It was September 1816, and the port town of Alexandria, Virginia, was recovering from occupation by British soldiers after the North American War of 1812. A man and his wife disembarked from a ship in port, and went to stay at the City Hotel (later to become Gadsby’s Tavern). The lady was ill, and a doctor was called for. As days passed and her condition continued to deteriorate, her husband summoned the doctor, hotel staff and the owner’s wife, and asked them to swear an oath to never reveal the couples identities.
The lady died in the room shortly afterwards, and was buried in Alexandria’s St. Paul’s cemetry, with an elaborate funeral costing in excess of $1500. Meanwhile, her husband, with money owing to a variety of businessman around Alexandria for funeral costs as well as medical care and boarding, mysteriously disappeared. However, all of those who swore the oath never revealed the identities of the strangers.
There have been various suspicions about her true identity, including the idea that she may have been one of the Royal English Family on a tour of the country, or a local girl who had disappeared in 1812. There’s even an alternate version of the story, which puts the woman arriving first, with a few servants with whom she conversed in French. Her husband arrived four days later, and an hour after his arrival, she died in his arms.
Her gravestone can still be read quite easily, despite it’s age.
The inscription says:
To the memory of a FEMALE STRANGER
whose mortal sufferings terminated
on the 14th day of October 1816
Aged 23 years and 8 months.
This stone is placed here by her disconsolate
Husband in whose arms she sighed out her
latest breath and who under God
did his utmost even to soothe the cold
dead ear of death.
How loved how valued once avails thee not
To who related or by whom begot
A heap of dust alone remains of thee
‘Tis all thou art and all the proud shall be
To him gave all the Prophets witness that
through his name whosever believeth in
him shall receive remission of sins.
Acts. 10th Chap. 43rd verse
The lines of the third paragraph comes from Pope’s Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady, but in the poem they are preceeded by the lines:
So peaceful rests, without a stone, a name,
What once had beauty, titles, wealth, and fame.
2 replies on “the female stranger”
How terrific to find someone who wants to remember the female stranger. I grew up in Alexandria, and this lady has always been a popular legend for anyone who is a native of the city. The room that she occupied is supposed to be haunted, and there have even been sightings in the past few years. I attended a ball at Gadsby’s Tavern (still held in the 18th century ballroom) and happened to meetthe currator of the museum. The room where the Female Stranger died is located just off of the ballroom, and I commented that there was no mention of the famous Alexandria legend in the brochure or the room. I was told by the currator (who happened to be a woman) that it was considered “low brow” to mention legends, especially any that involve subsequent hauntings of historic properties, and that it had been decided to not mention the story and place it to rest, instead concentrating on the tavern’s history during Washington’s era. How sad that a decision has been made to be so politically correct that one of the most famous stories, which has a basis in fact, has been exorcized and her remains subsequently ignored ib Saint Paul’s Church Yard. If the tavern were located in England, there would be little question of mentioning the legend as they embrace such mysterious occurances. In response to the museums decision to hide this story from the visiting public, a group of my friends have decided to hold an annual dinner party in the part of the tavern that still serves as a public restaurant in tribute to this forgotten individual. We will raise a glass of wine and toast the memory of this fair lady, and say “fie!” to the decision to eradicate her from the history of Alexandria! Y’all come and join us!
Wow, who would have thought that legends would actually be discouraged? Especially in a tourist oriented place like Alexandria. I visited her grave just after Valentines Day, and people had been leaving the heart shaped chocolates you can see on the grave – so there are a few people out there keeping the memory alive. I like the idea of the dinner party!