The "A Tale Of Love And Death" Story

St. James Episcopal Churchyard

It was an ordinary day.  Just snapped the last of my photographs of the tombstones that are in the churchyard of the St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania which mark the graves of sisters Ann and Sarah Coleman who both died very mysteriously six years apart in Philadelphia in the early 1800s.  The Coleman family were members of St. James and both sisters were known because of the relationships they had with famous members of the community.  First, I should tell you that Mr. Robert Coleman, an immigrant from Ireland, was employed by Peter Grubb who owned Hopewell Forge, a very successful iron furnace.  

Gravestone of Robert Coleman.  Click on to enlarge.

Eventually Mr. Coleman became manager of Elizabeth furnace which was the former property of Baron Stiegel.  Wasn't long after that he became the most successful ironmaster in Lancaster County, owning the ironworks at Martic Forge which was located next to where my wife, Carol, spent her childhood.  Mr. Coleman was an officer in the American Revolution, a member of the General Assembly in 1783, a member of the Pennsylvania convention which ratified the Constitution, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas and an influential vestryman at St. James as well as a very liberal contributor to St. James.  And, he was a very controlling father!  Seems that his daughter, 23 year old Ann, became involved in a romance with 28 year old lawyer James Buchanan.  Every hear of him?  Well, James and Ann fell in love and he proposed marriage to her and she accepted.  When Ann's father found out about the engagement, he did all he could to stop her from making a "mistake".  He also filled his daughter's head with ideas that James only wanted her for her money.  Because of James' law business responsibilities and his political ambitions, he was able to spend very little time with Ann after the engagement.  

Gravestone of Ann Coleman.  Weather has taken its toll
on this gravestone, making it hard to read.

She heard unfounded rumors of his disloyalty to her, eventually broke off the engage- ment and traveled to Philadel- phia to visit with relatives to get away from Lancaster and all the turmoil.  While there she died of a suspected overdose of laudanum at the age of 24.  Her death was speculated to have been a suicide.  Mr. Coleman forbade James from attending the funeral of his daughter, since they blamed him for her death. Because of the loss of Ann, James never fell in love again and remained a bachelor throughout his life, including his stay at the White House as President.   As for daughter Sarah, the younger sister of Ann, she became enamored with the minister of St. James Church, the Rev. Mr. William Muhlenberg.  They began a romance much like Ann and James.  

Gravestone of Sarah Coleman.  This stone is in
considerably better condition than her sister's stone.

Only problem was that the Reverend wanted to begin a Sunday evening service at St. James and Mr. Coleman, a judge as well as a very influential church vestry member by now, thought it unnecessary.  When Muhlenberg insisted, since it was his duty and right as a clergyman and the head of St. James, that he would begin the evening service, Judge Coleman forbade him from ever entering his house again.  

The Coleman family gravestones stand in a row.

The Rev. wrote in his diary shortly after that: "But for no earthly consid- eration whatever, not even the attainment of the dear object of my heart, will I sacrifice what I believe to be the interests of my church.  O Lord, Help me!"  A few years later Judge Coleman died and Sarah thought she would then be able to marry Rev. Muhlenberg, but the Judge's will said that his sons had the legal right to approve of his daughter's marriage.  

Street marker for our church.  This market
stands alongside the churchyard and church.

Since his son Edward disliked Rev. Muhlenberg as much as his father did, he also forbade her from marrying.  Shortly after that, Sarah, while on a visit to Philadelphia, is said to have died suddenly at the age of 24, just as her sister Anne had died.  A few years later, Rev. Muhlenberg resigned from his position as rector of St. James and when Edward moved to Philadelphia, Rev. Muhlenberg returned to Lancaster for a visit in 1827.  Young and old greeted him as he preached among them once more.  He made a visit to his Sunday School which he had established and the nearby public school which he had founded.  He also made a visit to the churchyard, where I now stand, to visit the graves of the Coleman sisters.  He left with a spray of the sweetbrier that grew on the graves.  He also, never married, since Sarah was the love of his life.  Oh, the stories tombstones can tell!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.