NCAA DIVISION II FOOTBALL CHAMPS -- '93,'94,'95

The 1830 list of original LaGrange trustees includes two men from the Shoals with famous political associates.

Recalled in well-known public facilities named after the Coffee family, John Coffee's memory remains constant with the Shoals. A co-founder of Florence, Coffee had regional influence through business relationships with friend Andrew Jackson. Before becoming President, Jackson owned a second home/plantation at Melton's Bluff on Tennessee River near Town Creek in North Alabama. One of the "distant" trustees, Coffee chose a home site on Cloverdale Road in Florence that was identified until fall 2005 by an Alabama state historical marker at the property's entrance. Unfortunately, a famous pharmacy chain, building another new drug storefront, allowed the marker to be removed during construction at the corner of Cox Creek Blvd. and Cloverdale Road. But, after missing from the site over one year, the marker has now been reinstated.

Henry Stuart Foote is the other trustee from the Shoals. North Alabama historians and LaGrange College Civil War reenactors have not known him as well as Coffee. Foote became Governor of Mississippi several years after departing the Shoals. The LaGrange College local trustee's departure from North Alabama was prompted by a dispute that ended in a challenge to duel that Foote gave a Tuscumbia citizen, the member of an important Franklin County family. The future Mississippi Governor was told in uncertain terms that he should find somewhere else to live. Foote is probably best remembered by national historians for political opposition to Jefferson Davis during the American Civil War. Foote defeated Davis by 999 votes in the 1851 Mississippi Gubernatorial election. Before becoming opponents for the Governor's office, Foote and Davis had represented the state in the US Senate. They continued to disagree throughout the Civil War. To learn more about the Foote - Stuart descendants that were all kinsmen of Henry Stuart Foote, read "The Stuart Family of Virginia: Friends of Robert E. Lee, famous Southern General".

Windsor Masonic Hall in England Info Courtesy: Michael Harding, Churchwarden, Windsor Parish

  UNA Professor Avon Edward Foote's article is published by ATAVUS, the on-line journal of Burke's Peerage and Landed Gentry, March-April 2003, available at http://www.burkes-peerage.net. The Burke's article was timed to coincide with publication by University Press of Mississippi of new book on Shelby Foote by C. Stuart Chapman, who wrote the work while completing his Ph.D. at Boston University. Chapman draws on Avon Edward Foote's family history in the first paragraph of Chapter I and refers to Avon Edward as the "family historian". Burke's requires a 24-hour or longer subscription for full access.

Jump to Vanderbilt University: Read Vandy's account of Henry Stuart Foote in Nashville and why his home is the oldest building on campus. Both UNA and Vanderbilt were founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church that traced its history to John Wesley, vicar in the Church of England. Eddie Foote says that Governor Foote created his genealogy pointing to Windsor Castle at this home which is now "Old Central" at Vanderbilt University.

There is a long-standing Foote / Foot family tradition of supporting education. Henry Stuart Foote's relative Samuel Foote/Foot, an uncle several times removed who died c1697, married Arabella Topham of Windsor, England. After Samuel's death, she donated money in the establishment of a Royal Free School in Windsor. The original building still stands less than 20 feet from walls of The Royal Mews, Windsor Castle, home to the Windsor greys, and next to St. John the Baptist, the Windsor Parish Church, that welcomes visitors with a Peter Scheemakers' bust of Topham Foote, son of Samuel and Arabella. Topham's Memorial is from the earlier church building, torn down in the 1820s, that may be seen behind the Royal Free School in the left background. The original Free School building is used in 2006 as the Windsor Masonic Hall.

Robert Hardman, who was at Windsor Parish Church on 21 April 2006 to cover the Queen's cutting of the cake baked in her honor, wrote the script for "Windsor Castle: A Royal Year". BBC1 carried the program series first in March and April 2005 but titled the series, "The Queen's Castle". Nearly one year later, it was renamed "Windsor Castle: A Royal Year" for the American broadcasts of the series. Web descriptions of the two special series make clear that insignificant editing changes may have been made for the American audience. The BBC series became three one-hour format shows for the American PBS telecasts. The PBS program DVDs, that include footage of the marriage blessing from St. George's Chapel in the third installment, may be purchased on-line. Many major market, public TV stations and some state networks, such as Alabama Public Television, have scheduled repeats of the series as recently as 28 July 2008. RDF Media created a UK media crisis in 2007 when footage of the Queen was poorly edited for a sequel documentary. Last year's digital film segment, screened for other media during a program promotion event, seemed to show the Queen storming out of an interview. Several BBC resignations followed the London investigation into the misrepresented Queen segment.

Burke's, the Oxford diocese of the Church of England, and others in the UK published a news release about restoration of The Last Supper by Francis Cleyn that hangs in St. John the Baptist, the Windsor Parish Church. Eddie Foote, who requested clarification of the painting's history from Windsor Castle, wrote the 2003 press release about expert refreshing of the painting and frame with help from Michael Harding, Churchwarden. King George III gave the painting to the Parish Church after it hung in St. George's Chapel within the Windsor Castle's walls for nearly 100 years. Harding raised 19,000 GBP to underwrite the restoration.

1952 photo of Windsor High Street
showing George VI funeral procession moving to St. George's Chapel.
BBC television camera in foreground is located at Windsor Castle wall tower.
The Windsor Parish Church bell tower is seen just beyond the Guildhall near lens.
The Foote/Foot family crest is just inside the High Street door to Church.
Permission to use this photo has been granted by the BBC.

During the May 2006 opening of Frogmore to the public, Michael Harding invited Eddie into St. John's belfry, where he was honored with the ringing of Church bells in behalf of his own support of the Parish. Frank Blagrove, Captain of the Tower, led the ringing assisted by his wife Monica and several other volunteers from both Castle and Parish. The Blagroves, while ringing St. George's Chapel bells for Order of the Garter ceremonies and Royal family birthdays, are featured in the BBC/PBS special, "The Queen's Castle". Dr. Foote acknowledged the belling-ringing honor by sending an original, hardback printing of Chotankers from 1982 to the Blagroves with a thank you inscribed on the final flyleaf of the book. An accompanying letter proposed that the Blagroves, if they wish, place the book in the Windsor Castle Library with Foote/Foot family understanding that first the Royal Librarian would have to accept the gift on behalf of the famous Collection.

Foote/Foot Note: Over twelve years ago in it's 165th anniversary year - - the same year that Avon Edward Foote (among Foote/Foot family and friends called "Eddie", born Burnsville, Mississippi in 1937) founded Chotank, BBC Networking Club web pages on the Pipex WorldServer at Cambridge, England - - UNA became the first U.S. university to win NCAA National Football Championships three seasons in a row. On December 9, 1995, UNA defeated Pittsburg State 27 to 7 to establish a record never before achieved in American college football and after 2007-2008 season is still unsurpassed by any NCAA football team. On 16 December 1995, Russ Corey of TimesDaily, the Shoals newspaper that is owned and operated by The New York Times, reported Chotank website startup on the Pipex Worldserver in Cambridge, England. Corey wrote,
"Foote believes it is the first [UNA] site . . . ."