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William Tarbell, Groton, MA, 1757 |
Here Lies Ye Body of
Leut William Tarbell Who
Departed This Life Desmbr Ye
26th AD 1757 in Ye 69th Year
of His Age
Here lies intomb'd in this grave here
A Husband kind, a parent dear
A Neighbor good, the poor man's friend
Whom death hath brought unto his end.
It looks like the "AD" was added in after the rest of the line was finished.
Also, this is one of the more pathetic original verses I've seen.
4 comments:
William's stone is also featured in the Farber Collection, as is that of his namesake son, who died the same year. (As far as I know the deaths are unrelated.)
Three of William's siblings -- Zachariah, John and Sarah were captured by Indians and taken to Canada. According to a variety of reasonably reliable sources, including Green, Sarah was ransomed to the French and became a nun, following the course of her better-known 1st cousin once removed -- Lydia Longley. Meanwhile, the two boys reportedly embraced the Mohawk culture and became chiefs.
The Tarbell captives were 2nd cousins to my direct ancestry, and the Longley captives were 1st cousins.
We're probably gonna get yelled at again for stealing the thunder from an upcoming gravestone post. ;-)
Sidebar: William's great-uncle John Tarbell was Rebecca Nurse's son-in-law, having married her daughter Mary, and he was something of a hero in the witch hysteria, consistently opposing Parris and challenging the Putnams' allegations. Also, John's sister Sarah (our William Tarbell's great-aunt) was Rebecca Nurse's daughter-in-law, having married Francis Nurse Jr.
John's gravestone -- or what's left of it -- is pictured at A Very Grave Matter.
Incidentally, this William Tarbell is the direct ancestor of the famous American Impressionist artist, Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938), born in West Groton.
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