Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-02-18


ana Mrs Noah. The profession
o' Pedgree tracing depends upon the dol
Iar II the price can be paid genealogical tree
WIN DC drawn up. which finally will strike rs roots
INTO some royal tomb.
There is one famous name which can be traced
back for more than 700 years The family boasts
oi no royal ancestor and II never held any heredI.
taTy title, but all through this long time it's mem.
bers were people Of position.
IN llS3-before surnames were thought ola
Norman knight named William OF Hertburn bought
Iho manor OF Wessyngton from the bishop OF Dur.
nam In England He paid four pounds I'm good
cash Tor IT, aad also agreed TO attend the bishop
with two greyhounds on occasions OF state hunt.
lhss' aud to furnish manatarms when the lord
bishop had any fighting on hand This William
hereafter known as Sir William OF washington
was the first man to bear the name and was the
direct ancestor OF George Washington The name
10 pure Saxon. meaning the town on the marshy
meadow; and the village now known as Washing
Ton IL In the coal mining district about ten miles
from Durham. The Washingtons soon spread all
over the north Of England where the name stiIl Is
common and one branch of the family settled In
The county OF Lancashire.
From Lancashire Lawrence Washington went
up to London. to study law In Grays inn He made
mis- mark. and. leaving London for NORTHAMPTON
was so successful there that he twice became NAV.
or OF that city This in the days of King
Henry the Eghth-blufI King Hal-the man who
could not make his marriage ideas 1T in with the
Church property was confiscated on all hands and
among other fertile spots the mayor OF Solgraye
fell into his clutches. II was bestowed upon Law.
renee Washington, who thus became lord of the
manor OF Solgrave in NorthamptonshIre and was
revered by the community
The manor house still stands Lawrence Wash.
lngtoh altered II 10 suit his own tastes and in the
carvings OF both stone and woodwork and the
decorations OF the windows he wove his arms OF
Stars aud Stripes
Old fashioned folk shook their heads and said
that property taken from the church never could
prosper. However that may be- the family only
held sograve for three generations. The nrHt
Lawrence had a large family OF four sons and seven
daughters, aud his family twice intermarried with
the noble Spencer family-direct ancestors Of the
present Earl Spencer So when trouble
the family the earl built a home for his knsman
In the little village OF Brlngon in the same county
Here In the old village church Lawrence Washing.
ton, grandson OF the first Lawrence is buried &C.
cording to tradition.
Though reduced" the family was not impover-
ished nor did its members lose their worthy stand
Ing This Lawrence exceeded his grandfather in
the number Of his children for IS were born to
him Two OF his sons became knights some OF his
daughters married knights or other men of dis
tinctlon, and his fourth son. also named Lawrence.
became a fellow OF Brazenose college. Oxford and
clergyman.
Times changed quickly In those old days Henry
the Eighth and his children long were in their
graves. and Charles the First was on his troubled
throne As became an old country family the
washinstons one and ali were for their king. and
several fought bravely against Cromwell and his
parliamentary troops. While the knights fought
the clergyman preached and Il IL evident that he
did not mince words The paFliamentarians writhed
under his home thrusts and when they got the up-
per hand they did not forget him. His church was
taken from him. AND not content with that they
published his Iniquities IN a book OF "AaalIgnants'
sort Of rogues' gallery Of those who were stanch-
est IN the support OF their king. The politicians
of those days were worse than those Of to-day. In
che quaint language Of the time they said that the
Rev. Lawrence is common frequenter OF ale
houses not only himself sitting daily tipping there
but also encouraging others IN that beastly vice.
and hath often been dFunk. He hath said that the
parliament have more papists belonging TO them
IN their armies than the king had about hin OF "a
Ills agnle and that the paTliament'n armie did
,noga hurt than tbs cavaliers. and that they did
none a. AL and hath published them 10 be traitors
ahaf lend 10 o. assist the parliament
The reverend eenllelpon never aeafn made his