The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-21
EARLY LIFE IN SAVANNAH
A LADY WHO GIVES THE HIsTO-
RAMS SOME POINTERS.

RIANS SOME POINTERS.
Mrs. Caroline Regina Maria Smiths
Recollections of Christ Church-She
Tells Why Oglethorpe Came TO Sa-
vannah-Her Grandfather Induced
Elm to Come Here from Bermuda
The Shoe Buckles that Oglethorpe
Wore at Sir Richard BANDS We'd
ding in Mrs, Smiths Possession
Christ Church's Corner-stones
There resides in this city, in her S4th
year, a lady who recalls many incidents
connected with Christ church which seem
to have escaped the attention of the many
historians who have from time to
time essayed to give history of
the ediice. Mrs. Caroline Regina Maria
Smith, who lives at No. 2O6 Harris
street, remembers distinctly that the
cupola of the church before the present one
was built in the winter of 1Sl7-lS, and
in abiding to the first destruction of the
building by fire, she says it was struck by
lightning, which was the origin of the fire.
Mrs. Smith, whose maiden name was
Bland, is the daughter of the late Richard
| Bland, whose father was named Richard
Bland, and his father was Richard Percival
| Bland, an English lord who married an
aunt OF Henry the Eighth Richard Percival
Bland. she says, fed to Bermuda during
the reign of Bloody Mary, and lived to the
| advanced age Of ITO years. Mrs. Smith
gives an account of why Oglethorpe selected
| Savannah for his infant colony, which does
not appear to have come to the knowledge of
historians. She says her grandfather, Rich
| ard Bland, who was under the displeasure
| iSh NV no of
| Howard, but in after years he dropped the
| borrowed name and was known by his right
name.
SENT oGLETHoRPE TO SAVANNAH.
Richard Bland was paying his addresses
| 10 a Miss Elizabeth Tudor Tending, at
| Hilton Head, and after one of his visits to
hilton Head and upon his return to Ber-
muda he gave Oglethorpe such glowing
account of the new world aud the natural
advantages of the site of Savannah for a
colony, that he enlisted Oglethorpes inter
est to such an extent that he conceived the
idea of founding a colony in Georgia, Mr..
| Bland, under the name of Howard, fitting
out vessel iu which he brought his friend
Oglethorpe over to Hilton Head.
This was probably in 1882, if Mrs. Smiths
version or legend has been handed down to
her accurately. At any rate, there was a
close friendship between Bland and Ogle
thorpe, for she says the latter was her
grandfather's best man at the wedding at
Hilton Head, on which occasion Ogethorpe
himself buckled on her gTandfather's knee
aud shoe buckes,a present from Oglethorpe,
which were made In England at a cost Of
$500.
BUCKLES WORN BY OGLETHORPE.
To MORNING NEWS reporter yesterday
Mrs. Smith said: Il have the shoe buckles
yet" and uncovering "A small box she exhib-
tied the treasures. they were further pro-
tected by glass cover us first one and then
another had wrenched off a bead to keep as
a souvenir The buckles are Of steel, hand
made and show signs of slight rust They
are mounted by beads or buttons made of
the purple or inner shell of c1nches gathered
on Hilton Head beach, and fastened t. the
buckles by silver rives, with a gold
star between the silver rivet heads and
buttons, the com uination of SHELL gold and
silver representing flower. There are
great many of these buttons, which are
about the diameter of a silver Scent piece,
and the workmanship is very fine, and must
have employed a skilled jeweler long
time. Mrs. Smith says that Oglethorpe
was unable to have the work done in the
Bermudas, and took the shells to England,
where he had the work done.
CHRIST CHURCH's CORNERSTONE.
Four months after her grandfather's
marriage, Mrs. Smith says, he laid the first
cornerstone of Christ church. 'The
second cornerstone" said Mrs. Smith, twas
laid by John Courtenay, the father of my
first husband, Edward Thomas Courtenay."
Mrs. Smith says that it was her intention
to have been married on Feb. l, the ami
versary of the landing of Oglethorpe, but
she sprained an ankle while skipping the
rope, and so the wedding was postponed
, until Feb. II, 1924, as she couldn't stand on
her feet the day first agreed upon.
hat rhny, 4Hn
stone of the third Christ church was laid
in 1888, as the descendant of Richard Bland
and daughter-iu-law Of John Courtenay,
she was requested to- and did stand by the
side of the late Rev. Edward Neufville, the
then rector of the church, when he placed
the stones in position.
The tablets on the eastern and western
wall show that Christ church was founded
In l743, refunded in 1903, rebuilt in 1910.
and again rebuilt in 1885,
THREE CoRNER-sTONEs.
If Mrs. Smiths information is not at fault
there are three corner-stones to the present
editice: That of 1743, laid by her grand
father Bland; that Of 1903, laid by her
father-in-law John Courteuay, and that of
1888, laid by the then rector, Rev. Edward
Neufville
The history of the church is that it was
burned in the big fire of Novem-
Der, 1896 and the historians say the
fire originated in bakery
near the market. Mrs. Smith says the
church was struck by lightning and de-
stroyed by the fire which was kindled by
the electric fluid. The great hurricane of
1904 followed only year after
the church had been rebuilt and en-
arged, damaging it, and in 1910 the
building was constructed anew. In 1888
the building was demolished and the pres
ent edifce erected in its stead. The Charles
ton earthquake cracked the western wall
from the comb of the roof to the basement.
The crack has been cemented, but the
passer by on Drayton street cannot fail to
note the damage done, as it is plainly
visible.
The present work on the interior finish of
the church, which was begun some time
ago, is progressing favorably, and when
completed will be worthy Of the editice
around which cluster so many local historic
"reminiscences.
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