Newark post., 1912-05-01
AMERICANS In HERALDRY
MRS. FREDERICK ID. CHESTER

visits to the ancestral haunts OF
our forbears. We are asking why
they left home, and when? What
did they do after they got here.
and why? If John Chalmers
really married Rachel Sears. and
if so, what relation were they tc
us?
Before we know it we are in the
full swim Of heraldry. fascinated
out Of our dinners and our sleep
with discoveries that "read like
a romance
Il never realized." we say.
"What great statesman Jona-
than Stron&-on your mother S
side, You knoW-was. And Eek
ial. why. he was quite the hero OF
his day. Figured in that affair al
st. Petersburg. while he was ac-
credited there, and didm t believe
oUr Sarah here ever heard Of him.
We must do something about this.
Brush these people up and set 'em
around somewhere among our lars
and penates."
Our education expands in the
search Ike a ship under sail for Il
far coast. II We find out taat we
are far greater than we supposed.
We learn also that we are far less;
fer there ara always our bptterH
10 be rock0ned with. which we
may not have realized before. We
acquire an acquaintance with val
uoS. Some things count for more
in heraldrN than others. " Achieve
ments" and "bars' have a curl
OuS significance. Our standards
are often reversed. Somebody who
lost his estates in the War Of
Roses may count in history for
more than a Rockefeller or a Har-
riman. One Of our own name and
blood, twice a courtier and twice
a king s favorite; scholar. wit and
"a most amiable gentleman has
left a letter for us to read with
compassion and no shame. EndN-
mion - Services at home ana
abroad to his royal master in the
Civil Wars" we read. "were $"
conspicuous that he had the honor
to be excepted out Of all the Acts
Of Indemnity. and it was the boast
of his loyal family. that no less
than twenty-siX gentlemen OF the
name Of suffered for their de-
votion to the roval cause. After
the surrender Of Oxford, he took
refuge in France. and. like many
Of the rOyalist eXiles. was reduced
to utter poverty" Thus we find
our ancestor of the loyal heart
writing to friend from Paris"
am in 50 much necessity that were
it not FOR an Irish barber that wa
once my servant. | might have
starved for want Of bread. He
hath lent me monies which vii
last me fortnight longer, anC
then ] shall be as much subject fol-
misery as | was before. y The
writer of these memories has this
to say in defence Of his undertak k
inc; he being a barrester of The
Inner Temple, London. "Thes'
memoirs have been attempted
upon a scale and plan of whicG
there are few examples in EnglisI
literature. The method is borrow
ed from the French genealogist
Of the seventeenth century. who's
exhaustive memoirs Of particula
families are universally recognlz
ed as important contributors t
the local and domestic history o
France. Such books were Otter
undertaken as labors of love. b,
men of literary distinction. AM
that famous scholar Menage. wa
not ashamed to avow that OF al
his works. The History OF tn
House of Sable. was that whicl
cost him the most labor. and il
which he took the most pride.
Genealogy is necessary ele
ment in history and biography, t.
which it is a help or hindranc
in proportion, as the laws Of his
,, torical evidence are observed o
violated But it is so often con
, fused with pedigree-making tina
: Continued on page 3