Tag Archives: Victorian

Rosalie Raymond White at Magnolia Cemetery-Charleston, South Carolina

Rosalie Raymond White, who died at seven months old in 1882, was one of seven children of Blake and Rosalie White. Only two of their children lived to see adulthood.

Rosalie was the White’s first child. Her likeness is carved in relief on a bassinet. Some suggest this is a death mask, which is a likeness created directly from a mold of the person’s face. At any point of the year, different flowers are planted in the bassinet.

The Victorians often used symbols and words to indicate someone “sleeping.” The bassinet represents this concept.

Lott Cemetery-Waycross, Georgia

William F. Beach, (1850-1904)

Lott Cemetery was established in 1877 as the city cemetery for Waycross. It is a one-block-by-one block cemetery named for Dr. Daniel Lott, one of the founders of Waycross. Many of the city’s founders are buried here.

For the size of the cemetery, it has one of the largest collections of Victorian monuments I’ve seen. The photos represent some of the markers in this small city cemetery. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Alice McRae, 1908-1913
James Beach, 1879
Bas-relief marker for Wooston Johnson, (1897-1913)
Infant Daughter Benton
Noel Lary, 1854-1890. The hand reaching from the sky to earth symbolizes that the earthly bonds are now broken.

Oak City Cemetery-Bainbridge, Georgia

Decatur County
Sarah Will Harris, 1919-1926

Founded in 1853, Oak City Cemetery was the first public cemetery in Bainbridge. There are many Victorian markers in the cemetery, most of which are marking the graves of children. The most famous markers belong to the Bower wives and sister. Judge Byron Bowers married Ellen Dickinson in 1881. When she passed in 1885, he married her sister Annie in 1886. Annie passed less than a year into their marriage.

Ethalynde Griffin, 1900-1910
Annie Dickinson Bower, 1857-1886, & Ellen Dickinson Bower, 1853-1885. They were sisters, and both were married to Judge Byron Bowers. Annie died within a year of marrying Judge Bowers
Hopkins Field, (1891-1891)

Lawrence Bailey Daniels Marker at St. Andrews Cemetery-Darien, Georgia

Lawrence Daniels Bailey’s cause of death was “grippe,” which is the 19th Century term for the flu. He died at age 6 and is buried in St. Andrews Cemetery in Darien, Georgia. His marker was sculpted by John Walz. Many assume that Walz’s works are only in Savannah, but they can be found outside of Savannah. The cherub represents innocence and is a common symbol on children’s graves.

Mayor Francis Sweat Monument-Douglas, Georgia

Douglas, Coffee County, Georgia

Mayor Frank Sweat (1866-1910) was the mayor of Douglas, Georgia when he was killed when the car he was traveling in crossed in front of an oncoming train. This memorial is in the Douglas City Cemetery.

The monument utilizes traditional Victorian symbolism. An angel holding an open book and pen is known as the “Recording Angel.”

Peterson Monument-Douglas, Georgia

Coffee County

The Peterson family was one of the founding families of Douglas, Georgia. This monument sits atop a plot for several generations of Petersons. Benajah (1860-1915) and Luvicia (1866-1957) Peterson rest in this plot along with their children and grandchildren.

The woman sits upon rocks which means a life built on a firm foundation.