Grave Marker's Mark

Grave Marker's Mark, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The gravestone of Martha that I posted a few days ago, was not easily read but does have a carver's mark visible on the stone.

It reads J. O'C

Molly of the Southborough Historical Society offers her research on this gravestone carver. I am posting here her exact email to me. This is the reason why it is important to work with the historical society.

"James O'Connor" in Framingham in the 1872 - 1873 city directory who was a "marble worker" (he was 45 in 1870 census in Framingham). I also found him in the 1873 Middlesex County listings for "marble workers (see also stone cutters)" on page 233 - image #247 AND amazingly in the 1889 Directory for Milford, Hopedale, Natick, Framingham, and Holliston, not retired still working as a marble cutter, still in the same house. He would have been approx. 64 !!!!!! James died Dec. 10, 1902 in Framingham at the age of 77 of pneumonia. He was born in March of 1826 in Ireland. I couldn't find him in any censuses or directories before 1872 - 1873 or between 1873 and 1889. He's still listed under "marble + granite" in the 1900 in Framingham Directory. In the 1900 census he's listed as a granite cutter. It also says that he came from Ireland in 1860.
So,,,,,,,,,,,,,, if he's the right J. O'Connor he carved Martha's stone between 1860 and probably about 1880-1885 maybe as late as 1890 which doesn't really narrow it down all that much but ay least it eliminates the 1830s, '40s, and '50s.