Sumner ancestors

[Connie Sadler <csadler72@computermail.net>]

In my study of the Sumner ancestors, it seems to me that William Sumner, our immigrant ancestor from that family, has an unusual number of famous and interesting descendants.  

Increase Sumner (not our South Carolina Increase, but a cousin) became governor of Massachusetts.  The Quarterman History Project has established the links to PM Winston Churchill and hinted at a link to the two Bush presidents (which can be easily found, by the way, by doing look-ups of presidential genealogies).

Does anyone know if U.S. Senator Charles Sumner (represented Massachusetts during the mid-1800's) was a descendant?  I can't find anything to say he was or wasn't a relative.  There's an interesting story about this Charles Sumner, which goes like this:

The Senator, a Massachusetts Republican, verbally attacked two Democratic senators, Illinois' Stephen Douglas and South Carolina's Andrew Butler.  Sumner verbally abused these two senators in a fiery speech which lasted two days and covered 112 pages of printed proceedings.  

U.S. Representative Preston Brooks, who was related to Butler, took a gold-tipped cane to the old chamber after the senate had adjourned.  There he bashed Sumner over the head with the cane repeatedly as the Senator lurched around the chamber, trying unsuccessfully to get away or defend himself.  Sumner was carried, bleeding, to a chamber room, where his wounds were tended.  Brooks resigned, was but was re-elected.  The House failed to pass a censure resolution against Brooks, although they tried.  Sumner, after a slow recovery, returned to the Senate and served another eighteen years.

It's nice to know our Congress has mellowed out, since our kids have access to C-Span, and there's enough violence on TV as it is.

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