Did anyone see Eva Lennartz' informative article in the September Surratt Courier? Eva, from Kiel, Germany, adds a different perspective to the whole Rathbones-in-Germany story because of her top-notch research and her knowledge of German record-keeping and burial customs. Great reading.

Quote:Eva, from Kiel, Germany, adds a different perspective to the whole Rathbones-in-Germany story because of her top-notch research and her knowledge of German record-keeping and burial customs. Great reading.

Agreed! We are very, very fortunate to have Eva on our forum! She is a wonderful researcher. Kudos to Eva!

Great article! I never heard of "limited usage rights" when it comes to burials. I wonder if you can pay for, say a 100 year lease?

You talk about feeling old and humble, that's me when corresponding with Eva. She's eight months younger than my daughter and has far surpassed me in so many avenues of research. Absolutely amazing -- but don't tell her I said that. We need to keep her humble; when humility is crushed by egos, learning stops.

Laurie, there must be someone else with my name...

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(08-28-2013 05:13 PM)Craig Hipkins Wrote:  Great article! I never heard of "limited usage rights" when it comes to burials. I wonder if you can pay for, say a 100 year lease?

So far, I've never heard of any longer than 40 years and never that it's generally possible to pay for extension in advance. At least not for common people. The main reason indeed is limited space. Things are different for celebrities of public interest, aristocracy etc., but the latter are anyway often buried in chapels or vaults on private grounds. If you seek undisturbed eternal rest from the outset, you could just choose burial at sea...Oh, and since recently similar burials have also been possible in some woods, anonymously.

The article is absolutely terrific!

Great job, Eva!! Absolutely fascinating stuff!

If anyone is researching Fr. Jacob Walter, who comforted Mary Surratt on the gallows, here are three or four good sources I tripped over looking for other things:
Walter, Rev. J.A., “The Surratt Case,” U.S. Catholic Historical Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 12, pp. 353-361
MacGregor, Morris J., A Parish for the Federal City, Catholic University of America Press, Washington, D.C. , 1994, pp. 168-170
Liston, Rev. Paul, “Suggested Reading,” Potomac Catholic Heritage, Vol. 27, Spring 2009, pp. 38-44
Hinkel, John V. “St. Patrick’s: Mother Church of Washington,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., Vol. 57-59, pp. 33-43
The MacGregor book kinds of puts things in perspective.

I remember the first time I ever heard of "leases" on burial sites was in the village of Deia on the island of Mallorca. I went to Deia to visit both the village and the gravesite of English poet Robert Graves (no pun intended!). His grave was still "intact", but along the walls of the cemetery were old gravestones that had been placed there after the occupants (or what was left of them) were either disinterred or covered over with a more recent burial. Is this a common practice in areas where there is limited space? Is this a mostly European phenomenon? Is this done in the United States?

Joe

For those of you who have read Eva's article, you know that she has a closing comment regarding lack of evidence that Henry Rathbone ever served in the U.S. Consulate in Germany. A member of the Surratt Society published a brief note in the newsletter about a year ago (long before Eva joined):

It was Henry's brother Jared L. Rathbone, who was appointed Consul General of Paris on May 18, 1887.

The current Surratt Courier is a fascinating read. Two forum members, Donna McCreary and Rick Smith, have very interesting articles. Donna wrote about Mary Lincoln, and Rick wrote about his search for the Adams Tavern. Kudos to Donna and Rick. Additionally, I was taken aback by something in one of Joan Chaconas' two articles. Joan discovered that GATH wrote that when Booth's remains were examined one leg was gone. I have read about the head becoming detached before, but this is the first I have ever seen or heard someone say an entire leg was missing. Where did it go?

I totally agree, Roger!

This month's Surratt Courier is grand! it is chock full of interesting articles with wonderful info by both Donna and Rick. Congratulations to both!

I also found Joan's article fascinating as well.

You can download GATH's 1873 Washington Outside and Inside here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=WHoFAAA...73&f=false

Sometimes I'm a bit "aghast" at some of GATH's journalistic bombast....

Really weird regarding JWB's "Missing Leg" and Mrs. Surratt's "Mummification?!?" However, Atzerodt's "curved spine" does seem somewhat probable.

(09-27-2013 01:39 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I totally agree, Roger!

Sometimes I'm a bit "aghast" at some of the GATH's journalistic bombast....

Really weird regarding JWB's "Missing Leg"

As my dad would say "Well it didn't just walk away by itself"
That would be kind of scary. Potential ghost story here.

**thanks for the link, BettyO **

(09-27-2013 01:32 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  The current Surratt Courier is a fascinating read. Two forum members, Donna McCreary and Rick Smith, have very interesting articles. Donna wrote about Mary Lincoln, and Rick wrote about his search for the Adams Tavern. Kudos to Donna and Rick.

I agree, Roger. Donna's article kind of puts in perspective what a sorrowful mess Mary's life had become once they got to Washington. When you read all the itemized tragedies, it seems almost too much for a person to bear.

Rick's article was also fascinating. It puts a new spin on how much help Booth and Herold may have received from those along the Secret Line. Rick was also kind enough to take myself and Bill Richter there last March.

I just read Dave Taylor's article entitled "A History of Rich Hill." Dave, you did an outstanding job!