John Crandall

John Crandall
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Graveyard Rabbits Carnival, August 2009 edition

When I first started to take gravestone photographs, I took this photograph not knowing anything about the surname Crandall [Crandal]. I took this photo because I was surprised to see how remarkably clear and unbroken this gravestone was compared to the other gravestones in this burying ground. It has to be special, I thought!

Because I have so many ancestors buried in this, the Whitehall Burying Ground #21 in Mystic, CT, I kept it in my gravestone folder and never researched it.

When my cousin, Fred Burdick, showed me his photographs, on CD, all researched and browse-able and shared his method and map of how he went about organizing his work to take the photos, I started to work on the gravestones that he couldn't find out anymore about (at that time).

This is the problem with research. It is never done and once you put what you know "out there" in print or on the Web, people think that is all there is to find out.

Last summer, my cousin, Scott Bill Hirst, kept asking me if I was a Crandall descendant. He was so insistent that I look into this, I began to feel that probably he was right. Not long after that, I found out that I was, yes indeedy, a Crandall descendant!

Suddenly, I remembered this gravestone. I pulled up the genealogy of Elder John Crandall and found the entry for this young man. His parents were Samuel Crandall (son of Elder John) and his wife Sarah COLBY. [Crandall Family Burial Ground]

John is listed in the genealogy as being born 11 January 1693 and there is nothing else written there. I am assuming John was born in Rhode Island, so why he was in Mystic at the time of his death? I don't know. Was he an apprentice to a family in Mystic? I guess we will never know.

This gravestone photograph is a favorite because it was carved by John Stevens I (1647-1736) of Newport, RI. The engraving looks scratched in and the top of the skull is described as a "baker's hat". The Farber Collection of gravestones carved by this gravestone carber seems to confirm this. I am not an expert in who the carvers were but I am reading "Graven Images" and it is an interesting textbook of New England Gravestone research.

I am wondering today if the genealogist for the Crandall Family Association knows that young John's gravestone exists?

John and Priscilla ALDEN

John and Priscilla ALDEN
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Only a few feet away from the directional sign are the memorial gravestone for John ALDEN and his wife Priscilla MULLINS. The pole in this photo has a matching sign (up high) to the directional sign stating that these are the graves of John and Priscilla Alden.

When photographing graves, it is a good idea to take a few shots of graves nearby. Sometimes, there are clues on them that will help you with the research.

Miles Standish Burying Ground Entrance

Miles Standish Burying Ground Entrance
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

When looking around in a cemetery or burying ground, it is important to take a photo of the entrance area, so that if you come back or have to give directions to others, you have something for them to go by.

Each season can make a cemetery look completely different. Snow and fallen leaves can cover graves and make them hard to find.

Direction Sign

Direction Sign
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Seldom seen in ancient burying grounds are signs like this one.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a sign pointing to (even the section) the grave of the people are are looking for?

Actually, this is misleading. This sign points to the MEMORIAL stones for the Aldens.

Maybe they are buried here and maybe only nearby? No one is sure.

No Place to Park

No Place to Park
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

With a land-locked burying ground such as this one [Miles Standish Burying Ground], it is important to find a safe place to put your car while you explore. It is NOT OK to park on private property such as the nice driveway you see here.

This photo also shows that there is NO memorial stone for George Soule's wife and there is no marker sign for visitors to locate this gravestone.

[Click on the photo here to see a larger image.]

Information about George Soule from Caleb Johnson's Mayflower History Web site.

Related posts: Entrance, Memorial Gravestone, Genealogist and George

Miles Standish Burying Ground Entrance

Miles Standish Burying Ground Entrance
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the entrance to the Miles Standish Burying Ground in South Duxbury, MA. I liked the way they created a sign for locating the specific memorial stones and for the location of what used to be the meeting house that this ancient graveyard was next to. Naturally, some of the people buried here were ministers of that church.

I took a photo of the street sign at the corner so that people could more easily find this cemetery. It is located facing Chestnut St. and the intersecting street is appropriately called Pilgrim By Way. This one had no place to park which is all too common here in New England.

Wouldn't it be great if all cemeteries were given a street address so we could find them better?
The larger cemeteries I frequent do have street address, both have Web pages, and a list of rules and regulations for visitors. It is cemeteries like this one that are hard to find.

Entrance to Cemetery

Entrance to Cemetery
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Wordless Wednesday Miles Standish Cemetery, South Duxbury, Plymouth MA

George SOULE [gravestone]

George SOULE
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Just so any descendants of George Soule, who read my blog, and would rather have a photo of his gravestone without me in it, I am posting this here. [One reader notes that the photo of me and the grave might be more valuable LOL!]

I have proved my Mayflower line to George Soule so even though this is not an "old" gravestone, it is nice to have for my collection and fun to have my picture taken with.

Please feel free to click on it and go to my Flickr account and keep it for your collection.

"Nearby Rests/George Soule/Pilgrim/A signer of/ The Mayflower Compact/on Nov the 11th 1620/who died in/ January 1679/80/ Erected by the Soule Kindred/ 1971

George SOULE

George SOULE
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Tombstone Tuesday
Gravestone Hunting at Miles Standish Burying Ground, Duxbury, MA ["America's Oldest Maintained Cemetery"]

This is the MEMORIAL gravestone for my direct line ancestor, George SOULE located in the graveyard in South Duxbury, Plymouth County, MA. Please note that he is not really buried here but was buried "somewhere" nearby.

This graveyard is also called, "Old Cemetery at South Duxbury", "Old Burying Ground" and "Standish Cemetery". It is surrounded on three sides by houses and the former location of the Second Meeting House of Duxbury, MA. A lady has posted a scan of an old postcard of this graveyard and it looks as if there was nothing but trees at that time. [Source: Find A Grave]

Luckily for us gravestone hunters, this graveyard was transcribed by Charles M. Thacher in the late 1800s and that transcription is publicly available as a PDF file from the Middleboro, MA public library. Needless to say, this reproduction of a gravestone for George Soule is not included in that record as it was placed here in 1971. (That was the year I got married). There is NO gravestone for his wife.

The town where I reside, Bridgewater, MA was set off from Duxbury in 1656 so Duxbury is the second oldest location in Massachusetts, the first, of course, being Plymouth.

Lovely Day

Lovely Day
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

It was a beautiful day to to to Rhode Island and take some gravestone photos. The cemetery office was locked up tight with no explanation so we will have to go back this summer.

I stopped taking photos and stepped in the shade to cool off and anapped this lovely peaceful scene of the gravestones and the water.

It is a wonderful for my parents to be resting.