(Washington, George) — John White | America’s great-great-grandfather, ejected from the clergy

(Washington, George) — John White

The First Century of Scandalous, Malignant Priests, Made and admitted into Benefices by the Prelates, in whole hands the Ordination of Ministers and government of the Church hath been. London: George Miller, 1643

4to (180 x 135 mm). Manuscript list of place names on initial blank, title-page, engraved headpieces, decorated initials; mild toning, numbers penciled in margins. In 18th-century blind-tooled calf, spine with morocco labels lettered in gilt, brown endpapers; front hinge cracked but holding, a little loss at head and tail, lightly rubbed at extremities, trimmed with occasional loss of catch words and signatures.

First edition—of two of the same date. Comprising a register of one hundred ministers who, by order of the Puritan Parliament, were ejected from the clergy for their offences against the Church. The offences include adultery, drunkenness, refusing to administer the Sacrament, speaking against the Parliament, continuing to bow towards the East, infrequent preaching, failure to observe the Sabbath, practicing Catholicism, gambling, fornication, and more. The ninth entry chronicles the offences of Lawrence Washington, George Washington’s great-great grandfather. Reverend Washington, born in 1602 at Sulgrove Manor, Northamptonshire, elected a fellow of Brasnose College, Oxford in 1623. In 1632, he was appointed rector of Purleigh in Essex, which allowed him to marry Amphilis Twigden (as Oxford dons were forbidden to marry). In 1643, he was ejected from the clergy, on charges of drunkenness, as described here: “The Benefice of Lawrence Washington, Rector of Purleigh in the County of Essex, is sequestered, for that he is a common frequenter of Ale-houses, not only himself sitting daily tipling there, but also incouraging [sic] others in that beastly vice, and hath been oft drunke, and hath said, That the Parliament have more Papists, belonging to them in their Armies, then [sic] the King had about him or in his Army, and that the Parliaments [sic] Army did more hurt then [sic] the Cavaleers, and that they did none at all; And hath published them to be Traitours, that lend to or assist the Parliament.”

Following his removal from Purleigh, he became rector of a far less well-to-do parish in Little Braxted, where he remained until his death in 1652. His son, John Washington (1633-1677), emigrated to Virginia in 1657, and married Anne Pope in 1658. Their first son, Lawrence (1659-1698), ultimately became a member of the House of Burgesses and was George Washington’s paternal grandfather.

REFERENCE:

Wing W-1771E

PROVENANCE:

Armorial bookplate to pastedown with motto "Anchora Tutissima Virtus" — Ford, Trinity College, Oxford (inscription dated 1815 on verso of front free endpaper) — Kenneth Nebenzahl (bookplate to pastedown), his sale, Christie’s New York, Tuesday 10 April 2012, lot 153