The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
A CORNER IN ANCESTORS.
By FRANCES CowLEs.

I was member OF the House OF Burgesses
In 1854. He had probably two children,
| Annie and William. On the tomb of wnl-
lam Gooch, the father, at Temple Farm.
York County, Virginia, appears the coat
of-arms here described. II belongs also
to the English Gooches, Of Norfolk. Eng
4 land. 1t Is blazoned: Paly of eight ar
gent and sable chevron Of the first be-
tween three greyhounds of the second,
4 passant argent. spotted and collared
| sable. The motto is: Virtute ct fide
have been unable to find a coat-of-
arms for the Snead family or any trace
OF the name in English nomenclature.
However, the Snead family was one OF
| the prominent Virginia families In CO.
! lonial days and intermingled with the
Weavers and Vests. In the William and
Mary Quarterly, Vol. 10. page 125, there
| Is a record Of births. deaths and mar
riages of one branch OF the Snead family.
The Claiborne family was a prominent
colonial family Of King William County,
virginia, In colonial times. The ClaI-
bornes trace their descent to Edmund
Claiborne. of Cleburne Hall, Yorkshire
England. who married Grace. the daugh-
ter OF Sir Alan Bellfngham. They had
son. William, who came to Virginia with
Gov. Wyatt in 1851 and served as Secre-
tary OF State for the colony. His sons
were William and Lieut.. Thomas, both
OF whom settled in King William Coun-
~. Virginia, and Leonard. who settled in
Jamaica. West Indies. On the tomb of
Lieut.. Thomas appears the family coat
of-arms, as follows: Argent three chew
ronels interlaced in base sable a chief
and bordure OF the last. Crest A demi
olive branch. Motto. Pax ct copIa
I have been unable to find records OF
the LAnier or Lenoir family although
II Is prominent in the South. Apparently,
the name is not known to English nom
enclature.
To T. W. b.. who asks for information
about the Branch family OF Halifax, n
c.:
The Branch family was ore OF the
leaGinG families in Virginia in colonial
times, but I have been unable to find
record OF the first settler of the name
In Robertson and Brooks "Pocahontas
and Her Descendants appear two rec
ords Of intermarriaGe of Pocahontas'
descendants with the Branch family.
h"th IL the fifth generation. One is
the n arriage of Daniel Bernard TO a
woman of the Branch family whose
first name Is not given. and the other
is the marriage OF Mary Eldridge TO
ling Branch. who married RebeCca |
Graves. and Mathew Branch. who mar
ried Martha Cox.
To B. NJ l.. who asks for information |
about the "Lowery family OF Scotland !
or ireland and the Sheldon family who |
came over in the Mayfiower:"
The Lowery or Lowry family is OF !
Irish origin. The head Of the Irish |
family is seated at Pomercy house. !
Tyrone. They trace descent from Rob |
ert Lowry, ESQ., grandfather OF the |
first Earl OF Belmore The Coat-of-
arms Of the family is as follows; Sable |
n cup argent with a garland of laurel |
between two branches OF the same,
all issuing thereout proper. Crest. two
laurel branches. interfrettPd, proper.
Motto Cover) Floreant Lauri. UnderD |
Eirtus semper viridis. I have been un
able TO find any evidence that any one
Of the name OF Sheldon came to this
on the Mayfiower although the
family was one OF the distinguished
New England families OF colonial days.
On Bradford's list OF Mayfiower pas
sengers there appears the name Of one
James Chiffon. however. and ii is bare
" possible that this similarity 81
names has led to the tradition that the
sheldons came over In the Mayfowe-.
To X. +. D. NJ II. r.. and others
Who ask for the Scott COat-Of-arms in
America: The crest given in the
oOokplate OF Gen. Winfield Scott, or
Virginia, and used by several dis
inguishcd branches OF the Scott family
IN America Is as follows: 4 dexter hand
proper holding a broken lance gules
Motto. Armor Patriae Gen. Winfield
Scott's son. Henry Lee Scott. used the
MOTTO. Amo. The family to which Win
ield Scott belonged was founded in this
by his grandfather. who came
over after the battle OF CullOden. In
rs In that battle his elder brother
vas slain. The emigrant settled In Nir-
;lnia and his son. William. married Anna
Mason. whose son was the distinguished
;pneral who by the way was named
Ningfed. But after the battle Of lundy's
.ane his name always appeared as
Winfield. The crest used by these illus
rious Scots is the same as that used
" the Dukes Of BuCCleuEh.
I have been unable TO find the name
4 any first settler OF the Dyer family
n America A James Dyer. born in
Sew York State about 100 served in the q
revolution and his descendants are liv-
1g in Albany and elsewhere. The name
not so unusual in England as it is
n this country, there being nine differ I
mt coats-of-arms borne by various menu
ers NJ the English family