2»a S. N« 90. Sept. 19. '57.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 



233 



by a lion, Mark by a man, Luke by an ox, and 

 - - ' i^De Cons. Evangelistarum, 



T. J. BUCKTON. 



John by an eagle. 

 I. vi. T. iii. r. ii.). 



The legend of the origin of this badge, and the 

 oonsequent conversion to Christianity of aPaynim 

 Knight of Portugal, is to be found in the Smc- 

 ioral Portngues, but is too long for transcription 

 in " N. & Q. : " neither is such transcription neces- 

 sary, as the whole is to be found translated in the 

 Notes to Souther's Pilgrim to Compostella. 



W. J. Bernhaed Smith. 



GEOKGE WASHINGTON AN ENGLISHMAN. 



(2"'i S. iv. 6. 39. 75.) 

 It seems rather a strange coincidence that, on 

 the eighty-first anniversary of American Inde- 

 pendence, a grave Query should be started in the 

 pasres of "N. & Q." as to whether America's 

 •rreatest hero and wisest President was not after 

 all a bona fide "John Bull." Though the ques- 

 tion seems almost too absurd to be treated in a 

 serious manner, it may be well to state, that having 

 examined all the biographical accounts of George 

 Washington, both English and American, within 

 my reacli, I find they one and all declare he was 

 born in the state of Virginia. Besides the autho- 

 rities already referred to (pp. 39. 75.), I may ad- 

 duce the following : Encydopcedia Britannica ; 

 Biographie Universdle ; Chalmers's Biographical 

 Dictionary; Maunder's Biographical Treasury; 

 Pictorial History of England, Sfc. Sec. Judge 

 Marshall, in his Life of Washington (1804), says 

 he was " the third son of Augustine Washington, 

 and was born in Virginia at Bridges Creek, in the 

 county of Westmoreland, on the 22nd of February, 

 1732." And Washington Irving, the latest, and 

 probably the most accurate, of Washington's bio- 

 graphers, says he was born " in the family home- 

 stead at Bridges Creek, Virginia." It is hardly 

 probable a writer of such tried integrity and 

 world-wide renown would repeat such a "re- 

 markable story " without possessing reliable evi- 

 dence as to its truth. 



In the Edinburgh Review for Oct. 1833_ (vol. 

 Iviii. p. 75.), I find a curious anecdote relating to 

 Washington's genealogy, which may be worth re- 

 cordinghere. In the Life of William Roscoe, by 

 his son, it Is stated that towards the close of the 

 last century the historian became acquainted with 

 Sir Isaac Heard, then Garter King-at-Arms. 

 Roscoe gleaned from Sir Isaac a singular fact re- 

 specting Washington, which he (Roscoe) many 

 years after communicated to an American gentle- 

 man In a letter. The following is an extract : — 

 " On visiting him (Heard) one day in his office in 

 Doctors' Commons, I observed a portrait over the chimney- 

 piece, not sufficiently characterised for me to decipher, and, 

 to the best of my recollection, not in the first style of art. 



" I could, however, perceive that it was not the repre- 

 sentation of the personage who might have been ex- 

 pected to preside at the fountain of honour; and on 

 expressing my surprise to Sir Isaac, and inquiring whose 

 portrait it was, he replied, in his usual energetic manner, 

 'Who is it? Whose should it be, but the portrait of 

 the greatest man of the age— George Washington ? ' On 

 my assenting to this remark, he added, ' Now, Sir, I will 

 show you something farther.' And turning to his ar- 

 chives, he took out some papers, consisting of several 

 sheets, closely written, saving, ' Here, Sir, is the genea- 

 logy and family history of General Washington, with 

 which he has, at my request, furnished me, in his own 

 handwriting, and which 1 shall have a particular pleasure 

 in preserving amongst the most precious records of ray 

 office ; ' which I have no doubt he has accordingly done, 

 and where I presume they may still be seen on applica- 

 tion to the proper authorities." 



Query, Does the precious and interesting docu- 

 ment here referred to yet exist ? * If so, any ex- 

 tracts from It would be very acceptable to the 

 wide circle of Washington's admirers. Vox. 



FAMILY OF SOBEKT EMMETT. 



(2'^'^ S. iii. 31. 97. 248.) 

 In reference to the Irish patriot Robert Em- 

 mett, I presume he resided with his father Dr. 

 Emmett, in Stephen's Green, Dublin, up to the 

 year 1802; after that time it would appear he 

 resided at the country residence of his father near 

 Milltown. As to the exact period at which the 

 family of Emmett settled in Ireland I have been 

 unable to discover. I find, however, that in the 

 year 1656 William Emett filed a bill in the 

 Court of Chancery in Ireland, and several suits 

 were subsequently, down to the year 1698, insti- 

 tuted by and against Katherine Emett, Thomas 

 Emett, and Cornet Thomas Emett. Whether 

 the pleadings in these suits would or would not 

 afford any valuable information, not having seen 

 them, I am not able to say. 



In the reign of Queen Anne Thomas Eniett 

 was a justice of peace for the county of Limerick, 

 and probably died during that reign, as I do not 

 find him holding the commission in the reign of 

 George I. In the year 1743 Christopher Emett 

 of Tfpperary, in the county of Tipperary, made 

 his will, dated 30th April, 1743, and which was 

 proved In the Court of Prerogative In Ireland the 

 14th November in that year. In his said will he 

 mentions his wife Rebecca, his sons Thomas and 

 Robert, his nephew Christopher Emett, son of 

 his brother William, his sister-in-law Elizabeth 

 Temple of Dublin, and his nephew John Mahony. 

 Who this Elizabeth Temple was, and how she was 

 sister-in-law to Christopher Emett, some of 

 your correspondents may be able to explain. I 



r* It is printed in Sparkes' Life of Washir.gton, from 

 the original MS. now in the possession of Sir Isaac 

 Heard's friend and executor, James Pulman, Esq., ± .b.A., 

 Clarencieux.] 



