Southern Graves

Not a great title, I know, but I couldn't resist the alliteration... I've been giving you snippets for about seven months, and I'm finally ready to share everything in one place. Photos from Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia are now all online -- more than 110 of them. As a reminder, you can view them as a slideshow or individuals, and comments are enabled. Click on the small slideshow below to go to the Picasa Web Album. Enjoy! Surnames included are the following: Adair, Alexander, Bagby, Brown, Byrd, Carter, Casey, Craig, Crow/e, Dunlap, Gossett, Green, Gresham, Haney, Hood, Huff, Hutchins, Jackson, Kelley, Liddell, McGee, Mitchell, Moss, Noel, Pattersen, Rakestraw, Reid, Roberts, Russell, Simmons, Sparks, Steadman, Strickland, Stuart, Terrell, Thompson, Wight, Williams, and Wilson.

Yesterday I shared with you a monument dedicated for a wife and child from the Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. The pedestal tombstone with a vaulted roof was a memorial to Mrs. Mahulda Alexander and her infant son Samuel F. A portion of the epitaph for Mrs. Alexander is this four line verse: "Farewell, conflicting joys and fears, Where light and shade alternate dwell; How bright the unchanging morn appears, Farewell, inconstant world, farewell." A little Google search reveals this verse is from a hymn written by Anna L. Barbauld about 1809 -- "How Blest the Righteous When He Dies!" Here is this beautiful work in it's entirety: How blest the righteous when he dies! When sinks a weary soul to rest, How mildly beam the closing eyes, How gently heaves th' expiring breast! So fades a summer cloud away; So sinks a gale when storms are o’er; So gently shuts the eye of day; So dies a wave along th...

This Monument IS DEDICATED To the purest affection FOR A WIFE AND CHILD, By the Husband and Father. SAMUEL F. ALEXANDER MRS. MAHULDA ALEXANDER Born August 17th, 1813 Died April 23rd, 1853 In every relation of life, as Wife, Mother, Sister, friend, neighbor and humble, devout Christian, she was admired and beloved. Long she endured with Christian fortitude the tortures of a lingering and most painful disease and finally sunk to rest. "Farewell, conflicting joys and fears, Where light and shade alternate dwell; How bright the unchanging morn appears, Farewell, inconstant world, farewell." SAM'L F. ALEXANDER Born Sep 3rd, 1846 Died Sep 10th, 1848 As a wave on the Ocean, as a bubble on the River, is gone, gone forever. Pedestal Tombstone with a vaulted roof Dedicated to Mrs. Mahulda Alexander and her infant son Samuel F. Fairview Presbyterian Church Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia All Photos © 2010/1 S. Lincecum

Fairview Church Cemetery, Lawrenceville, Gwinnett, GA Photo © 2010/1 S. Lincecum Click here for epitaph information. DIED. Suddenly in Decatur, DeKalb county, Georgia, on Friday, the 26th of February, and in the 58th year of his age, Dr. THOMAS W. ALEXANDER, of Gwinnett. The deceased was born in South Carolina, and there lived till 1825, when he removed to this State. He was the son of pious parents, members of the Presbyterian Church, and by them was trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. When about twenty years of age he made a public profession of Faith in Christ, and at an early period after his connection with the Church he was chosen, and set apart to the office of ruling elder, and continued to discharge the duties of this office with great efficiency and acceptance until the day of his death. On the morning of that fatal day, he was returning from Atlanta, whither he had been on business, and was driving in a light buggy a strong and spirited you...

SACRED to the memory of D R . THOMAS W. ALEXANDER [who was born] July 2nd, 1790 and died Feby 26th, 1847 "Haste thee on from grace to glory Arm'd by faith and wing'd by prayer Heaven's eternal days before thee God's own hand shall guide thee there" Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2010/1 S. Lincecum The epitaph on the the good doctor's stone is from a hymn entitled, "Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken," written by Henry F. Lyte in 1824. Those lines are actually the beginning of the final verse. Here is the rest: Soon shall close thy earthly mission, Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days; Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise. Dr. Thomas Alexander was a son of Maj. John Alexander , who was written about in this space a few days ago. As we well know, sometimes an epitaph is just a nice sentiment or catchy phrase, and does not really tie directly ...

Photo by Brian Scott, via Historical Marker Database John Alexander was born about 1755 in Fountain Inn, South Carolina to James Alexander and Mary Peden. John's brother James and uncles John, Samuel, and David Peden founded the oldest Presbyterian Church in Greenville County, South Carolina in 1786, named Fairview . Legend has it the church was named after the old gray stone church in Antrim County, Ireland, from which it's (Peden) founders came to America in 1773. The land on which the South Carolina church was built was given to the founders in lieu of payment for their service during the Revolutionary War. Prior to that, the land was in the hands of the Cherokee Indians. John Alexander, though not considered a founder of the church (but an early member and one of the first elected elders), also served during the American Revolution. He was part of the Tyger Irish Company who participated in the Battle of Kings Mountain . Photo by Robin Dixson, via FindAGrav...

Corinne Elliott Lawton Died January 24th, 1877 Allured to brighter worlds and led the way. Bonaventure Cemetery Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia Corinne, daughter of Gen. Alexander Robert Lawton and Sarah Hillhouse Alexander, was originally buried in Savannah's Laurel Grove Cemetery. Her remains were moved to Bonaventure in 1896. 1 The statue of Jesus and archway behind Corinne is a memorial for her parents. The final portion of Corinne's epitaph is from The Deserted Village , a poem by Oliver Goldsmith that dates back to 1770. Per Wikipedia , "It is a work of social commentary, and condemns rural depopulation and the pursuit of excessive wealth." The following quote from the poem shows how the eventual epitaph for Corinne was used (about line 167): And, as a bird each fond endearment tries To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way. These words seeme...