Inscriptions on Old Tombstones in Westmoreland and Northumberland Counties, Virginia Transcribed by Kathy Paul Schrank for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Inscriptions on Old Tombstones in Westmoreland and Northumberland Counties William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jul., 1900), pp. 25-31.Inscriptions on Old Tombstones. 25 INSCRIPTIONS ON OLD TOMBSTONES IN WESTMORELAND AND NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTIES (Copied from the tombstones by Rev. Dr. G. W. Beale, of Heathsville, Northumberland county, with the exception of the inscription on the tomb of Mrs. Ann Lee, which is taken from Dr. Lee's "Lee of Virginia," and of that on the tombstone of Izatis Anderson, near Cherry Point, which was copied by Mr. I. Basye Marsh.) At Nominy Church, on the creek of the same name, there was at the time of the destruction of the building by the British in 1814, a tomb commemorative of the first wife of Hon. Richard Henry Lee, the inscription on which, as found among Mr. Lee's papers, and published by Dr. E. Jennings Lee, is as follows: Sacred to the Memory of Mrs. Ann Lee,* wife of R. H. Lee This monument was erected by her Afflicted husband in the year 1768. Reflect, dear reader, on the great Uncertainty of human life, since neither esteem, temperament nor the most amiable goodness could save this excellent lady from death. In the bloom of life. She left behind her four children, two sons and two daughters. Obiit 12th December 1768, aet 30. Was there so precious a flower But given us to behold it waste, The short-lived blossom of an hour Too nice, too fair, too sweet to last. _____________________________________________ *Mrs. Lee was the younger of the two daughters of Capt. William Aylett's second marriage with Elizabeth Eskridge, daughter of Major George Eskridge of Sandy Point. Her sister Mary married Mr. Lee's brother, Thomas Ludwell. Her half-sisters by her father's previous marriage with Anne Ashton, were Elizabeth and Ann, who respectively married William Booth and W. Augustine Washington. Mrs. Lee's mother, after Captain Aylett's death, about 1744, married again, Col. James Steptoe, a widower with two daughters, Elizabeth and Ann, who married Philip Ludwell Lee, and Willoughby Allerton, and after their deaths P. R. Fendall and Samuel Washington. The four children referred to as surviving Mrs. Lee were Thomas, who afterwards settled in Prince William county, Ludwell, who went to Loudoun; Hannah, who married Corbin Washington, and Mary, who married William Augustine Washington. Mrs Lee was buried in the old burial ground under the hills at Mount Pleasant. 26 William and Mary College Quarterly. At the bottom of the garden at Nominy Hall, the last century residence of Councillor Carter and his father, an upright slab has on it these words: Here to the right of the late J. J. Maund,* Esq., is deposited the body of his dutiful Daughter, Mrs. Ann Arnest, Who departed this life On the 23rd day of May, 1818, in her 28th Year. Such consummate goodness and worth combined Are rarely met with in the human mind. Go, sweet Anna, such excellence by thy Maker given Will find acceptance in the court of Heaven. ______________________ Here lieth The body of the once very useful Magistrate and Deacon, JOSEPH PIERCE,* A lover of Truth, Justice and the RELIGION OF JESUS CHRIST. Who departed this Life June 5th 1798, about the 70th year of his Age. The serpent need not gape for prey, Nor Death his victory boast, For Jesus takes the Sting away And all their power is lost. Then let the Just with Jesus sleep, In undisturbed repose, And only lie thus buried deep To rise as once He rose. ______________________________________________________________________________ *J. J. Maund emigrated from Wales (Pembrokeshire) and married August 1, 1789, Harriet Lucy, one of the daughters of Hon. Robert Carter and Francis (sic!) Tasker. Their eldest daughter Anna Martin Maund married Dr. John Arnest, and died (as above) May 23, 1818, leaving three sons and a daughter George (of Texas), John (of California), Thomas M. (of Nominy Hall, Westmoreland), and Sophia (Mrs. Dozier). Inscription on Old Tombstones. 27 Here lies the remains of the late SARAH E. PIERCE, late wife to Joseph Pierce.* She had 5 daughters and 4 sons. She departed this life the 20th day of September in the Year of our Lord 1783 in the 49th year of her Age. In Memory of MARGARET G. HERNDON, Born June 17th 1808. Died December 26th, 1841. The memory of the just is blessed. Erected by Elder R. H. Herndon. The three inscriptions given above were copied from three upright slabs in the grave yard at Level Green, the old Pierce homestead, one mile from Templeman's, Westmoreland county. The slabs were found beneath a cluster of graceful and majestic cedars beside a woods, and not many rods distant from where the old mansion stood, not a vestige of which is now visible. _____________________ At Wilmington the early seat of the Newtons, near the head of Bonum's Creek, in Westmoreland, two horizontal slabs supported each by six carved stones, may be seen near the road. The inscription from one of these, placed over Mrs. Sarah Newton, was published in a previous issue of the Quarterly (Vol., VII, No. 2, October, 1898). The other tomb appears to have been erected at the same time that its companion was, and chiseled by ______________________________________________________________________________ *Capt. Joseph Pierce was the second son of William Pierce of Westmoreland, whose will of August, 1733, mentions him, and was grandson of William and Sarah Pierce, early settlers in the county. The elder William made his will March 25, 1702. His name is perpetuated in Pierce's Creek, and arm of Nominy. Capt. Joseph Pierce married Sarah Ransdell, and among his children were son Ransdell, and daughters Martha, Sally Ransdell, Margaret (married elder R. H. Herndon), Fannie, and Sibella (married Samuel Templeman). Captain Pierce, in his will, dated January 1, 1796, liberated a large number of slaves. He is honorably mentioned in Semples History of Virginia Baptists. 28 William and Mary College Quarterly. the same hand the two stones being in size, general design and style of lettering precisely alike. Owing, however, to flaws in the stone the inscription on one tomb is nearly obliterated. The following words are indistinctly legible. Beneath this stone are deposited The Remains of Mrs. ELIZABETH OLDHAM* - - - - - - - - - - - - Samuel Oldham **of Westmoreland County - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Faithful Friend - - - - - - Departed this Life On the Day of April, 1759, In the 72nd year of her Age. In the graveyard at Mantua, on Coan River, in Northumberland, formerly the residence of Col. James M. Smith, are to be seen, within a bruck enclosure, a number of tombs. One of them is thus inscribed: Sacred To the Memory of JAMES SMITH born in the township of Cahery County of Derry, Ireland. He departed this life on the 8th of February, 1832 in the 64th year of his Age. ______________________________________________________________________________ * The above mentioned tombs at Wilmington were, doubtless, loving tributes paid by the first Willoughby Newton, of Westmoreland, to his wife and his mother. Mrs. Elizabeth Oldham was the daughter of Nehemiah Starke, of Washinton Parish, and stepdaughter of Major Andrew Gilson, who married Behethland Dade. She married, first, Capt. Thomas Newton (son of the emigrant John, "master mariner"), and after his death, in 1728, she married again, Col. Samuel Oldham. In a deed (September 28, 1728) conveying her part of land granted by patent to her mother Gilson, she styles Willoughby Newton "my son and heire." **A diligent search for the parentage and children (if any) of Col. Samuel Oldham has failed of success.Inscriptions on Old Tombstones. 29 Two slabs here bear pathetic testimony to the similar bereavement of their young wives by father and son. To the Momory of Ann, the wife of James Smith and daughter of Daniel Muse, who closed an humble and useful life On the 16th October, 1799, in the 21st year of her Age. Sacred to the memory of ELIZABETH, consort of James M. Smith, And only daughter pf Eli Hiwitt, Esq. of Baltimore, who departed this life on the 16th of September, 1827, In the twentieth year of her Age. Sacred to the memory of AGNES A.,* wife of JAMES M. SMITH, And Daughter of Willoughby and Sally Newton, of Westmoreland Coty, who departed this life May 8th, 1849, in the 42nd year of her age. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lorwd.(sic!) ______________________________________________________________________________ * Mrs. Agnes Smith was a daughter of Willoughby Newton and Sally (Poythress) Newton, of Lee Hall, in Westmoreland, her mother having been, previous to her marriage to Mr. Newton, the wife of "squire" Richard Lee. Mrs. Elizabeth Oldham, the relict of Captain Thomas Newton, previously mentioned, was her great-great-grandmother.30 William and Mary College Quarterly. Sacred To the Memory of CHARLES HOWARD Son of Thomas and Catharine Howard, of Richmond, Va. who departed this life October 3rd, 1854, In the 41st year of his age. "He fell asleep." Sacred to the memory of HUGH B. HILL, son of Robert and Temperance Hill of Buckingham County, Virginia, who departed this life on the 20th December, 1849, in the 25th year of his age. __________________ Near Cherry Point, in Northumberland county, lies a tombstone which bears and inscription conveying a moral just the reverse of that of Col. John Custis' tombstone at Arlington, in the county of Northampton, which latter states that, "though Col. Custis died at the age of 71, he lived by seven years, which was the space of time he kept a bachelor's house at Arlington on the Eastern Shore of Virginia."Docket of Causes, Etc. 31 Here lies the body of IZATIS ANDERSON, late of this county, who was born on the 7th day of February, 1779, and died the 11th day of August, 1823, Aged 44 years 6 months and 7 days. He was a worthy and estimable man A kind neighbor, a faithful friend and good citizen. In other relations of life he might have been equally praiseworthy, but he died a bachelor, having never experienced the comfort of being a husband or father. This situation he found so comfortless that in his last will he directed this stone to be placed over his remains, with an inscription warning all young men from imitating an example of celibacy, which had yielded to himself no other eventual fruits but disappointment and remorse. Inscribed at his request by his friends, Hierom L. Opie and Fleming Bates.