Deacon Thomas Barrett of Concord

Photos by Carolyn Stone, used with permission

Deacon Thomas Barrett

Carolyn Stone shared these photos she took at Old Hill Burying Ground in Concord, MA of Deacon Thomas Barrett's gravestone because she knows that I am studying "Undifferentiated faces" this month. It is hard not to believe that this is not a portrait of this man, isn't it? I suppose we'll never know.

Deacon Thomas Barrett at Find-a-Grave is an example of the fine sharing that is going on in the gravestone lovers community. Let's be positive and hope it continues.

Tombstone Tuesday: Elizabeth Barrett

Prepare for Death: Elizabeth Barrett

Elizabeth BARRETT, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Elizabeth Barrett was the wife of Zoroable Rice. Her slate gravestone is as intriguing as the one that was carved for her husband. I have not seen the "wings" of the undifferentiated or "portrait" face depicted in the tight upright position like this on other gravestones. Her footstone is also decorated.

The lovely ornamental carvings on the side panels of her gravestone did not leave enough room for her name, relationship or the dates. As you can see, there's a lot of hypenation and spacing issues.

The daughter of Thomas Barrett and his wife Elizabeth Stow and the sister of Lydia (who also married into this family) was born 12 Jun 1677 in nearby Sudbury. She married Zoroable on 4 Feb 1728/9 in Marlborough. As her parents are buried in Spring Hill cemetery, they must have moved to Marlborough at some time.

Elizabeth died in 1770 before her husband. She was 67 years and 10 months as we can see by this clip of the carvings. She is buried alongside her husband in the Old Common Cemetery in Marlborough, Middlesex, MA

The epitaph or verse on Elizabeth's gravestone is the one that appears (in several forms) on so many New England gravestones.

Behold & see! as you pass by,

As you are now, so once was I;

As I am now, so you must be,

Prepare for Death, & Follow me.

Elizabeth's gravestone can be examined more closely here.