Skull and Crossbones (1771)

Skull and Crossbones (1771), a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Mr Melatiah Lothrop

Burial Hill, Plymouth, MA

As listed in A Guide to Plymouth's Historic Old Burial Hill by Theodore P. Burbank (#401 page 43 died 6 July 1771 aged 70)

John HOWLAND

John Howland, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

John Howland's Memorial Gravestone

Download this photo for your own purposes

Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Find-A-Grave page: Burial Hill, Plymouth

John HOWLAND

John Howland
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the memorial stone for John Howland which is located on Burial Hill in Plymouth, MA. Please feel free to take a copy if you are a descendant.

Pilgrim's Pride

Because of where I currently live, I am always up for finding the memorial stone for the "Pilgrims" that seem to be scattered all over Plymouth County. It's a fun project. If you know of any others, please let me know. Remember, these are memorial gravestones not the ones put there when they died.

These are the ones I have located so far (please feel free to add them to your collection.)

George Soule
John Howland
Elizabeth Tilley (his wife)
John Alden
Priscilla Mullins (his wife)
Myles Standish

I had a great comment to this post. John Howland is buried on his own land in Duxbury but that resting place is not marked. The memorial stone is in Burial Hill in Plymouth but as it is a memorial stone it doesn't mark a grave. Elizabeth Tilley's memorial gravestone is in the Ancient Burial Ground RI Cemetery #5 in East Providence, RI (which once was Swansea, MA). She may be buried with the Brown family, but that I don't know. The stone is a memorial gravestone.

When John Howland died, his wife Elizabeth went to live with her daughter who married a Brown and died there.

Back Side of Bradford's Monument

Back Side of Bradford's Monument
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the view of William Bradford's obelisk which lists his traditional birth year and information about his life in Massachusetts.

Hebrew Inscription

William Bradford's Monument
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Jim Baker's book, A Guide to Historic Plymouth, says that the inscription in Hebrew, was inscribed here to recognize that Bradford was trying to teach himself to read Hebrew. [imagine doing that with no help in the 1600s!]

It says, "Jehovah is the help of my life".

Last year, I showed it some friends who came to visit who are Jewish and they were surprised to see it inscribed here so we took them on a stroll by the synagogue in downtown Plymouth.

It's nice to be able to remember everyone's religion since the Pilgrims wanted to make a new life here in the New World. Shouldn't we continue to strive for a better world?

William Bradford

Bradford Plot
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

One of the most visited graves on Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts is the memorial gravestone for Governor William Bradford.

Jim Baker, a noted Mayflower historian, has written a fine book, "A Guide to Historic Plymouth". My favorite chapter is Plymouth Walking Tour 2: Burial Hill (p. 80-89).

This obelisk style memorial was erected in 1825. It may or may not mark any actual burial of Bradford's remains as it is not known where he was laid to rest in 1657. His son, Major William Bradford, wished to be buried by his father's side and this is where he was laid to rest in 1704 so perhaps the tradition is correct. No one knows.

Plymouth is not too far from my home and we often go here and take photos. It is on a very steep hill and you must pay attention to your feet while you are looking at graves. (Jack and Jill tumbling down the hill). It overlooks Plymouth Harbor and it is freezing there when it is windy. You have to have sympathy for those who came here under less than ideal weather.

Bradford Plot

Bradford Plot
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Tombstone Tuesday

This is the area of Burial Hill where the family of William Bradford is resting in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Elder William Brewster (Memorial Stone)

Elder William Brewster (Memorial Stone)
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Wordless Wednesday: Memorial Stone for Elder Brewster
Burial Hill, Plymouth, MA

Wordless Wednesday

Edward Doty (Memorial Stone)
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Burial Hill, Plymouth, MA

Adventures at Burial Hill

John BARTLETT
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Yesterday, I went to Plymouth to tour the newly renovated Pilgrim Hall Museum. I am having visitors in the fall who will be staying in Plymouth for part of their vacation and I wanted to spend some time there deciding what they might like to see.

For fun, I trekked up Burial Hill once again. I enjoyed taking random shots of interesting gravestones, like this one, and to my delight I have discovered a database of transcriptions of this cemetery at Ancestry.com. If I had known that before I left I might have taken twice as many photos.

So many people visit this burying ground that many of the interesting and oldest stones have been encased in granite molds. It looks weird to me but the ground of this hill is, well, hilly. One misstep and like Jill of Jack and Jill, I could have rolled down the hill and broken my crown. I decided to be choosy where I stepped. After all, I am getting old.

What a lovely summer day to take photos!

Edward Gray Grave sign

Edward Gray's Gravesite
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This sign next to Edward Gray's gravestone certainly makes it easy to locate. I don't think you will miss it if you visit here.

Edward Gray's Gravestone

Edward Gray's Gravestone
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

At once time, old gravestones were re-set in concrete as it was thought to better preserve them. (Probably not.)

In this case, this gravestone may have been set in concrete to deter theft as his grave is the oldest on Burial Hill. Early graves of the first English settlers were marked with wooden markers, fieldstones or not at all.

Close-up of Edward Gray

Close-up Edward Gray's Gravestone
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is a close-up of the oldest surviving gravestone on Burial Hill in Plymouth, MA. It is very hard to photograph since it is located in a heavily treed section of Burial Hill.

If you click on this photo, it will bring you to Flickr where I have attempted a transcription of the carving.

History of the Town of Plymouth by James Thacher

History of the Town of Plymouth, from Its First Settlement in 1620, to the Present Time With a Concise History of the Aborigines of New England, and Their Wars with the English, &c. By James Thacher: ""