Hi folks: I'm hearing that the bronze plaque erected in 1910 to the memory of Col. Ninian Beall has gone missing in the past few months. The plaque was erected on a large oval rock, symbolic of Scotland’s Rock of Dumbarton, in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown, at 3240 “O” Street N.W. It is the only public memorial to him anywhere in the world, and the inscription on the plaque reads: "Colonel Ninian Beall, born Scotland 1625 died Maryland 1717, patentee of the Rock of Dumbarton; Member of the House of Burgesses; Commander in Chief of the Provincial Forces of Maryland. In grateful recognition of his services “upon all Incursions and Disturbances of Neighboring Indians” the Maryland Assembly of 1699 passed an “Act of Gratitude.” This memorial erected by the Society of Colonial Wars in the District of Columbia, 1910." Caleb Clark Magruder delivered a speech on the steps of the church, dedicating the memorial on Sunday, Oct. 30, 1910. I have no idea what became of the plaque. Nor do I know if it was stolen by vandals or removed by church authorities. But I sure hope that a few of you Bealls in Maryland and the D.C. area can find out and let the rest of his realtives know, since this is the only memorial of any kind to our man. Dennis Bell (of the Largo, Fife Bells) Burnaby, B.C. Canada