“From the Archives” More History from Saint Mary Cemetery
November is dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory, whose feast day was November 2. Traditionally, a plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery (or church) to pray for the dead November 1 through 8. This year, due to COVID-19 and to avoid crowds in cemeteries, the Vatican has extended the time to include all of November.
You might want to plan a November visit to Saint Mary Cemetery (main entrance at 1000 South Washington Street), the oldest public Catholic cemetery in Virginia and the oldest active cemetery in Alexandria. While there, look for some of the earliest gravesites, such as:
CAVAN BOA (1763 County Cavan, Ireland to 1798 Alexandria) Revolutionary War veteran, menswear merchant and tailor on Union Street. Said to have been George Washington’s tailor.
FRANCIS MURPHY SR. (1753 Queens County, Ireland to 1837 Alexandria) Revolutionary War veteran. Merchant of fine china and Delftware on King Street. Beloved physician and benefactor of the church and the poor. The Basilica’s stained glass window, Jesus and the Little Children, was dedicated to him.
LAWRENCE HURDLE SR. (1751 Prince George’s County, MD to 1848 Alexandria) Direct descendant of earliest Maryland settlers. Served and was wounded in the Revolutionary War. Confirmed in Saint Mary Church when he was in his 90s.
EDWARD SMYTH (1790 County Cavan, Ireland to 1849 Alexandria) and his wife SUSAN SMYTH (d. 1879) He was a merchant and physician. Their house at 410-412 South Pitt Street was used for Mass before the church was moved from the cemetery to Pitt Street. The pastor may have lived with them at one time.
BARTHOLOMEW ROTCHFORD (1777 Wexford, Ireland to 1857 Alexandria) Flour merchant, married to Janepher Carne, born in Cornwall, England. Their son was Father John Antonius Rotchford, O.P., one of Saint Mary’s first vocations.
REV. JOHN T. BLOX S.J. (1810 Belgium to 1860 Philadelphia 1860) Pastor at Saint Mary 1854 to 1857.
CAPTAIN JOSEPH NEVETT (1782 St. Mary’s City, MD to 1863 Washington, DC) Orphan, raised in Georgetown. Tavern keeper, mariner. Harbor-master for the port of Alexandria for many years.
GEORGE WILLIAM BRENT (c. 1820 Fauquier County to 1872 Alexandria) Major in Civil War on General Beauregard’s staff. Strongly opposed secession. Prominent lawyer, state senator. Critically injured in 1870 when a balcony collapsed in the State Capitol in Richmond and eventually died from his injuries.
JEREMIAH DESMOND (1848 to 1889) Railroad engineer, killed in a train collision. The epitaph on his tombstone reads: “He bravely gave his life to save the lives of others.”
– Kitty Guy, Parish Historian
Throughout 2020, the Basilica of Saint Mary will present “From the Archives.” It is a weekly feature online and in our bulletin spotlighting the history of the parish. All of our “From the Archives” features are located here.