The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 504

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

centricities caused her to be committed to the Eastern Lunatick
Hospital. There she died in 1814.
John and Lucy Ludwell Paradise were survived by a daughter,
Lucy, who had married the Venetian count, Antonio Barziza in
London in 1787. Of this marriage, Viscount Filippo Ignacio
Barziza was born in 1796.10
Upon the death of his grandmother, the Viscount came to
America to claim his inheritance. Her personal property was
turned over to him, but he found that, in order to claim her
lands, he would be required to renounce his Italian title and take
American citizenship. This he did, filing suit for the lands against
two cousins who had taken them over." Even with the advice
and aid of Thomas Jefferson, who was by this time President of
the United States, he lost the lawsuit.
Litigation had eaten away most of his inheritance of personal
property. Plain Phillip Ignatius Barziza, American citizen, mar-
ried a Williamsburg girl from an old French family, Cecelia
Amanda Bellett,12 and settled down in Williamsburg to make the
most of his situation. He found employment as a keeper at the
Eastern Lunatick Hospital, where his grandmother had spent
her last days.
There was no particular onus to working at the asylum. It was
the town's principal institution. As a matter of fact, Williamsburg,
in those days, was known locally as "the town where the lazy
look after the crazy."'"
Ignatius, however, was not too lazy. His family grew at an
amazing pace, considering that he and Cecelia were Episcopalians.
When the tenth little Barziza arrived, Ignatius is said to have
gone to one of Williamsburg's numerous taverns to celebrate.
He admitted to a friend, quite dolefully, that he had used up all
of the fine old family names, like Paradise, Ludwell, Lee, and
10Shepperson, John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell of London and Williamsburg, 456.
"llbid., 447.
"In 1818, according to data on family tombstone, Glenwood Cemetery Houston;
History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of the Cities of Houston
and Galveston, 348. The tombstone lists her name as Cecelia Bellett; ibid., as
Cecelia Amanda Bellett; Shepperson, John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell of London
and Williamsburg, as Cecile Belette.
8lbid., 447.

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