Pittsburgh Cemeteries

The Art and Architecture of Death

A simple rectangular stone is unusual in this era. This stone commemorates two Andrew Russels (note the spelling of the name). The first died in 1808 at six years old. (If a tombstone says “in the x_th year of his age,” it usually means the deceased was _x years old, though technically an x-year-old is in the x+1 year of his age.) The second died in 1814 at 82 years old, so he was probably a great-grandfather of the first.

Father Pitt believes that this stone was put up in 1808, and the inscription for Andrew Russel, Sr., added in 1814. His evidence is, first, the word “Also,” and second, a demonstrable difference in the styles of lettering between the two inscriptions. The second is well matched to the first, but probably by a different hand, one that made thinner letters—or possibly by the same stonecutter after six more years of practice.

IN MEMORY OF
ANDREW M. RUSSEL
who died
Feb,y 27th 1808;
in the 6th year of his age.

ALSO
ANDREW RUSSEL, Senr
died
June 20th 1814;
in the 82nd year of
his age.