS MUCH MARRIED.
Mother of Our Banner Was Twenty
Four Years Old When She
Made Old Glory.


which has had a large sale since the little
bousa at No. 239 Arch street became one
of the show places of Philadelphia, and
which is supposed to represent Betsy Ross
displaytng the first American flag to Cen
eral Washington, Robert Morris and George
Ross In this picture she wears Quaker
like dress and cap and looks distinctly ma
tronly and middle-aged. though she was
but twenty-four years old at the time OF
the historical visit of the congressional
committee George Ross, a Pennsylvania
siener of the Declaration of Independence.
was the uncle of her first husband, fact
which may account for the government
contract for flags having been placed In
the hands of the courageous young widow
OF her life before and after the making OF
the first national flag so little Is known TO
the average American that she may be re-
garded as one of the half-legendary ngures
of the revolutionary period. And yet she
was three times wife and thrice a widow.
and her children's children are living in
Philadelphia at the present day.
OF Quaker Parents
Elizabeth Griscom was born January 1,
1852, Of Quaker parentage. OF her girlhood
little is known, save that she lived 1t ac-
cording to the rules of the Society OF
Friends. The only thing for which she
seems to have been noted was her exquisite
skill In needlework, which was to prove
valuable art to her In later years. ABOVE
her young head on public holidays, hoated
the red flag Of Great Britain. with the white
crosses of St. George and st. Andrew dis
played as a union. Perhaps the little maid
may have copied those bright ensigns while
employed with her needle not dreaming
that she would some day be called upon to
make a flag of different pattern by men
who were in arms against their king. But
in that quiet Quaker town. during the years
of her placid girlhood, all was peace; and
even when, in the latter part of 1773. she
married John Ross, the son of Rev. Aeneas
Ross, an Episcopal clergyman, the outlook
to the confident young people seemed a
cheerful one.
The young married couple at once took
the house at No. 239 Arch street. where
they carried on the upholstery business, in
which form of work there was constant
demand made Mrs. Ross skill as
needlewoman. They appear to have been
thrifty. contented and cheerful. but their
happiness destined to be short lived.
War was brewing and hundreds of Ameri-
can patriots were sacrificing the comforts
of home for the hardships Of soldiers
life. Among the foremost of these was
young John Ross. One night. while guard
ing some military stores on one of the Del
aware river wharves he received so serious
an injury that he died from the effects of
1t, after long and anxious nursing on the
part of his loving and devoted young wife
He was buried on the Christ Church
ground 9Th and Arch streets. January 20,
1915. The Ross pew marked with nation
al flag, is still preserved in the historical
old church.
Got Flag Contract.
Left widow at the early age of twenty
four Mrs. Ross heroically determined to
maintain her independence If possible by
continuing the business her young hus-
band had established and in this attempt
she greatly aided by receiving the
government contract for army and navy
flags. Probably, as previously suggested.
her uncle. George Ross, was instrumental
In obtaining this work for her; at any rate,
she was paid 914 12s. I'd. by Congress 'for
flags for the fleet on the Delaware river
while she still wore her widows cap AS
this payment was made fully one month
before the act of Congress which estab-
lished a national standard. it is difficult.
if not impossible. to decide how these flags
were patterned. Probably they displayed
state devices and notices.
On the day after her flag was adopted
by act of Congress. and as If in celebration
of that event, Elizabeth Ross again be-
came wife Her second husband was
Capt. Joseph Ashburn, to whom she was
united in the Old Swedish Church, Phila-
delphia. June 10, 1177. Capt Ashburn COM
manded company In Pennsylvania line
dent patriot and capable officer. He had
the misfortune, however to be captured by
the British before he had gained any
marked distinction in the field. and he
never again saw his young wife or his
native land. He died a prisoner of war
March 3, 1852. The old mill prison. Ply
mouth England, in which Capt. Ashburn
was confined, has since been made famous
in more than one romance OF those trou-
bled times.
Died at Eighty-Four Years.
The news of Capt. Ashburn's death was
brought to America by John Claypole who
had been his fellow prisoner at Plymouth
This was after the surrender of Lord
CORVALLIS at Yorktown, when actual hos
tilities between the two countries had
ceased. AS often happens in real life and
in romance. Claypole fell in love with the
widow of his dead friend and on the Sth
of May, 1888 he was married to her. AS
Elizabeth Claypole the fair maker Of the
American flag passed twenty-four years
of quiet, contented married life, her third
husband dying on the Sd of August. 1917.
Then followed nineteen years of serene old
age during which period the woman who
had witnessed the birth of the republic saw
1t firmly established among the great pow
ers of the world She died on the 3Oth of
January, 1896, at the advanced age of
eighty-four years.
THE REAL FRANCE.