The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-12

the consent or the next OF kin tha
owners of the place. the ves.ry OF Alb =
insdon Church. etc. war secured. and &
to-day these splendid memorials stand
III tho churchyard an object lesson to \
all who pass by
Those who answered my appeal. and
to whom is accorded my personnt
I thanks. arc Judge Armisted Burwell.
Charlotte. N c.; Miss Burwell Boyces
Clarke county. Va; William r. Burwelt.
Charlotte. n. c.; Mrs Bencham Games
ron. Raleigh. n. C.: Mrs. Thomas Nels
, son Carter. Richmond: SpoJswood Car
land. Wilmington, Del: Mrs Nathaniel
Burwell Johnston. Greenyile. Miss:
Mrs. Horace Wexford Jones, Ricn-
mond. Va: Mrs Marquis Jones, New
port News. Va; Mrs. Keluhu, Seattle.
Wash: Mrs. Il. c. Laird. Richmond.
Va: Mrs. Peter Mayo. Richmond. Va:
Mrs. Warner Moore. Richmond, Va:
Mrs. r. Powell Pase Boyce. Clarke &
county, Va; Mrs. William T. Reed.
Richmond. Va; Mrs. Leipu Moore Rob.
inson. Russell Robinson Leipu Moore
Robinson. Bowling Green. vs.; Mrs.
Richard Taliaferro. Gloucester county;
William g. Stanard. Richmond: Sam
uel H. SouSe, Richmond.
Only twenty-one OF an immense
clan were sufficiently interested to
contribute to the work. but 1t is done.
aAu uonc Ncn Inere arc some minor
details which would be nice; and lie
anybody is willing to make a contri-
button TO this 1t will be- Thankfully
received.
There arc other tombs in Virginia,
: notably the Pages, which should cers
| tatnly bo attended to. AS for me my-
self am sufficiently amused. but per-
haps there arc others who would UNI
dertake tho work. Certainly It Is thaa
the greatest piece of religious anti
duarian work in Virginia next to tho
excavation at jamestown has been
! done In Gloucester during tho last two
weeks.
But to return to the tombs! The
Burwells have not owned the Carter'a
Creek plantation for 100 years ccr-
tainly. and perhaps mt for a larger
| period In the absence OF any ono
personally interested in the preserva-
ton Of tho tombs. nothing was done
to repair any damages done. When
Bishop Meade wrote more than nifty
years ago one tomb at least. that OF
Martha Lear Burwell, was so broken
that only part OF II could be found;
Since that time dilapidation has rap
idly continued. partly from the effects
of time, partly from the growth of
trees and roots partly perhaps FROM
lightning and certainly in part from
human vandalism. There seems never
to have been but eight tombs, and
these were situated at ono end OF the
family graveyard. which contains
many trees. and is overgrown with
bushes and briars, At the time tho
tombs and remains were removed the
graveyard looked is IL II might have
been the scene OF an earthquake. Not
ono slab was In place. Four of the
slabs had been broken, two of them
having only fragments left and of all
the massive supports only one corner.
and part OF ono side were in their
original position. Several side and end
pieces had been carried away to vari-
Gus parts of the county (thesc We're
promptly and willingly given up by
the persons who were using them for
doorsteps), and 1t was evident that au
some time an attempt had been MAIDS
, to enter at least one grave. Many OF
the parts of the .ombs. and evcn
whole top slab were buried I'm tho
ground.
Since tho destruction by fire OF tho
Carriers Creek masion some years ago
the graveyard has been more unpro-
| tected than ever. and 1t was evident
ly question of not many years when
the remains of the tonibs would be
beyond recovery. To have rebuilt the
tombs In this remote and unprotected
field would have been throwing away
the money 1t would cost
Raising and removing the fragments
of tombs was begun on Monday, Octo-
Der 20. and the work was done with
the greatest care. AS tho work pro-
crossed 1t was found to the great graf
ihcation OF those In cnargc that a
large number OF side and end pieces.
of carved corners and ornamented base
courses could be recovered and that
although there wcro number Of
broken and missing pieces yet lie
seemed probable that with some plIn-
inE and patel ng most OF the tonibs
could BIO rebuilt or restored to their
original position.
Every piece of stone and many
bricks were removed to Abingdon
church yard, and it is gratifying to
state that not one was broken in
handling, though some were very
heavy. Tho inscription slab on tho
tomb of Lewis Burwell "a weighed
900 pounds.
The inscription slabs which were
found complete wore those from tho
tomb of the Hon Lewis Burwell (died
l7l0), Nathaniel BurwelI (died l7211.
Lewis Rurwcll. etc. children (died
1870 and Mary Burwell n child OF
ono year.
The inscription slab OF Mrs. AbigaiI
Burwcll "a very immense niece OF
stonc) was broken In two, but it IL
believed that only tho bottom OF ons
line of letters and the top of another
is missing. The tomb OF Major Levi,
Burwell. tho emigrant is in several
pieces, but almost all of the inscrip-
ton remains. Fortunately the upper
portion. with the arms of Burwell and
tIigginson impaled, is intact
Tho tombs OF Lucy (Higsinson)
Burwoll and Martha U.ear) Burwell
AFRO In numerous pieces and many
parts of each could not no found. The
best that could be done with these two
was TO build brick platform about
ten inches high and lay the frag-
ments in bed of cement. This cement
Is darkened and made to resemble the
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