#48 - Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby

Wednesday's Child #1: James W. Bagby

"Wednesday's Child" is a genealogy blogging prompt where you post photos of gravestones of children and give life to the young soul's story. In my inaugural post using this prompt, I am writing about James W. Bagby, my wife's 1st cousin twice removed.

 

Back on February 4, 2020, I wrote a brief biography of Josiah W. Bagby (1835-1913) who is my wife's great-granduncle.  In preparing to write that post, I visited Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, where he was buried.  While at the cemetery I found a total of three family plots for the Bagby family.  

Oakwood Cemetery Sign from https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/51498/oakwood-cemetery/photo downloaded 2021.12.21.

Oakwood Cemetery is located at 3101 Nine Mile Rd.  Originally the cemetery was located in Henrico County, but due to annexation, the area later was included as part of the City of Richmond.  The cemetery traces its origins back to a purchase of 66 acres in 1854 with the first burials occurring in 1856.  During the civil war, Oakwood was one of three Richmond cemeteries where Confederate dead were buried and there is a large confederate section.  

Plat B, Section 5, Lot 11, Part 2 of Oakwood Cemetery

Photo of the cemetery plot: Plat B, Section 5, Lot 11, Part 2.  2020.01.31 ©Edward R. Olsen

The second family plot in Oakwood Cemetery that was purchased by members of the Bagby family was purchased on September 26, 1908, by James Edwin Bagby.  He and his wife Annie E. Bagby needed the plot to bury their son, James W. Bagby.  At this time I'm unable to find any other documentation, such as a birth or death certificate, about this child to know how old he was when he died on September 23, 1908.  The cemetery records identify him as "Infant" and not by name, but the tombstone identifies him by name.  Since the records refer to him as an infant and not by name, it is likely that he was a newborn infant that died shortly after birth.  

Photo of the tombstone of James W. Bagby.  2020.01.31 ©Edward R. Olsen

Inscription:

Our Baby

JAMES W. BAGBY

Died

Sept. 23, 1908

Unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, the tombstone is covered in mold and algae.  While visiting the cemetery, I was not prepared to clean the tombstones while documenting them.  

It is interesting, in looking at the dates in the cemetery records, that the date that is written for when James E. purchased the plot is actually two days after their son was buried.  Their son died on a Wednesday, he was buried on a Thursday, and it appears that James E. was able to finalize the purchase of the plot on a Saturday.

It appears that James and Annie did not have any other children, as I have not been able to find any records of other children.  James (1872-1943) and Annie (1870-1951) are buried in the plot behind their child in the graves with the two flat white stones.  Others buried in this plot include James W.'s grandparents Joshiah W. Bagby (1835-1913) and Martha Kidd Bagby (1836-1922) along with a family friend of Martha's, Mrs. India Wadell.

---

How I'm "related" to James W. Bagby:

                                                                          Josiah BAGBY = Martha Ann KIDD

                                                                                                   |
                                                                                           | ---------------------------------|
                                                 Lulu BURTON = John William BAGBY                                  James E. BAGBY =  Annie E.

                                                                           |                                                                                                       |
                                                     Saunders A. BAGBY = Mary Marjorie VOORHEES                              James W. BAGBY
                                                                                            |
                                                                            Wife's Father = Wife's Mother
                                                                                                       |
                                                                                         Me = Wife