“From the Archives” — Lawrence Hurdle: Revolutionary War Veteran
A number of veterans of the Revolutionary War are buried in Saint Mary Cemetery. The one we know the most about is Lawrence Hurdle, Sr., who lived c.1751-1850. He and his three brothers served in the Maryland Line throughout the war. Lawrence participated in many battles, from the Battle of Camden, South Carolina, to Harlem Heights to Yorktown. Corporal Hurdle was wounded at Camden.
He married Ann (Nancy) Wheeler, a Catholic, in Georgetown in 1792. They moved to Alexandria and raised a large family. He and his family members manufactured “ornamental furniture” and were painting contractors. They painted the interior of Saint Mary Church a number of times, including decorative ornamental designs. Hurdle was one of those workers who came to the vineyard of the Church late in the day, whom Jesus described in the parable in Luke’s Gospel — he was baptized at Saint Mary Church in 1846 and confirmed in 1848 at the age of 96. The Baltimore Catholic newspaper wrote an article about this elderly gentleman who marched proudly up the aisle to the altar in Saint Mary Church to be confirmed. When he died two years later, in December 1850, he was one of the last surviving Revolutionary War veterans and the oldest in Saint Mary’s parish.
Several of Lawrence Hurdle’s children remained in Alexandria. Joseph Monroe, Saint Mary’s organist for over 50 years, was his grandson. In a 1932 ceremony honoring Col. John Fitzgerald and dedicating the plaque at the entrance to the parish cemetery, Monroe and his granddaughter were on the stage with all the dignitaries.
— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian
In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2022. An archive of the features is located here.