The "Washington" Connection

Scott has reminded me that I left out one interesting piece of information about Durham Cathedral. Whilst our docent was showing us around and pointing out the fascinating architectural details in the cathedral she aimed her laser at a small plaque mounted in an out of the way place on one of the walls. This plaque had a poem inscribed upon it telling about the Washington family, and was dated in the mid-1400's. This particular family lived in county Durham and were the direct ancestors of George Washington. On one side of this plaque was the Washington family coat of arms.

Although George Washington's ancestors immigrated to Virginia in the 1600's, this coat of arms would have been known to both George and Martha. No one knows for certain, but there is some speculation that the U.S. flag, crafted by Betsy Ross, was based on the Washington family coat of arms. While this cannot be confirmed, it is almost certain that it was the inspiration for the flag of Washington D.C.!