While not an official Bridger Family Gathering, the weekend of September 9-11 was a very special weekend for the Bridger family. St. Luke’s Historic Church & Museum held an event entitled “General from Whitemarsh: Celebration of Joseph Bridger,” a 17th-century living history weekend with special guest presentations on St. Luke’s most revered patron, Joseph Bridger. About 70 Bridger cousins attended one or more of the several events that took place. It was particularly entertaining for us to meet our Grandfather Joseph Bridger and his wife Hester Pitt Bridger, who were played by actors who portray historical persons.
On Friday night we had a wonderful dinner with our cousins in the hall of St. John’s Church in Suffolk. (St. Luke’s Church does not have an indoor event venue.)
On Saturday Chief “RedHawk” Brown of the Cheroenhaka (Nottaway) Indian Tribe gave a lecture on the history of the tribe and its context in the 17th century. Dr. Doug Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution gave a talk entitled, “Investigating 17th Century Skeletons from St. Luke’s Church, James Fort, and Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland.” Bill Hodsden presented a program on “The Future of Whitemarsh.” In the evening The Locrian Consort performed music of the Renaissance and Medieval periods on instruments of the time. Some cousins also attended a twilight cemetery tour.
On Sunday Brett Walker of Williamsburg conducted a non-Communion service of the word from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer with a sermon from the period, providing some history and understanding of religious life in the 17th century.