The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-02-18

dih anu 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 be traced
back for more than 700 years. The family boasts
OF no royal ancestor and it never held any hered-
tary title, but all through this long time its mem
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 it, and also agreed to attend the bishop
with two greyhounds occasions of state hunt
ings, and to furnish man-at-arms when the lord
bishop had any fighting hand. This William.
hereafter known as Sir William of wessyngton
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 known as Washing
from Durham The Washingtons soon spread all
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 Gray's inn. He made
his mark, and, leaving London for Northampton,
was so successful there that he twice became may
OF of that city. This was in the days of King
Henry the Eghth-bluff King Hal--the man who
could not make his marriage ideas fit in with the
ideas of the church. and so quarreled with it,
Church property was confscated all hands, and
among other fertile spots the mayor of Solgrave
fell into his clutches. 1t was bestowed upon Law
renee Washington who thus became lord of the
manor of Solgrave in Northamponshire and was
revered by the community.
The manor house still stands. Lawrence Wash
ington altered it to suit his tastes, and in the
carvings of both stone and woodwork and the
decorations of the windows he wove his arms of
Stars and Stripes.
fac fol cho
that property taken from the church never could
prosper. However that may be, the family only
held Sograve 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
the family the earl built home for his kinsman
in the little village of Brington in the county
Here in the old village church Lawrence Washing
ton. grandson of the first Lawrence is buried,
cording to tradition
Though reduced" the family was not impover-
ished, did its members lose their worthy stand
ing This Lawrence exceeded his grandfather in
the number of his children, for 16 born to
him. Two of his sons became knights, some of his
daughters married knights or other men of dis
tinction 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
throne. As became old country family the
Washngtons and all were for their king, and
several fought bravely against Cromwell and his
parliamentary troops. While the knights fought
the clergyman preached and it is evident that he
did not mince words The paramentarians wrhed
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 iniquties in a book of Malignants.
a sort of rogues gallery of those who stanch-
est in the support of their king The politicians