Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-10

There is no denying that genealoglsts
and their patrons have a weakness for
kings and such-like things. Our vaunted
constitutional republicanism and institu-
tional democracy do not prevent many
a good American from claiming a royal
ancestor. The eenealogists have taken
pains to trace George Washington's fam
lily line back to Edward of England and
his wife, Margaret, +he daughter of
Philip III of France. But as these two
..fiourshed" in the thirteenth century,
the Father of His Country" may not
justly be censured for making war on
his cousin, George H. Other genealo-
gists deny the kingly descent of Wash
ington, but aver that his line goes back
to one Torfin, Lord of Ravensworth, OF
the time of Edward the Confessor, and
for this there is much historical evidence
Few Americans of prominence escape,
and many of no prominence insist upon.
a royal pedigree.
In reality il lis not so great a distinc
ton as II sounds to be of royal descent.
The names of the Americans who have
proved their right to this distinction now
fill huge volumes. and each year gene
alogists are collecting proofs and adding
new names to these lists. Most of the
Americans claiming royal ancestry are
of British origin. although this has no
especial significance when it Is considered
how frequently it happened that all the
mona. chs of Europe belonged to one
large family. Henry VIII had six wives,
who came from three countries, yet they
and Henry himself We're all descendants
of Edward Ill and also of Princess Joan
Plantaganet the Fair Maid of Kent"
who was married first 10 William Mon
tague, Earl of Salisbury. second to the
Earl OF Kent and third TO Edward the
Black Prince. by whom she had a son,
King Richard Ill.
There are more descendants of William
the Conqueror claimed than for any other
monarch in the world,
From King and in most cases a de-
Scendant of this king
" AcouoA. comes down line of
fifteen or twenty other royal personages,
although sometimes the descent from the
monarch TO plain untitled yeoman seems
IL have been accomplished in two or three
generations There is practically no
limit To- his descendants today. and one
genealogiSt says this fact Is accounted for
by the statement that. according to the
regular proportion OF increase in each
generation since his time, the descendants
of William the Conqueror would now
number more than twice the present popu-
lation of the British Isles. So, of course
il is very easy to see how many of them
came over To the United States
Mr. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor Of New
York are among the best known of his
descendants in this country. They also
claim Hugh Capet of France. for while
Mrs. Aston Is descended from the male
line, Mr.. Astors descent is from the wife
OF the conqueror. The vikings of Phila-
delphia. the Barclays of New York and
New Jersey. the Whitneys. the Beau
champs, the Stewards. the Rivers. the
Wisters and the Brooks are only few
of the best known and most numerous
American families included in this great
line of descent.
There are many Irish American citizens
who take great pride in line of de-
scent carrying them straight back to the
old Irish kings who reigned even before
the time of William the Conqueror. Not
Withstandins the time which has elapsed
since Ireland had a government Of its
o%n. there Sse prominent families both in