Part 51 (1/2)
JARED SPARKS.
His Excellency John A. Andrew, _Governor of Ma.s.sachusetts._
MR. SUMNER TO MR. SPARKS.
BOSTON, November 22, 1860.
MY DEAR SIR: Since our last conversation, the Earl Spencer has kindly sent to me precise copies of the two ”Memorial Stones” of the English family of George Was.h.i.+ngton, which I have already described to you as harmonizing exactly with the pedigree which has the sanction of your authority. These are of the same stone and of the same size with the originals, and have the original inscriptions--being in all respects _facsimiles_. They will, therefore, give you an exact idea of these most interesting memorials in the parish church of Brington, near Althorp, in Northamptons.h.i.+re.
The largest is of Lawrence Was.h.i.+ngton, the father of John Was.h.i.+ngton, who emigrated to America. It is a slab of bluish-gray sandstone, and measures five feet and nine inches long, and two feet and seven inches broad. Here is the inscription:
HERE LIETH THE BODI OF LAVRENCE WAs.h.i.+NGTON SONNE AND HEIRE OF ROBERT WAs.h.i.+NGTON OF SOVLGRAVE IN THE COUNTIE OF NORTHAMPTON ESQUIER WHO MARRIED MARGARET THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM BUTLER OF TEES IN THE COUNTIE OF SUSs.e.xE ESQUIER, WHO HAD ISSU BY HER 8 SONNS AND 9 DAUGHTERS WHICH LAVRENCE DECESSED THE 13 OF DECEMBER A. DNI 1616.
THOU THAT BY CHANCE OR CHOYCE OF THIS HAST SIGHT KNOW LIFE TO DEATH RESIGNES AS DAYE TO NIGHT; BUT AS THE SUNNS RETORNE REVIVES THE DAY SO CHRIST SHALL US THOUGH TURNDE TO DUST & CLAY.
Above the inscription, carved in the stone, are the arms of the Was.h.i.+ngtons, with an additional quartering of another family.
The other is of Robert Was.h.i.+ngton, and of Elizabeth his wife. Robert was the uncle of the emigrant. This is a slab of the same sandstone, and measures three feet and five inches long, and two feet and six inches broad. The inscription is on a small bra.s.s plate set into the stone, and is as follows:
[Ill.u.s.tration: DECORATION]
HERE LIES INTERRED Y^E BODIES OF ELIZAB. WAs.h.i.+NGTON WIDDOWE WHO CHANGED THIS LIFE FOR IMORTALITIE Y^E 19^TH OF MARCH 1622. AS ALSO Y^E BODY OF ROBERT WAs.h.i.+NGTON GENT. HER LATE HUSBAND SECOND SONNE OF ROBERT WAs.h.i.+NGTON OF SOLGRAVE IN Y^E COUNTY OF NORTH.
ESQ^R. WHO DEPTED THIS LIFE Y^E 10^TH OF MARCH 1622. AFTER THEY LIVED LOVINGLY TOGETHER MANY YEARS IN THIS PARISH.
On a separate bra.s.s, beneath the inscription, are the arms of the Was.h.i.+ngtons without any addition. These, as you are well aware, have the combination of stars and stripes, and are sometimes supposed to have suggested our national flag. In heraldic language, there are bars of gules and argent, with three mullets, or stars.
[Ill.u.s.tration: HERELIETHTHEBODIOFLAVRENCE WAs.h.i.+NGTONSONNE&HEIREOF ROBERTWAs.h.i.+NGTONOFSOVLGRAVE INTHECOVNTIEOFNORTHAMPTON ESQVIERWHOMARIEDMARGARET THEELDESTDAVGHTEROFWILLIAM BVTLEROFTEESINTHECOVNTIE OFSVSs.e.xEESQVIERWHOHADISSV BYHER8SONNS&9DAVGHTERS WHICHLAVRENCEDECESSEDTHE13 OFDECEMBERA: D[^N]I:1616
THOVTHATBYCHANCEORCHOYCE OFTHISHASTSIGHT KNOWLIFETODEATHRESIGNES ASDAYETONIGHT BVTASTHESVNNSRETORNE REVIVESTHEDAYE SOCHRISTSHALLVS THOVGHTVRNDETODVST&CLAY]
In the interesting chapter on the ”Origin and Genealogy of the Was.h.i.+ngton Family,” which you give in the Appendix to your ”Life of Was.h.i.+ngton,” it appears that Lawrence, the father of the emigrant, died 13th December, and was buried at Brington, 15th December, 1616.
But the genealogical tables, which you followed, gave no indication of the locality of this church. Had it appeared that it was the parish church of the Spencer family in Northamptons.h.i.+re, the locality, which I believe has not been heretofore known in our country, would have been precisely fixed.
In point of fact, the slab which covers Lawrence Was.h.i.+ngton is in the chancel of the church, by the side of the monuments of the Spencer family. These are all in admirable preservation, with full-length effigies, busts, or other sculptural work, and exhibit an interesting and connected series of sepulchral memorials from the reign of Henry VIII. to the present time. Among them is a monument of the early English sculptor, Nicholas Stone; another from Nollekins from a design by Cipriani, and another by Flaxman, with exquisitely beautiful personifications of Faith and Charity. Beneath repose the successive representatives of this ill.u.s.trious family, which has added to its aristocratic claims by services to the state, and also by the unique and world-famous library collected by one of its members. In this companions.h.i.+p will be found the last English ancestor of our Was.h.i.+ngton.
The other slab, covering Robert, the uncle of the emigrant, is in one of the aisles of the nave, where it is sc.r.a.ped by the feet of all who pa.s.s.
The parish of Brington is between seven and eight miles from the town of Northampton, not far from the centre of England. It is written in Domesday Book ”Brinintone” and also ”Brintone.” It contains about 2,210 acres, of which about 1,490 acres belong to Earl Spencer, about 326 acres to the rector in right of the church, and about 130 acres to other persons. The soil is in general a dark-colored loam, with a small trace of clay towards the north.
Nearly four-fifths of the whole is pasture and feeding land.
In the village still stands the house said to have been occupied by the Was.h.i.+ngtons when the emigrant brother left them. You will see a vignette of it on the t.i.tle-page of the recent English work ent.i.tled ”The Was.h.i.+ngtons.” Over the door are carved the words, ”The Lord giveth; the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord;”
while the Parish Register gives a pathetic commentary by showing that, in the very year when this house was built, a child had been born and another had died in this family.
The church, originally dedicated to the Virgin, stands at the northeast angle of the village, and consists of an embattled tower with five bells, a nave, north and south aisles, a chancel, a chapel, and a modern porch; the tower is flanked by b.u.t.tresses of two stages. The present fabric goes back in its origin to the beginning of the 14th century, nearly two hundred years before the discovery of America. The chancel and chapel, where repose the Spencers and Lawrence Was.h.i.+ngton, were rebuilt by Sir John Spencer, the purchaser of the estate, at the beginning of the 16th century.
They afford one of the latest specimens of the Tudor style of architecture. The church is beautifully situated on the summit of the highest ground of Brington, and is surrounded by a stone wall flanked on the inside by trees. Dibdin says that a more complete picture of a country churchyard is rarely seen. A well-trimmed walk encircles the whole of the interior, while the fine Gothic windows at the end of the chancel fill the scene with picturesque beauty.
The Register of the Parish, which is still preserved, commences in 1560. From this it appears that Wm. Proctor was the rector from 1601 to 1627, covering the period of the last of the Was.h.i.+ngtons there.