The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-12-13
BY ALBERT BUSHNELL HART

Everybody knows that George
Washington was a great real estate
man. He bought lands, held lands,
sold lands, exchanged lands, culti-
waited lands, and built up the beau
tiful estate Of Mount Vernon, one OF
the nations most valuable heirloomS.
A life of Washington might be writ
ten, based on the places that he
owned and the estates upon which
he lived at one time or another.
It Is the same way with Washing
tons ancestors, of whom we now
have an established line, father to
son, for seventeen generations, from
Robert Washington, Lord of Mil
burne, to George Washington, pro-
prietor of Mount Vernon.
A systematic search, carried
through parts Of two summers, has
brought into the light in the British
Isles, somewhere from thirty to fifty
houses, or churches, or abbeys, or
colleges, or estates, or fields, which
were either owned or occupied, or
bought, or sold, or bequeathed, or
inherited by one or another OF
Washington's direct ancestors.
The first places to look for were
those called Washington, Of which
there are several in the United
Kingdom and Ireland. The Irish
and Scotch Washingtons, SO far as
now ascertained, seem to have been
named by admirers of George Wash
ington during or after his lifetime
A Washington in Sussex, not far
south of London, is a parish with a
church and centuries of history;
vet so far nobody has been able to
connect it with people named Wash
ington.
BY far the most important WASH
ington in the world, outside the
District of Columbia, is the "town'
Of Washington, between Newcastle
and Durham. It is a wide parish in
which in the 1877 william de Hert-
burn acquired lands and took over
the name of William de Wessyng-
ton (then pronounced Washington
There can be little doubt that this
is the cradle of direct line, father
to son, of about twenty generations
of Washingtons, ending with our
George.
Easy to Reach
To reach the most famous Wash
ington places in England is not
difficult. Sulgrave and Brington,
both near Northampton, can be Wis
tied in an auto or bus from London
in one long day; and both contain
churches with Washington tombs
and houses inhabited by direct an
cestors of Washington.
Washington apparently knew
nothing about his English ancestry
except that they came from the
north of England. Recent researches
have revealed many Washington
places in that region.
At Selby Abbey near York is a
beautiful glass coat Of arms bear
ing the three rnullets mistakenly
called stars). and two bars, which
were engraved on the signet ring
worn by George Washington.
The same arms are found on the
front Of Hylton Castle near the town
Of Washington mentioned above
another proof this this is the cradle
Of the Washington house.
The biggest Washington find In
that part of the world, however, is
the recent discovery that seven gen.
erationS of WashingtonS in the
direct line lived in or near Warton
near Lancaster, and on Warrior
church again you find the George
Washington arms.
Complete Record
It is the intention Of the United
States Washington Commission to
complete this search into the Wash
iligton places, and also to make a
similar survey of all the places ip
America in which George Washing
ton lived or which he visited.
Before long, routes will be laid
out and arrangements perfected by
which the traveller and the tourist
in America or in England may have
the opportunity of visiting such
Washington places as he desires I'M
der convenient and moderate means
of transportation, lodging and guild
ance.
The Kiwanis Club luncheon at the
C1avn0n1 Wednesday will he the