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Taking a break from my inside job, I went on another field trip of sorts to a gravestone rubbing workshop offered by the Gravestone Girls at a local cemetery. What was different about this trip was that it wasn't important WHO was there but WHAT .
If you live in New England, chances are pretty darned good that somewhere in your town is a very old, and possibly neglected, early colonial burial ground. It is there that your earliest settlers buried their families quickly and went back to the task of survival in the wild new land.
The cemeteries of that era are not particularly inviting and pretty, but within that utilitarian piece of historical land is an amazing amount of art and poetry. If you have ever had the chance to wander the landscape of an old burial place and read a few inscriptions, you know exactly what I mean.
One headstone in the Howard Street Old Burial Ground (Northborough, MA) for a town hero who fought in the War of the Revolution, is inscribed as follows:
If you live in New England, chances are pretty darned good that somewhere in your town is a very old, and possibly neglected, early colonial burial ground. It is there that your earliest settlers buried their families quickly and went back to the task of survival in the wild new land.
The cemeteries of that era are not particularly inviting and pretty, but within that utilitarian piece of historical land is an amazing amount of art and poetry. If you have ever had the chance to wander the landscape of an old burial place and read a few inscriptions, you know exactly what I mean.
One headstone in the Howard Street Old Burial Ground (Northborough, MA) for a town hero who fought in the War of the Revolution, is inscribed as follows:
ERECTED
in memory of
Colonel LEVI BRIGHAM,
who departed this life
February 1st 1787 :
Aged 70 Years.
in memory of
Colonel LEVI BRIGHAM,
who departed this life
February 1st 1787 :
Aged 70 Years.
"He who believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live."
Says CHRIST
he were dead, yet shall he live."
Says CHRIST
There were several common symbols chosen by families to express a specific message regarding the passing of their loved ones. For example, the artwork of the capstone for Col. Brigham includes an angel (the wings are a dead giveaway...pun intended), which was the symbol of the messenger between man and God. Additionally, the text added to the stone often provided insight into the character or demeanor of the deceased, offering a message for the living to heed as they headed toward their own Judgement Day. Iconography of these early stones is very interesting, and more information can be found at The Association for Gravestone Studies.
Gravestone rubbings serve many purposes, depending on what interests you. The image of a stone is like a photograph, documenting the genealogical information about an ancestor. Or you might find the iconography or inscription interesting and want to preserve it as a objet d'art. With specific care and methods, a rubbing can be done without harming the original stone, and some common sense and a little homework ahead of time can help make your project a success. (Tip from the workshop: place a sheet of plastic or plastic bag over the surface of the stone and secure with masking tape prior to applying the paper layer. This protects the stone from the rubbing medium accidentally touching the stone through a tear in the paper.)
The rubbing in the photo above, while not done by me personally, was given to me at the end of the workshop. The Brigham gentleman that belongs to this stone was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and descendant of the town's first settler, John Brigham.
What made the gift special? The artist who thoughtfully let me take her debut work home is also a Mrs. Brigham ...from the same family who has lived in the town of Northborough from day 1. To me, she is my new local hero. And you can now understand more why I truly love "Finding New Stories in Old Places!"
Gravestone rubbings serve many purposes, depending on what interests you. The image of a stone is like a photograph, documenting the genealogical information about an ancestor. Or you might find the iconography or inscription interesting and want to preserve it as a objet d'art. With specific care and methods, a rubbing can be done without harming the original stone, and some common sense and a little homework ahead of time can help make your project a success. (Tip from the workshop: place a sheet of plastic or plastic bag over the surface of the stone and secure with masking tape prior to applying the paper layer. This protects the stone from the rubbing medium accidentally touching the stone through a tear in the paper.)
The rubbing in the photo above, while not done by me personally, was given to me at the end of the workshop. The Brigham gentleman that belongs to this stone was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and descendant of the town's first settler, John Brigham.
What made the gift special? The artist who thoughtfully let me take her debut work home is also a Mrs. Brigham ...from the same family who has lived in the town of Northborough from day 1. To me, she is my new local hero. And you can now understand more why I truly love "Finding New Stories in Old Places!"
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Sudbury, MA - I braved the threat of the incoming “snowstorm of the season” this afternoon to go check out the Revolutionary War Cemetery in Sudbury, MA, established in 1716. It is the oldest cemetery of modern Sudbury and holds the remains of 47 soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. Also buried there are Revolutionary era leaders and historical figures, such as Colonel Ezekiel How, second innkeeper of the historic Wayside Inn. The oldest existing stone is from 1727 and if you are interested, a list of the names on the stone markers is available from the Historical Society.
My quest today was to move along the trail of John Brigham (1644-1728) in hopes of finding clues about his burial. My John Brigham, as I have learned, was not only the pioneer settler of what is now Northborough, MA but also a prominent settler of nearby towns Marlborough and Sudbury. When he died in 1728, he had been a long-time resident of Sudbury, but was also reported to have stayed with his daughter Mary (Brigham) Fay in Northborough. As none of the three towns has a burial record for our John Brigham, where did he go? His church membership and death were recorded in Sudbury, so that is where I headed to find a clue or two.
I located only two headstones in the burial ground for Brigham, neither of which was for John or one of his 3 (yes, 3) wives. Located at opposite ends of the property, they were possibly infant brother and adult sister. Curiously enough, the burial for the adult Mary Brigham is located at the end of a row that has a large gap between it and the next marker, a small footstone engraved “M.B.”
Now whether or not the little footstone belongs to Mary is difficult to tell, particularly as there is a relatively generic footstone already located behind her headstone, but no matter. What does matter is that this cemetery is arranged with many “family groups” where headstones with the same surname take up a row or two. In a small historic cemetery such as this, with closely placed burials in neatly arranged rows, any “empty” spaces are quite possibly unmarked graves where the stones fell and were buried under the sod over time. As serendipity would have it, the property has a Ground Penetrating Radar project planned for it this year and the goal will be to identify probable unmarked burials.
At the end of my visit, the snow started falling and my inked notes started to bleed…but before heading home, I felt I had discovered a possible burying place for members of the Brigham family that lived during the time of my John Brigham. That alone made it a good day at work.
You can find the photos and transcriptions of the Brigham headstones at www.billiongraves.com. A virtual tour of historic Sudbury is available on the town's Historical Society website.
You can find the photos and transcriptions of the Brigham headstones at www.billiongraves.com. A virtual tour of historic Sudbury is available on the town's Historical Society website.
Source:
Allen, Rev. Joseph. History of Northborough, Mass., in Various Publications and Discourses. Worcester: 1880.
Allen, Rev. Joseph. History of Northborough, Mass., in Various Publications and Discourses. Worcester: 1880.
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RECORDS SEARCH IN PROGRESS...
"Who was the first settler in Northborough and what's his story?"
Clip of Ancestry.com profile page for John Brigham (1644-1728)
JOHN BRIGHAM (1644-1728): We know who the first settler was, both from tradition and court records, but I want to know more about the circumstances that brought him here and what happened to his family. One of the Town Proprietors in 1744 was a Brigham and a family relationship should be confirmed or ruled out. (HINT: There's not a direct line between John and Jesse, but they are actually related.)
BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND: John Brigham's father Thomas came to Watertown from England when he was 34. He eventually settled in Cambridge, where all his children, including our John, were born. After Thomas' death, his widow married a Sudbury man who, with his new family, signed on to be one of those first settlers of the Marlborough Plantation. John grew up as a Marlborough man, had a well-respected career as a multi-tasking pioneer, and became the very first inhabitant on the land that became modern Northborough. His story is colorful enough that I have been purposely distracted from the Brigham Street to-do list. Truthfully, though, understanding John Brigham's life circumstances will give us insight into what happened to his family and what life was like for his descendants that stayed here. His daughters may be mothers of children buried at Brigham Street and their stories should be uncovered as well.
CURRENTLY READING: Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by George Francis Dow (Dover Publications, New York, 1988)
SOURCE:
Brigham, Willard Irving Tyler. The History of the Brigham Family : a Record of Several Thousand Descendants of Thomas Brigham the Emigrant, 1603-1653. New York: Grafton Press, 1907-1927.
BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND: John Brigham's father Thomas came to Watertown from England when he was 34. He eventually settled in Cambridge, where all his children, including our John, were born. After Thomas' death, his widow married a Sudbury man who, with his new family, signed on to be one of those first settlers of the Marlborough Plantation. John grew up as a Marlborough man, had a well-respected career as a multi-tasking pioneer, and became the very first inhabitant on the land that became modern Northborough. His story is colorful enough that I have been purposely distracted from the Brigham Street to-do list. Truthfully, though, understanding John Brigham's life circumstances will give us insight into what happened to his family and what life was like for his descendants that stayed here. His daughters may be mothers of children buried at Brigham Street and their stories should be uncovered as well.
CURRENTLY READING: Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by George Francis Dow (Dover Publications, New York, 1988)
SOURCE:
Brigham, Willard Irving Tyler. The History of the Brigham Family : a Record of Several Thousand Descendants of Thomas Brigham the Emigrant, 1603-1653. New York: Grafton Press, 1907-1927.
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SITE VISIT IMPRESSIONS
Today's weather? No snow on the ground, ground dry, skies sunny...a perfect day to walk the Brigham Street Burial Ground since beginning this project. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit the site, armed with a sketch of its history and of who may be interred there. With the objectivity of a researcher, but my personal curiosity of getting a new impression of the place, I headed over and started walking a grid.
And that is where the experience got tricky.
Having read about burial customs of the times, having found a witness's documentation of more burials in addition to the 4 still there, and understanding the family and neighbor relationships that existed about 1730, I "saw" so much more in that patch of land than I ever would have thought.
The parcel was cleaned up and cleared before the winter, so the ground was completely exposed and easily walked. The Holloway/Wheeler family members are still where I remembered, of course. Each of the parallel and west-facing graves is still well-marked with head and footstone, the roughly 5ft by 2ft mound between the stones smattered with large rocks among the moss. This time, however, I stood back away from that small section in order to really observe the larger area nearby with a new perspective. And that is when it struck me. There are even more groupings of parallel patches of stones, some mounded and some sunken. There are even a few parallel sunken spots near the rear of the parcel. All these are not news, of course, as the observations have been made by others in the past. For me, however, to have a researched to date a count of close to 20 possible burials and to be able to count at least that number of visible marked spots left me stunned, frankly. I was also saddened by the understanding that they have been long since forgotten, except by those who maintain the property to keep it clean and mowed.
There have been several efforts in the past to identify those buried there. My very non-scientific hope is that the advances made in technology over the last several decades, coupled with the advances of the information age, can shed new light on just what the story is in this interesting old place. And which of the brave founding families should be remembered and honored.
And that is where the experience got tricky.
Having read about burial customs of the times, having found a witness's documentation of more burials in addition to the 4 still there, and understanding the family and neighbor relationships that existed about 1730, I "saw" so much more in that patch of land than I ever would have thought.
The parcel was cleaned up and cleared before the winter, so the ground was completely exposed and easily walked. The Holloway/Wheeler family members are still where I remembered, of course. Each of the parallel and west-facing graves is still well-marked with head and footstone, the roughly 5ft by 2ft mound between the stones smattered with large rocks among the moss. This time, however, I stood back away from that small section in order to really observe the larger area nearby with a new perspective. And that is when it struck me. There are even more groupings of parallel patches of stones, some mounded and some sunken. There are even a few parallel sunken spots near the rear of the parcel. All these are not news, of course, as the observations have been made by others in the past. For me, however, to have a researched to date a count of close to 20 possible burials and to be able to count at least that number of visible marked spots left me stunned, frankly. I was also saddened by the understanding that they have been long since forgotten, except by those who maintain the property to keep it clean and mowed.
There have been several efforts in the past to identify those buried there. My very non-scientific hope is that the advances made in technology over the last several decades, coupled with the advances of the information age, can shed new light on just what the story is in this interesting old place. And which of the brave founding families should be remembered and honored.
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Excerpt from Northborough History (Kent, 1921. p. 3-6)
"In 1744 there were thirty-seven families in the north part; and being situated at a distance of several miles from the main part of the town [of Westborough], they thought that they could get along much better if they should be permitted to manage their own affairs. So, remembering what the west part of Marlborough [i.e. Westborough] had done in 1717, they drew up a petition, went down to Boston, and presented it to the Great and General Court. This petition asked that the north part of Westborough be made into a "distinct and separate precinct" of the town. The petition was granted on October 20, 1744.
"In 1744 there were thirty-seven families in the north part; and being situated at a distance of several miles from the main part of the town [of Westborough], they thought that they could get along much better if they should be permitted to manage their own affairs. So, remembering what the west part of Marlborough [i.e. Westborough] had done in 1717, they drew up a petition, went down to Boston, and presented it to the Great and General Court. This petition asked that the north part of Westborough be made into a "distinct and separate precinct" of the town. The petition was granted on October 20, 1744.
...Having gained the objects of their desire, steps were immediately taken for the perfecting of a government for the new precinct. Accordingly, all the inhabitants of the district were duly and legally warned to meet on the 15th day of November for that purpose.
This first precinct meeting was held at the home of Colonel William Holloway...This meeting was for purely organization purposes; and...marks the beginning of our town government.
This first precinct meeting was held at the home of Colonel William Holloway...This meeting was for purely organization purposes; and...marks the beginning of our town government.
...We have stated above that there were thirty-seven families in the north precinct at the time of its separation from the mother town...The list includes ...two young men who were not married at the time, but who were married shortly afterwards."
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RECAP OF RESEARCH DONE TO DATE:
The Brigham Street Burial Ground (Northborough, Mass.) was established in 1728 to accommodate burials for those families living in the "northern part" of Westborough and was actively used until the First Church graveyard on Howard Street was established abt 1749. As the beginning phase of any research project includes gathering "known" evidence, my first step was to visit the cemeteries and verify what could be "seen" as the jumping off point for evidence collection.
While visible tombstones are an original source for evidence, additional documentation of deaths between 1728 and 1749 might provide evidence of other burials there. Therefore, the next type of information I needed to locate what was either written by someone who witnessed the burials, or records of burials created close to the time they happened. As I previously noted, the diary volumes of Reverend Ebenezer Parkman (see "Sources" page) contain the most reliable information located to date; he either officiated, attended, or was informed of burials at that time.
NEW RECORD SEARCHED:
Vital Records of Northborough, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Worcester, Mass.: Franklin P. Rice,1901) was the next source I evaluated. Although Northborough was still known as "northern Westborough" during the period being researched (1727-1749) and was not incorporated until 1775, I was able to find pre-revolutionary deaths included in the Northborough records. That presented the theory that extra effort was taken to include deaths in the physical land area of Northborough, regardless of jurisdiction. While not proof, there also seems to be a strong possibility that those "northern Westborough" deaths = "northern Westborough" burials. (Quick reminder here: the Brigham Street Burial Ground was established so that "northern Westborough" families did not have to travel up to 6 miles south to bury their loved ones near the meeting house.)
Although the vital record book was published over 150 years after the first recorded death, the compiled information came from sources originally created close to the time of the actual deaths (church records, town records, tombstones, private records). By definition, this derivative source (not the actual piece of paper the death was recorded on) is not as reliable as an entry in the archived diary, but the original records were nonetheless created with the noble intention of documenting deaths close to when occurred. My goal was to match up the impartial early death records from Northborough with dated entries in Rev. Parkman's transcribed diary. (NOTE: the original diary should be viewed during future research.)
The final step was to locate any burials for the recorded deaths [before 1750] at the Howard Street Old Burial Ground, whose opening abt 1750 facilitated the closing of Brigham Street Burial Ground. Any of the burials not found at Howard Street would be added to the list of possible burials at the older Brigham Street site.
The Brigham Street Burial Ground (Northborough, Mass.) was established in 1728 to accommodate burials for those families living in the "northern part" of Westborough and was actively used until the First Church graveyard on Howard Street was established abt 1749. As the beginning phase of any research project includes gathering "known" evidence, my first step was to visit the cemeteries and verify what could be "seen" as the jumping off point for evidence collection.
While visible tombstones are an original source for evidence, additional documentation of deaths between 1728 and 1749 might provide evidence of other burials there. Therefore, the next type of information I needed to locate what was either written by someone who witnessed the burials, or records of burials created close to the time they happened. As I previously noted, the diary volumes of Reverend Ebenezer Parkman (see "Sources" page) contain the most reliable information located to date; he either officiated, attended, or was informed of burials at that time.
NEW RECORD SEARCHED:
Vital Records of Northborough, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Worcester, Mass.: Franklin P. Rice,1901) was the next source I evaluated. Although Northborough was still known as "northern Westborough" during the period being researched (1727-1749) and was not incorporated until 1775, I was able to find pre-revolutionary deaths included in the Northborough records. That presented the theory that extra effort was taken to include deaths in the physical land area of Northborough, regardless of jurisdiction. While not proof, there also seems to be a strong possibility that those "northern Westborough" deaths = "northern Westborough" burials. (Quick reminder here: the Brigham Street Burial Ground was established so that "northern Westborough" families did not have to travel up to 6 miles south to bury their loved ones near the meeting house.)
Although the vital record book was published over 150 years after the first recorded death, the compiled information came from sources originally created close to the time of the actual deaths (church records, town records, tombstones, private records). By definition, this derivative source (not the actual piece of paper the death was recorded on) is not as reliable as an entry in the archived diary, but the original records were nonetheless created with the noble intention of documenting deaths close to when occurred. My goal was to match up the impartial early death records from Northborough with dated entries in Rev. Parkman's transcribed diary. (NOTE: the original diary should be viewed during future research.)
The final step was to locate any burials for the recorded deaths [before 1750] at the Howard Street Old Burial Ground, whose opening abt 1750 facilitated the closing of Brigham Street Burial Ground. Any of the burials not found at Howard Street would be added to the list of possible burials at the older Brigham Street site.
RESEARCH RESULTS:
Vital Records of Northborough, Massachusetts to the Year 1850
Eager, James, s. James and Miriam, May 26, 1749 a. 1 d.
Eager, Joseph, s. James and Miriam, May 29, 1749, a. 4 d.
NOTE: These twins were buried at the "new" Howard Street Burial Ground, est. 1749/50.
Fay, Hezekiah, s. Timothy and Lydia, Sept. 13, 1746.
Fay, Lydia, d. Timothy and Lydia, Sept. 14, 1746
Fay, Timothy, s. Timothy and Lydia, April 29, 1743
Fay, William, s. Timothy and Lydia, Sept. 13, 1746
NOTE: These Fay siblings died before the Howard Street site opened and during the years Brigham Street site was active. There burials are not listed at Howard Street and will be added to the list of possible burials at Brigham Street.
Eager, James, s. James and Miriam, May 26, 1749 a. 1 d.
Eager, Joseph, s. James and Miriam, May 29, 1749, a. 4 d.
NOTE: These twins were buried at the "new" Howard Street Burial Ground, est. 1749/50.
Fay, Hezekiah, s. Timothy and Lydia, Sept. 13, 1746.
Fay, Lydia, d. Timothy and Lydia, Sept. 14, 1746
Fay, Timothy, s. Timothy and Lydia, April 29, 1743
Fay, William, s. Timothy and Lydia, Sept. 13, 1746
NOTE: These Fay siblings died before the Howard Street site opened and during the years Brigham Street site was active. There burials are not listed at Howard Street and will be added to the list of possible burials at Brigham Street.
The Diary of Ebenezer Parkman (1703-1782):
First Part, Three Volumes in One (1719-1755).
1) Entry for 12 September 1746: "Hear of Several Deaths in our North Precinct." (p. 142)
NOTE: While the Fay children are not specifically mentioned along with 2 Rice children's deaths, the fact that so many children died in one family, and at the same time other children died, follows the logic of an epidemic affecting the very young. The area to become modern Northborough was set apart from Westborough as "Second Precinct of Westborough" in 1744.
2) No entry for April 1743. (Only the months of January and September are included for that year.) This was about the time "northern Westborough" was organizing a partial separation from Westborough.
3) No entry for 1749 (Northborough had already separated from Westborough for church matters as it had its own church and minister.)
First Part, Three Volumes in One (1719-1755).
1) Entry for 12 September 1746: "Hear of Several Deaths in our North Precinct." (p. 142)
NOTE: While the Fay children are not specifically mentioned along with 2 Rice children's deaths, the fact that so many children died in one family, and at the same time other children died, follows the logic of an epidemic affecting the very young. The area to become modern Northborough was set apart from Westborough as "Second Precinct of Westborough" in 1744.
2) No entry for April 1743. (Only the months of January and September are included for that year.) This was about the time "northern Westborough" was organizing a partial separation from Westborough.
3) No entry for 1749 (Northborough had already separated from Westborough for church matters as it had its own church and minister.)
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH:
The 2 Eager children that died in 1749 appear to be the first recorded deaths in the town that were buried at the Howard Street Burial Ground. There was no other official burial site in the north section of Westborough (modern Northborough) other than the Brigham Street Burial Ground at the time of the Fay children's deaths. Therefore, it is possible that the 4 Fay children who died during the years of 1743-1746 were buried as a family group at the Brigham site, alongside the documented burial of their cousin, "CHILD Fay."
NEW TREES WITH 4 IDENTITIES ADDED:
The Fay siblings located in the death records were the cousins of one of "The Unidentified Children," Child Fay. This not only gives us another puzzle piece for the list of potential burials, this piece SNAPS the two Fay families together as a "family group."
SOURCES:
Brigham Street Burial Ground (Northborough, Worcester County, Massachusetts; 360-380 Brigham Street).
Howard Street Old Burial Ground (Northborough, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
Parkman, Ebenezer. The Diary of Ebenezer Parkman (1703-1782): First Part, three Volumes in One (1719-1755). Edited by Francis G. Walett. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 1974.
Vital Records of Northborough, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1850. Worcester, Mass.: Franklin P. Rice, 1901.
SOURCES:
Brigham Street Burial Ground (Northborough, Worcester County, Massachusetts; 360-380 Brigham Street).
Howard Street Old Burial Ground (Northborough, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
Parkman, Ebenezer. The Diary of Ebenezer Parkman (1703-1782): First Part, three Volumes in One (1719-1755). Edited by Francis G. Walett. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 1974.
Vital Records of Northborough, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1850. Worcester, Mass.: Franklin P. Rice, 1901.
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HOLLOWAY/WHEELER Family + HOLLOWAY Child = Family Group
There were two pieces of the puzzle that needed to be investigated:
(1) The 4 known burials of the Holloway extended family
(2) The newly found burial of a Holloway child (from Rev. Ebenezer Parkman's August 1738 diary entry)
The shared surname indicated that there may have been a close familial relationship and that families did desire to be buried together.
Further investigation found that the Holloway child was the grandchild of Adam Holloway (the oldest of the remaining stones in the Brigham Street Burial Ground). Adam's son William had at least 8 children, all born before or during the years the Brigham Street burial site was officially active (1727-1749). As for the exact identity of the child who is buried there, additional research needs to be done, specifically to document which children died on or before Aug 1738. To date, I have a record of one childhood death, that of William Holloway, Jr. (1726-1727).
There were two pieces of the puzzle that needed to be investigated:
(1) The 4 known burials of the Holloway extended family
(2) The newly found burial of a Holloway child (from Rev. Ebenezer Parkman's August 1738 diary entry)
The shared surname indicated that there may have been a close familial relationship and that families did desire to be buried together.
Further investigation found that the Holloway child was the grandchild of Adam Holloway (the oldest of the remaining stones in the Brigham Street Burial Ground). Adam's son William had at least 8 children, all born before or during the years the Brigham Street burial site was officially active (1727-1749). As for the exact identity of the child who is buried there, additional research needs to be done, specifically to document which children died on or before Aug 1738. To date, I have a record of one childhood death, that of William Holloway, Jr. (1726-1727).
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This week has been spent researching the Who's Who of Adam Holloway's early colonial family. Using various towns' birth, marriage, and death records in tandem with the town's published histories, I've uncovered a wonderfully large family full of intriguing stories. There are promising lives lost to Indian terrorism, young love cut short by war, widows left to build new lives in new places...and the brave men that took risks to plant the seeds of our country's strength.
While there are many more places to peek for clues to this family's adventures, the one little tidbit that keeps cropping up is how my modern life crosses their old paths every blessed day. I found Adam's burial place quite out of curiosity, nothing else. But I have also discovered that he and his family are a lot closer; they probably owned the land on which my house was built. That can only mean one thing; the meadow I gaze across every morning with my cup of coffee and the nearby hillside I fall in love with all over again every foliage season has taken on another facet which can only be explained by Serendipity.
The next time you see an old stone wall or a clearing in the woods, think of our early pioneers...and just imagine what is was like to be them. Eye opening, really.
While there are many more places to peek for clues to this family's adventures, the one little tidbit that keeps cropping up is how my modern life crosses their old paths every blessed day. I found Adam's burial place quite out of curiosity, nothing else. But I have also discovered that he and his family are a lot closer; they probably owned the land on which my house was built. That can only mean one thing; the meadow I gaze across every morning with my cup of coffee and the nearby hillside I fall in love with all over again every foliage season has taken on another facet which can only be explained by Serendipity.
The next time you see an old stone wall or a clearing in the woods, think of our early pioneers...and just imagine what is was like to be them. Eye opening, really.
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When Daniel Howe (d.1779) wanted to be buried with his parents, well after the cemetery was "closed," it reminded me that a person's desire to end one's time on earth alongside family was (and still is) a very important part of our culture.
To show how this might play an important part in solving the mystery of "WHO?" for our project, I created very simple family trees to show the relationships of family members as they are identified. To date, I've identified 2 family groups (HOWE and HOLLOWAY/WHEELER). Of the 3 children I've yet to identify for gender and names, one is a HOLLOWAY.
LESSON LEARNED: As for the children pre-deceasing their parents, it will be interesting to see with whom they might have been buried, following the theory that you stick with family. The research trail for these little souls will start by researching the death records of their parents and locating their burials.
To show how this might play an important part in solving the mystery of "WHO?" for our project, I created very simple family trees to show the relationships of family members as they are identified. To date, I've identified 2 family groups (HOWE and HOLLOWAY/WHEELER). Of the 3 children I've yet to identify for gender and names, one is a HOLLOWAY.
LESSON LEARNED: As for the children pre-deceasing their parents, it will be interesting to see with whom they might have been buried, following the theory that you stick with family. The research trail for these little souls will start by researching the death records of their parents and locating their burials.
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Sometimes Serendipity happens. After I found a few sections of Reverend Ebenezer’s published diary online, I understood the importance of having access to all available diary entries. By following his ministrations throughout his tenure [which included the years the Brigham Street Old Burial Ground was active], I theorized that I might find more clues about who was buried there as he would have officiated at the funerals. The repository to use is the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester), which holds most of the surviving original diary volumes. More investigating revealed that the society published a transcription of their holdings in 1974, which included an Introduction jam-packed with historical fact gems.
No stranger to online bargain hunting, I looked up what was available through online booksellers of rare and used books. And there it was on eBay. Among listings for the price as high as $380 was a copy containing 3 volumes of Rev. Parkman’s diary for $4. Really, I kid you not. For the total price of about $8 with shipping, I received in the mail today the most valuable resource imagined for this particular research project.
And the surprises just kept on coming. I opened up to a random page, only to find Rev. Parkman visiting with Hezekiah Howe, one of the unidentified burials I found last week. Hezekiah was alive and well, waiting to tell us his story. On the same page was a funeral and conversations about 3 children recently buried in the northern “side of town” as well. Time to clean my new glasses and get reading from page 1.
LESSON LEARNED: A book reseller in Arizona has absolutely no clue about the historical value of a first-person account of early colonial life in Massachusetts. In other words, the significance of an eyewitness reporting events as they happenis absolutely huge. And I have the genealogical equivalent of gold sitting right here on my desk.
Source
Parkman, Ebenezer. The Diary of Ebenezer Parkman (1703-1782): First Part, Three Volumes in One (1719-1755). Edited by Francis G. Walett. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 1974.
No stranger to online bargain hunting, I looked up what was available through online booksellers of rare and used books. And there it was on eBay. Among listings for the price as high as $380 was a copy containing 3 volumes of Rev. Parkman’s diary for $4. Really, I kid you not. For the total price of about $8 with shipping, I received in the mail today the most valuable resource imagined for this particular research project.
And the surprises just kept on coming. I opened up to a random page, only to find Rev. Parkman visiting with Hezekiah Howe, one of the unidentified burials I found last week. Hezekiah was alive and well, waiting to tell us his story. On the same page was a funeral and conversations about 3 children recently buried in the northern “side of town” as well. Time to clean my new glasses and get reading from page 1.
LESSON LEARNED: A book reseller in Arizona has absolutely no clue about the historical value of a first-person account of early colonial life in Massachusetts. In other words, the significance of an eyewitness reporting events as they happenis absolutely huge. And I have the genealogical equivalent of gold sitting right here on my desk.
Source
Parkman, Ebenezer. The Diary of Ebenezer Parkman (1703-1782): First Part, Three Volumes in One (1719-1755). Edited by Francis G. Walett. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 1974.
