Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Gravestone of the Day: Darkes Shapcutt

Darkes Shapcutt, 1710, Granary Burying Ground, Boston, MA
DARKES WIFE
TO SAMSON
SHAPCVTT
AGED 24 YEARS
DIED AUGUST
---- 1710

I read this names as "Dorcas." This is one of my favorite colonial-era names, but Pete insists that it would be completely unacceptable for a 21st-century child.

My favorite Dorcas is Darkes Mesenger of Windsor, CT.

1 comment:

Robert J. said...

The husband's name seems to be a variant of Sheepcot or Shepcot. He's a pretty obscure character -- I couldn't find the surname at all in Savage's Dictionary. It appears Darkas and Samson were married by Cotton Mather himself.

It's a lovely little stone. And "Sampson Sheepcot" would be another good Sesame Street name.