Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-11-25
WARWICK CASTLE.
To the Editor Of the Alexandria Gazette
San Francisco NOV. Il.

-du 4sON.
To the Editor Of the Alexandria Gazette:
A recent publication 10 one OF the
London England papers gives an
exceedingly interesting account OF
Warwick Castle Warwick, England)
which will doubtless awaken some
thought OF ancient family connections
IN the minds OF q number OF the readers
OF your ancient and valuable paper
valuable for its long existence as the
leading messenger Of news to your
city and surrounding community.
Echoes from the past could give us
oacS the names OF many who once trod
proudly the streets of Alexandria
(Belle Haven), to whom the name OF
Warwick was not unfamiliar. Wash
lngton, Lee, Alexander, Newton,
Hunter, Robinson, Taylor. and host
OF others, some few descendants OF
these and others may now be living,
aud who no doubt daily peruse the
pages of The Alexandria Gazette"
with all the pleasure Of former years
before the wary.
The castle OF Warwick, or Warwick
Castle, was built some nine hundred
years after the town OF Warwick was
founded, so the town is much more
ancient, it having been founded A. D.
l. and was first called Caer-Cor, then
the name was changed to 'Werhica"
in the time of the Anglo-Saxons. Caer
Con having been destroyed by the
Picts and Scots, was occupied and re-
built by King Caractacus who came
upon the scene at that time and named
the town ''Warhica. So that the
present town OF Warwick is fairly an
cent, being 1910 years old Ethel
tleda daughter OF King Alfred founded
tie Castle of Warwick A. u. 915. It
played very considerable part III the
rayagcs of that section OF England
by the Danes.
| Sir Walter Scott called it the fairest
monument OF ancient and chivalrous
splcndor which remains uninjured by
time And no doubt but that Sir
Walter knew something about castles
and chivalry also. Its most famous
tower is called Caesars" and this
magnificent structure has stood in
dignity and majesty unchanged by
time for nearly on thousand years, and
unchanged by war for all this time.
being rs firm now Us the rock OH which
it is founded. No visitors arc admitted
to this tower, below which, deep down,
is the terrible dungeon in which the
unfortunate prisoners rotted out their
lives
from the lodge to the castle the APP
proach is cut through solid rock for
one hundred yards. The scene which
bursts upon the visitor after passing
through the big double gateway-the
sight of the magnificent irregular cas-
tellated pile of the fcudal barons OF
Warwick is not easily forgetable. In
side the castle everything is just as in
teresting as on the outside. A priceless
collection OF pictures, armor, and OBJ
iects OF vertu are housed here. The
most interesting ROOM is the great hall,
which contains the gigantic armor aud
weapons Of the great and formidable
Earl Guy, Of Warwick.
This "Caractacus who rebuilt the
town OF Warwick opposed the Romans
and was the first king OF Brittany. He
surrendered to CIaudus Caesar. His
desc endants held many prominent
positions in England, and the name
Caractacus finally changed to Casa ock
and Craddock, then Newton. John
Caradock was Lord of Newton, The
name Caraciacus died out altogether,
and only Newton" remained. 1t is
interesting to know that the record OF
the descent from Caractacus the first
king OF brittany to the Newton family
of Virginia and it's branches is about as
perfect as can be. | guess all OF oar
ancestors were once privates, and saw
ages. Are we any better off today?
OCCASIONAL.