On Saturday April 28, 2012, a National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution grave marker was unveiled for public viewing. In the traditional DAR ritual, the ROTC presented the colors, the regent of the Maria Jefferson Chapter of NSDAR in St. Augustine, FL made the opening remarks, then Father Ed Booth from the Cathedral did the invocation, and followed by another chapter member sharing the colorful story of Don Juan McQueen's life. McQueen is one of about 33 known Revolutionary War patriots buried in the State of Florida, and remembering these patriot's contribution to Florida and our Nation's history should never be forgotten. After the ritual, the marker was unveiled. The old Spanish Cemetery, located near the corner of Orange St. and Cordova St. within the Historical Old City of St Augustine, contains about 175 marked graves with hundreds of others not marked. The exact location of McQueen's grave site is no longer marked, hence the NSDAR marker was place near Fr Miguel O'Reilly's tombstone. Father O'Reilly was a known colleague of McQueen. Many may know about McQueen from Eugenia Price's books on St Augustine, "Maria" and "Don Juan McQueen". Her books are based on facts but with a dose of spicy imagination added to the mix. McQueen spent much of his life in South Carolina and Georgia low country involved in land speculations including places like Sapelow Island. He was a sea captain and ship owner. As Revolutionary War patriot, he had business connections with France and carried letters from George Washington to Jean Lafayette to enlist the aid of the French in the American Revolution. After the war, he came on economical hardship, and to escape his debts, fled to Spanish Florida. While building a home just north of the City Gates for his wife and children in hopes of bringing them to Florida too, he became ill with a fever and died. Some seven years later, his dear friend O'Reilly died and was buried in a well-preserved vault near what is now believed to be McQueen's unmarked grave site.∼One of the most frequent questions of our visitors is about John McQueen, aka don Juan McQueen. He was one of our many colorful 18th and 19th century St Augustine residents and appears in Eugenia Price's books on St Augustine, Maria, and, of course, Don Juan McQueen.
He spent much of his life in South Carolina and Georgia, where he was a land speculator, ship owner and captain…and Revolutionary War patriot, who had business connections with France and carried letters from Washington to Lafayette to enlist the aid of the French in the American Revolution.
After the war, he seems to have owned much of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, including places like Sapelow Island, but unfortunately his land deals went bad and he had to flee the new United States to avoid debtor's prison…and ended up in Spanish Florida, specifically, in St Augustine. Here his career flourished and he became an important local citizen, the friend of people ranging from Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, first pastor of what is now the Cathedral, to the Spanish governor at the time (and don Juan conveniently arranged to live nearby, so that he could profit from any spare land grants that might be available!).
He was in the process of building a house a few miles north of St Augustine, to which he wished to bring his wife and children after long years of separation, but he died suddenly of a fever. His body was brought to St Augustine and he was buried at Tolomato Cemetery in 1805. A few years later, he was followed by his friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, who died in 1812.
But while Fr. Miguel O'Reilly had a vault, John McQueen had no marker, or at any rate, if he had had one originally, it had disappeared long ago. So while we knew that he was buried at Tolomato, there was nothing to show people.
But Daughters of the American Revolution changed all that as they installed a very beautiful marker for him…right next to the vault of his old friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, incidentally…and suddenly made our history visible!
The name "Don Juan" is the Spanish title "Don," which is a title of honor for the head of the household and not a name and "Juan" is the name John in Spanish.
He spent much of his life in South Carolina and Georgia, where he was a land speculator, ship owner and captain…and Revolutionary War patriot, who had business connections with France and carried letters from Washington to Lafayette to enlist the aid of the French in the American Revolution.
After the war, he seems to have owned much of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, including places like Sapelow Island, but unfortunately his land deals went bad and he had to flee the new United States to avoid debtor's prison…and ended up in Spanish Florida, specifically, in St Augustine. Here his career flourished and he became an important local citizen, the friend of people ranging from Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, first pastor of what is now the Cathedral, to the Spanish governor at the time (and don Juan conveniently arranged to live nearby, so that he could profit from any spare land grants that might be available!).
He was in the process of building a house a few miles north of St Augustine, to which he wished to bring his wife and children after long years of separation, but he died suddenly of a fever. His body was brought to St Augustine and he was buried at Tolomato Cemetery in 1805. A few years later, he was followed by his friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, who died in 1812.
But while Fr. Miguel O'Reilly had a vault, John McQueen had no marker, or at any rate, if he had had one originally, it had disappeared long ago. So while we knew that he was buried at Tolomato, there was nothing to show people.
But Daughters of the American Revolution changed all that as they installed a very beautiful marker for him…right next to the vault of his old friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, incidentally…and suddenly made our history visible!
The name "Don Juan" is the Spanish title "Don," which is a title of honor for the head of the household and not a name and "Juan" is the name John in Spanish.
On Saturday April 28, 2012, a National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution grave marker was unveiled for public viewing. In the traditional DAR ritual, the ROTC presented the colors, the regent of the Maria Jefferson Chapter of NSDAR in St. Augustine, FL made the opening remarks, then Father Ed Booth from the Cathedral did the invocation, and followed by another chapter member sharing the colorful story of Don Juan McQueen's life. McQueen is one of about 33 known Revolutionary War patriots buried in the State of Florida, and remembering these patriot's contribution to Florida and our Nation's history should never be forgotten. After the ritual, the marker was unveiled. The old Spanish Cemetery, located near the corner of Orange St. and Cordova St. within the Historical Old City of St Augustine, contains about 175 marked graves with hundreds of others not marked. The exact location of McQueen's grave site is no longer marked, hence the NSDAR marker was place near Fr Miguel O'Reilly's tombstone. Father O'Reilly was a known colleague of McQueen. Many may know about McQueen from Eugenia Price's books on St Augustine, "Maria" and "Don Juan McQueen". Her books are based on facts but with a dose of spicy imagination added to the mix. McQueen spent much of his life in South Carolina and Georgia low country involved in land speculations including places like Sapelow Island. He was a sea captain and ship owner. As Revolutionary War patriot, he had business connections with France and carried letters from George Washington to Jean Lafayette to enlist the aid of the French in the American Revolution. After the war, he came on economical hardship, and to escape his debts, fled to Spanish Florida. While building a home just north of the City Gates for his wife and children in hopes of bringing them to Florida too, he became ill with a fever and died. Some seven years later, his dear friend O'Reilly died and was buried in a well-preserved vault near what is now believed to be McQueen's unmarked grave site.∼One of the most frequent questions of our visitors is about John McQueen, aka don Juan McQueen. He was one of our many colorful 18th and 19th century St Augustine residents and appears in Eugenia Price's books on St Augustine, Maria, and, of course, Don Juan McQueen.
He spent much of his life in South Carolina and Georgia, where he was a land speculator, ship owner and captain…and Revolutionary War patriot, who had business connections with France and carried letters from Washington to Lafayette to enlist the aid of the French in the American Revolution.
After the war, he seems to have owned much of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, including places like Sapelow Island, but unfortunately his land deals went bad and he had to flee the new United States to avoid debtor's prison…and ended up in Spanish Florida, specifically, in St Augustine. Here his career flourished and he became an important local citizen, the friend of people ranging from Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, first pastor of what is now the Cathedral, to the Spanish governor at the time (and don Juan conveniently arranged to live nearby, so that he could profit from any spare land grants that might be available!).
He was in the process of building a house a few miles north of St Augustine, to which he wished to bring his wife and children after long years of separation, but he died suddenly of a fever. His body was brought to St Augustine and he was buried at Tolomato Cemetery in 1805. A few years later, he was followed by his friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, who died in 1812.
But while Fr. Miguel O'Reilly had a vault, John McQueen had no marker, or at any rate, if he had had one originally, it had disappeared long ago. So while we knew that he was buried at Tolomato, there was nothing to show people.
But Daughters of the American Revolution changed all that as they installed a very beautiful marker for him…right next to the vault of his old friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, incidentally…and suddenly made our history visible!
The name "Don Juan" is the Spanish title "Don," which is a title of honor for the head of the household and not a name and "Juan" is the name John in Spanish.
He spent much of his life in South Carolina and Georgia, where he was a land speculator, ship owner and captain…and Revolutionary War patriot, who had business connections with France and carried letters from Washington to Lafayette to enlist the aid of the French in the American Revolution.
After the war, he seems to have owned much of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, including places like Sapelow Island, but unfortunately his land deals went bad and he had to flee the new United States to avoid debtor's prison…and ended up in Spanish Florida, specifically, in St Augustine. Here his career flourished and he became an important local citizen, the friend of people ranging from Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, first pastor of what is now the Cathedral, to the Spanish governor at the time (and don Juan conveniently arranged to live nearby, so that he could profit from any spare land grants that might be available!).
He was in the process of building a house a few miles north of St Augustine, to which he wished to bring his wife and children after long years of separation, but he died suddenly of a fever. His body was brought to St Augustine and he was buried at Tolomato Cemetery in 1805. A few years later, he was followed by his friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, who died in 1812.
But while Fr. Miguel O'Reilly had a vault, John McQueen had no marker, or at any rate, if he had had one originally, it had disappeared long ago. So while we knew that he was buried at Tolomato, there was nothing to show people.
But Daughters of the American Revolution changed all that as they installed a very beautiful marker for him…right next to the vault of his old friend, Fr. Miguel O'Reilly, incidentally…and suddenly made our history visible!
The name "Don Juan" is the Spanish title "Don," which is a title of honor for the head of the household and not a name and "Juan" is the name John in Spanish.
Inscription
In Honor of Revolutionary War Patriot John McQueen "Don Juan McQueen 1751 - 1807." Marker placed by Maria Jefferson Chapter, 28 April 2012
Gravesite Details
Memorial Plaque
Family Members
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