Watching the Presidential election from across "the pond" here in England, it seemed that the number of Star Spangled Banners being waved where even more than usual at election time.

Maybe it was because people sensed that this was going to be an historical election or maybe it was because they were concious that there was going to be troubled times ahead affecting all Americans.

Here in England we dont go in for flying the Stars and Stripes much,never quite got over all that tea floating in Boston harbor a while back I guess.. You could say that America was a bit like having a Warton the backside to the King at the time King George.


However here in this 900 year old village in Northern England, the Stars and Stripes are flown every 4th of July from the local church tower.





Before the tryptophan from all that turkey kicks in here are are three questions.

Why is the flag being flown in this particular village?

Whats the history of this particular flag?

and finally what connection do these two well known people have with the flag being flown?


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Dont say you dont know, there are enough clues in the message to get you started looking.

First to get all three answers correct can have another piece of pie.

Happy Thanksgiving everbody!

No photos. No Answers.

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OK here are the answers.

The reference to the Boston Tea Party and King George were clues that the war of independence was the time period involved in the answer, and the crucial sentence is "America was like a Warton the backside of King George".

Who was the biggest wart at that time to the English King?

George Washington of course, who led the Continental Army that fought the War of Independence,and the name of the English village is Warton , which is located near the town of Lancaster, and is the ancestral home of George Washington.

It was Colonol John Washington, the great-grandfather of George Washington, who emigrated to Virginia in 1659 and started the American branch of the Washington family and thats the reason the Stars and Stripes flies from the church tower every 4th of July.

The Washingtons had been resident in Warton since the 14th century after moving from Durham in the NE of England.

Two of the Washington family were involved in the building of the church,Lawrence and Robert Washington and the Washington family coat of arms was built into the stonework of the church.



The coat-of-arms followed the Washington family to America and eventually became the flag of Washington DC.



Because the Washington coat-of-arms is made up of stars and stripes it is claimed by some that it originally formed the basis for the design of the American flag, but not all experts agree.

The present day flag that flies at Warton was provided by the White House after it originally flew on the Capitol Building on May 11th 1966.

Warton, Lancaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And how are Winston Churchill and Lady Dianna linked to the flag flying at Warton?

The clue is in their names, Winston Spencer Churchill and Dianna was originally Dianna Spencer before she was married.

The Spencer dynasty who eventually spawned them both are linked to the Washington family.

This is the Washington family tree displayed in the church.



And of course no English village would be complete without a pub, which has been named after the great man.

Attached Images

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It must be something related to the independence war...if I had to guess. Interesting history.

Sorry about the missing photos.
They have now been added with the help of Kevin.

Very interesting history - thanks, Liverock, for your good attention to detail.
The Spencer/Churchill connection I knew of, but the village of Warton and its history is new to me.
Great stuff!

Well said, Xania. I'm very impressed too, I wish I could do something like him.

Liverock: I just found forum guests couldn't view the images, if you want to change this, you need to make your album (the one contains these pictures) public.

OK Kevin will do,thanks.

hahaha!! that's an understatement.

Actually King George III had a high regard for George Washington.

The painter Benjamin West wrote that when he talked to King George III during the Revolutionary War, the monarch asked him what he thought George Washington would do if he prevailed.
Return to his farm, West predicted -- accurately, as it turned out.
"If he does that," King George remarked, "he will be the greatest man in the world."

Washington did return to his farm after the war and almost as important, after two terms as president, setting an example that has lasted until the present.

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Have a happy holiday everybody.

But it looks like to me that the Spencer relationship is in a sibling not in a direct lineage, right up there at the top of the tree, John and Katherine Spencer were like Aunts, not a direct line from them, No?

Interesting story through.

I would not be surprised it the flag was developed off of a coat of arms...

Thats right, Winston Churchill and Lady Dianna where related by marriage to the Washington family line.
I think the Stars and Stripes is probably based on the Washington Coat of Arms. George Washington was more likely to be the one to come up with the design for a flag after he led the country to independance and became the first President.

THE STARS AND STRIPES AT ST OSWALD'S CHURCH
WARTON VILLAGE NR LANCASTER ENGLAND.





The sturdy tower of St Oswald's Church was built by Robert Washington over 500 years ago. Since that time over eighteen members of the Washington family have been baptised over the 12th century font.
The last Washington to live in the village was Thomas Washington and he was the vicar from 1799 to 1823 and is buried in the churchyard.

But the connection between this North Lancashire village and the ancestral family which included the First President of the USA lives on.

Each year on the 4th of July the Stars and Stripes flag is flown in honour of American Independance Day.



"Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God."

PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799)


Have a happy Independance Day holiday.