Emily Tapscott Clark

I have sometimes mentioned Tapscotts who achieved notoriety owing to "skallawagery" (a noun I just invented). A good examples was dear old Samuel Tapscott.  But there were also Tapscotts who were prominent in a good way. One of those was Emily Tapscott Clark, daughter of Nannie Tapscott and William Clark. From the Encyclopedia Virginia:

From Encyclopedia Virginia.

Emily Tapscott Clark was a writer and the founding editor of The Reviewer, a Richmond-based literary magazine that helped spark the Southern Literary Renaissance—a movement in southern letters that turned away from glorifying the Old South in sentimental narratives (by such writers as Thomas Nelson Page) and instead moved toward writing about themes of race, gender, identity, and the burden of history in the South. While Clark caused some uproar in Richmond society with the publication of Stuffed Peacocks (1927), a set of thirteen satirical character sketches with a biting introduction about the city of Richmond itself, she is known primarily for her contributions to and nurturing of the evolution of southern literature in the 1920s and 1930s.

Emily’s father, William Meade Clark, was for many years the rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother, Nannie Douglas Tapscott, was a descendant of Capt. Henry Tapscott, the wealthiest and most socially prominent of Henry the Immigrant’s three sons.

The Daily Star, Fredericksburg, Virginia, Fri 7 Nov 1924

In 1924 Emily married Edwin Balch, a prominent Philadelphian explorer, mountain climber, scientist, and author. Emily was around 33 at the time (her birthyear, which she varied, is uncertain) and had not been married before. Edwin, on the other hand, was a 68-year-old widower. A 1924 news article describes the wedding as being between two prominent families, though some of the claims are a little questionable.

When he died shortly afterwards in 1927 (the same year his wife wrote her most famous book, “Stuffed Peacocks”), Edwin Balch left $1.16 million, worth over $21 million today.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fri 3 Jul 1953.

When Emily died in 1953, having lived as a widow for over a quarter century, obituaries were published in twenty-three newspapers. One is shown here.

The Spurlington Witch

A witch in the family?

The Legend of Nancy Bass

Stories of Nancy Bass have been passed down through families in Taylor County, Kentucky. According to local legend, Aunt Nancy stumbled upon Jesse James and his gang while they were burying gold and silver in the Spurlington Tunnel. However, upon seeing her, they allegedly killed her and buried her above the tunnel. Since then, Nancy has become a haunting figure associated with the tunnel.

The Spurlington Tunnel

The Spurlington Tunnel was built in the mid-1800s as part of a 31-mile rail line from Greensburg to Lebanon. It took seven years to construct, with the excavation primarily consisting of blue limestone and a ledge of black flint. The tunnel spans 1,900 feet and features a 100-foot shaft hole in the middle to release exhaust from passing trains. 

The Witch’s Curse

Nancy Bass (drawing by Wesley Durham, 1974).

Legend has it that Nancy Bass was not an ordinary woman. She was believed to be a witch. It is said that she could make tables levitate and would cast spells on people if they did not do as she wished. She was not a particularly dangerous witch. Nobody died. But, if she disliked a family their children would come down with mysterious illnesses, their crops would fail, their milk cows would go dry and all kinds of misfortunes would befall. And it is said that her spirit now haunts the Spurlington Tunnel. Anyone who enters the tunnel or searches for the buried treasure is said to fall under her curse. Locals have long speculated that the hidden treasure remains somewhere within the tunnel, waiting to be discovered.

Despite the lack of a grave marker, Nancy’s legend persists, and her spectral presence continues to cast a chilling shadow over the Spurlington Tunnel.

A Tapscott Connection

And who was Nancy? Well she’s my second cousin three times removed. Her great grandfather Josiah Bass Sr. was my 4th great grandfather. Josiah Bass’s granddaughter Susan Bass married Henry Tapscott of Kentucky and the two founded the Tapscotts of the Wabash Valley [see Henry's Children ]. Confused? So am I. Perhaps this will help.

A witch in the family? Perhaps.