Monday, August 30, 2010

Gravestone of the Day: Abigail Blood

Abigail Blood, 1783, Pepperell, MA
N.B. The Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
In memory of
Mrs. Abig'l. Blood, relict of Mr.
John Blood deceas'd, who died
very suddenly (probably of the
apoplexy) upon ye 7th day of
Novr. 1783 In the 61st
Year of her Age.
She was a person of a tender heart;
constant & conscientious in her
duty to GOD & man. ~
"Blessed is that servant whom, his
"Lord when he cometh
"shall find so doing.

"N.B." is striking me as funny — maybe it just sounds incongruously legalistic preceding a Bible verse.

5 comments:

Executed Today said...

How is there not a teen vampire bodice-ripper character with this name?

Robert J. said...

A beautifully preserved Park stone.

The Bloods are an early Concord-area family, and a good illustration of the founder effect, with this comparatively rare name still concentrated heavily in Massachusetts 400 years later. The first two generations are quite confused in the literature. There were apparently four (probable) brothers, Robert, John, Richard, and James, and they came from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, as did the Lakin family, with which the Bloods extensively intermarried. I'm descended from dozens of Bloods and Lakins, although not this particular Abigail.

J. L. Bell said...

I love the “probably” myself.

Unknown said...

I was struck by the "probably" too, J.L. It gives the stone a journalistic touch, and kind of a CSI feel at the same time.

Robert J. said...

Peter, could you send me a private email? (rjohara@post.harvard.edu)

I'm wondering if you might have anything on a Sarah Fisk of Lunenburg who married, 26 November 1759 in Lunenburg, Ephraim Osborn (Ozburn, Osborne, etc.) of Charlestown, Lunenburg, and Fitchburg.

Ephraim died 12 March 1779 in Fitchburg and is relatively easy to trace, but I can find no death date for Sarah (Fisk) Osborn. Ephraim was only 47 when he died, so Sarah may well have remarried and left town, but I can find no further record for her.

Many thanks.

—Bob O'Hara