The Obituary of Mrs. Birdseye

Mary Hughes Carmichael Birdseye (newsoforange.com)

Do you ever wonder about what the lives were like of those who are buried in cemeteries? Maybe that's just me. Whenever I walk past a cemetery, especially in historic Charleston, I can't help but wonder what the people there went through!

So, I researched someone who rests in the Circular Congregational Church (I have more info. about this church in another post) whose name was Mary Hughes Carmichael Birdseye (1920-2014). She was a whopping 93 years old when she died not too long ago. Most of those buried in the Circular Congregational Church were from the 1800s, so when I saw that Mary's headstone had 2014 inscribed, I was intrigued. It turns out she was a member at the church so she was able to score a spot in its historic cemetery.

In the "Mood" for Silver Spoons

Rev. John Mood (courtesy green-wood.com)

If you ever walk into one of the many antique stores on King Street and find a silver spoon with the engraving "Mood", you've found a treasure of Charleston.

Rev. John Mood (1792-1864) was a Charlestonian silversmith and Methodist minister from the 1800s. He was also a husband and father of six children. His name is well-known to antique store owners in Charleston because of his exquisite works. He made spoons, gravy boats, and platters all made out of silver. Having parents who trained him in this field made it easy for him to become a professional silversmith. Growing up, he and his brother apprenticed with their father for their company "Peter Mood and Sons". During this time, they actually made all of the slave badges for the city of Charleston in 1832 according to green-wood.com. Slave badges were made of copper or tin and were given to every slave as their identity. Each one sold for around $2 which added up to $7,000 in profit for the brothers. Although, his brother, Peter Mood, moved to New York City to pursue his silversmith career where he became very wealthy and had a family so John was left to work on his own. 

William Penn, My Ancestor

William Penn

Here's a fun fact: the founder of Pennsylvania is my ancient relative on my dad's mother's side of the family! William Penn was a Quaker who was born in London in 1644. Quakers were really frowned upon during this time, so Penn moved to America to avoid persecution when he was 38 years old. He was even expelled from Oxford University because we wouldn't convert to Anglicanism. King Charles ll owed Penn's father, but didn't pay him back before he died, so King Charles ll gave Penn the land of Pennsylvania to make up for it. According to Quaker.org, "Penn had to give the King two beaver skins and a fifth of any gold or silver mined within the territory" annually (very specific!). After spending most of time advocating for freedom of religion, Penn was finally able to make his new land exactly what he has dreamt of.

A signed document by William Penn granting land to a Quaker who was persecuted in England for his religion. Courtesy of RAAB Collection.

My grandma said our family does not have any documents or pictures in our possession, but our relatives has passed down the story of our well-known ancestor. Penn hasn't been around for 300 years after all. In a text message, my grandma said, "There are a lot of families descended from WP. My maternal grandparents' family were from Virginia. I believe he had a lot of children." Which he did in fact have 13 children with two wives of different times. My grandma's middle name is also Penn which she says "goes way back" in our family.

Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. -William Penn

Penn died at 73 years old in Ruscombe, England from a stroke. He is remembered to be a very respectable gentleman who fought against slavery, for freedom of religion, and for education rights. Because of everything Penn had gone through in his life and his good intentions, I can agree with the statement that he was a "great hero of American liberty".

The Mystery of Mrs. Jackson

Die on socket marker that reads "Near this spot is buried Elizabeth Jackson, mother of president Andrew Jackson, she gave her life cheerfully for the independence of her country on an unrecorded date in Nov. 1781 and to her son Andy this advice: 'Andy, never tell a lie, nor take what is not your own, nor sue for slander, settle those cases yourself.'"

There is one very historical mystery that lurks between the brick roads of Charleston. On the College of Charleston campus on the edge of Cougar Mall is a grave marker dedicated to Elizabeth Jackson, the mother of the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson. Although, the marker's location is fooling because that is not where Mrs. Jackson actually rests. In fact, no one knows exactly where she was buried at all.

Robert Remini, author of "Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821" briefly explains that a long time ago, Mrs. Jackson and a couple of lady friends traveled from Waxhaw, North Carolina with medicines to deliver to a prisoner ship of the British in Charleston. She was known to be a caring nurse, so going out of the way to help others was not surprising for those who knew her. During her time there, she caught the disease cholera, also known as the "ship fever" and did not recover. According to Post and Courier journalist, Robert Behre, the original grave marker was placed near upper King Street to adhere a letter to Andrew Jackson written by James H. Witherspoon which states that she is buried "in and about the forks of Meeting and Kingstreet Roads". It sits in Courgar Mall today as safe keeping.

As one can imagine, finding the location of her remains was very important to him and brought him grief. I came across the blog "History of American Women" which had  another well-known letter that Andrew Jackson wrote saying that locating her "would bring [him] great satisfaction, that [he] may collect her bones". His mother was a wise and nurturing woman who wanted not the best for Andrew, but for him to treat all situations the best he could. Try to put yourself in the lonely 15 year old Andrew Jackson's shoes to understand how easy it is to love a woman like his mother. Sadly, he passed away in 1845 without fulfilling his goal of finding her remains. The strange thing is, though, is that still to this day, no one has either. Mysteriously, there is no documentation of her death records or word of mouth of where someone buried her. Also, those who know what she had looked like are only those who had seen her with their own eyes in person because no pictures of her exist.

If you are shopping around uptown Charleston or pass this headstone on your way to class, think of Elizabeth Jackson and how she has to be somewhere you are too. Remember what her reason was for being in town as well to give her soul some recognition.

Headstone Symbols Scavenger Hunt

Old Bethel

Have you ever seen a gravestone with a picture inscribed on it but didn't know what it meant? Well there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of meanings for art on old graves. Most are for religious symbols, but wealth status, age, personality traits, and more also define depictions. 

My class and I took a walk through Bethel United Methodist Church on 57 Pitt Street to explore the different symbols displayed on their headstones. Bethel UMC was first built across the street where it stands now, but was moved to have a larger plot of land. The original is currently called "Old Bethel" and was open to white and blacks amid the 1800s. You can still find the original white church there today! Though, the new Bethel is open to any and all people. It is also the oldest Methodist church still remaining in Charleston. Historically, Methodists are Christians who believe in the Arminian doctrines versus Calvinism. The United Methodist Churches are traditional, ritualistic, and open for all who wish to come. You can visit Bethel United Methodist Church in Charleston for service on Sundays at 9am and 11:15am. Their churchyard is always open!

Circular Congregational Church

Circular Congregational Church
front

This week, our class looked at the different Churches in the historic district of Charleston. Among all of these, the Circular Congregational Church on 150 Meeting Street stood out to me and my group the most because of its unique look. 

It resembles a castle and stands out with its exposed, brick walls. It was also nice to have a path in the graveyard, which made it easier to walk through and to look at the tombstones. The tombstones, also attracted our attention being mainly made out of slate stones. The slightly blue color gave the cemetery almost a little more life, as odd as it may sound. The tombstones are also beautifully decorated and nice to look at! 

Another distinguishing feature is the white parish house. It creates an interesting counterpart to the rustic looking church. Furthermore, it is the only monument remaining from the 17th century, as we later found out. Additionally, it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973! 

Let's have an even closer look on the history of the church!

Top 5 Best Downtown Historic Churches

The other night. my class and I went around downtown to see 9 historic churches and 1 synagogue to admire their architecture  Out of these ten, I will share with you my five favorite. We walked down the quietest and most beautiful sidewalks in neighborhoods that look like they were taken straight out of a movie scene. The historic homes and magnificent churches makes it hard to believe that I go to college and live here!

#5- St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 89 Hasell Street

St. Mary's was built in 1789. What started as just a wood frame as a meeting place for the few Roman Catholics in Charleston became a large brick sanctuary. Although, it did not stand the Great Fire which burned two thirds of downtown and was later reopened on June 9, 1839. After this, it survived the Civil Revolution, an earthquake, and multiple hurricanes with minor damages. What drew me to this church was the original, detailed fence, the bright red doors, and the large cross sitting on top. It makes itself stand out and also draws you in with its history. 

#4- St. Philip's Church, 142 Church Street

St. Philip's is an Episcopal church founded in 1680 and built in 1836. It is the oldest congregational church of the south. It used to be located on the corner of Broad and Meeting Street (where St. Michael's is currently), but moved to Church Street for more land. This church also suffered the Great Fire and was rebuilt in 1838. Looking at the church in person, you have to tilt your head back as far as you can to see the top of the steeple. The stucco building makes you feel as in you are back in the 19th century. 

Charleston Historian Reveals the Town's Past

Ruth Miller sharing to our class

It's not everyday that someone points out a dentist's grave to you and that moment becomes the beginning of new opportunities, but it has happened to Ruth Miller. Miller is a Charleston author and historian who talked to our class. She is very knowledgeable in Charleston's religious history. In this blog post, I will share with you all what I learned from Miller. Listening about my home's history is fascinating. 

My First Cemetery Nightwalk

With my class, I explored two churchyards on a dark and eerie night. Our goal was to identify different types of headstones and explore the past of those buried there. The first churchyard we visited was the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul on Coming Street. It is an Anglican Church which is composed of various believers including Reformed, Catholic, and Evangelical. Slaves crafted the historic, gothic church in 1815. It's cemetery has 626 memorials most of which date back to the 1700-1800s.

We then went around the corner to St. Patrick Catholic Church. Construction of this church began on St. Patricks Day (March 17th) of 1838. On May 17, 1887, the church was consecrated. This churchyard has less variety of monument types. It was smaller, but just as old as the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul.

box tomb

To the left is a more elaborate monument. It is a box tomb of Lieut Benjamin Secundus Grimke and his one year old daughter. He was born August 30th, 1798 and died on November 18, 1825 (27 years old). The two died in the Shipwreck of the Harvest at Boddy's Island. He was married to Mary Augusta Barron Heyward who was buried in New Jersey.

About the Author

My familie's cats Congo and Garfield

My name is Mikayla and I am a student at the College of Charleston taking a course called "Beyond the Grave." I am from New York, but have been living in South Carolina for some years now. While I love the hustle and bustle (as well as the Yankees), the Lowcountry has my heart. I am majoring in international business with a minor in global logistics and transport. With this I hope to become an airline broker as a profession and a pilot just for fun. Seeing the world and experiencing authentic cultures is one of my biggest goals. I also love to cook, be outside, do embroidery, spoil my cat, go to concerts, and be with my friends! :)