Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

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Introduction

There are seven family graveyards in the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg that include over 70 individual markers. Including the vaults in the Wren Crypt, some of these markers and burial containers date back to the eighteenth century. Although many of these markers are not open for public viewing, they remain a valuable part of the historic area with historic significance; many of the markers memorialize members of prominent Virginia and American families, including governors of the colony and daughters of American presidents. Unfortunately, many of these graveyards have been allowed to fall into disrepair which has led the condition of the individual stones to deteriorate, sometimes severely.

The purpose of this study was to record the location, inscription, and condition of all the stones still remaining in these family graveyards. This study was made possible by the fact that the Benjamin Waller Graveyard in particular had recently been cleared of vegetation, making all markers visible.

(Above) Student intern Caitlin Verboon collects data in the Williamsburg Inn Pool Site Graveyard

(Left) Headstone of Hugh Mercer Waller in the Benjamin Waller Graveyard (BW-22a)

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Coke-Garret Graveyard

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Garrett	CG-1	In memory of Col. Alexander C. Garrett Born in Williamsburg Feb. 1, 1823 And departed this life June 13, 1854	Slab	Gray limestone	Coke Garrett	Good

(Above right) This marker, CG-1, is the only one present today in the Coke-Garrett Graveyard; however, because of its placement, it is likely that there are other graves in this graveyard that are no longer marked.

(Right) Coke-Garrett Graveyard as viewed from the entrance on the south side.

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Custis Tenement Graveyard

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Maupin Harrell	CT-1a	Sacred to the memory of Two beloved youth Who died March 11, 1870 Jno. M. Maupin Aged 24 years Thomas J. Harrell Aged 21 years	Headstone	Limestone	Custis Tenement	Biological activity; heavy organic growth; vegetation
Maupin Harrell	CT-1b	J M M T J H	Footstone	Limestone	Custis Tenement	Organic/fungal growth present; broken (loss of lower portion); worn edges but sharp inscription; vegetation growing over stone
	CT-2a		Headstone	Limestone?	Custis Tenement	Missing
	CT-2b	J M	Footstone	Limestone?	Custis Tenement	Large pieces broken off and missing; scalloped edges have been disturbed by ground movement and vegetation; significant moss growth around scalloped edges
Maupin	CT-3	In memory of John M. Maupin Who died Dec. 26, 1850 Aged 43 years	Slab	Limestone?	Custis Tenement	Two pieces broken off bottom corners; moderate erosion present; vegetation growing over stones
	CT-4	Our darling Jenny Born Aug. 4, 1850 Died Feb. 12, 1860	Headstone	Limestone	Custis Tenement	Broken off, leaning against south wall; heavy erosion; worn edges and small chips; organic growth; lower part broken off
	CT-5	none visible		Granite	Custis Tenement	Overgrown

All of the stones in the Custis Tenement Graveyard need to be reset. Several markers are broken, and at least one headstone is missing from the graveyard. The stones are severely damaged due to erosion, organic growth and vegetation, and breaks in the stones. See treatment proposal

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(Far above) Custis Tenement Graveyard as viewed from entrance on east side

(Above) While the engraving of the stone (CT-1a) remains clear, it has broken off from its base (location unknown) and is negatively affected by heavy organic growth.

(Above) Lamb visits the graveyard. A herd of sheep has recently been relocated to the area surrounding and including the graveyard. Note: sheep living in the Taliaferro-Cole Graveyard have shown that they cause no significant damage to the markers.

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Secretary's Office Graveyard

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Jones	SO-1	Mother Mary Ann Tinsley Jones Daughter of Samuel Hildrup and Sallie King Tinsley	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Slab, platform and urn in stable condition
Jones	SO-2	Father David Rowland Jones Son of Meriwether and Kitturah Ann Davis Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Slab in stable condition, hairline crack in urn
Jones	SO-3	Hattie Peterson Jones Daughter of David Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Platform pulling apart at joint; two opposing hairline cracks in urn
Jones	SO-4	Helen Norfleet Jones Daughter of David Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Good
Jones	SO-5	Emma Adelaid Jones Daughter of David Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Platform pulling apart at joints; N. side of platform cracked; hairline crack in urn
Jones	SO-6	Ida Maude Jones Daughter of Aid Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Slab tilted; two opposing cracks in urn
Jones	SO-7	Rosalee Jones Daughter of Daivd Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Platform pulling apart; urn in good condition
Jones	SO-8	Mary Rowland Jones Daughter of David Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Slab, platform and urn in stable condition
Jones	SO-9	Virginia Wills Jones Daughter of Aid Rowland and Mary Ann Elizabeth Jones	Slab	Marble	Secretary's Office	Slab, platform and urn in stable condition
Jones	SO-10	To our father and mother David Rowland and Mary Ann Jones. This cross is dedicated as a tribute of affection by Mary Rowland and Virginia Jones	Monument	Marble	Secretary's Office	Good

The graveyard is gated and the gate is locked.

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(Left) All the graves in the Secretary's Office Graveyard are from the Jones family. Each grave consists of a marble slab and an accompanying urn. The monument (SO-10) is dedicated to David Rowland and Mary Ann Jones by Mary Rowland and Virginia Jones, also buried in this graveyard.

(Below) Many of the platforms of the slabs are pulling apart at the joints. The platform, of SO-5, has pulled apart; the small crack in the platform may have been caused as the concrete base shifted and the marble platform resisted movement.

(Above) Each slab in this graveyard follows the same pattern: a (Above) Each slab in this graveyard follows the same pattern: a marble slab with the name, the parents' names and a short verse. No birth or death dates are included.

(Right) The urn of SO-6 is severely damaged with two opposing cracks that could easily cause the urn to split in two. Conservation is required.

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Taliaferro - Cole Graveyard

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Labby	TC-1	In memory of Geo. Washington Third son of Pleasant Labby and a native of the city of Lynchburg. He was born the 22nd of Feb. 1825 And died Jany 25th, 1855	Headstone	Limestone	Taliaferro Cole	Organic growth including several types of fungus; minor chips along edges; no visible animal interaction
	TC-2			Limestone	Taliaferro Cole	Fragment; no inscription visible
Cole	TC-3a	Catherine B. Cole Child of R. E. (?) and E. R. Cole Born 11 March 1845 Died 17 Dec'r 1846	Headstone	Limestone	Taliaferro Cole	Soiling; organic/fungal growth; loss/chps along top and sides; tilted but stable
Cole	TC-3b	C B C	Footstone	Limestone	Taliaferro Cole	Soiling; minor organic growth
	TC-4	Sweet Daisy Aged 23 months and 4 days	Headstone	Limestone	Taliaferro Cole	Soiling; organic growth, particularly at base; loss around top edges; worn smooth due to animal interaction
Cole	TC-5	My Jesse Son of R. E. and E. R. Cole Died Fe. 23, 1866 Aged 16 years and 8 days	Headstone	Limestone	Taliaferro Cole	Leaning but stable; minor organic/fungal growth; horizontal scratches on East side; small chips

In general, the markers in the Taliaferro-Cole Graveyard are in stable condition. Except for TC-1, they are all min orly affected by the sheep living in and around the cemetery; many of the edges are worn smooth due to the sheep rubbing against the stones.

(Above) Taliaferro-Cole Graveyard as viewed from entrance on west side.

(Left) TC-4 is tilted but stable.

(Far left) TC-1 is the only marker in the graveyard that has not been affected by animal interaction.

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Benjamin Waller Graveyard

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Stubbs	BW-1	T. Jefferson Stubbs, Jr. Dec. 11, 1879 - Jan. 2, 1943 Elizabeth S. Stubbs July 25, 1906 - July 24, 1992	Headstone	Roughcut Granite	Benjamin Waller	Good
Stubbs	BW-2	Thomas Jefferson Stubbs Sept. 14, 1841 - Nov. 17, 1915 Mary Cosnahan Stubbs Oct. 5, 1850 -Apr. 29, 1917	Headstone	Roughcut Granite	Benjamin Waller	Good
Cosnahan	BW-3	Mrs. Louisa Mercer Cosnahan Wife of Joseph ? Cosnahan and daughter of ? Born Feb. ? Died Oct. 30, 1856, Aged 30 years	Slab	Marble with brick platform	Benjamin Waller	Severe erosion and organic/fungal growth
Stubbs	BW-4a	Lucy Taliaferro Conway Stubbs Daughter of Thomas Jefferson Stubbs and Mary Mercer Cosnahan his wife 1882-1914	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Barely attached to base; fungal/organic growth, vines growing on front and back; light staining
Stubbs	BW-4b	L T C S (letters on top, not side)	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Leaning; organic/ fungal growth present
	BW-5				Benjamin Waller	Broken off
Boswell	BW-6	BOSWELL Ballard Elliot Boswell Son of Dr. John I. and Mary R. Boswell Died Sept. 27, 1927 and his beloved wife Anne Stubbs Boswell Jan. 7, 1872 - March 12, 1864	Headstone	Granite	Benjamin Waller	Groundhog hole along east face of headstone; footing exposed
Mercer	BW-7	Mrs. Mary C. Mercer Died May 24, 1892 Aged 23 years	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Fungal/organic growth present; light surface erosion
Mercer	BW-8	Dr. Jno. C. Mercer Died Mar. 26, 1884 Aged 26 years	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Few nicks along top edge; minor fungal/ organic growth; some erosion but remains legible
Waller	BW-9	Jno. Mercer Waller Died Aug. 12, 1875 AGed 10 mon's	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Loose; significant fungal/organic growth on east side in grooves of letters
Mercer	BW-10	Thos. Hugh Mercer Died Sept. 2, 1865 Aged 22 years	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Fungal/organic growth; scratches on west face; loss at top of east edge
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Waller	BW-11	Sacred to the memory of Julia Weedon Daughter of Robt. P. & Julia Weedon Waller his wife Born Nov. 23, 1836 Died Oct. 30, 1860 Aged 23 years, 11 months, & 7 days	Slab	Limestone with brick platform	Benjamin Waller	Fungal/organic growth present; Nicks in beveled edge; significant algae growth on brick
Mercer	BW-12	Mercer	Monument	Marble with limestone plinth	Benjamin Waller	Loss of top part of pedestal at SE corner; Fungal growth; vines present between base and plinth; crack in column on SE side (cause unknown); small hairline cracks on all sides of base
Waller	BW-13	Sacred to the memory of Isabella Stuart Daughter of Dr. Robert Page Waller Died May 15, 1853 In the 22nd year of her age	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Broken off; leaning against South wall; clean backside; fungal/organic growth; no significant erosion
	BW-14		Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Broken off; severe wear and erosion - no inscription visible; leaning but stable; organic/fungal growth present
	BW-15		Base of headstone, likely of BW-13	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Broken off; loss along edge of base which caused weakness of headstone
Waller	BW-16a	Sacred to the memory of Littleton Tazewell Waller Born March 12th, 1806 Died April 27th, 1870	Headstone	Limestone on granite base	Benjamin Waller	Loose; Moderate surface erosion; fungal/organic growth present
Waller	BW-16b	L T W	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Leaning and loose; badly chipped edges with crack along top edge; fungal/organic growth present; algae present along base; moderate surface erosion
Mercer	BW-17	Jno. L. Mercer Jr. Died July 12, 1882 Aged 9 mon's	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Loose; fungal/organic growth present; Moderate erosion
Waller	BW-18	Isabella S. Waller Died May 15, 1853 Aged 21	Obelisk on pedestal	Marble and limestone	Benjamin Waller	Significant erosion and loss of decorative elements; leaning eastward; fungal growth accompanied by growth of vines
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Waller	BW-19	Sacred to the memory of Corbin Griffin Son of Dr. Robert Page Waller Who died October 29th, 1841 Aged 23 years	Headstone	Base limestone, headstone marble?	Benjamin Waller	Fallen over, out of base; base broken; significant erosion and fungal growth; edges remain sharp
Waller	BW-20a	Robert Page Waller Died July 21, 1872 Aged 81	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Loose and leaning; significant erosion; fungal/organic growth present; staining on West side
Waller	BW-20b	R P W	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Loose; minor chips along edges; fungal/organic growth present
Waller	BW-21a	Sacred to the memory of J. W. Waller Widow of R. P. Waller Died Dc. 10, 1883 Aged 80 years	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Leaning but stable; fungal/organic growth present; significant surface erosion
Waller	BW-21b	J W W	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Loss at base; worn edges; fungal/organic growth present; loose
Waller	BW-22a	Hugh Mercer Waller Born December 3, 1829 Died May 31, 1896 Son of Julia Weedon Waller and Robert Page Waller	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Finial not attached and crack all over; heavy fungal growth around decorative carving
Waller	BW-22b	BROTHER	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Loose (base overgrown); fungal growth and light erosion present; major loss on NW bottom corner
Tomlinson	BW-23	"MAB" Mary Mercer Page Stubbs Wife of Rev. Robert Marshall Tomlinson June 1, 1885 - April 16, 1946	Thick slab	Granite	Benjamin Waller	Minor fungal growth
Tomlinson	BW-24	Martha Marshall Tomlinson Daughter of Mary Mercer Stubbs Tomlinson Feb. 7, 1922 - Sept. 1, 1971	Plaque set in base	Granite	Benjamin Waller	Minor staining/fungal growth
Mercer	BW-25	B C M	Footstone	Marble	Benjamin Waller	Loose; small nicks on edges; minor soiling on lettered side
Mercer	BW-26	Blakeley C. Mercer Died Feb. 11, 1852 Aged 3 Y's 4 M's 10 D's	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Leaning but stable; scratched on both sides; erosion and fungal/organic growth present
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Waller	BW-27a	Letitia Tyler Daughter of ? Born Dec. 18, 1848 Died Dec. 29, 1849	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Leaning but stable; significant erosion and fungal growth present; no wear on edges; ivy growing on headstone
Waller	BW-27b	L T W	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Leaning but stable; chip along top backside; fungal growth and surface erosion present
Waller	BW-28	Elizabeth Tyler Waller Wife of Wm. Waller, Esq. of Williamsburg And daughter of the President Tyler of Virginia Born July 11th, 1823 Died June 1st, 1850 Aged 26 years, 10 months, 18 days	Slab with brick platform	Limestone and brick	Benjamin Waller	Fungal growth; significant surface and edge erosion
	BW-29				Benjamin Waller	Broken off
Mercer	BW-30	Blakeley Carter Mercer Aged 2 years, 6 months	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Broken in half and fallen off base; significant fungal growth and surface erosion
Waller	BW-31	This stone is erected to the memory of Mary and Eliza Waller, daughters of Maj. Tho. Griffin of York town by their affectionate father. The first died 9th April 1827 and the other on the 26th day of June 1823 and lie buried here. "Beloved till life could charm no more And mourned till sorrows self be dead."	Headstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Broken off base; significant surface erosion and soiling; Loss of edges; fungal/organic growth present
Waller	BW-32	G G W	Footstone	Limestone	Benjamin Waller	Fungal growth, very light erosion; loose and leaning; wear on edges

Many markers in the Benjamin Waller Graveyard require immediate attention in order to prevent further damage. Several need to be reset. In addition, the heavy vegetation that is present in the graveyard for much of the year causes significant damage to the markers as well as increasing the difficulty of monitoring conditions of markers to prevent deterioration.

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Benjamin Waller Graveyard viewed from east side just after mowing. Inset: Benjamin Waller Graveyard roughly a month after mowing. The course vegetation is heavy and grows quickly, obscuring and damaging markers.

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(Left and below) The finial of BW-22a is significantly damaged. It is no longer attached to the marker and is just resting on it, leading to a risk of it falling off and being damaged further or of someone taking it. In addition, there are significant cracks on opposing sides which could easily lead to further breakage.

(Below) The broken foot of BW-19 may have caused the marker to fall out of its base.

(Far left) Many of the decorative elements of BW-18 have been lost due to erosion; for example, the top flowers on the shown portion of the obelisk have been lost.

(Left) Large metal pins held BW-22b to its base (now overgrown), but a significant loss to the bottom corner contributed to it falling out of the base.

(Left) The inscription of BW-32 is unclear. While it is located roughly where the footstone of BW-19 should be, the spacing of the letters is odd and appears to read G G W instead of C G W.

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Williamsburg Inn Pool Site

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Debress	PS-1	Bell Debress Wife of Edward Debress Died Dec. 11, 1901 Beloved Mother of Bettie Baker and Willie Debress	Headstone	Limestone	Pool Site	Fungal growth; minor erosion along edges
Debress	PS-2a	In memory of Mary Ann Debress Died July 15, 1825?? Aged 18 years	Headstone	Limestone	Pool Site	Tilted but stable; significant erosion, inscription becoming illegible; significant loss at top; fungal growth
Debress	PS-2b	M A D	Footstone	Limestone	Pool Site	Tilted but stable; chips at edges; organic/fungal growth present

This graveyard is located in a patch of woods just north of the pools at the Williamsburg Inn. While subject to expected erosion, largely forgotten and hidden, they are in fairly stable condition. yard.

(Above) PS-2a has been affected by severe surface erosion, making the year of death illegible.

(Left) PS-1 is in far better condition and is a much more recent addition to this graveyard.

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Wren Crypt

Family Name	Ref. Num.	Inscription	Marker Type	Material	Cemetery	Condition
Randolph	WC-1	Sir John Randolph Died 1737 Lady Susanna Beverley Randolph (?) Died after 1754	Vault	Brick, lead coffins	Wren Crypt	Opened 1858 and 1862 (?)
Randolph	WC-2	John Randolph Died 1784	Vault	Brick lead coffins	Wren Crypt	Opened 1858 and 1862 (?); repaired 1929
Randolph	WC-3	Peyton Randolph Died 1775 Buried 1776 Elizabeth Harrison Randolph Died 1783	Vault	Brick, lead coffins	Wren Crypt	Opened 1858, 1859, 1862 (?); Elizabeth's remains placed in Peyton's coffin and moved to WC-6 May 30, 1929
Botetourt	WC-4	Lord Botetourt Died 1770	Vault	Brick, lead coffins	Wren Crypt	Opened, robbed in 1862 and 1969; opened by Lyon Tyler 1888-1919
Madison	WC-5	Bishop James Madison Died 1812 Possibly Mrs. Madison Died 1815	Vault	Brick, lead coffins	Wren Crypt	Opened 1862 (?); remains placed in lead box and moved to WC-6 May 30, 1929
Randolph Madison	WC-6	Bishop James Madison and Mrs. Madison (?) Peyton and Elizabeth Harrison Randolph	Vault		Wren Crypt
Dew	WC-7	Thomas R. Dew Died 1846 Buried 1939	Vault		Wren Crypt
Nelson	WC-8	Chancellor Robert Nelson (?) Died 1818	Grave		Wren Crypt	Excavated 1858 and Aug. 1928

Located beneath the Wren Chapel, the Wren Crypt has been sealed off from the public. Over the past 150 years, the vaults have been broken into and robbed; this has caused significant damage to the vaults and to the crypt itself as the vaults have been broken and the crypt covered with graffitti done by fraternity brothers in the 1960s. Due to increased security as well as removal of asbestos from the crypt, the vaults and graves there are in stable condition.

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(Left) WC-4, the burial place of Lord Botetourt has been broken into and robbed several times by Civil War soldiers and also by William and Mary students. It remains open today, leaving the interior exposed and visible.

(Below) The interior of WC-4 still contains the remains of Lord Botetourt's lead coffin.

(Above) Caitlin Verboon measures WC-2 assisted by Tom Taylor

(Above) Unlike any of the other vaults in the Crypt, WC-2 is supported by three vertical buttresses on the south side.

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Glossary

Base

The lowest and often widest visible part of a marker, often distinctively treated. A base is distinguished from a foundation or footing in being visible rather than buried. A low, thickened section of a vertical tablet. Lower part of an obelisk, column, or table tomb, wider than the support, and may rest on a plinth, or pedestal.

Biological activity

Presence of micro-organisms small plants such as mosses, vines, and bird droppings.

Cracks

Narrow fractures of variable length and direction.

Erosion

Gradual loss of surface material and resulting in rounded edges and profiles, and (often) an overall granular texture.

Footing

That portion of the foundation of a structure which transmits loads directly to the soil; may be the widened part of a wall or column, the spreading courses under a foundation wall, a foundation of a column, etc. used to spread the load over a greater area to prevent or reduce settling.

Losses

Absence of original material, as judged by incompleteness of form, decoration, or inscription.

Pedestal

A support for a column, obelisk, statue, urn, etc. consisting in classical architecture of a base, dad, or die and a cornice, surbase, or cap; in modern design often a plain unornamented block.

Platform

A raised floor or terrace.

Plinth

A square or rectangular base for a column, pilaster, or door framing. A solid monumental base, often ornamented with holdings, bas reliefs, or inscriptions, to support a statue or memorial. A recognizable base of an external wall, or the base courses of a building collectively, if so treated as to give the appearance of a platform.

Soiling

Surface deposits of fine particulate matter, generally dark in color, modifying or obscuring the original appearance of the stone.

Slab

A thick slice or plate of material such as stone, wood, concrete, etc. Staining Discoloration of deposition of minute deposits of highly colored matter within the pores of the stone.

Tilted/Fallen

Significantly (greater than 15 degrees) or totally out of vertical alignment.

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Summary Report

Although the condition of most of the grave markers is stable, some gravestones require conservation. The condition of loose stones should be stabilized by resetting. Before removing the gravestone, a 4-6″ perimeter strip of sod should be lifted and set aside. The gravestone should be carefully removed and its full height measured. A straight-side excavation should continue, extending 6-8″ below a depth of no less than 40% of the full height of the stone. #4-1 ½″ round "pea" gravel should be used to fill the first 6-8″ of the excavation. With the stone held upright, alternating layers of sand/gravel and wet soil should be used to fill the excavation almost to the top. Sod should then be replaced over this permeable, relatively noncompressible fill.

Gravestone fragments should be reattached using structural adhesives. On fragments that are large in size, it may be necessary to use an anchoring system. In some cases, disassembly of previous repair work and removal of old fills and adhesives may first be necessary. Grouting techniques should be used to prevent further detachment.

Some gravestones had open cracks or joints that allow for the entry of water. To arrest further deterioration of these stones, the entry of water through open cracks and joints should be eliminated. Brick supports should be repointed using an appropriate mortar. Stonework should be repointed as well. Equally important in preventing water intrusion is the filling of large, open cracks. Composite patching mixtures (of cement, lime, and sand or crushed stone) should match the color, texture, and hardness of the surrounding stonework.

Routine maintenance should be emphasized. As a result of conditions seen during the recent survey, several additions to the ongoing program are recommended. Heavy moss growth and ivy should be removed from the gravestones. Visitors should be discouraged from sitting or standing on the gravestones; graffitti and gravestone "rubbing" should be prohibited. Vegetation in the graveyards should be kept to a minimum at all times, but maintenance personnel should avoid scratching or abrading gravestones with lawnmowers.

(Excerpts from the Summary Report of the survey of conditions of Bruton Parish gravestones prepared by Tracy Coffing, Frances Gale, Norman Weiss (all of Columbia University) and Tom Taylor on August 10, 1984)