John Z. Jenkins' marker

[Susan Higginbotham]

I had a little spare time before my train left this morning, so much to the bemusement of my cab driver, I went to Mount Olivet and found the marker for John Zadoc Jenkins, Mary Surratt's brother. Two of his daughters, Olivia and Emily, are buried with their husbands nearby. (A third, Eugenia, is also buried at Mount Olivet, but I couldn't locate her marker in the short time I had.) He has quite the obelisk!

[BettyO]

Once again, great research Susan!

Thanks again for sharing!

[LincolnToddFan]

Amazing photos, Susan!

Now for my dopey-dingbat of the day question...what is that insignia at the top of the Monument that looks like a $ dollar sign??

[Linda Anderson]

(02-09-2015 10:26 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  Amazing photos, Susan!

Now for my dopey-dingbat of the day question...what is that insignia at the top of the Monument that looks like a $ dollar sign??

I don't think that's a dopey-dingbat question, Toia. I googled Catholic Symbols Gravestones and found a design that looks similar.

"This is a Christian symbol that can appear in two forms, as the letters IHS or as a monogram. Both forms only differ in presentation. The meaning does not change as letters or a monogram. It can alternately be spelled IC, XC or XPS. There are many different interpretations of the meaning, however all agree that it essentially stands for the name of Jesus Christ."

https://cemeterysymbolism.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/ihs/

[Susan Higginbotham]

Thanks, folks!

I think the symbol are the letters "IHS" superimposed upon each other. Depending on you who talk to, it means either Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus, saviour of mankind), In Hoc Signo [Vince] (In this sign, conquer), or the first three letters of "Jesus" in Greek.

http://www.historyfromheadstones.com/index.php?id=1000

[L Verge]

(02-09-2015 11:47 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  Thanks, folks!

I think the symbol are the letters "IHS" superimposed upon each other. Depending on you who talk to, it means either Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus, saviour of mankind), In Hoc Signo [Vince] (In this sign, conquer), or the first three letters of "Jesus" in Greek.

http://www.historyfromheadstones.com/index.php?id=1000

The sign is not exclusive to the Catholic denomination. It appeared on altar cloths and other adornments on furniture within the altar portion of our Episcopal church when I was a child.

Zadoc Jenkins and his family were Episcopalians until sister Mary converted to Catholicism while being schooled by the Sisters of Charity in Alexandria, Virginia. She then proceeded to convert her family - except for younger brother James Archibald.

She evidently had a hard time convincing her mother-in-law to make the switch also. John Surratt's foster mother was not converted until on her deathbed. There is a note in the church records (I think St. Ignatius Oxon Hill) to the effect that the priest didn't know whether the conversion would work since the lady had been an Episcopalian all of her life!