Myths & Misunderstandings, Part I, Died Before He Was Born - Village Craftsmen of Ocracoke Island

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In his 1956 book, Ocracoke, Carl Goerch includes a chapter entitled “Died Before He Was Born.” He refers to the gravestone of Warren Wahab, son of Eliza and Job Wahab. Eliza, Job, Warren and two other children (Jonathan and Job) are buried in the first row of the old George Howard Cemetery on British Cemetery Road. According to Goerch, the inscription states that Warren was born in 1855 and died in 1842.

This is how Goerch surmises what happened: “Relatives of Warren Wahab placed an order for the tombstone and had it made in Washington, New Bern or some other town along the coast. The man who cut the stone either was careless with his figures or else they hadn’t been written very distinctly. When the stone arrived at Ocracoke, the probabilities are that the error was discovered immediately. But it would have taken such a long time to get another stone that the family decided to put up this one and have it altered at a later and more convenient date……Weeks passed into months, months passed into years and eventually—-well what’s the use of bothering about it at this late date?”

If you look along the front row of the cemetery you will notice that Warren was one of three of Eliza and Job’s children who all died within seven days in September of 1842. Job died on September 4. He was seven years old, having been born in 1835. Jonathan and Warren died on September 11. A glance at the tombstones will show that both Job and Warren appear to have been born in 1855. Careful inspection reveals, however, that Job was actually born in 1835, and Warren was born in 1833.

Over time the 3s have simply weathered to look like 5s. The difference is most noticeable on Job’s marker.

Several years ago, I had an opportunity to peruse the Wahab family Bible. Sure enough, Warren’s birth date is listed as 1833, and Job’s is 1835. Goerch’s story is still bandied about by folks even today, but the stonecutter did not make any mistake. However, I suppose it does make for an entertaining story.

Look for more Ocracoke Island Myths and Misunderstandings in future Newsletters.

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