While paddling through the St. John River in Fredericton, Melissa Lavigne discovered two historical artifacts partially submerged in the water. These items included a headstone linked to a 1904 lawyer and a marker belonging to a war veteran.
The discarded 1904 headstone of E . F. Byron Winslow
The first discovery involves a damaged headstone that has been linked to E. F. Byron Winslow, a prominent lawyer and citizen. According to the source, Winslow passed away in 1904 and possessed ancestral ties to one of the original Mayflower passengers. However , the discovery in the river presents a historical puzzle, as provincial records indicate that Winslow is actually buried in Fredericton's Forest Hill Cemetery under a properly marked grave.
This discrepancy suggests that the stone found by Lavigne may not be the primary marker for Winslow's final resting place. Instead, the partially submerged stone found along the rocky riverbank might be a secondary artifact or a piece of stone that was never intended for a cemetery. the presence of such a significant name in the river highlights the complex, layered history that remains hidden beneath the waters of New Brunswick.
Returning Walter Blair's vetearn marker to his family
In a more direct resolution to the discovery, the second artifact was identified as the grave marker of Walter Blair. Blair was a war veteran and an accountant whose marker was found significantly far from his original burial location.
As reported by the source, the marker was successfully retrieved from the St. John River and returned to Blair's descendants. This recovery provides a bittersweet connection to the past, allowing a family to reclaim a physical piece of their history that had been lost to the river for an unknown period.
Josh Green's theory of a stonecutter's workshop mishap
Local historian Josh Green has offered a potential explanation for why the Winslow headstone ended up in the water. Green suggested that the stone might have been a victim of a mishap during the carving process.
He posited that the damaged headstone could have been discarded from a nearby stonecutter's workshop that operated around the turn of the century. if a mistake was made during the engraving of Winslow's stone, it is possible the workshop simply disposed of the faulty piece in the St. John River,where it remained until Lavigne's recent discovery.
The mystery of how these markers reached the St. John River
Despite the theories provided by local experts, several specific details remain unverified. It is still unknown whether both the Winslow stone and the Blair marker were discarded by accident, or if they were moved by the natural currents of the river over many decades.. Additionally, the source does not clarify if the Blair marker was also a discarded piece or if it was a genuine grave marker that was somehow displaced from its original site. Finally, it remains to be seen if other historical relics are currently resting on the riverbed, waiting to be found by the next passerby.
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