The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1961-01-05


their assistant surveyors
The writer Of the present article
is happy to be able to throw more
light on the origin of Benjamin
! Winslow. The progcnitor of his
line in America was John Winslow,
the shipmaster. This worthy missed
the boat which brought his better
known brother, Edward, to Ply
mouth and thus could not qualify
as one Of the Mayflower Saints"
However, he arrived on the next
boat, the good ship Fortune, in
the following year, 1921, ard since
he could not be a saint he did the
next best thing. lie married a
saint, Mary Chiffon, upon whom
history bestowed the distinction of
being the first woman to put her
foot on the Plymouth rock. To
them was born & son, Joseph. who
failed to add lustre to the family
name. By falling in debt the halo
which he received from his sainted
mother was somewhat furnished
when he passed it along 70 his son,
also named Joseph. The second
Joseph was a sea captain engaged
in coastwise trade He was in
southern waters when he learned
that warrant for his arrest was
awaiting him in Boston Town, for
''he was much indebted to His Ma
jesty the King for customs" So
! he deserted the sea and settled in
Carolina.
In time his son Thomas, the IA
ther Of Benjamin, took up his resi-
dence in Essex County, Va, where
his occupation is listed as tailor,
and the tax rolls credit him in Ills
as owning a farm Of 298 acres.
By the year 1884 Benjamin had
become a man in his own right and
was captain of a troop Of horse in
Essex County BY marrying into
the wealthy and aristocratic Bev-
erley family he allied himself with
some of the leading men in the
Colony Because Of his extensive
knowledge Of Virginia he was often
consulted by the Governor and the
Council at Williamsburg.
While through his marriage and
his own exertions he amassed a
fortune, and founded a dynasty
that prospered greatly in Spott-
syIvania County and later in
4 Orange County, Virginia.
Upon the death Of benjamin.
Winslow the family under the lead
ership Of his son, Colonel Beverley
Winslow and of his descendants,
continued to prosper, playing
! prominent parts in the military,
financial, and social life Of the
| Commonwealth and Of the Nation.
Over a period Of about a century
and a half the family lived a pleas
ant and easy life on their broad
acres in Orange County on land
TILED by their numerous slaves.
The family had become more and
more highly educated and increas-
ingly cultured, but in the process
much Of the sturdy pioneering
spirit of Benjamin Winslow had
been lost The sands of time were
running out on the easy life.
One fine spring morning follow
ing the collapse Of the Confeder~
acy the head of the clan, bearing
the honored name of the father Of
Benjamin, Thomas Winslow, was
sitting under a tree reading a book,
leaning his chair back against a
great oak tree near his mansion.
1t is possible that his mind wan
dered back over the good old days
when all was well with his world,
or possibly ne recoiled with horror
when he thought of the bleak fu-
ture he faced. However that may be,
his attention was attracted to a
lcommotion in his field. where pity
ing neighbors had assembled to
put in the crop for which in his
condition of shock he had failed
to make provision. Putting down
his book he walked to the corner
lof the house and, picking up a
fishing pole, headed for the creek.
You Tom,' shouted his astonished
wife, what are you thinking Of
going fishing when all those hands
are down there blowing your
field?" Woman" was the reply,
IF l can't go fishing when l have
hands doing the blowing for me,
when in tarnation could l go fish
Iing?" And he continued on to the
lcreek.
Thus the curtain fell on the
greatness of the family founded by
Benjamin Winslow, soldier, sur
iveyor, adventurer, explorer, and
rugged man of action, leader of
the first conducted tour to the
mountains of Garrett County.
| A photostatic copy of the map of
I1736 is in the Ruth Enlow Library
lin Oakland.
Reprinted from The Glades Star.