36

THE WASHINGTONS’ ENGLISH HOME.

By Rose G. Kincstey.

 

_ A WAY in the centre of Northamptonshire,
A among great solemn woods and heavy clay
pastures, lies a stately park round a noble house.
On the hill above sits an ancient brown sandstone
church, brooding like an old hen over her chick-
ens — the yellow-brown sandstone cottages of the
village. And a mile beyond the church, in a smal-
ler village, a low sandstone house stands by the
roadside, with thatched roof, and high gable-ends,
and stone mullioned windows, and an inscription
carved over the door,

The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Constructa. 1606.

The Park is-Althorp Park, Lord Spencer’s splen-

   

 

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did home, The church is Brington Church; and i
it contains ‘monuments which should stir every §
American heart. For in the sandstone house at 5
Little Brington lived the ancestor of George Waslr
ington ; and he lies buried in Brington Church with
his wife and several of his children and kinsfolk

Yes! In that low sandstone house—now 4
cottage — Mr. Lawrence Washington, son and heit
of Robert Washington of Sulgrave in Northamp 7
tonshire, lived and died. And it was his second q
son, John, who emigrated in 16 57 to Virginia, there 3
to found the family.of the illustrious first. Presi
dent of the United States,

The Washingtons who were originally a Lance
shire family, had been settled in Northamptor
shire for several generations 3 first in the town d