The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-27
From the Jewish World
A Jewish Cemetery.


nyson beautifully says, "the stOne-cut cpl
tapb remains after the vanished voice and
speaks TO men," And what tales DO they
not tell us! Every name we read in rug
ged and half-worr capitals recalls some page
OF romantic history, some career over which
the arch&oiOgIst may finger with aiiectl0nate
reverence; watts legendary stories from the
dim twilight Of the past and recalls tradi-
tiOns which years may have buried amongst
the lumber o. our recOllcctiOns. such
cenelery is the old Sepbardic battle-ground
in the Mile-En road. Founded close upon
a century and half ago-on the 1Itb Nj
san, 5493, saws an inscription on the south
ern wall-tht tOmbs may there be IN
spected of many Of the ancestors OF
families whose names are historical in
the AnglO-Jewlsh community. 1t is
bleak, damp, and dismal eXpanse OF
sward, this resting.place OF our great
old even down to the tufts OF rusty matted
grass, which seem. under their weight OF
wears, TO be unequal even to the eXerii0n OF
covering the graves 10 which they give such
unearthIy shapes. Everything bet0keus
age, and on every side relies OF past
times may be seen. On ihe right STANDS
the tunblc.down ruin Of the watch-tower
in which servant Of the cOU@rega-
ton held his nightly vigis against the
body snaichcrs Of a century ago. There
with fire 10 keep himself warm, blum
derbusN ready primed at hand, and bell to
summon assistance, he would keep guard
against the graveyard robbers. On Friday
nights he would be Joined by Christian
colleague, whose religious scruples would
not be violated by firing The bunder-
buss on the Jewish Sabbath. Not very
far from the entrance is melan-
choly square OF ground, which formerly
was more strictly divided from the rest OF
the cemetery, and bore the significant name
OF "Bchind the Boards" Here The rigid
Puritanism OF our forefathers uncer"mo-
niously huddled away the bodies OF
those who were Of illegiiimite birth. No
stones, no mounds even, were raised
to mark the spot where they were laid
20 rest, but "unwept. unhonOred, and un-
sung" the sins Of the parents were. with
fearful rctributiOp, literally visited on the
children. But let us away from this dread
spot, where so much of the prOhigacy and
intrigue of another age lies buried. One
OF The freshest. looking but most inter-
esting tombs Is on the western side. II
bears the simple inscription, "Sacred TO
the Memory OF Benjamin Disraeli," and
after tie usual dates tells us that the de-
ceased was ian afiectiOnate husband, father,
and friend" THIS Benjamin Disracl was
The grandfather Of the late Prime Minister,
the Viscount Hugbenden, and the Earl Of
BeaconSGeld. who until a few months ago
was the arblter Of the destinies OF the
greatest empire N the world. The az
f'cIionaie reverence OF the DISTINGUISHED
Grandson has recently penetrated into
his ancestors humble Jewish resting
place, and the tomb has been repaired and
freshly painted. On The opposite side Is
another tomb, bali sunk in the grounG'
which Is also interesting, as not only marx
ing the resting place Of the molher-in'iaw
OF Benjim Disrael the elder-the mo-
ther OF his 6ist wife-but also Is con-
tanning photographic evidence win whicu
to correct Lord Deaconsfeld's own
account of his family history. This
is the tomb OF Abigail Mendes Furtado, OF
Portugal, " TO. according 10 The inscription,
"after suffering the tortureS OF the lnqu-
sition, fied for protection to England with
her children, whom she educated in
The Jewish faith aud established well in mar
ria.,e." The tomb ii her daughter Re
becca, "wife OF Benjamin Disraeli," IS
not far distant, aud here we are told
himself says, was connected with such
irlportant houses rs the Laras aRd Di Sy!-
vas. Two more tombs ccnnect94 with the
history Of the Disraelis are those 81 Joshua
Basevi and David Gbarbanel Llndo. Basevi,
who was in his tisoe elected parnass OF the
; synagogue, was Lord BeacOnsEeifs grand
father on his mot hers side, the father OF that
Basevi who seeded from the synagogue
with is9ac flsganli. and Undo was the
gentleman wbo in 1905 performed on Lord
Beaconstieid baEsself the military rite by
which he was admitted into that Abraham;c
covenant which he subsequently, was led TO
abandon. but n is not only the Disraelis,
amongst the kmilies which hare left
She pale OF judaism, whose names are
so be read on the tombstones in the GENE
6erg. There + the tomb Of Sampson Gid
.eon, the greatest finaucer of bis day.
~ hose son was Baptized and raised 10 The
Beerage under the title OF l,aron Eardley.
5bere are Lepezes, who were evidently
i1nsmen OF ihat MeDasseh Lopez whose
M eseut deseeadsnt ~ Sir Massey LGpes,
the member foe Sogth Devon, aud lase
cEi lord OF the Admiralty. Still fresh
and legibe is the last record OF Isaac OF
Beojamin Beraai,s the brother OF Jacob
Beaosl, whose descendants are the Ber-
nal OsborDes, sad whose fam,k has be-
come allied with the ducal house OF ST.
Albass. Also TO be sen is the grave OF Ja-
cob 'Ssmuda. the 6rst aewi,b civil engineer,
the inventor OF the atmospheric boiker, and
founder OF the eminent firm OF ssmuds
Brothers, member OF which recently rep.
resented the Tower Hamiets in The House
81 Commons.