...ghost stories connected to a family cemetery...

Capitol building, Williamsburg, Virginia

 I first learned of the Jones Cemetery in Colonial Williamsburg in 2016. Each time we visit Colonial Williamsburg, I make a point to visit this cemetery, which is behind a brick wall with a locked iron gate. It does not stop me from standing on my toes to peep over that wall or from looking through the gate.

I was working on other research this morning when the cemetery came to mind. I wrote a post about taking the Williamsburg Ghost Tour via the mobile tour app and in that post, I discussed how I learned about the cemetery.

The Jones Cemetery/ Secretary’s Office was the last stop on the tour, which turned out to be my favorite stop because I had been to Colonial Williamsburg since I was a kid and never knew about the cemetery.

Jones Cemetery

As I shared in my original post, there are seven family graveyards in the historic area of Colonial Williamsburg. If you’re curious about those other cemeteries, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has a Historic Area Graveyard Study that goes into more details. The research was conducted in 2005 so the graves may not match the appearance of those in the photos.

The graves in front of the Secretary's Office belong to the members of the Jones family. I have seen the cemetery referenced as Jones Cemetery or as the Secretary's Office Graveyard although, there is no church on the premises.  

Each grave consists of a marble slab and an accompanying urn. Each inscription follows the pattern including the name, the parents' names, and a short verse. The graves do not include birth or death dates.

Again, the cemetery is surrounded by a wall and has a locked gate. Visitors walk right by the brick walls without noticing the small cemetery.

The Secretary's Office building was established as a safe place to store government documents after a 1747 fire at the Capitol Building destroyed many public records. This building was made of brick with the floor being stone. Without an attic or a basement to cause moisture, the two fireplaces in the building were intended to keep all of the paper documents dry and mold free. The building was not needed after the capital moved to Richmond in 1780. Virginia's first capital was Jamestown, which was relocated to Williamsburg in 1699.

The Secretary’s Office building would later become the residence of David Rowland Jones and Mary Ann Tinsley Jones along with their children. From the ghost tours that I have taken in Colonial Williamsburg including the mobile app tour, the Secretary’s Office is included on the stop most likely because it is part of the Duke of Gloucester Street and it is right by the old capitol building.

Secretary's Office building in background

There are two associated stories as part of the ghost tours and then numerous mentions of paranormal activity. First, as legend has it the Jones were said to be reclusive and were seldom seen anywhere but church. They had seven daughters, none of whom were married. Today, I learned this was not true for a few reasons. First, I read the obituary for Mary Ann Tinsley Jones and it reads nothing but nice things about David Rowland Jones, not to mention that it does not portray the family as loners. Quite the contrary, really. For Emma’s obituary, it reads that she had “many friends.” Helen and Ida were beloved school teachers as was their sister Virginia who attended the College of William and Mary. Their daughter Mary was involved with civic and religious organizations and had been involved in educational work in schools. Second, of the seven daughters, one was married. Eudora not only married but she was the mother of two daughters and two sons.   

The ghost story with includes an apparition of a young girl being seen running toward the road concludes with one of the daughters, “Edna”, which would have had to have been a nickname since none of the girls were given this name. Edna was killed by a carriage while trying to secretly leave her home and go out to meet a guy. As with most ghost stories, I have so many questions- why did she not see the carriage when she was running toward the road? Was this at night? If at night, why were there carriages? Based on their obituaries, none of the daughters died from being run over by a carriage.

• Helen, N Jones d. 1901- had been ill for several months and had to resign from her teaching position the prior year because of her health

•  Emma A Jones d. 1902- not noted in obituary

•  Ida M Jones d. 1903- died in her “mother’s home” after a “lingering illness”

• Rosa L Jones d.1915- died in the home after a long illness

• Eudora Jones Armistead d.1940 * married

• Mary R Jones d. 1943

• Virginia W Jones d. 1964

None of the stories mention the two sons: Fitzhugh Calvin Jones d.1926 and Earnest Tinsley Jones d. 1942. And based on the inclusion of a carriage, automobiles were common by the 1920s so the ghost story would only make sense if it were before that time. Perhaps Emma was “Edna” since her obituary does not include any mention of illness but I highly doubt that since old newspapers can include the most gruesome details.

When I originally heard the story, I considered how frightening it was that all of the daughters were forced to stay at home against their will forever since they are buried just feet from the home where they lived, and how sad it would have been to have such an awful father who would not allow his family to leave home. It simply isn’t true, and Eudora is not even buried in the family plot. She’s in Cedar Grove Cemetery with her husband. 

Returning to the research today after several years, I think about how frightening it must have been for the mother, Mary A. E. Jones to have had lost her husband and figure out how to make ends meet in a society where widows were not necessarily looked upon so favorable, and then have three of her daughters ill in their family home during three consecutive years. The next time I head to Williamsburg, I may toss some flowers over that wall or at least whisper kind messages toward the graves.

excerpt from Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg, Virginia) 07 Jul 1906, Sat, Page 8

... the haunting first days of summer in Savannah...

With summer vacation ahead of me, I determined that I needed a good gothy vacation. I wanted the ambiance of a haunted house (or two) and some strolls through some old cemeteries. Last year, there was a road trip to the Crescent Hotel; the year before, I had two trips to New Orleans. Three cemeteries in three days while staying in two haunted hotels in Savannah, Georgia was just what I needed.

Savannah is about seven hours south of where I live so I determined that I could drive there in a day. After all, I used to live outside of Boston, Massachusetts which was nine hours. Of course, I was almost twenty years younger, but still, a drive to Savannah seemed reasonable.

I headed out on Monday and arrived at the Amethyst Garden Inn, a Victorian Queen Anne Bed & Breakfast located in the Historic district right around check-in time. I pretty much picked it because it popped up on the Orbitz page; it once was a Victorian home; and, it was painted purple. The fact that it was haunted was something that I discovered later; and, it only added to the ambiance of the place.

Almost immediately, I dropped off my bags and headed to see Savannah. I was somewhat close to the cathedral, which I’ll write about later. I went there and, because I was so close, I went to Colonial Park Cemetery, which is right in the middle of the historic district. In fact, for many of my excursions, my GPS routed me through Colonial Park Cemetery. My gothy heart grew each time I strolled through that enchanted place.

That night, at 10pm, because I had only been up since 4:30am and driven 7 hours so a late-night tour seemed so reasonable *yawn* at the time that I booked it, I headed to the The Beyond Good and Evil Tour. My tour guide, Zack, was awesome. He was both theatrical and informative as he shared details about Colonial Park Cemetery and various haunted spots in Savannah. The tour went on until beyond midnight. 

Of course, most of y’all know that I’m there for the atmosphere so seeing a ghost is not necessary, which helps since I’m completely a skeptic. That night, I discovered that I was the only guest on the second floor of the inn.  But, with such a whirlwind of a start, I slept right on through and did not have a moment to consider being frightened. If one of the ghosts of the Rose Room, the room where I stayed, dropped in, they did not wake me. The next day, my plans were to wake early so that I could catch a Bonaventure Cemetery tour.

I will write about my adventures in Colonial Park Cemetery, Bonaventure Cemetery, and (my favorite) Laurel Grove Cemetery in the next few days. Overall, it was a great little excursion. I arrived home just in time to begin my first day of summer classes. I’m taking a course called Marketing the Past. Sounds cool, right? So far it is, and I spent most of yesterday working on my project for the class... a project that focuses on local cemeteries. More details on that soon.

Savannah is going to haunt me for a while; and, I do have a great deal to share. 

 

With just a few days in, how are you spending your first days of summer?  Hope you're keeping it spooky!

...a haunted tavern tour & ambiance...

Last night I attended the Haunted Hanover Tavern tour that the Historic Hanover Tavern hosts once a month. While I’ve known about the tour for some time now, this is the first time that my schedule worked out so that I could attend.

Hanover Tavern is one of a few surviving colonial era taverns in the nation. While this tavern is not the original one on the property, there has been a tavern in the location since the 1730s. The earliest section of the present tavern was built in 1791. This is the area between the two chimneys, which you can see in the picture.

The earliest section of the tavern is between the two chimneys pictured above

George Washington, Lord Cornwallis, and Patrick Henry all have connections to the Hanover Tavern. George Washington wrote in his diary about the lodging; and, Lord Cornwallis stayed at the tavern but per the tour guide, Tom, he did not pay his bill. Patrick Henry’s wife’s parents owned the Tavern from 1750-1764.  When P. Henry and his wife, Sarah, whom I have written about in a previous post, were married they lived at Hanover Tavern for several years.

In 1763, Henry was called to the courthouse just across the street from Hanover Tavern to argue the Parson’s Cause case, which helped spark the American Revolution.   

Speaking of the courthouse, my tour guide explained that beside the courthouse building stands the Old Stone Jail where public hangings used to be held both outside and inside of the building. I’m going to file this post under dark tourism as well. Not surprisingly, investigators have heard ghostly whistling in the stairwell of the jail.

Much later, in the 1950s, a group of actors bought the tavern and established the Barksdale Theatre, the nation’s first dinner theatre. 



What was not mentioned in the tour but what I found on the Hanover Tavern website:

In defiance of Jim Crow laws, Barksdale was Virginia’s first performing arts organization to open its doors to integrated audiences. Later, in 1973, Barksdale produced Virginia’s first professional play based on the African American experience, Lorraine Hansberry’s To Be Young, Gifted and Black.[1]

Toward the courthouse

My tour guide, Tom, explained that one of the most frequently spotted apparitions is the lady in black who is often seen wearing a Victorian mourning gown.*** 

Visitors have also heard footsteps when no one was supposed to be in the location, and they often smell perfume. 

While taking the tour, one of the guests near me continued to say that she could smell cigar smoke. I, however, only smelled *old house* but y’all know I’m a bit of a skeptic.   

Tom explained that they (and they meaning the members of the Transcend Paranormal team[2] who come out to do investigations) had a theory about this ghost. A woman named Margaret Wight, a diarist who lived at the tavern during the American Civil war, held a clue.[3] Her writing documented that a widow with the last name of Mitchell had two young children. It is believed that she could be the ghost who haunts the tavern today. Now, Hanover Tavern has published a book about the diaries so could this be an elaborate book marketing technique? Hmmm. You can find a copy of Wight's book on Amazon. Click the picture at the bottom of the post to be linked to the page.

Another ghostly encounter included one of the actors hearing a loud bang. When he entered the room, he discovered that no one was present but the table had been completely turned over and was sitting upside down.

And, finally, in the “Bride’s Room,” named because this is the location where brides get ready for the wedding, there is a male spirit who is reported to have a good memory. During one of the sessions, the spirit called each of the investigators by name.

doesn't this look like a spooky alien's shadow?

I captured a rather ominous alien-like shadow on the wall but it was only another light fixture. Still spooky though!

The window where you might see a ghost child peep

Aside from the reports of gentle ghostly touches on the shoulder, eerie sounds, and even a ghost child peeping out the window, my favorite part of the tour was the ambiance. 

Literally, it was a dark and stormy night. We  started the tour outside but only remained for a few minutes before the rain was much too heavy. Flashes of lightning and loud thunder only added to the ghostly tour delight. I really hoped that the power would go out (preferably while I was not descending  the historic staircase!)

Nevertheless, Haunted Hanover Tavern tours takes the spooky tour business quite seriously. Dimming the lights and having our guide in period attire added to an already creepy setting. For a small cost, visitors get to learn the history of the tavern while lavishing in a ghostly atmosphere.

---

[1] “The Hanover Tavern is a historic 18th century landmark in Hanover Virginia.” Hanover Tavern, hanovertavern.org/. Accessed 15 June 2017.

[2] Interestingly enough, the director of this group used to be one of my neighbors. He gave a great Halloween party!

[3] Haas, Shirley A, and Dale Paige Talley, editors. A Refugee at Hanover Tavern: The Civil War Diary of Margaret Wight . Charleston, SC, The History Press, 2013.

*** Please someone needs to catch the quote and ghostly reference. It cannot be for my own amusement.