Prince George County Va Archives Cemeteries....Merchants Hope Church ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Trinkle Jones March 31, 2008 MERCHANTS HOPE CHURCH Location: 11500 Merchant Hope Rd., Hopewell, VA 23860, US. Just off VA St. Hwy. 10, i.e. James River Road. Ph. 804-458-1356 Prince George Co., VA History: “The oldest (1657) Episcopalian church still utilized for worship in the US. Designated as a state and national historical landmark. One of the great Treasures is the Great Bible, rebound and not totally complete, was printed in London in 1639-40. Considered to be the Bible with the longest association with one parish.” http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=39707&CharID=349178, 4 Aug 2007 “…named after the Merchants Hope Plantation which was located west of Martin's Brandon. Even though the church has undergone renovation and restoration, it is virtually the same structure today…” http://www.petersburgarea.org/Index.aspx?page=64, 4 August 2007 Visited 17 July 2007 by J. Randolph Jones and A. Trinkle Jones (scribe). No photos taken. Transcribed notes (2 pp), 4-7 August 2007 NOTES Church door faces WSW. Bronze plaque on church exterior, right of door: Merchants Hope Church Jordan's Parish Charles City Co. 1657 Westover Parish 1688 - 1720 Now In Martins Brandon Parish Prince George County Virginia Episcopal-Exterior Original Placed by Sir Walter Raleigh Chapter N. C. Society Colonial Dames of XVII Century 1956 Recorded 12 grave markers in small burial plot behind and to right of church structure (ESE). The plot is surrounded by a black wrought iron waist-high fence (lance-shaped points on each picket). Gate on north side locked. Fence surrounded by young boxwoods (<2-ft high). Well maintained. Grave markers all face east. Beginning in the upper (SW) corner, left to right, are the markers as follows: ROW 1 1. Flat concrete stone with bronze plaque. Epitaph: Robert A. Harrison Born Died July 5, 1880 Aug. 1913 2. Upright rounded stone slab: Annie E. Harrison wife of Wm. H. Harrison Jan. 6, 1847 Feb. 11, 1926 3. Upright rounded stone slab, Veterans' issue, no dates. William H. Harrison Co. F 13 VA CAV C.S.A. ROW 2 4. Flat concrete stone with bronze plaque: W. Heartwell Harrison Born Died May 7, 1872 Sept. 1944 5. Flat stone Edward V. Harrison 1883 At rest 1924 ROW 3 6. Flat concrete stone with bronze plaque: Herbert H. Harrison Born Died Jan. 10, 1878 Mar. 22, 1946 7. Flat concrete stone with bronze plaque: Edward V. Harrison, Jr. Born Died Dec. 28, 1913 Nov. 3, 1914 ROW 4 8. Flat concrete with bronze plaque: Archer M. Harrison Died at Birth Feb. 15, 1910 ROW 5 9. Upright rounded stone slab, looks older than other stones here: Hettie Alice wife of Chas. E. Harrison June 24, 1878 Apr. 27, 1901 10. Low prism-shaped granite stone that matches #12. Charles Edward Harrison Sept 9, Mar. 18 1868 1958 11. Metal plaque flush with ground surface and directly between #10 and #12. Space between #10 and #12 seems too small for interment, so plaque may be temporary marker used until permanent stones were placed, and that undertaker neglected to remove. I assume it's a duplicate for individual in #12. Helen P. Harrison 1878 1960 Undertaker Joseph W. Bliley 12. Low prism-shaped granite stone that matches #10. Helen Marks Harrison Aug. 27 Mar. 28 1878. 1960 The relationships of these individuals may be seen in the family tree, "Harrison Family Buried at Merchants Hope Church, Prince George Co., Virginia" at: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=3352708&pg=0 --There is a second small cemetery north of this one with 2 (?) grave markers, not of the Harrison Family. We didn't record those. --There is a large modern-looking cemetery west of the church, which we drove through but didn't see any "old" grave markers.