So Happy That I'm Dreaming About It

Dreams are a funny thing. I used to have them when I was little, but most of them I could do without, except that when I was really little I would have one about a "Ballerina Cake". It was a beautiful tiered cake with dancing ballerinas all over it. Silly, but after more than fifteen years, I can still remember it.

Well, I don't dream much anymore --- usually only if I'm really tired, and then it's just a continuation of the day and nothing bothersome. Sometimes, if I'm really happy, it's about felting! Last night was a different story, though. A few months ago, I used Mom's RootsWeb account to post a request on their Cornwall, England forum. Would some kind somebody please go out to the Church at St. Germans and look around to see if anything was left of the old Eliot family grave? Specifically, was there any chance that there could be a marker left to Edward James Eliot (my pet member of the Clapham Sect)?



Last week, someone was kind enough to answer. They were going to St. Germans this week and would be glad to take a look, could I supply anymore information that might help them with the whereabouts of the family vault. I didn't know much, but I gave them what I could and we exchanged e-mail addresses. Great. They told me that they had been there before, and not to get my hopes up as the cemetery has been razed a couple times to be incorporated into the gardens at Port Eliot. That's fine. I really didn't have any hopes, because I was pretty sure that there wouldn't be anything left.

Then, I get an e-mail yesterday afternoon with four pictures. They found it!!! Not only was something left, but the whole family plot is still there! They said that there is a line of the stone markers in the ground, but that they are in really poor condition. These are in front of or behind the actual family grave which is the picture above. This must be over the actual vault, as that is where E.J. Eliot was buried --- in the family vault.

So, they are going to be sending me some more pictures later, but I thought that I should post some now as I am just so excited! The first picture above is a memorial plaque inside the church at St. Germans to Edward Craggs-Eliot and his wife, Catherine Elliston. The picture at left is of one of the stone markers in the family plot and belongs to the same couple. They died in 1804 --- just six days apart from each other.

This isn't exactly a typical blog post, but I'm so excited that I had to write about it! I mean, I was actually dreaming about it last night. :) We've had a pretty nice week so far and looking forward to nice weather on the weekend, hopefully. It's been reaching the sixties and up to seventy and supposed to stay for the next week or so. Stan Hywet Hall opens in sixteen days! Can't wait.
More later.