Monday, June 16, 2008

You Can't Pick Your Family



I've always heard it said, "You can pick your seat...you can pick your nose...but you can't pick your relatives." In this family, we celebrate our heritage...the good, bad and the ugly.
Ella Carrington is named after one of her great grandfathers many years back. Carrington Simpson has been remembered in Green County history as the supposed illigitmate son of Judge Carrington from Virginia as well as committing one of the most horrendous murders this area has ever witnessed.
In July of 1838, Carrington Simpson and two other men murdered Lucinda White, her sons John and Lewis, Lewis's wife Matilda and their baby William. They were bludgened to death and placed in a old outhouse and covered with a dead horse to disguise the smell of rotting flesh. Their motive was money and property.
Carrington Simpson was hung on September 21, 1841 in the community we live. The headstone is surrounded with a simple white gate and sits out in the middle of a pasture.
Simpson's story has become a prominent part of history in this area. It has been featured in William B. Allen's "History of Kentucky" as well as "History Among Us" by Lanny Tucker.
When I was pregnant with Ella, we wanted names to reflect both sides of our families. The name Ella is after Todd's paternal grandmother and my paternal great-grandmother. I couldn't bypass the name Carrington. For one thing, it's a beautiful name. Second, the story is fabulous. You can't make that stuff up.
Can you imagine the look on her boyfriends face when she tells him that story. He will think twice before mistreating her.
So, for all you people out there that think your family is a little loony...We got you all beat.

1 comment:

ginger said...

Well, first of all that is a gorgeous name she has!

...and you're right, nobody is going to want to cross her once they hear that story!