2015 at Tudor Hall

[L Verge]

(02-01-2015 08:50 AM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 08:14 AM)HerbS Wrote:  Thanks Jim.Tom Fink called and said No way,just a legend! Now what should I think?

I stand corrected. I spoke with Tom Fink, President of the Junius Brutus Booth Society and all round terrific guy. Has has found no evidence that the scratching in the window pane is from JWB. There was nothing from Ella Mahoney about the initials and that it's only been in recent history that stories have come forth.

Ella Mahoney lived in and loved Tudor Hall for years and wrote about it in her Sketches of Tudor Hall. Ironically, her grandson (or great-grandson), James Wollon, was the restoration architect for Surratt House in the 1960s and 70s. I once asked him about the scratch in the windowpane, and he also said it was of "recent vintage."

We had a similar situation at Surratt House. An upstairs bedroom has a window with "John" sketched into it. We found out that one of the men who worked on the restoration of the house had scratched it there. I am amazed that the ghost of Mary has left it there -- so many "Johns" (don't go that route) did her wrong over the years: John, Sr., John, Jr., John Wilkes Booth, John Lloyd, John Nothey.