This Ontario tombstone holds a cryptic message that took a century to decipher
Wandering through the Rushes Pioneer Cemetery in the township of Wellesley, near Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo Region, you'll find a monument that embodies the captivating legacy of the mysterious Reverend Doctor Samuel Bean.
A man of diverse talents and professions, Bean crafted a cryptic epitaph for his two wives, Henrietta and Susanna, which has intrigued visitors for over a century.
Henrietta Furry, Samuel's first wife, tragically passed away just seven months into their marriage in 1865. Similarly, Susanna Clegg, his second wife, met an untimely end shortly after, leaving behind a daughter.
It was during Samuel's tenure as a doctor in Linwood, Ontario, that he devised the intricate code, a puzzle that has fascinated generations.
Samuel's journey took him across borders and professions, eventually settling as an Evangelist minister in the United States. He tragically perished at sea en route to Cuba in 1904, leaving his cryptic legacy behind.
The groundskeeper of the old cemetery claimed to have cracked the code in the 1940s but kept the answer to himself. It wasn't until the 1970s that a 94-year-old woman finally deciphered the message, revealing a poignant tribute to Henrietta and Susanna.
This archived newspaper article was uploaded to Find A Grave by rossddickson under Susanna Clegg Bean's memorial page.
In 1982, recognizing the historical significance of the gravestone, a replica was erected to preserve the mystery for future generations. This gesture ensured that future visitors, code-crackers, historians, and linguists could continue to puzzle and ponder over its secrets.
For those intrigued by this timeless enigma, the solution lies in starting with the seventh character of the seventh row down and reading in a spiral fashion.
If you're not eager to solve the puzzle yourself, you can find the deciphered message here.
Though the original tombstone's message is obscured by time and nature, the cryptic message that transcends time, has its place in Ontario's history.
Erin Horrocks-Pope.
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