Local Haunts, Cemeteries and 'Sin Eaters'
Yes, it's August, but Fall is in the air!
Past Lane Pursuits is a newsletter of Past Lane Travel, a leading history and travel blog.
Last Week’s Quiz Answer: Congratulations to those who correctly answered that the states of Virginia and Ohio have produced the most presidents.
Virginia has the most with eight: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
Ohio has seven: Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Taft, and Warren Harding.
Thanks for taking part in the history poll!
What I’m Working On
Yes, it’s still August, but this week’s weather in Gettysburg feels more like autumn,” with temperatures falling at night into the 50s.
That made me think of Halloween, so I went on a tour of the Haunted Gettysburg Orphanage.
I’ll be honest. I went for the history, not the ghosts, but it was still pretty creepy!
I’ll have that post up by the end of the week, but in case you’re interested, there are lots of Gettysburg Ghost Tours available if you’re in the area. It gets busy around Halloween, so book early!
Since We’re Talking About Ghosts…
Everyone who knows me knows that I love visiting old cemeteries. They are usually one of my main stops when I go to explore an old town. (Strange… I know!)
One of my favorites is the Old Burying Ground in Beaufort, N.C.
It’s eerily beautiful, with the moss-draped limbs of ancient oaks standing guard over the old stones.
Established in the early 1700s, the cemetery is the town’s oldest cemetery holding fascinating stories about Beaufort’s 300-year history.
There are approximately 200 stones from the pre-Civil War era; 45 from the Civil War period; 150 from 1865 to 1900; and a few 20th-century markers.
I visited again this year, so here are some photos.
The Little Girl In The Rum Keg
One of the most notable memorials in the cemetery is that of the little girl who was buried at sea in a rum keg. I wrote about her in the post on Past Lane Travels, but for those who haven’t read it, here’s the condensed version.
The tragic story behind this grave dates back to 18th century when a wealthy merchant traveled overseas with his daughter. On the return trip to the colonies, the daughter became extremely ill and died.
Since the father had promised his wife to return with their daughter, he purchased a keg of rum and buried her inside to preserve her body on the voyage home.
She was then buried in the Old Burying Ground in the rum keg.
As you can see, the gravesite is very popular, with visitors leaving seashells, small toys and trinkets for the little girl.
Here’s the link to the Old Burying Ground post on Past Lane if you want to read more.
Strange But True
When I was looking up information about old traditions I found this one that I’d never heard of from the Middle Ages, where families of the deceased would hire a Sin Eater.
As a person lay dying, someone would place a piece of bread on his or her chest, which would “absorb” that person’s sins. A local pariah, known as the sin eater, would come and eat the piece of bread, thereby “eating” the deceased person’s sin. The person who died would go to heaven, and the sin eater would get paid for his or her services.
This Week’s Quiz (Keeping with the theme)
Good luck!
One Last Thing
I did want to mention that this Saturday marks the 210th anniversary of the attempted burning of Washington DC during the War of 1812 (this event took place in 2014). A tornado swept in and put out the flames! If you didn’t read the story, here it is.
See you next week!