Tombstone Tuesday: Lt. Benadam GALLUP

Photo by Brian Zoldak, 2014, used with permission
Row #4, Grave #308-10-066, GPS 41.41602 N - 71.97199 W
 (Transcript from Hale Survey)
Gallup, Lt. Benadam, died July 30, 1755, age 62,
(Note: The Hale shows his age at death as 62, but the stone has his age at death as in his 63rd year)

Lieut. Benadam GALLUP, II
(Benadam3, John2, John1)
1693-1755

Lieut. Benadam Gallup's father is the man buried at Whitehall Cemetery, in Mystic, CT. From that find of his gravestone, I began to look for the next generation and found them in a list of burials in Ledyard. That list was incomplete and erroneously listed as a cemetery in Ledyard Center, so we drove all around looking for this cemetery until a lady came out of her house and directed us to it a bit further away. I have since learned to go through "Old Mystic" and found it to be a  much quicker route.  I doubt if I need to go there again since Brian did a great job of recording this private burying ground.

Benadam Gallup, (Benadam, John, John) is buried with his wife in between his son and his grandson. He was my 7th great grandfather and was born on 18 April 1693 in Stonington (Mystic) which is why his father and mother (and other Gallups) are buried there. He died on 30 Sept 1755 in Groton, CT.

You can see that this gravestone, broken and lichen covered begins with the classic phrase, "In Memory of".  The original land for John Gallup is now called the Coogan Farm and is where the 2015 Gallup Family Reunion was held.

An older version of the Gallup genealogy (1987) tells us (page 12) that this Benadam Gallup built a log cabin on the land that was given to him from Connecticut and it was called "The Old Close". it was the first Gallup home in Groton (now Ledyard) built by the Gallup family. "In 1730, a commodious house was built." It tells us that Lieut. Gallup was commissioned Lieut of the 2nd Co.  Colonial colony.  

His gravestone reads: In Memory of/ Lieut. Benadam/ Gallup who died/ Septr ye 30th 1755/ in ye 63rd year /of his age.

Tombstone Tuesday: Hannah AVERY

Photo by Brian Zoldak, 2014Row #4, Grave #308-10-065, GPS 41.41688 N - 71.97194 W
(Transcript from Hale Survey) Gallup,
Hannah, wife of Col. Benadam, died July 28, 1799, age 80
(Note: The Hale shows her age at death as being 80, But the stone has her having died in her 81st year) Maiden name is Avery daughter of Christopher & Prudence

Hannah AVERY
Death is uncertain/yet most sure/
Sin is the wound/Christ is the cure

Hannah was the daughter of Christopher AVERY (1678-1753) and his wife Prudence PAYSON (1680-1735) and wife to Col. Benadam Gallup, III. She was the mother of a dozen children including the four who died of typhoid fever.

She was born 1 Feb 1718 and died on 28 July 1799 leaving her husband a widower but not for long since he died in 1800.

Tombstone Tuesday: Col Ben Adam GALLUP

Photo by Brian Zoldak, 2014, used with permission
Row #4, Grave #308-10-064, GPS 41.41685 N - 71.97192 W
(Transcript from Hale Survey)
Gallup, Benadam, died Mar., 29, 1800, age 83
(Note: The Hale shows his age at death as being 83, But the stone has his death in his 84th year)

Col. Ben Adam GALLUP, III

(Benadam4, Benadam3, John2, John1)
(1716-1800)

Benadam Gallup was one of my 6th great grandfathers and it was his gravestone that brought me to the Gallup Burying Ground #10 in Ledyard, CT on Sunday, 23 May 2004 because this is the ancestor who is my proved DAR Patriot ancestor. 

I remember not having ever heard of the name Benadam before. I was pleased to see that it is carved as Ben Adam because so many people have his name as Benjamin Adam Gallup in their tree. Was it shortened or was this written like this in a family Bible?

He is known as Col. Benadam GALLUP III in the current Gallup Geenalogy (2009) on page 92 #334

Was Col. Gallup the father of a child born to a female slave in his household?

If this gravestone looks familiar it is because I have written several blog posts about this gravestone. It was one of my most treasured adventures as a gravestone photographer. 

Col. Benadam Gallup (post of 19 Sept 2007) Journey to an Ancestor (post of 20 Aug 2008)

Be Bold, Be Wyse, Be Revolutionary (post of 21 Aug 2008)

Lydia, daughter of Col Benadam Gallup, negro girl (post of  1 Mar 2010)

Order of Gravestones Matters

Map by Brian Zoldak, 2014
used with permission

Order of Gravestones Matters

Brian Zoldak was clever in that he created his own numbering system for the Gallup Burying Ground and made his own map so that the order of the gravestones could be remembered. Placement of the stones, especially in Row Four is essential because this is where MY ancestors are buried. It most likely matters to other people too because so many of us are descended from one or all of the men named Benadam Gallup.

Benadam Gallup (John, John) is buried at Whitehall Cemetery in Mystic. (1655-1727) His wife was named Hester/Esther Prentice.

Benadam Gallup (Benadam, John, John) was his son (1693-1755) and is identified as Row 4, Grave #66 and his wife Eunice Cobb (Grave #67). 

Col. Benadam Gallup (Benadam, Benadam, John, John) was his son (1716-1800) and is identified as Row 4, Grave #64) and his wife Hannah Avery (Grave #65)

So, as you can see the Benadam that died in 1800 is buried in this Row 4 and THEN, his father named Benadam that died in 1727 comes next. Standing in front of these graves can be confusing because you expect to see father, son and grandson buried in that order. BUT, it depends when they had to bury people and sometimes the first people to die are children and they need to be buried with their parents so that is why you see groups of gravestones in current cemeteries and not neat rows like this cemetery.

Deac. Benadam Gallup (Benadam, Benadam, Benadam, John, John) is buried next Row #4, Grave # 68 and his wife Bridget Palmer (Grave #69)

I have tried to take a photo of them in the row but I didn't have a panorama photo ability at any of my visits.  Son and then father

Tombstone Tuesday: Updating a Gravestone

Photos of Gravestones by Scott Bill Hirst (2008) and Barbara Trowbridge (2016)
used with permission

Sad Task: Updating a Gravestone

My aunt and maternal cousin, Hannah, shown here with my father's brother Bill who was her husband, outlived all of the people in her generation. She was born in the same year as my father but she grew up and lived in another town close by. They are buried with her parents as many couples are. (Pine Grove Cemetery in Hopkinton, RI)

My parents are buried with my father's family but at the other end of the plot my mother's grandparents are resting. They are in Westerly, RI at River Bend Cemetery.

This granite stone monument was probably put up before my aunt and uncle died  Most likely the headstones were set as people died or all at once a long time ago. Notice the back of the monument is not smooth or carved because my uncle and his wife were childless. 

The headstones run along the side of the monument and of course, if they are casket burials, their heads rest at the base of the headstone. This gives the people walking by time to read the names and for family to place flowers or plants in front of the place where the names are carved.

It was arranged that Hannah's death year be put on the monument to update and complete the resting place. Over time, those numerals will not look new but it is nice to see how cleanly they are carved.

It is a sad task to "finish" a family in this way. I recently inherited some of her photographs so these people will be remembered in my family tree.

Every day, genealogists remember those they knew and those they didn't by photographing the plots. Cemeteries that don't allow this are not on my list of places to visit.