The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-21
IAC.I,A|'.'S'';iS''i;'. 0| D
CONSTRUCTION.
This One Figured at Christening
Dinner Of George WASH
4 ingtoil. e
PRETTY GoDM O 7 6:
WAS Only Tl,irty-six, But Twice Twice
Il Widow When She Stood
4 for George.

sssF At5the centennial celebrat ton. III bostoii,
III IL tie Bunker Hill Monument Association
NJ Gen. III. IL. Warren. Of Philadelphia, N
4 stroduccd as loving cup q wine glass
orlce owned by Mrs Mildred Washington
Mi t;repory. the aunt and Bodmother OF
i5 shinrton. n part of the table equip
smpnt nj his christening dinner on April
t5S 8. lTSs2. ia# s
VT II was nftcrward used By tho hero him
& sele at the Peace Ball given IN Freder-
Il icksburg Immediately after the surrender
as at yorktown, and now figures Mt the an
5$nual Fourth OF July dinner at the Penn
4 sy,vonia society Of the Cincinnati, when
# the president drinks from 1t to the toast:
q .sro tile Memory of Washington.
II The relic is stamped with the Washing
N tor coat Of arms and was brought 70
IN America in 1867 by Col. John Washing ton.
the grent-grandfather of the General. AZ
& appears at tho society through the court
III ;esy OF DIR. William S. Forbes, professor
$nf anatomy at Jefferson College, Phlla-
y delphia, to whom t has descended through
Fl five generations from his ancestress, MIS- MI
Il Mildred washington Gregory,
It's duplicate was inherited by his broth
~ "a +cr.3 Mr.. Dn yid Forbes, OF Fredericksburg,
hut in the days of dearth following The
KS Civil War was sold by him for SlOo TO the
late Jas. Lenox, of New York, and is now
h In the museum Of the LenoSl Home, estub b
y iished by him in that city. Mr.. Forbes
Is owns another glass, however, from when
y the baby Georges health was drunk a.
H his codmother's christening dinner, ana
has, too, q gayly decorated cup and saul
4 Ger. q Dart Of one Of her tea sen quaint
n three. cornered chair in which she sat; sew
q eral fine Loestoft bowls, With cut-glass
g candelabra and silver candle sticks ana
Il snuffer moro than 200 years old. lie has
y, also unpublished letters from Washington
v an1 the commission Of Francis Thornton
\ 4 son -in-law of Mrs. Gregory--as ''lieuten-
H ant. colonel Of his Majesty's militia IN
e Spottsylvania county" signed by Cover
4 nor Gooch. Of Virginia, for whom Gooch-
land county was named, and having upon
" II two Of the stamps (worth IS shllings
- each) which brought on the American
}Reyolution In his collection. too, are
miniatures of number of Nllldredls $ de-
scendants; and while her own Is con-
spicuous by its absence, representatives
In. approaching generations bring US SO
near to her as to warrant the assumption
OF some resemblance. 1T is indeed, win
Il such aids as these. together win re"
L disiointed traditions, that we must rescue
y from oblivion the vivid personality of one
V who bltlyed an important role apart from
sEthat8in which she briefly appears in his
tory. Although only So years old when
she stood sponsor for Washington, she
was a widow for the second time, ana
VI possessed Of the combined fortunes OF two
wealthy Virginia planters. Tier marrlas
with the first OF these, Mr.. Henry LIE Wis
was childless and no account OF inc con
nection exists, but the strength of the Tie
is inferred from the fact that long atter
II his death she named a son for him. Il
A THIRD FEATURE.
5.6tEI az t,,c Gregory nnion there were three
n anghters-Frarcea Elizabeth and Mil
" dred, who married three brothers-Fran-
els, Reuben and John Thornton. Frances
X Gregory and Francis Thornton were the
progenitors of MIR. Francis Forbes. DR..
Thornton Forbes, and Mr.. David
FORBES; to Mildred and John We're
born nine daughters, all of whom
married men Of wealth and posi-
ton; while from the three Thornton
Gregory alliances have sprung hosts of
descendants, scattered throughout the
+ ,IIEiori..
At the time OF Washington's christening
" q his godmother was on the eve Of what his
/. faher called in his will "a third venture
y Col. Harry Willis, the first Mayor Of Fred
cricksburg, described by Colonel Byrd, OF
MISSIONER. as "the TOP man Of the place.
y mad married her Gausil. and at her death
Mrs. Gregory was found bathed In tears.
'tWere you SO fond OF Mrs Wills was
asked.
..tOh, no." sobbed the widow. TIN not
crying for that; but I just know Harry
Willis Is coming after me.
s3 Her words were prophetic. In due time
5s the Colonel laid violent seige to her heart
VI finally seating himself upon her front
q porch and declaring his intention Of re-
manning until the coveted promise was
81 obtained That she yielded Is scarcely tc
4 be wondered at, the tradition being thai
.she married Harry Willis to get rid OF
II him"
Irreverent descendants have criticised
4 her premature distress as unhecomins II
@ q widow, but q manuscript account o
II the Colonel. written by his grandson ant
II owned by Mr.. Robert Knox, of Freder
icksburg, explains her fears.
"My grandfather says the writer
sS "who had three wives addressed then
\ all as maids and married them as widows
He was q blunt man, and more likely 7
succeed with the latter than the former.
y Colonel and Mrs. Willis went to 1--we .
Il willis Fill, now the National Cemetery
and on the site OF the house--afterwar'
DESTROYED by ire-and In the lawn an
8 garden through which Washinston's GOD
mother wandered are buried the Unio
dead who fell in the battles around Fred
cricksburg.
The eldest child of their marriage. Levi