Tombstone Tuesday: William Chesebrough

Photo by Frederick E. Burdick, used with permission

Founder of Stonington, Connecticut:
William Chesebrough

I confess to being descended from all four men who founded Stonington, Connecticut. This photograph from Wequetequock Cemetery (pronounced Wickety-Quock) [1650] was taken by my cousin Fred Burdick in 2004. The cemetery on Find-a-Grave has some excellent photos of this ancient burying place. Fred took us there and we wandered around with him as tour guide. He gave me a CD of his photos and research and I didn't take even one photo. 

The compiled genealogy of William Chesebrough, published in 1903 shows how complex the descendants of this founder can be but I was able, early in my genealogy adventure, to start a path down from this 8th great grandfather to myself. I have read that he came in the company of those in the Winthrop fleet from Boston, Lincolnshire, England. 

One line of mine descended from William Chesebrough works down to my great grandmother, Ada Ann Evans, wife of Charles E. Stewart. But, I was never able to find records that I needed. Ada is a particular favorite ancestor of mine because my middle name is Ada and I have inherited her wedding ring. I gave it to my son-in-law to have the stones reset in my daughter's wedding band to keep the family jewels going....

Ada was a quiet woman who loved to read (as told to me by my grandmother) and judging from the size of her wedding band, quite heavy. She is the only great grandparent that I don't have a photograph of. It makes me even more curious about her family.

Her ancestor path is hard to prove because it involves geography. It wasn't until Wayne Howland took a photo of a gravestone in Hillside Cemetery in North Adams, MA that I began to understand how I was going to have a records nightmare despite the "correctness" of the compiled genealogy. 

Ada's boys are the inspiration for this complex investigation. I suspect that great uncle Dudley looked like his mother.

Tombstone Tuesday: Rev. James Noyes

Photo by Frederck E. Burdick, town historian (please respect his copyright)
CD of this graveyard is available for purchase from him.

Used with Permission

This gravestone, one of the most amazing in the Wequetequock Burying Ground in Mystic, CT (1650), the oldest graveyard in Stonington, is a fine example of a tablet stone and are very hard to photograph because you must be up above it to get it all in the frame. I visited this graveyard with Fred a few years ago and decided not to take any photos but just walk around and look at the stones he pointed out. So many of my ancestors are buried there.

I didn't know, at that time, that my Stanton line is from this man's wife, Dorothy Stanton. That's the line I used to join the Thomas Stanton Society and the late Bernie Stanton told me that not too many people have chosen to join with this line.

I like the words, "In expection...", because he was a minister for more than 55 years. He should expect a good spot in Heaven, don't you think?

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Kathy of "I Will Remember" who lives in my home state of Rhode Island and I have become aware that some of the lines in our families may overlap!

Her post for this past Tuesday's Tombstone Tuesday is a great shot of her husband in the Wequetequock Burial Ground in Stonington standing next to the Minor side of the monument erected to Thomas Minor. I am also descended from this founder of Stonington, Ct where this gravestone is located. Thomas Minor/Miner has a great wolfstone. Be sure not to miss this great post!

As you can see, this cemetery has an unusual name as it is named after its ancient location and it is pronounced "Wickety-quock." [source]

I have visted this cemetery but took no photos as the sun was too low. My cousin and gravestone buddy  has photographed and researched this ancient burying ground. Whenever I want to visit, I just have to pop the CD in my computer drive and I'm there.

Thanks Kathy for the great post!