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Edward Waldo Stacy
L-R: Miss Pike, Mr. Newel, Mrs. Newel, Mr. Stacy , Miss Goodenough Edward Waldo was born in Harvard, MA on April 9, 1842 as the oldest child of Nathaniel and Lucy W. (Adams) Stacy. He had a younger sister named Mary who was born on January 16, 1844. Nathaniel was a paper manufacturer, and was almost 16 years older than his wife. As a young man Edward Waldo attended the local public school. His sister did as well. Alice Adams, their maternal grandmother, lived with the fam
Caroline Bigelow
Mar 72 min read


Rebecca White
Here lies the Body of
Mrs. REBECCA WHITE
Widow of Mr.
ISAAC WHITE late of Boston.
When the British Troops took possession
of the Town of Boston, she went
to her Son JOHN WHITE Esq.
of Charlestown and continued in his
Family 'til She died at Billerica,
Sept. 13th 1782 Aged 94 Years.
Caroline Bigelow
Mar 13 min read


Lydia Dyar
Here lies ye Body of the
Widow LYDIA DYAR of Boston;
the Place of her Nativity, where
She left a good Estate & came
into ye Country May 22d, 1775; to
escape ye abuce of ye Ministeral
Troops sent by GEORGE ye 3d, to
subject North America to Slavery.
She died July 28th, 1776. Aged 80 Years.
Caroline Bigelow
Feb 283 min read


William H. Bell
According to the Salem Death Records, William H. Bell is the son of William Bell and Mary E. Monarch, and was born around 1845. Some time before the 1855 MA Census he came to live with Benjamin and Maria Jewell, relatives on his mother’s side. Before the Civil War he worked as a laborer. He joined Company B of the 7th Massachusetts on July 1, 1862. I was unable to find him in the regiment’s muster rolls available through the National Archives, but it is very possible that tho
Caroline Bigelow
Feb 171 min read


Jacob Caldwell
Jacob was baptized on November 29, 1719 in Ipswich, MA. He was the eldest son of Deacon Jacob and Rebecca (Lull) Caldwell. He married Anna Hastings on September 28, 1742. They were married by Joseph Mason, Justice of the Peace. Both were "of Watertown", so Jacob must have moved there at some point before his marriage and long enough to establish residency. Jacob and Anna had nine children. John in 1743, Rebecca in 1744, Anna in 1746, Jacob in 1748, Sarah in 1750, and Enoch
Caroline Bigelow
Feb 82 min read


The Davenport Children
John, Elijah, and Nathaniel were children of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Davenport. Nathaniel Davenport came to Shrewsbury, MA from Bridgewater, MA with his new wife Lucy in 1730. Lucy died in October that year a few weeks after the birth of their first and only child, a daughter named Lucy. I do not know what became of Lucy the younger, as she does not appear in any records other than that of her birth. She likely died soon after her mother. By 1733 Nathaniel had married a wom
Caroline Bigelow
Feb 12 min read


Daniel Baird
The gravestone of Mr. Daniel Baird Daniel was born in Leicester, MA on November 13, 1742 to Thomas and Elizabeth Beard--spelling during the Colonial Era was not standardized, so "Baird" also appears as "Beard". He was the third of their five children. The Beards came to Leicester from Mendon around 1735, and remained there until 1745 when they moved to the southern part of Worcester in what is now Auburn. On December 2, 1767 he published his intentions to marry Jane Smith of
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 312 min read


Charles H. Johnson
Charles was born in 1843 to James and Jane S. Johnson in Winsted, CT. He had at least one sibling, a younger brother named James Jr. James the younger died around age 10 in 1854. Jane's parents were named Prince and Rebecca Morris. James' parents were Robert and Phila Johnson. Both were born in Warren, MA, and were likely members of the free black community. They were married in 1842. James Sr. died in 1852 when Charles was around 11, and he lived with family members after h
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 252 min read


Famous Names on Gravestones
The following individuals are not famous, but other people with their same names are. Mr. Peter Parker HERE Lies the Body OF Mr. Peter Parker who departed this Life March ye 28th: 1777. In the 31st year of his age. Old Burying Ground Groton, MA Capt. John Williams IN Memory of CAP. JOHN WILLIAMS who died July 1, 1822 Æt. 76 Old Burying Ground Groton, MA Mr. Samuel Hagar IN Memory of MR. SAMUEL HAGAR who died June -- 1774, in the 77th Year of his Age. Woodside Cemetery Westmin
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 241 min read


Elizabeth Morse
Elizabeth was born to Stephen and Elizabeth (Thompson) Morse on January 2, 1828. She was their second child and oldest daughter. Her parents met and were married in Boston, where Stephen was working as the receiving teller and messenger for the Suffolk Bank. By the 1850 US Census the family had moved to Marlborough, MA in order to farm. He was often the town's acting magistrate, and continued to do occasional jobs for the Suffolk Bank. Elizabeth died on May 2, 1851 and is
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 191 min read


Reverend Thomas Jones
The gravestone of Rev. Thomas Jones Rev. Jones was born in Dorchester, MA on April 20, 1721, the son of Ebenezer and Waitstill (Davenport) Jones. He went to Harvard College and graduated in 1741. Rev. Jones was installed as the Minister of the Second Parish of Woburn in 1751. Very shortly after, a dozen people left his church to become members of the Church of England. It is said that while his sermons were not very exciting he was a practical and faithful minister to his pa
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 182 min read


Daniel Campbell
In early March of 1743/4 Mr. Campbell was killed on his farm during a dispute with one of his employees, one Edward Fitzpatrick from Ireland.
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 172 min read


Charles Burr
Charles was born on April 21, 1821 in Chesterfield, MA to Oliver and Sally Burr. He married Lucinda Goddard in Providence, RI on January 21, 1844. Both gave their residence as Grafton, MA. They were members of the United Methodist Church. In 1850 the family was living in Sutton, MA. Charles and Lucinda had eight children ranging in age from 15 to 1 on the 1860 US Census. Charles and his oldest son Oliver are listed as shoemakers, and they were living in Millbury, MA. In Febru
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 171 min read


Reuben and Meriam Hunt
Reuben and Meriam were children of Lt. Reuben and Mrs. Rebeckah (Barrett) Hunt. Both were born in Concord, MA. Reuben and Rebeckah were married by the Reverend William Emerson in Concord on January 4, 1770. They had eleven children together over their 26-year marriage. Lt. Reuben served during the American Revolution as a volunteer militiaman in John Buttrick's Company. He was also a town Selectman from 1797-1801. Reuben the son was born on March 16, 1774, the third child
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 122 min read


Mrs. Susanna Jayne
Susanna was born in Marblehead, MA to Mark Jr. and Susannah Haskell. She was baptised on June 11, 1732, so her birthday was likely in either late May or early June. Susanna was the third of at least four children born to her parents--none of the children had their births recorded, only their baptisms, so it is entirely possible that she had siblings who died before they could be baptized. On November 27, 1753 she and Peter Jayne were married by the Reverend Simon Bradstreet,
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 112 min read


Mrs. Anna Perkins
Anna was born on November 14, 1727 to Benjamin and Abigail (Moody) Greenleaf in Newbury, MA. Three of her siblings never married, and chose to live together in neighboring Newburyport. On December 22, 1748 she married Matthew Perkins Jr. He was originally from Ipswich. They had twelve children together, including a set of twins who sadly died shortly after they were born in July 1861. Most of their children died before their first birthday. Their youngest child, a daughter
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 101 min read


Silas Whitcomb
Silas Whitcomb was born in Bolton, MA on September 22, 1787 to Asa and Sarah (Whitcomb) Whitcomb. He was the oldest of their eight children, and was baptised on November 20, 1791. His father was a Lieutenant and later a Colonel in the local militia. Silas died on April 9, 1795 in Bolton, and is buried near other family members in the Old South Burying Ground. What makes this gravestone unique is the composition. Suns in and of themselves are not rare on gravestones. They
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 101 min read


Sophia Nurse
Sophia was born on January 30, 1793 in Bolton, MA to Jonathan and Ruth (Barrett) Nurse. She was the ninth of their ten children, all of whom were also born in Bolton. Her father was a Deacon in the town church, and had served during the American Revolution. She passed away in Bolton on July 19, 1795, and is buried beside two of her siblings in the Old South Burying Ground. What makes this gravestone unique is not that it is for a young child--before vaccinations and antibio
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 101 min read


Captain Thomas Clouston
Captain Clouston was born on the Orkney Island and baptized there on October 2, 1743. By the 1770s he was living in New England. He served as a Privateer Seaman on the Dalton, which was based in Newburyport, MA. Thomas was captured during battle and imprisoned in England, but escaped and returned to North America. In 1781 he commanded the brigantine Antelope out of New York. After the War he returned to Newburyport. According to the 1790 US Census there were three women and t
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 51 min read


Lt. Abel Nichols
Abel was born in Middleton, MA on April 4, 1743 to John and Elizabeth Nichols. He was their second child and only son. His other sibling was a sister named Mary who was born two years earlier in 1741. On December 5/6, 1766 he published his intentions to marry Elisabeth Preston. Both of them were residents of Danvers, MA. I can’t find any record of them having children. During the American Revolution Abel served as a Sergeant in Captain Samuel Flint’s Company of Minutemen and
Caroline Bigelow
Jan 31 min read
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