Charles Irving Thornton

Charles Irving Thornton Tombstone
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Location	West of Cumberland on Oak Hill Rd., Cumberland State Forest, near Cumberland, Cumberland County, Virginia
Coordinates
Built	1842
NRHP Reference #	80004186
VLR #	024-0054
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 25, 1980
Designated VLR	June 17, 1980

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 that he expressed extreme distaste that Virginia still relied on slavery for much of its economic base; 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 of 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 (sic) 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 20 th day of January 1841, and he died on the 12 th day of March 1842. Having lived only 13 months and 19 days.

References

• National Register nomination
• Description of the site