Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22

corning Mary's courtship and marriage. Acc
cording to one of these inventions, Augustine
washington is brought to England on business
trip at the time Mary Bah IS q visitor in her
brothers English home. Fate, masquerading
perhaps as q runaway horse, introduces the
two young people, marriage Is soon arranged,
and the bride and bridegroom are given cot
tage in Cookham, England, for their honeymoon.
Augustine made some business trips to England
during his life, and Joseph did have home in
that country, but no other evidence has been
found to support this pretty story.
IF we must discount the story Of the May
blossom cheeks and the haxen hair, do we
know anything more about the brides appear
ance than we do about the scene Of the we'd
ding? Several portraits have been presented
to help us out in this direction and one Of
them has to 60 with the supposed honeymoon
cottage at Cookham. 1t was there that paint
ing was discovered nearly $50 years ago which
its owner claimed was portrait Of Mrs. Wash
tngton, the mother of Gen. Washington. The
lady portrayed was lovely and youthful with q
shadow Of gold" dress, delicate complexion,
blue eyes and abundant treSseS and the work
was aScribed to Thomas Hudson, an English
painter of some note who had Summer home
near Cookham.
When first seen in America the picture was
not unreservedly accepted as authentic, but
about 1871 it was purchased by Prof. Samuel
F. B. Morse who with the historian Benson
Losing was inclined to believe it a genuine
portrait of Mary Ball Washington. 1t was in
herited by Prof Morse's son, the late Edward
L, Morse and for a number of years hung in
his home in Washington. In 1914, however,
Mr.. Morse had further tests made, and the
English expert who cleaned and rebacked the
picture at that time pronounced 1t very good
example of the work Of the celebrated portrait
painter, Sir Peter Lely. This leaves the fair
ladys name a mystery. for Sir Peter died in
1880, some % years before Mary was born.
Unfortunately for our acquaintance with the
bride, the only other picture representing her
as q young woman, known as the Middleton
portrait, has been diScredited Is an Intentional
forgery The picture was brought to this
country In 1887 by an Eng1ishman. Maj James
Walter, with several other so-caIled portraits Of
prominent Americans of Washington's time.
Although Maj. Walter bolstered up his claims
by many spurious documents and the publica-
ton Of a book called Memorials Of Washing
ton, Mary, His Mother, and Martha, His Wife,"
the portraits were almost Immediately pro-
nounced recent forgeries.
Mary Ball Washington was no longer young
when the next portrait Of which we know was
painted but perhaps If we could imagine the
cap and tucker Of lace removed-symbols Of
age which no matron Of so years would assume
today young and beautiful woman might
emerge with far more intelligent expression
This third picture, sometimes referred TO as
"The Bride Of Wakefield" has been accepted
by the historians Of the Wakefield Memorial
Association as authentic, and the opinion Is
t&ciEly agreed to by the authorities of the
United States National Museum in exhibiting
it ct this time in q prominent place at the
old museum Experts acknowledged It as the
work Of John Woolaston, another English artist
who visited the colonies about 1T5e and painted
many portraits in Virginia and Maryland. The
early history Of the picture Is stia mystery,
but Mrs. WaShington,S name was found written
upon the old stretcher beneath the canvas and
such portrait has been found listed among
Woolastons works. The present owner II w.
LAnier Washington.
A S usually happens, we have paid much more
attention to the bride than to the groom In
this wedding day story, but Augustine WASH
ington was by no means figure to be ignored.
He appears to have spent at least IL years OF
his boyhood in English schools, and after his
return to Virginia became quickly identified
with the growth Of the colony. He succeeded
In many business ventures, acquired consider
able property in addition to that which he had
inherited and built the mansion house which
we now know as Wakefield" In 1871 he was
widower So years old with three young chil-
dren, one Of whom was to become the next
owner Of Wakefield, and another to permanently
establish and name the estate called Mount
Vernon. No one has attempted even to forge
the bridegrooms portrait. and for description
Of his appearance and personality we must
depend upon some hearsay evidence that he
was TALL strong and handsome and Of pleasant
and friendly disposition.
We may not be able to completely visualize
this bride and groom Of so long ago, nor to
say where the marriage was performed, but we
do know that the ring ceremony was used, for
the wedding ring Is on exhibition at Mount
Vernon today. Now pathetically thin strip. Of
In tee
generations in the Washington family after
George washington himself gave 1t to his niece.