Evening journal., 1921-03-23
BEDFORD bodies
DIS-INTERRED
Will be Reburied at Masonic
Home, Near City, on
March 81
MEMORIAL TO
A. F. A M. MASTER

Edward W. Cooch, attorney, with
offices in the Equitable Trust Com
pany Building. a direct defendant OF
Cunning Bedford, Jr., whose body is
10 be re Inferred at Masonic Home
on the Lancaster pike on Saturday.
March 81, by the Grand Lodge Of
Delaware, Ancient Free and Accept
ed Masons, has an unpublished
photograph of Cunning Bedford, Sr..
copied from an oil painting owned
by a descendant who lives in Eng
land. Tho photograph hangs in Mr.
Cooch's Office here.
Tho body OF Cunning Bedford, Jr..
together with those Of his son and
daughter, which lay in the same
vault in the corner Of the cemetery
adjoining the First and Central Pres
byterian church on Market street.
Near Tenth. was removed this after
noon to the Masonic Home on the
Lancaster Pike. and will be inferred
there. The monument, which stood
over the valut. was moved a short
time ago to the home.
Entrance was made 10 the valut
by removing heavy stone slab on
the eastern side, ladder being
placed in the vault which Is about
ten feet deep. and the remains lifted
out with ropes.
The remains Of the bodies of Mr..
Bedford. which was buried in 1912,
and that Of his son at a later date.
were found close together, their
Baskets Of wood having long since
decayed.
The casket in which the daughter,
Henriette l. Bedford. was buried,
was Of iron and remains intact. This
body was buried August 10, 1871.
and. according to the plate on the
casket, she was. born December 8.
178S.
The removal Of the bodies attract
ed a crowd Of 100 or more persons.
who iocked into the cemetery.
standing so close as 90 interfere with
the workmen employed in the work.
The remains will be kept at the Ma
sonic Home until Saturday. March
81, when services Of a public nature
will be held at the old City Hall. and
again in the First Presbyterian
Church. after which the bodies will
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II is planned to have the remains
buried in three graves inside the
railing about the monument which
was removed from the First Presby-
terian Church Cemetery some time
ago.
In connection with the interment
Of the remains Of Cunning Bedford
Jr., who was first Grand Master OF
the Masonic fraternity in Delaware
the following sketch of the noted
Delawarcan is given in Schwarz'
History OF Delaware:
Cunning Bedford, the younger
appointed by Washington in 1883. as
the first judge Of the United States
District Court for the District OF
Delaware. was of English descent
born in Philadelphia, in the year
I747, and a cousin OF Governor Gun
ming Beford, Of Delaware. He
graduated at Nassau Hall, Princeton
College, in 1771, among his class
mates being James Madison anC
Hugh NJ. Breckenridge. He was on'
OF the first scholars of his class anC
probably the best speaker, for h'
was elected to deliver the valedictorl
Grafton at the commencement IL
had previously been married to Mis-
Jane Ballaroux Parker, of New York
and his wife travelled 70 Princeton
with her baby TO witness her hus
bands triumph. on leaving col
lege young Bedford studied law will
Joseph Reed. an eminent attorney o
Philadelphia, and having been ad
mitted TO the bar removed TO Dover
Del, where he practiced successfully
until the unhealthiness of that tow
compelled him to leave. when n
took up his residence in Wilmington
He was a handsome man, says VIII
liam T. Read, and a very fluent an
agreeable speaker, and the higl
place he gained in the esteem an
confidence of his fellow citizens wa
shown by the offices Of trust an
Importance which he filed. He wa
attorney-general Of the State,
member Of the Assembly of Della
ware. Of the Continental Congress
from 1888 to 1881: a member Of tn
convention. which formed the Consti
tuition Of the United States and
signer Of that instrument, and IL wa
largely through his efforts that Della
ware. in common with Rhode islam
and other small States. was put upo
an equality with the large States
numerical representation In th
United States Senate. Upon th
organization of the government d
was appointed Judge OF the Unite
states District Court, and he file
that high Office honorably for hin
self and satisfactorily to the publ
until he was disabled by diseai
which terminated his life in 1912.
the sixty-hfth year of his age. j
had several children, Of whom n
last surviving was Henrietta 1. Be
ford, who caused a handsome ar
enduring monument TO be place
over her distinguished fathers graz
in the First Presbyterian ChurS
yard in Wilmington. in the year 1S5
2 and induced William r. Read
compose the epitaph which II bears