Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-12-12
Found Ancestors
That Helped
By JANE OSBORN


&
w Earl, his wife Jennie and their
daughter Jane-had started for their
six weeks holiday 1t had been ar
ranged that they would divide their
time unselfshly. For two weeks they
would 20 where Father Earl might en-
JOY himself in the way he liked best,
two weeks should be spent to suit
the taste Of Jane, and Jennie should
have the dispOsing Of the last two
weeks. Two weeks had already been
spent along a remote lake, fisher
mans paradise.
And now" said Mrs. Earl, now
wen 90 to Blairford You know the
Earls were among the original settlers
Of that town"
"YOu don't expect TO find any traces
of them nowf' said Mr.. Earl That
was three centuries ago-none Of my
family have lived In Blairford that /
ever knew"
That's just IT," retorted Mrs. Earl.
None of your immediate family ever
took any interest in their antecedents.
But for James sake / think we ought
" get lue peulsTte.
That's dear OF you, mother"
beamed Jane. only If you'd just
as soon | think I'll let you and daddy
60 along to Blairford and I'll stay
right here. George Brown is coming
up next week, and"
Mrs. Earl shook her head reprov-
ingly. George Brown-a mere no.
body" she scolded. "He may be nice
boy, but his father was just a post
Office clerk and he isn't doing much
better. Besides. l want you to be
there-we may meet some really fine
people. Descendants of the first set
tiers are all the time going back"
So the Earls went TO Blairford. 1t
had grown but little since the time
dearly three hundred years before
when an ancestor Of Thomas Earl with
a party Of forty other men and their
wives and children, had first called
II home.
Mrs. Earl spent day after their ar
rival taking the lay Of ne land"
She didn't want to rush into this mat
ter Of finding distinguished ancestors
hastily. She discovered that there
was Historical museum" at one end
Of the town where a motley eolIec-
tion Of old belongings Of the early
inhabitants had been carefully pre-
served
In the green or common there was
a tablet to the Revolutionary soldiers
from the town, and Mrs. Earl looked
diligently there for a trace Of the
name Earl, but In vain. @Here are
the Rains, and the Hulsteds and the
Browns" she said. you might think
they owned this town Their names
appear on every list / rather wish
knew some of their descendants"
few days later they went to the
museum, and after having signed their
names in an enormous registration
book they lowered about three close
rooms of the old house, looking at the
historical collection.
Look here, Jennie" called Mr.. Earl
from the little attic whittier he had
gone. Here's something that be
longed to one of the Earls." Jennie
AhAAl9 AtN " lnf nAllIs
"See, it is a sausage filler," Thomas
Earl explained used by John Earl In
his shop on the green" Mr.. Earl
grinned. And over there is a bit
of rope taken from the old slaughter
house belonging to Hiram Earl l
guess they were
Tom, you don't imagine they were
~ a enl
Like as not" beamed Thomas
I That's an honest calling and mighty
{ important one"
Jennie descended the rickety stairs
and began talking 10 the oldish woman
I who acted as curator Of the tiny mu-
scum. She told the lady that her hus-
I band was descended from one Of the
first settlers. "Ill show you the old
charter of the town. said the curator,
/ leading the way to a faded parchment
under a glass case. Here are the
signatures Of the settlers who could
write" she said. These over here
/ merely made a mark and the clerk of
the company wrote in their names"
/ Jennie looked quickly through the
list. The first settler, Thomas Earl,
had made his mark and after his mark
was written Thomas Earl, Barnabus
| Browns bOndman."
Jennie made no comments. She was
about to look for her husband, still
| In the attic when il occurred TO her
that her daughter was not to be seen.
/ The curator explained that while she
had been upstairs young man had
come in and they had gone out TO
I gether to talk.
1T was young Mr. George Brown,
explained the curator. Hes de
scendant of Barnabus Brown. In the
line Of General Brown Of the Revolu-
I ton and Judge Brown. The Of Brown
mansion is up ON the green-Barnabus
Brown, you know, was a younger son
Of Lord Gerald Murray"
A few minutes later Mrs. Earl found
her daughter and George Brown seat
ed in George Browns ineNpel i've run
about in front Of the museur
you see, when | found ut that
Jane had come here l folio d." said
George. This Is an Oh hunting
ground for me. My folks o more or
less connected with the town Besides.
just had to see Jane"
Jane looked appealingly t, rmoth-
er. 81 may as well tell yo lothcr. -
she said that George anu are en-
gagged"
"Why, Jane. why George aid Jen-
ME smiling, Il know youll happy.
had no idea you we're desceu ed from
Barnabus Brown. But lei nie run and