The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-02-19

am and Eve, by way of Mr..
and Mrs. Noah. The profession
OF pedigree tracing depends upon the dol
lar. If the price can be paid genealogical tree
will be drawn up which finally will strike its roots
into some royal tomb
Ihere is one famous name which can be traced
back for more than 700 years. The family boasts
OF no royal ancestor, and it held any heredi
tary title, but all through this long time its
bers were people of position.
In 11S3-before surnames were thought ola
Norman knight named William of Hertburn bought
the manor of Wessyngton from the bishop of Dur
ham in England He paid four pounds in good
cash for 1T, and also agreed TO attend the bishop
with two greyhounds on occasions of state hunt
lngs and 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
is pure Saxon, meaning the town on the marshy
meadow; and the village now known as Washing
ton is in the coal mining district about ten miles
from Durham. The Washingtons soon spread all
over the north of England, where the name still is
common and one branch of the family settled in
the county of Lancashire.
From Lancashire one Lawrence Washington went
up to London, to study law in Grays inn He made
his mark and leaving London for Northampton,
was so successful there that he twice became may
or OF that city. This in the days of King
Henry the Eighth-buff King Hattie man who
could not make his marriage ideas fit in with the
ideas of the church, and so quarreed with it.
Church property was confiscated on all hands, and
among other fertile spots the mayor of Solgrave
fell into his clutches. 1t 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
ington altered it to 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 and 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 Solgrave for three generations The first
Lawrence had large family of four sons and seven
daughters, and his family twice intermarried with
the noble Spencer family-drect ancestors of the
present Earl Spencer. So when trouble came on
the family the earl built home for his kinsman
in the little village of Brington 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. Ih1s Lawrence exceeded his grandfather in
the number Of his children for 16 were born to
him. Two of his sons became knights some of his
daughters married knights or other men of dis.
tinetion, and his fourth son. also named Lawrence,
became 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
q throne. AS became an old country family the
Washingtens one and all were for their king, and
several fought brayely against Cromwell and his
parliamentary troops. While the knights fought
the clergyman preached, and 1t is evident that he
did not mince words The parliamentarians 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 niquities in book of ''Maiignants
a sort of rogues gallery of those who were stancb-
est in the support of their king The politicians
of those days We're worse than those of to-day In
the quaint language of the time they said that the
Rev. Lawrence lis a common frequenter of ale
houses not only himself sitting daily tipping there,
but also encouraging others in that beastly vice
and hath often been drunk. He hath said that the
parliament have more papiss belonging to them
in their armies than the king had about him or in
his armie and that the parliaments armie did
more hurt than the cavaliers. and that they did
none FL all; and hath published them to be traitors
that lend to or assist the parliament
The reverend gentleman never again made his