New-York tribune., 1907-05-23

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Mr.. Frewen has been msled by the fact
. that the article in the Encyclopedia Britannica
written before the question Of the English
ancestry of Washington determined. Since
the publication OF that article the doubt has
been solved and the true line OF descent ascer-
tanned. The reason why Harrison's statements
better known lay in their suffering
from the doubt that affected all the tentative
trees prepared by genealogists. They were in
complete and misleading. and that OF Har-
rison took its place among them he having bor-
rowed most of his facts and all of his errors
from Baker. The real state Of the is
follows
Colonel John l.. Chester spent good part OF
his life in trying TO solve the question OF the
English ancestry OF Washington. He had as q
basis the material supplied 10 the Garter King
at Arms by Washington himself and the re-
searches OF that official in England. Washing
was in doubt as TO the county from which
his family came and Sir Isaac Heard did not
regard his own researches as final. Baker and
his followers overlooked those doubts. and
stated positively what had been prepared and
published subject 10 change and very open to
criticism: Chester corrected good part of the
errors. but blocked by the apparent dsap-
pearance Of generation in his line. and that
missing generation occurred at the very time Of
the departure OF the two Washngtons who
migrated TO Virginia. His line made the emf
grants too old by some twenty years, and he
was unable TO convince himself that his facts
correct long the gap unbridged.
He unable to settle the question. and died
leaving much accomplished but the one I'M
portant link the chain undiscovered
Years after In 1889, another American in
vestgator, Henry L. Waters. found note
showing that letters Of administration had been
issued the goods OF Lawrence Washington.
formerly OF Luton, in Bedford County and
q Virpynia He therefore confined his
search to Luton and its vicinity. finding ref
erences to John and Lawrence Washington. but
not OF such a nature as 10 Indicate that they
applied to the engrants. But in OF the
wills he found a bond, and folded in the bond
official memorandum of the issuing OF
letters OF guardianship, signed by Lawrence
Washington. acting as temporary surrogate in
the ArchdeacOn'S Court at Whithamps tead. BY
other facts this Lawrence was at once recoG-
nzed the father of the emigrants He was a
clergyman who had been deprived Of his living
in the civil wars, and was probably the missing
link required to complete the chain of evidence
Still a doubt existed. a possibility that even
this apparently good line OF descent might he
criticised and perhaps oVerthrown. When I
found in the Washington papers copy OF the
Will of a Martha Hayward who reCOg-
nized as the sister OF the two emigrants, and who
mentioned connections in England. that removed
all possible doubt.
The line thus established was: The emigrants
John and Lawrence, were children of Lawrence
of Pureigh; he was son of Lawrence of Sul-
grave and Brfxton, and he, in turn, the son of
Robert, Of Sulgrave. For four generations back
OF this Robert the line may be traced In North
amptOn and Lancaster, and back OF them the
fog collects, leaving opportunity for the
genealogical idiot to offer Odin or any other
good NEUROLOGICAL character as the beginner
OF the The line In detail may be seen In
my Writings Of Washington" xiv. p. 310
WORTHINGTON c. FORD
Washington. May 81 1907.