“Charles Irving Thornton”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

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Charles Irving Thornton

释义

History
Epitaph
References

{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Charles Irving Thornton Tombstone
| nrhp_type =
| designated_other1 = Virginia Landmarks Register
| designated_other1_date = June 17, 1980^[1]
| designated_other1_number = 024-0054
| designated_other1_num_position = bottom
| image = File:Tombstone of Charles Irving Thornton in Cumberland State Forest.jpg
| caption = A closeup view of the tombstone, seen in April, 2017
| location = West of Cumberland, off Oak Hill Forest Rd., Cumberland State Forest, near Cumberland, Cumberland County, Virginia
| coordinates = {{coord|37|29|37.2|N|78|18|52|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Virginia#USA
| built = 1842
| architecture =
| added = November 25, 1980^[2]
| governing_body = Cumberland State Forest
| refnum = 80004186
}}Charles Irving Thornton (January 20, 1841 – March 12, 1842) was an American infant from the state of Virginia. His tombstone, located in Cumberland State Forest in Cumberland County, Virginia, is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places as one of only two gravestones in the world, and the only one in the United States, known to exist with an epitaph by Charles Dickens.

History

Charles Irving Thornton was the son of Anthony and M. I. Thornton of Cumberland County. He died on March 12, 1842, at the age of 13 months and 19 days. A Dr. Deane was attending to the child, and upon his death was moved to write to Dickens to request an epitaph to be placed on the child's grave. Dickens had recently visited Virginia as part of his tour of the United States, but by mid-March had moved on to Ohio. The author's reasons for complying with the doctor's request remain unclear, especially given the extreme distaste that he expressed toward Virginia's continued economic dependence on slavery; to explain his possible motivations, some historians have attempted to establish a genealogical link between Dickens, the Thorntons, and Washington Irving.

Thornton's grave may still be visited today; it is in a difficult-to-find area of the state forest, but park rangers are willing to direct people to the site.

Epitaph

The epitaph was edited slightly from the one provided by Dickens. It reads:

THIS IS THE GRAVE

a Little Child

whom God in his goodness

Called to a Bright Eternity

when he was very young.

Hard as it is

For Human Affection

To reconcile itself

To Death

In any shape

[and most of all, perhaps

at First

In this]

HIS PARENTS

Can even now believe

That it will be a Consolation to them

Throughout their lives

and when they shall have grown old

and grey

always to think of him

as a Child

IN HEAVEN

"And Jesus Called a little Child unto
him, and set him in the midst of them."
He was the son of ANTHONY and M.I. THORNTON
Called CHARLES IRVING.
He was born on the 20th day of January 1841,
and he died on the 12th day of March 1842.
Having lived only 13 months and 19 days.

References

1. ^{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|accessdate=2013-03-12}}
2. ^{{NRISref|2009a}}

National Register nomination
Description of the site

{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia}}{{Charles Dickens}}{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Charles Irving}}

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