Nansemond-Southampton County-Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Alford, Francis M., 1901 

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Francis Marion ALFORD 

VIRGINIA NEWS. 

[...] 

  Francis Marion Alford, whose father, Capt. Benjamin Alford, of the 
Portsmouth Light Dragoons, was sent by the governor to suppress the Nat. 
Turner insurrection in Southampton county, died at Suffolk on Saturday, 
aged seventy-three years, leaving a widow, three sons, and two daughters. 

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SUFFOLK 

Many Matters of Interest Picked Up in and Around Town. 

Special to The Landmark. 

  Suffolk, May 27. - At 12:20 Sunday morning the soul of Mr. Francis Marion 
Alford took its flight to the God who placed it in its earthly tenement of 
clay.  Deceased was 73 years of age and had lived an honorable and peaceable 
life.  Though not publicly professing religion, just before he died he told 
the loved ones about his bedside that he was not afraid to die and called on 
his blessed Saviour to have mercy upon him, as the most severe struggle was 
upon him.  Your correspondent had known the deceased since 1873 and knew him 
to he an honorable man in all the transactions of life, quiet, gentle and 
inoffensive toward everyone.  He had been well educated at Carlisle, Pa., and 
Wake Forest, N.C., had studied both medicine and law, but his father having 
left him a competency he had practiced neither, but lived the life of a 
gentleman of the old school.  His demise takes away the last of ten children, 
but he leaves a wife and five children to mourn their loss.  Mr. Alford had 
been twice married and his only child by his first wife, Mr. Francis Forest, 
is in the West somewhere; the other children are Mr. Preston W., who is also 
absent; Miss Agnes H., Sallie E. and Clinton B. Alford.  His long sojourn here 
won for himself and his family a large circle of friends, all of whom speak of 
him in terms of praise.  The funeral will take place at his late residence, 
No. 9 Bank street, at 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.  Friends and acquaintances 
invited to attend. 
 
 [...] 

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   NAT TURNER INSURRECTION.

Death of a Citizen Who Possessed the Negro's Sword - Other Incidents. 
    (Special Dispatch to The Times.)

  SUFFOLK, VA., May 27. - Francis Marion Alford, whose father, Captain 
Benjaman [sic; Benjamin] Alford, of the Portsmouth Light Dragoons, was sent 
by the then Governor of Virginia to suppress Nat Turner's insurrection in 
Southampton county in 1831, died here Sunday, aged seventy-three years. 
Despite large money offers the deceased retained till death the sword alleged 
to have been owned and used by the noted negro insurrectionist.  It is a crude 
looking weapon, but the steel is finely tempered. 

  Nat Turner, it will remembered, was a fanatical leader, who believed he had 
been chosen to exterminate the whites.  He passed word among his followers, 
and for several days there was fearful slaughter.  The Portsmouth Dragoons, 
with Captain Alford, are said to have been the first military organization on 
the scene, and the "rising"' was soon suppressed. 

  Nat Turner, who had taken refuge in a cave, was betrayed by the smell of 
meat he was frying for dinner.  Turner was hanged and Captain Alford got his 
sword.  That's what Captain Alford's son always told his closest friends. 

  There is a legend revived by F.M. Alford's death that Nat Turner's ears 
were cut off by a doctor who drove across the county thirty miles to see the 
execution, and that they are still in existence, having been preserved in 
alchohol.  A well known citizen, now living in Suffolk, says he has seen the 
ears.  The family in whose possession they are supposed to be has never sought 
to give publicity to their possession, nor the details of the reason for their 
ancestor's action. 

  F.M. Alford was a unique person, whom near neighbors sometimes saw only once 
or twice a year.  He was educated for a lawyer, but never practiced, having an 
income which made him independent.  The funeral will occur Tuesday. 

****************************************************************************** 

SUFFOLK. 

Many Matters of Interest Picked Up in and Around Town. 

Special to The Landmark. 

  Suffolk, Va., May 28. - The funeral of Mr. Francis Marion Alford took place 
at 11 o'clock this morning at his late residence, No. 9 Bank street, in the 
presence of a goodly number of friends and relatives and was conducted by Rev. 
R.H. Potts, pastor of the Main Street M.E. Church.  The remains were interred 
in Cedar Hill Cemetery, the following gentlemen being the pall-bearers: 
Honorary - Messrs. H.R. Culley, J.H. Macleary, Frank T. Jones, W.T. Graham and 
Dr. A.W. Eley.  Active - Messrs. E.K. Channell, J.P. Norfleet, C.A. Shoop, 
J.J. Parker, J.W. Brinkley and John M. Butler.  The floral offerings were 
exceedingly beautiful and totally covered the grave, besides a large number of 
designs being placed around the mound. 

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HERE AND THERE IN VIRGINIAS. 

Cream of the past week's News. 

[...] 

  Francis Marion Alford, of Suffolk, died last week, aged 72 years.  He was 
a son of Capt. Benjamin Alford, of the Portsmouth Light Dragoons, who were 
instrumental in the suppression of Nat Turner's insurrection. 

[...] 


"Frank" Francis Marion ALFORD, Confederate veteran, 
b. Jul 1827, Norfolk, d. 26 May 1901, Suffolk, 
buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery (Block O, Lot 95*), Suffolk, 
"Alexandria (VA) Gazette," Vol. 102, No. 126, Mon., May 27, 1901, p. 2; 
"Norfolk (VA) Landmark," Vol. 52, No. 79, Tues., May 28, 1901, p. 6; 
"The Times" (Richmond, VA), Tues., May 28, 1901, p. 4, 
   clipping posted with Find a Grave Memorial #9797512, 
   by Pamela Thompson; 
"Norfolk (VA) Landmark," Vol. 52, No. 80, Wed., May 29, 1901, p. 6; 
"Augusta County (VA) Argus," Vol. 14, No. 22, Tues., June 4, 1901, p. 2 


*Additional information: 

Cedar Hill list, an extension of the 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_a.txt 

Find a Grave Memorial #9797512 [no photo] 

Frank served in Co. B, 19th Battalion VA Heavy Artillery, CSA. 

His first wife Mary Cornelia (FORREST) ALFORD (1829-1864) is buried in 
   Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond. 

His parents are buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk - 4AW-L5. 
   Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives, Elmwood list: 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/cemeteries/elmwood/elm-ab-al.html 

His father left will 27 Jan 1855, proved 28 Apr 1856, bequeathing Frank a 
   quarter of his estate.  (Norfolk City Hustings & Corporation WB8:321-23) 

Frank's first wife, Mary Cornelia (FORREST) ALFORD (1829 - 1864), is buried in 
   Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond. 

The obits ("Suffolk News-Herald," Feb. 18 & 21, 1933, & donated) of his widow, 
   Susanne Caroline (McPHERSON) ALFORD, are posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/a416s1ob.txt 

The SCHS has a sword, which is claimed to be Nat TURNER's. 
   There are several photos of it online at Google Images. 
   There is also an interesting discussion on it, at: 
   http://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.22392.html

It seems to be the same sword pictured in William Sidney Drewry's 
   "The Southampton Insurrection" (Neale Co., Washington, DC, 1900). 
   A footnote states it was in the possession of Mr. James D. WESTBROOK 
   of Drewryville, a relative of TURNER's captor Benjamin PHIPPS; that 
   Mr. Frank ALFORD of Suffolk claimed to have TURNER's musket & sword; 
   that TURNER was armed only with the sword; that ALFORD's father's 
   militia unit - commanded by Capt. DAY - had returned to Portsmouth 2 
   months before TURNER's capture; and that ALFORD's claims were disputed 
   by Capt. J.J. DARDEN in a letter to "The Suffolk Herald," replying to 
   an article published July 24, 1899.  (pp. 91-92) 

That book & text are available online at: 
   https://archive.org/details/southamptoninsur00drew 
   https://books.google.com/books?id=Eg55AAAAMAAJ&hl=en 

An article ("Tidewater News," Aug. 16, 1956, I-1) on that sword being located, 
   stating it was thought Mr. ALFORD had the musket, is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/19560816tn.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/a416f1ob.txt