Upper St. Peter’s Parish

Ah, the book.

It’s “Upper St. Peter’s Parish and Environs”, by Thomas Oregon Lawton. He is deceased now, and the book is out of print. However, his son gave me permission to put a section here on the blog.

It’s an important section that has answers for some folks. Mr. Lawton gathered documents that had information linking slaves and slave holders. He seemed to think it was important to save this for posterity. At the time, people wondered why he was intent on saving information relevant to a painful time in our country’s history. Why, Thomas? Why?

Why? Truth is persistent, in spite of facts being difficult things.

I

I get frequent requests for information from those doing slavery research. I love a puzzle, and I get satisfaction linking people with places. The advent of dna testing links us to people and places that we didn’t expect.

And I’m a better person because of it.

Finally at Colonial Cemetery…

And here our story draws to a close.

After leaving Laurel Grove, we were able to head downtown and easily find a parking spot. We were here in Savannah a few weeks prior, and the city was packed with tourists and no parking was to be had.

Savannah has a system where you park, purchase a ticket from a kiosk, and put the ticket in your dashboard in plain sight. Ah, but it is Sunday, and parking is free.

We’re near the northeast entrance. I’m interested in finding Barbara Densler, but I can’t figure out the map.

It looks like we’ll just wander around.

In this cemetery many victims of the

Great Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1820

were buried.

Nearly 700 Savannahians died that year, including two local physicians who lost their lives caring for the stricken.

Several epidemics followed. In 1854 The Savannah Benevolent Association was organized to aid the families of the fever victims.

IN

memory of

HANNAH G. SHEFTALL

consort of

Mordecai Sheftall Jr.

who was born

on the 15th February

1803,

and departed this life

on the 10th November

1834.

In thee we lose a friend sincere,

A loving wife, and mother dear,

Securely rest, thy sleeping dust,

Till the last trump awakes the just.

I recognize the name Sheftall from the records I’ve been using to research the Denslers.

Leslie noticed the Odingsell marker so he is encouraging me to research that name. Personally I’m not interested in researching famous people. Perhaps you have noticed.

Here endured the fate of the ***

the earthly part of

MAJOR CHARLES ODINGSELLS

during the Revolutionary war,

a Patriot Soldier

*****(illegible)*****

In each capacity

his conduct was such as justly acquired

him as much confidence and popularity

in this County, as any man in it

He died, on Skidaway Island

on the

2nd day of December 1816

Aged 56 Years.

*****

SACRED to the last Remains of the

Children of Charles Odingsells, Edqr.

lie buried in this Tomb,

with the ashes of their Father.

Charles Spencer Odingsells,

departed this life October 17, 1817,

Aged 6 Years 7 Months & 6 days,

Mary Susannah Odingsells,

departed this life November 6, 1817.

Aged 9 Years & 7 days.

This is another large slab that is too big to photograph easily for transcription purposes, so I usually take a series of shots so that I can transcribe later.

This probably means we need to go to Skidaway Island.

Except there’s this guy Malbone, who is/was famous. I learned of him because of his cousin Robert Mackay.

EDWARD GREENE MALBONE

(1777-1807)

Beneath this modest slab rest the remains of America’s foremost painter of miniatures.

Malbone, a native of Rhode Island, began his career in Providence at the age of seventeen. He pursued his calling in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston and in London, England.

Exacting and unceasing work undermined his constitution. Having sought in vain to recover his health in the island of Jamaica, he came to Savannah in fore-knowledge of death and died here in the home of his cousin, Robert Mackay, on May 7, 1807.

Though not yet thirty years of age when he died, he left no peer in his art. Time has justified the statements you may read here in his epitaph. Today Malbone is acknowledged to be the finest miniaturist his country has yet produced, and among the greatest of all time anywhere.

025-21 GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1954

Sacred in the Memory of

Mr. EDWARD G. MALBONE

the celebrated Painter

Son of the late Gen. John Malbone of Newport, R.I.

(the remainder is largely illegible)

We’re near the northwest entrance and are ready to call it a day. I skitter around the last few markers that are legible. No Barbara.

I snapped one of a Moravian marker. The stone was so dark that I had to edit the image in order to read it. The grass and foliage are not this ishy shade of greeny yellow.

IN MEMORY OF

MORAVIAN COLONISTS

WHO DIED IN SAVANNAH

FRIEDRICH RIEDEL     1795

JACOB FRANK     1736

HENRY ROSCHER     1736

ROSINA HABERECHT     1736

MATTHIAS BOHNISCH     1736

GEORGE HABERLAND     1737

ANNA CATHERINA ROSE     1737

JOHN MICHAEL SCHOBER     1739

Erected by

MORAVIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OF PENNSYLVANIA

WACHOVIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OF NORTH CAROLINA

COLONIAL PARK

This cemetery, the second in Colonial Savannah, was the burying ground for the city from about 1750 until it was closed against burials in 1853.

Among the distinguished dead who rest here are Archibald Bullock, first President of Georgia; James Habersham, acting royal Governor of the Province, 1771-’73; Joseph Habersham, Postmaster General under three Presidents; Lachalan McIntosh, Major General, Continental Army; Samuel Elbert, Revolutionary soldier and Governor of Georgia; Capt. Denis L. Cottineau de Kerloguen who aided John Paul Jones in the engagement between the “Bon Homme Richard” and the “Serapis”; Hugh McCall, early historian of Georgia; Edward Greene Malbone, the noted miniaturist, and Colonel John S. McIntosh, a hero of the War with Mexico.

The remains of Major General Nathanael Greene who died in 1786 reposed in the Graham vault until they were reinterred in 1901 in Johnson Square.

The cemetery became a city park in 1896.

025-20 GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1954

As usual, we have arrived at the front of the situation after going in and around through other avenues. This sign is at the main entrance, although you can enter and leave from any gateway. Isn’t that like life? There are many ways to approach a situation and perhaps none of them are wrong.

I think this ends the Densler saga. Who’s to say? Does research and poking about ever really end? Because who is William Densler, chairmaker? These images are from ancestry.com from a collection of the names of early artisans.

Do you have a Densler chair? Was this a thing? And why don’t I find a newspaper ad for William Densler, like I do for Henry and Frederick Densler, and vice-versa.

Was a chairmaker an actual chair maker or were there specialists in the field? It appears that the Denslers were makers of riding chairs for horses and wagons, carriages, buggies, etc.

 

From the Columbia, 1797:

The Subscriber,

Returns his most respectful thanks to his Friends and the Public in general, for the encouragement he has received, and is sorry he could not serve his customers since the fire of the 26th November last; but now offers his service with pleasure, at his shop in Bull Street, on Doctor Brickell’s Lot, where he formerly lived — where all kinds of Riding Chairs are made and repaired on the shortest notice, and in the neatest manner Orders from the country, will be strictly attended to and thankfully received, by their obedient humble servant.

HENRY DENSLER.

April 7. 11-8T

 

HENRY DENSLER, Chair Maker,

BEGS leave to inform his friends, and the public in general, that he has removed his shop nearly opposite the Courthouse, where he still carries on the said business in the neatest manner.

N. B. Orders from the country will be strictly attended to, and executed on the shortest notice.

Work done cheap for cath.

Savannah, 3d Dec. 1798.

Savannah Republican, 1808:

Insley and Densler dissolved their partnership. Savannah Republican, 1810:

9/24/1829, Georgian

Frederick seems to be a salesperson in addition to a chairmaker. I suppose he was like a car salesman of that time, new and used.

So, the Denslers kept America rolling. Good-night, Densler people. It’s been an interesting ride.