Ruth BARRETT

Ruth BARRETT, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

New England Graveyards like the Pan Burying Ground (which is on the National Historic Register) are filled with groups of gravestones which most of the time are of a family nature. Most times, husbands are buried with wives as in the case of Ruth buried (and leaning toward her husband).

Notice that Ruth's gravestone is somewhat smaller than her husband's gravestone and her design does match his.

However, Ruth (Ruth Barrett, as it says at Find-a-Grave) lived until 1841 and was 92 at her death. This is probably way her gravestone is a bit more ornate with the sun motifs.

Families try to have the husband and wife gravestones match for a feeling of permanence. It is not uncommon for a man to be buried with his first wife and not his second, especially if the first wife is the mother of the children.

The second wife can be buried many miles away if she went to live with an adult child when she was a widow.  

   

Deacon Jonathan NOURSE

Deacon Jonathan NOURSE, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I don't know if the descendants of accused witch, Rebecca Towne Nurse, chose to alter their surname or whether the surname was originally spelled NOURSE but I think thse folks buried at Pan Burying Ground are descendants from this family. These gravestones are linked backwards in time at Find-A-Grave to her.

There is a blog for The Rebecca NURSE Homestead which is located in present day, Danvers, MA. 

Deacon Jonathan NOURSE's gravestone is large and has a great weeping willow motif. If it wasn't for the lichen, this would be a spectacular gravestone. The flag and holder indicates that he served in the Revolutionary War.

Pause a moment this week to mourn for the awful events of accusing persons of witchcraft.  

Haven NEWTON

Haven NEWTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Buried in Pan Burying Ground, Bolton, MA

Haven NEWTON

This classic 1800's gravestone features the lovely weeping willow and urn, sharply defined  round top and square sides. It could easily have been the design of a headboard. It is clearly read after all these years.

The problem with this gravestone is in the thin cross marks of the year 1847. After many more years, it will be hard to read the 4 in the 1847. 

I love the way the name and the vital record information is set out in the rectangle. It looks as if the gravestone carver could have mass manufactured a single design and just put the name and dates in that space.

S. of U. V. Aux. 20

S. of U. V. Aux. 20, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Pan Burying Ground in Bolton, MA

What does this small metal object next to a grave indicate?

This is a grave marker for a veteran of the Civil War. It meant that the person belonged to an auxillary chapter (#20) of the Sons of Union Veterans.

Always photograph any flag or organization markers when you photograph your ancestors graves!

Mary HOUGHTON

Mary HOUGHTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Buried at the Pan Burying Ground in Bolton, MA

Mary HOUGHTON

Yesterday, we looked at the gravestone of Cephas HOUGHTON, who died in 1865. Notice that this grave, of a Mary HOUGHTON does NOT say she was the wife of Cephas. It does say that she also died in 1865. The shape of the gravestone with the turned up ends and the scrollwork are exactly the same as the other gravestone. Hmmm... So the question becomes, who was Mary?

I only found out who Mary was when I looked up the death record of Cephas. There on the same page is the death of Mary. She was single and the daughter of Cephas. Don't make the assumption that just because a gravestone looks like another in the same location! 

Cephas HOUGHTON

Cephas HOUGHTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

 Buried in the Pan Burying Ground in Bolton, Massachusetts

In this simple gravestone of the 1860s, note the scroll work above the name. The shape of the gravestone is slightly different from others in this time period because it dips at the end of the top.

This is his information at Find-a-Grave. Note that the person who posted the photo did quite a bit of research.

Cephas Houghton

According to the Massachusetts Vital Records, Cephas died 12 Oct 1865, of Dysentery and Thyphoid Fever at 71 Years, 3 Months and 5 Days.

Flowers for Your Compliments

DSC04443 a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I have had many Facebook messages, posting and some emails about the award my blog received from Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Genealogy Blogs.

Thank you.

Having this honor two years in a row is surprising really. I always gain exciting new blogs to read from the list of those who were nominated. I still enjoy seeing my name in the magazine so I am looking forward to having it in my mailbox.

So, here's some flowers for all my readers. Yes, I know they are stone. This lovely gravestone, I cropped slightly askew so you could see a gravestone in the background. This lady and her husband next to her must have a story. I think I'll find out.

It is what I do, you know....

Tombstone Tuesday: Mr. William W. Robinson

DSC04456
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

It amazes me that I often take a random photo in a cemetery because I feel that there will be a story behind the stone. In this case, there were no other graves nearby with this surname. This is a Civil War grave. I wondered at the time, "Is there anybody to remember this couple?"

Having a clear photograph of the dates and the unit in which he served. I immediately looked in up in this site.

It was as it says. He served in the 44 Massachusetts Militia Infantry in Company B as a private. (MS44 roll 34). Next, I turned to Ancestry.com to locate this couple in the 1900 census and just as I thought, his wife Fannie listed the number of children as zero. Now, the scroll at the top of this gravestone visually holding this couple together makes sense. They were very close. Can't you just tell? It lists him as a carpenter being born in Apr of 1837 and she as born in Dec 1839.

I found out from that census record that they were married 40 years in 1900 which sets the marriage in the range of 1859 to 1860.  From there I went to the Massachusetts Vital Records [at NEHGS] and found their marriage record easily. (I wish everything was this quick, don't you?) 23 November 1859.

Fannie was the daughter of Sherman Houghton and his wife Sarah. William was the son of William and Ann Robinson. He was born in Stow and she was born in Bolton. It is fitting that they are buried in this lovely Pan Burying Ground in Bolton near the Stow line.

Surname Saturday: Weatherbee

DSC04432
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Last weekend, I went out to help a fellow Facebook friend find a direct line gravestone in her line. I didn't find it. She came here anyway and she didn't find it either. How disappointing...

The same surname appears in this cemetery in the next town over. It reminds me to tell readers that people in the same family can be found in surrounding towns. You just have to keep looking.

Pan Burying Ground

Pan Burying Ground
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

The weather for the rest of this week did not look good, so yesterday my "boneyard buddy" who is my newly retired husband Steve, and I pulled out the cemetery bag, the new mirror, put on our old clothes and waterproof shoes. We joyfully got into the car and headed past the numerous apple orchards in this area to the most lovely Pan Burying Ground in the next town.

This cemetery is visible from the exit off Rt. 495 and I vowed I wasn't going back on the highway again until we took a closer look at it.

What you can see in this photo is the watering hose that the town has put out to water the newly planted trees outside of the stone wall of the cemetery.

This is Massachusetts Historical Cemetery 801. It used to be known as the East Burying Ground. It is not the oldest cemetery in Bolton.