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.