Saturday, August 23, 2008

College Cemetery, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia

This cemetery is located in old campus between Blow, Monroe and Tyler Halls off Richmond Road. It is ivy-covered and surrounded with a finely crafted, knee-high brick wall in the colonial style. It bears the following inscription:

This wall has been erected in memory of Col. Benjamin Stoddert Ewell President of the College of William and Mary 1854-1888.

There are three graves in the cemetery but there is room for several more.

The tombstone of Lucian Minor is a very tall marble obelisk inscribed on four surfaces. They are as follows:

Lucian Minor
Born in Louisa County, VA
April 24th 1802
Died July 8th 1858

In Williamsburg where, he discharged his duties, as professor of Law in William and Mary with Diligence and Success.

The Sons of Temperance of Virginia in honor of his exalted worth as a man, a Scholar and a Christian, his early, Consistent and able support of Temperance, have erected this monument to their departed brother and P. G. W. A. Lucian Minor, useful in life “his works do follow him.”

“Engrave his virtues on the tablets of enduring memory, that you may learn to imitate them.”

Love for his race; Purity of purpose: and Fidelity to every obligation, distinguished him in all the relations of life. We would cherish his memory, honor his name, and imitate his example.

The stone of Benjamin Ewell is granite and about four feet tall by three feet wide.

Benjamin Stoddert Ewell
1810 - 1894

President of William and Mary 1854 - 1888. Colonel Thirty-Second Regiment Virginia Volunteers CSA. The Reopening of the College in 1865 was due to his courage and Fidelity by Ringing the bell during the silent years from 1881 to 1888 when the college was closed he preserved its charter.

The grave of Thomas Snead is marked with both a headstone and footstone. The main stone is about three and a half feet tall by three feet wide and is of sandstone. Its inscription is becoming hard to read and required a rubbing to get some of the information. The footstone bears the initials T. T. L. S. It is a smaller version of the headstone.

In memory of
Capt. Thomas T. L. Snead
son of
Henrietta & George Snead
Born in Accomac County
March 20th 1832
Died in Williamsburg
July 3, 1872

From 1852 till his death he was connected with the College of William and Mary as Student and Professor. A brave defender of VA’s Rights, an approved instructor, an accomplished mathematician, he enjoyed the esteem and love of the community in which he so long lived and labored.

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