A Lesson in Cemetery Symbolism: Elizabeth Budd Graham was not a Witch, and This is How We Know, Part 1

 

Elizabeth Budd Graham's grave

Elizabeth Budd Graham passed away of heart disease on November 16, 1889 at the young age of 23. She was laid to rest in Tallahassee’s oldest municipal cemetery, Old City Cemetery, now located in what is downtown Tallahassee. Her grave is said to be one of the most visited graves in the cemetery, but not by descendants as you would expect. Decades later rumors started to surface that Bessie, as she is affectionately known (as inscribed on her elaborate tombstone), was a witch. This rumor, unlike poor Bessie, has not been laid to rest despite numerous attempts over the years. Generations of visitors have deposited tokens and offerings to this young woman, either as offering to someone they truly believe to be a witch or perhaps as a way to keep the story alive. But that is just it, the claims of witchcraft are nothing more than a story. This blog post is an attempt to both humanize Elizabeth, and quell such rumors. There is no evidence to suggest that Elizabeth Budd Graham practiced any form of witchcraft, and in fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise if you know what to look for. 

So first, let us look at reasons why folks believe she was a witch. The most obvious one being that her inscription “faces the wrong way”, that being westward. Common and modern Christian burial practices dictate that the dead be buried facing east, towards the rising sun, as symbolic of the second coming of Christ (Jerusalem is to the east). However, there are other graves in the cemetery that also face west, and yet, Bessie is the only one whom people claim was a witch. In fact, during the Victorian era, it was common for burials, especially those on the edge of cemeteries, to face inwards. Bessie’s grave is on the eastern boundary of the cemetery, thus having her inscription face west makes it easier for those in the cemetery to view it. Another possible interpretation for the west facing grave, which occurred relatively frequently during the time, was to symbolize the setting sun, representing a life having ended.

Inscription on Bessie's grave, which faces west

That being said, further supposed evidence of her being a witch is the inscription itself, which happens to be an excerpt from the poem “Lenore”, written by Edgar Allen Poe. Many attempts have been made to dissect the meaning of the poem to make it fit the claims of witchcraft. For example “queenliest dead” in the poem has been said to suggest the Queen of the Dead, thus possibly referencing a witch. However, the inscription is only an excerpt of the poem, and Poe goes on to say that the deceased has passed “to a golden throne, beside the King of Heaven”.  If you are familiar with Victorian burial and mourning practices, you know that it was steeped in ritual surrounding death and dying (probably because they saw quite a lot of it during that time!). “Lenore” is about a beautiful young woman dying and the excerpt was most likely chosen to mourn a lost young woman and ensure proper burial rites.  The poem was originally titled “A Paean” which means a poem that praises or honors its subject. So, while it may seem like a dark poem (cue Victorian mourning rituals), it is about an adored young woman named Lenore that has passed. And for the literary fans out there, it is also worth noting that Lenore is the same name of the mourned woman in “The Raven”, also written by Poe (many of the women in his poems and stories have the letter L in their name, it is thought that Lenore may represent his departed wife, Virginia, or his brother that had also died. His brother’s name was William Henry Leonard Poe). It is also interesting that Elizabeth Budd Graham is described as “rare personal beauty and excellent traits of character” in her obituary, which also fits with the meaning of the poem. 

So now that we have broken down the epitaph, let us explore the symbols on this elaborate grave. Most notably, the 12 foot obelisk, which towers in comparison to its surrounding graves. This would have cost a pretty penny in the late 1800s (and now probably!). Many have speculated that perhaps Bessie had bewitched her husband into loving her and spending money on her. John Alexander Graham was  a timber magnate, real estate developer, and cattleman. He was doing pretty well for himself. There was a custom during the Victorian era that correlated money with love, but not in the way people think. It was common practice to spend a grand amount on mourning and burials if you had the money to spend. There was a direct correlation to the amount spent on the burial with the love you had for the person you were burying. Mr. Graham was obviously doing pretty well, so it was socially and culturally not surprising that he made such a grand gesture by investing so heavily in such an ornate gravesite for his wife. The inscription, “A dutiful daughter, a devoted mother and a loving and faithful wife” on her stone are evidence of his love for her. Furthermore, her obituary states, that“The blow fell hard with crushing effect upon the young husband, who loved and adored his wife with all the affection possessed by human nature”. All that aside, an obelisk is very often a symbol of rebirth and the connection between heaven and earth. 

Red Circle shows an example 
of the crown and cross motif on 
Bessie's grave.

So, besides the actual grave marker, another very important clue to who Bessie actually was resides atop the obelisk. At the very pinnacle of the grave marker is the common grave motif known as the cross and crown. This is a common Christian symbol used on graves that combines two Christian symbols. The cross represents suffering and death (reference Luke 14:27) and the crown represents eternal reward (reference James 1:12). Thus it can be interpreted to mean that rewards in heaven come after the trials and tribulations on earth. Furthermore, this symbol is also associated with Freemasonry, and well, her husband was indeed a Freemason. In fact, this symbol is associated with various religious and fraternal orders, none of them having anything at all to do with witchcraft. 

Other symbols carved into the obelisk provide further evidence that she was a Christian woman in good standing within her community. The inscription “IHS” on the grave are the first three letters of the Greek word for “Jesus”. Delicately carved ivy vines also decorate the stone. Ivy is often used on graves to represent fidelity and eternal life. You will recall that the inscription makes mention of her as “A dutiful daughter, a devoted mother and a loving and faithful wife”, all of which is further emphasized by the symbols carved into her grave stone. Of course, some have taken these Christian symbols to be proof that she was perhaps a “white witch”. However, it is important to note, that unlike the previously mentioned symbols, the concept of a white witch is not related to Christianity, nor has it ever been.The concept of a white witch was not made popular until relatively recently, as part of the New Age Movement which gained popularity in the 1970s. This movement draws upon a variety of older spiritual movements and the occult. So it is highly unlikely that Elizabeth Budd Graham practiced any New Age type of spirituality.

Goods placed at Bessie's grave.

There are current New Age practitioners and self described witches, along with the curious observers, that regularly place goods upon Bessie’s grave as tokens or offerings to the “Tallahassee Witch”. While grave goods are common practice in many religions, it is important not only to keep the symbolism in mind, but also to understand that some grave goods are not actually good for the grave. Items such as candles and rusted metal objects are damaging. While headstones and heavy stone obelisks appear indestructible, they are not. Candle wax creates a barrier between the environment and the stone, causing biological growth and other forms of potential damage. Metal objects stain the stone as they rust, and in many cases that rust cannot be removed. Food attracts critters which may also cause damage. Paper and photos sit and rot in the Florida weather, attracting both critters and biological growth. I would advise against leaving objects at Bessie’s grave at all, but if you feel the urge, please be mindful of what damage your offering may cause and consider placing them on the ground beside the grave rather than directly on the stone. 

While much lore surrounds Bessie’s grave, she was a real person and her monument was left as a symbol of insurmountable love and devotion which is deserving of respect. Let us all do what we can to protect this beautiful piece of art and ensure that her memory (hopefully, the historically accurate version) lives on for others to enjoy. In our next installment, we will discuss what little we know of Elizabeth Budd Graham based on historical documentation. So stay tuned!