The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-17
A CORNER IN ANCESTORS
By FRANCES COwLEs. THE STACY FAMILY

l The American family of Stacy bears I the ancient coat-of-arms and crest of the English Stacye family of Bucking- | hamshire. The heraldic device here il | lustrated is described thus: Azure on a fesse between three birds. or, as many fleurs de lys sable. Crest: Out of a mar
 charged with estoiles winged. attired of | the first, in the mouth a pansy, gules stalked and leaved vert.
 To r. o. w, who asks for informa- tion about the Fletcher family of New England.
 The first settler of the name of Fletcher h this country was probably Robert Fletcher, who came to Concord Mass early in the Seventeenth century Five years later Joseph and Miles settled in Virginia. William Fletcher, born in Eng land in 1892. settled in Lowell Mass. Moses Fletcher came over in the Mayflower, but, unfortunately for F1etchers with Mayflower society ambitions he soon died unmarried.
 It is a tradition in the family that the Fletchers have great faith in woman, Tor few are bachelors. Hfchard Fletcher of Vermont, belonged to the ranks of the unmarried and when elected deacon he declined the honor. Among other quali- fications, I lack the important one, which is an injunction of Holy Writ. that a deacon should be the husband of one wife, l have none, therefore I must de- cline the office"
 The family has had it's patriots-one Andrew Fletcher was so steadfast to
 what he thought right that mo hazard
 nor advantage. no. nor the gold of the
 world, could tempt him." And there, were others; indeed, the martIai roll of honor is a long one. Nineteen were in
 the Revolution, six being at Bunker Hill When the army was at Valley Forge Timothy Fletcher filled his sleigh with
 shoes and took them to the encampment
 He led his horse and walked all the way
 whatever the distance may have been.
 To c. A. M. who asks for the origin of
 the name Madison:
 Madison is a name which, according to
 the wise ones, is derived from Matthew.
 The evolution is as follows: Matthew.
 Matthews, Matheson, Matson, Madison.
 An ancient town in Stirling county.
 the parish of Muiravonside, is called Maddiston, and it is quite probable that the family name was derived from that.
 In the old country the name is usually
 spelled with two "ds." The first of the
 family here probably used the double consonant, but one was dropped as soon
 as some one cleverly discovered that
 I'd would never be missed" Madeson is another orthography.
 To c. R. F., who asks for information about the origin of the Roosevelt family to which ex-President Roosevelt be- longs:
 All of the Roosevelts in this country are derived from the Dutch family. The common ancestor was Klaas, or Claes Martenzen Van Rosenvelt, of Hol- land, who arrived in New Netherlands, or New York, 1649 with his wife, Jan- netje Samuels- Thomas
 A New York directory, for the year 1865, has the name Bay Roosevelt-a
 name which appears as that of an immigrant arriving Tn 1863, in the ship Rosetree His name Is put down in the ship record as Bay Groesvelt. In 1864, he paid taxes on $400 personal property. In TIPS Jacobus Roosevelt bought the Beekman swamp, New York city, as 1t was called, for f200. Here tanneries were established, and to this day that locality is called "the swamp" He laid
 out streets, one named for himself. The 10 lots which he bought were each about 25 by 120 feet
 It was Jacobus' daughter, Helena. who
 married Andrew Barclay after whom Barclay street was named. Marriage connections exist with all the old, we'll known New York families. the Roosas, Rutgers, De Peysers, Va ricks, Bogerts, Aspinwalls, Courtlandts, Provosts and Duryeas.
 To G. C., who asks for Information
 about the Hume family. with the de- scription of the coat-of- arms: George Hume, born in Berwick, 1697. came to America in 1721 and settled in Culpepper county, Virginia. He was a surveyor, and the one who taught Washington the business. George
 ~ 1.~@t Lfr-pta nfc Hume, had come over previously with Governor Spotswood, whose cousin ne
 is called. George, the Pilgrim, had six sons, and his wife was Elizabeth Proc tor. George, Jr., married Jane stanton. and they had eight children. The Humes made marriages with the Sharps Barnes Colvins, Duncans and Cr1giers William HumeFson of George and Eliza beth married Susan Elzephan, Miss Granville and Sarah Baker.
 Alexander Hume, also son of the pioneer George, was killed in battle on the second day of his enlistment in the Continental army. His fate inspired many pens and his story was told in prose and verse.
 comrade and standard bearer was shot. Alexander sprang to the flag, ana while waving it from the ramparts, he' too, was killed.
 'He lay in the pale beauty of death, and upon his bosom was the picture, in d golden locket of his sweetheart the lovely girl he was to marry, Miss Cruik- shank" Doubtless he Is the Lieut.. Alex ander Hume, whom Heitmans "Officers of the American Revolution records as killed In 1779, and from South Carolina.
 More than score of Hume orthog- raphies are found in the records. For ex- ample: Hum, Heum, Hwme, Howm, Hwm, Heium, Hieume, IIiewm, Hiewme, Hewme, Hoom. Houm. Early forms are De fIoume and De Home or Hume. The name, however spelled. has been owned by those. or by many, of whom 1t may be said "a good name is better than riches. and loving favor Is more than gold and silver" and many. if not most. of the Humes are cast in noble mold. Their words and actions ring clear.
 The coat-of-arms illustrated is: Vert, lion rampant, argent.
 Crest: A lions head, erased. or.
 Motto: True to the end. Wise la Fine, another version, is translated, Aim at the end
 To l.. C., who asks for information about the Virginia Chew family, with description of the coat-of-arms:
 The Chew family of America traces it's descent to the English Chew family of Chewton. Somersetshire, family which is recorded as early as the thirteenth century. The name was first spelled Cho, later Choo and sometimes also Chowe. Hugh de Cho is the first individual of