The Marble Lady Of Town Point Cemetery
Aug 14th, 2007 by Brian Hurlburt
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The Marble Lady of Town Point Cemetery
Recently I was asked about the mysterious Marble Lady in Town Point Cemetery. Realizing we have never written an article on the Marble Lady, as most people refer to her, I’ve decided to do what I can to compile some information about her and provide it here for the benefit of us all.
If you’re not familiar with the Town Point Cemetery then you’ll find it easiest by driving south on Yarmouth’s Main St. and continuing out of town. Proceed to Chebogue, which is considered by many to be the birthplace of Yarmouth, and follow the signs for Town Point and Cemetery.
On June 9,1761 the first English settlers to Yarmouth landed at Town Point. The first settlers were from Sandwich, Massachusetts and came across on the Pompey Dick. The three families were the Perrys, Ellisses and the Landers. All of these family names can still be found throughout Yarmouth County and surrounding areas of Nova Scotia.
The Town Point Cemetery is a historical cemetery located by the Chebogue United Church. In the middle lower portion of the cemetery is an interesting monument in the form of a reclining effigy asleep on a sheaf of wheat that still attracts many tourists from abroad. What attracts all this attention is the statue, the lady known as “Ruth the Gleaner“, is made entirely out of marble.
Although legend would have us believe that the statue was made as the result of a man whom having seen a lady asleep in a European wheat field returned home to have the statue made in her likeness. He thought that she was so beautiful that he decided to preserve her image forever. Yet this is thought to be mainly legend and there are actually many stories about the Marble Lady. Many that speculate at who she really was!
The cemetery, located beside the beautiful Chebogue River, provides a lovely back drop for the Marble Lady and the many stories that surround her. Yet the monuments there, many of Yarmouth’s earliest English speaking settlers, paint a different picture! Telling stories of entire families who died and others that were erected to the memory of husbands and sons who were often lost at sea.
The Marble Lady, also known as the Ruth the Gleaner, is also believed to be none other than a memorial to Margaret Webster. Who is listed on the Webster Monument beside the Marble Lady.
This is what is on the stone:
“Margaret Lindsay McNaut Webster wife of F.A.Webster, born in Glasgow Scotland 1819, died August 27 1897 in Yarmouth Nova Scotia.
Captain Isaac Webster son of Dr. Frederick & Margaret Webster, born Dec. 4 1850, died Feb. 27 1897 on ship Iranian in Yokahama Japan.
Frederick Augustus Webster son of Dr. Isaac, Born Kentville Nova Scotia Jan 15 1807 died in Yarmouth N.S. Mar. 1879.”
In addition to the Webster Monument the Historic Town Point Cemetery in Chebogue is noted for many interesting monuments including those of the Pompey Dick’s first settlers to this area of Yarmouth County.
Just a note to say that I stand to be corrected on this and that this article should only be used for reference purposes. I welcome those of you who know far more than I to add you’re comments to this post so that I and others may become more educated on this, one of Yarmouth’s Greatest Treasures!
Below are reference links that I gleaned information from in researching The Marble Lady of Town Point Cemetery.
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For YarmouthCounty.com, this has been Brian Hurlburt, and I invite you to Make it a great day!
Sincerely,
Brian Hurlburt
customerservice@yarmouthcounty.com
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Helpful Links
(Links to the resources whence cometh my help!)
Yarmouth Central School: 12 Parade
Brian, Charles Webster told us at a recent Historical Society meeting that his ancestor was quite taken by a drawing on a matchbox, and that the marble lady is made in the likeness of said image! The tale about her sleeping in a wheat field is still a nice one, though!