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| James Buchanan |
It was an ordinary day. Recently I wrote a few stories based on the book titled "Orange Street" by Marion Wallace Renninger. After reading the book that I had given my father back in 1995 for his 75th birthday, I became interested in Orange Street which is located in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. An extremely informative book about the history of Lancaster as well as our country. After taking a few walks on East Orange to take photos and read all the wall plaques that are on many of the buildings, I found another interesting story that concerns the church where I have been a member since the 1950s. St. James Episcopal was founded in 1744 and the churchyard at the rear of the church, located at the corner of West Orange and North Duke Streets, carries a fantastic story in itself. The history found in this small area under the aging trees behind the church tells a story of the importance of Lancaster in the development of the United States. Tombstones carrying names such as Shippen, Ross, Barton, Yeates, Atlee, Slough, and Coleman are found within a stone's throw of Orange Street. The churchyard also dates to 1744, but the first mention of it in the history of the church is in 1761 when it was recorded that: "John Harris shall have five shillings for digging every grave." The oldest tombstone is dated March 4, 1752. Several British soldiers who were housed in a prison in Lancaster during the Revolution are buried in the churchyard. Almost 500 persons are buried there, but there are only 260 tombstones. My story today will deal with one tombstone that is inscribed: Anne Caroline Coleman died December 9, 1819 - Aged 23 years. This simple inscription is extremely hard to decipher on her tombstone, but explains why President James Buchanan remained a bachelor all his long life. Mr. Buchanan is probably the most famous citizen of Lancaster and is the only Pennsylvanian to be President of the United States. In December of 1809, at the age of 18 he moved to Lancaster to begin the practice of law with the Hon. James Hopkins. He was admitted to practice in 1818. As a young lawyer in the community he was part of the social set of the day. Anne Caroline Coleman was the daughter of the wealthiest man in Lancaster, Robert Coleman, who was a member and Vestryman of St. James Church. Buchanan was a welcome suitor of Anne's hand and eventually their engagement was announced, but in the summer of 1819 the engagement was suddenly broken. A few months later it was announced that Anne had died from an apparent suicide in Philadelphia where she had gone the day before. It seems that one day in the late summer of 1819, Buchanan, after returning to Lancaster from a brief visit elsewhere, went to see Anne, but her father wouldn't allow him to see her. Story goes that Buchanan was involved in a law case in Philadelphia and on his return stopped at the home of William Jenkins to discuss the case. While there he had an extended conversation with another young girl and somehow the word got back to Anne's father. That did it for Mr. Buchanan. Anne became depressed and was said to have hysteria. After traveling a short time later to Philadelphia with her sister Sarah by stagecoach to shop and see a play, she became ill. Her sister went to the play with another couple and left Anne at to rest. Anne died at midnight. A doctor, Dr. Physick, (I didn't make that name up!) said it was the first time he ever knew hysteria to produce death. It was found that she was being treated with laudanum for her hysteria and it was stated that "cases of attempted suicide by laudanum were common in Philadelphia at that time." Did she die from an overdose that was intentional or not? After Anne's death, the heartbroken James Buchanan wrote a letter to Robert Coleman, but he refused to even open the letter. In the letter he stated that ...... "happiness has fled me forever." The grave and tombstone of Anne Coleman is in St. James' churchyard. But, get this, Robert Coleman did the same to his daughter Sarah. He forbade her lover, the Rev. William Muhlenberg, the 26-year-old rector of St. James, to ever see her again for some reason. She also died in Philadelphia at the same age as her sister Anne. She too is buried in St. James as is her father Robert Coleman and mother Ann. How about that! Well, I visited the churchyard to find the graves and took photos to share with you. Now that's three of the 260 tombstones in the churchyard. Think I can find anything else as compelling as this story? It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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| Ann Caroline Coleman |
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| Part of the churchyard at St. James Church |
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| Tombstone directly behind the American Flag is where Robert Coleman is buried. 2nd to the right is where Ann Caroline Coleman was buried. The one on the far right, which is just partially shown, is where Ann's sister Sarah is buried. |
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| The top of Ann Caroline Coleman's grave is extremely hard to decipher. |
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| Top of Sarah Coleman's grave. |
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