Gravestone of the Day: John Butterfield

John Butterfield, 1766, Chelmsford, MA

Here lies the Body of

Capt: John Butterfield, who

departed this Life Janur:

8th 1766 Aged 67 Years

11 months, and 26 days.

The sin of Adam's laid me lo,

For sin hath wrought an overthrow,

From dust I came, to dust I'm come,

And now the dust's bcome my home;

Then Christ comes down with saints to Reign

Then dust me nomore shall detain.

Gravestone of the Day: Samuel Mumford

Samuel Mumford, 1769, NCBG, Newport, RI

In Memory of Mr. Samuel

Mumford, son of Mr Benjamin &

Mrs. Ann, who died July 16th, 1769,

in ye 46th year of his Age.

Who, equal, steady, sirene, in temper liberal,

hospitable, social, humane, in Deportment,

first in friendship; catholic & benevolent

in principle, patient and persevering in

every duty; who liv,d the man

and died the Christian __

With sighs, his friends recall him but in vain,

when no pretence, a longer stay could gain;

Farewell, they cry dear charming friend; with thee

- - - - - - - -

Gravestone of the Day: Peace Cazneau

Peace Cazneau, 1767, Granary Burying Ground, Boston, MA

Here lies buried

the Body of

Mr. PEACE CAZNEAU

who departed this

Life March 23

1767

Peace Cazneau was either a felt maker or a tavern keeper or both. He came from a family of Huguenots and is sometimes listed in the records as Paix Cazneau.

Gravestone of the Day: Peter Hart & Jubaafford Greenhill-Hart

Peter Hart & Jubaafford Greenhill-Hart, 1763 & 1755, NCBG, Newport, RI

In Memory of

Peter Son of

Michael &

Jane Hart

died Novr ye

5th 176[3] in ye

[10?]th Year of

his Age

In Memory

of Jubaafford

Daughter of 

Harford Green

hill & Jane

Hart died Janr

[5th 1755]*

Peter and Jubaafford were the children of Jane Hart, a slave in Newport, Rhode Island. I don't know for sure which Newport slaveowner owned Jane and her children, but he/she was probably a member of the extensive Hart family, one of the largest and oldest Jewish merchant families in Newport.

The name that caught my eye here was Jubaafford. Google reveals no other Jubaaffords, Jubaffords, Jubaafords, or Jubafords whose records have made it to the internet. Juba is a tricky word to pin down; it is variously a term associated with African-American music, dance, and performers, a name for leftover food, and the Akan name for girls born on Mondays.

It is probably impossible to know for certain how Jubaafford Greenhill-Hart came by her name, but I will venture a tentative speculation. If her father's name was Harford, it seems possible that Jubaafford may be a compound name: Juba + Harford = Jubaafford. Venturing even further out onto the overreaching tendrils of conjecture, it is possible that Jane could have been the slaveowner-given name of an African-born woman named Juba, in much the way that Phibba was often mangled into Phoebe. Even if Jane Hart was named Jane at birth, any name containing "Juba" would be read as a link to West African cultural continuity in a city where many of the most prominent slaves (Newport Gardner/Occramar Mirycoo, Jack Mason/Salmar Nubia) were African-born. To me, Jubaafford seems like a name that is meant to do a lot of work by linking a child to West African language and culture, as well as preserving a link to a paternal name even when slavery prevented the establishment of legally-recognized families and surnames.

Thoughts? Other explanations?

*According to the Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Transcription Project, Jubaafford was born around 1749 and died in 1755.

Gravestone of the Day: Samuel Epes

Samuel Epes, 1760, Cambridge, MA

I am too lazy to transcribe this myself. Here is the William Thaddeus Harris' transcription:

Samuel Epes was a promising young lawyer and politician who died of consumption in 1760. His mother married Harvard President Edward Holyoke after the death of Samuel's father in 1741, when Samuel was eight years old. Holyoke considered Samuel a son — his diary contains entries such as "August 20 [1746] Sons John Holyoke and Samuel Epes first attended school in Boston."

I have not been able to find a translation online. My high school Latin is rusty, but this also looks like another way to say died: "Animam sjus in Jesu sinum expiravit." That must be something along the lines of "His soul expired in Jesus." Sinus means a curve or fold, so maybe something like Jesus' embrace? Does maceratus mean "to chew"? Tabesco means "to waste away," which makes sense because he died of consumption, but "to chew" seems a little graphic.

Gravestone of the Day: Thomas Webb

Thomas Webb, 1769, Granary Burying Ground, Boston, MA

Here lies deposited the Remains

of Mr. THOMAS WEBB

who Died Very suddenly much

lamented ye 8th July 1769

Aged 33 Years.

He was born in the City of

Glocester in England.

This Stone the Hand of Social friendship rears

Whose generous Griefs supply a Parents Tears

Could friendly wishes stay ye Transient Breath

A kind Companion had not tasted Death.

Gravestone of the Day: Hannah Eayrs

Hannah Eayrs, 1760, Granary Burying Ground, Boston, MA

Here lies ye Body of

HANNAH EAYRS, Daught.

of Mr. JOSEPH & Mrs. ANN

EAYRS, who died Feb

ye 17th 1760, Aged

2. Years.

Gravestone of the Day: William Taylor

William Taylor, Holyoke, MA, 1761

WILLIAM Son of

Mr EBENEZER & Mrs

RUTH TAYLOR

died of ye small Pox

April ye 8th 1761 in

His 23d Year

Gravestone of the Day: Josiah Sartell

Josiah Sartell, 1766, Groton, MA

Here lies

the Body of

Josiah Sartell son

of Mr: Ephraim Sartell

Junr: and Mrs: Abigial

his wife, who died

October 26th: AD

1766. Aged 4 Years,

8 months & 26 Days.

Gravestone of the Day: Edward Thurber

Edward Thurber, 1768, North Burial Ground, Providence, RI

IN MEMORY OF

Edward Thurber Late

Deacon of the Baptiss Church

in prouidence Who Departed

This Life June 10th 1768 in

the 67th Year of his Age.

Young and old Booth Grate & Small,

A Word of Caution unto you all

In time of Helth prepair For Death.

Before it be too late

For ---

This verse appears to be original — I can't find any other example of it online (including spelling variations). 

The carver is Seth Luther. He also carved the Samuel Winsor stone, spelling Baptist as "Baptis."

Gravestone of the Day: Joseph Barrett

Joseph Barrett, 1763, South Burying Ground, Concord, MA

Here lies buried the Body

of CAPT: JOSEPH BARRETT

Son of Deacon Humphry and

Mrs: Mary Barrett, who died

the 4th Day of April, Anno

Dom: one Thousand Seven

Hundred and Sixty three,

in the Eighty fifith Year of 

his Age.

Did the Park workshop charge by the letter as the Stevens workshop did? If so, spelling out the year seems like an extravagant waste of space and money.

Gravestone of the Day: Thomas Livermore

Thomas Livermore, 1761, Grove Hill Cemetery, Waltham, MA

Here lie the Remains of THOMAS

LIVERMORE. Justly esteemed for his

Uprightness & Piety, a kind Husband,

tender Parent, an obliging Neighbour

& endearing Friend: Who Sustained the

Office of a Deacon in ye Church more than

forty Years to universal acceptance a

lover of Gods House, constantly attending

his publick Worship he lived under the

Influences of the Christian Hope & died

in Expectation of a blessed I~mortality on

may 8th 1761. AEts. 86 years.

I don't know whether I've ever seen that abbreviation for a double m on a Massachusetts gravestone before. It doesn't seem like it would save time for the carver and he didn't use it on any other consonants.

Gravestone of the Day: Joseph Tinkham

Joseph Tinkham, 1767, Nemasket Hill Cemetery, Middleboro, MA

IN MEMORY OF

JOSEPH TINKHAM ESQr.

WHO DIED APRIL ye

28th 1767 AGED 45

YEARS 4 MONTHS & 1

DAY

Gravestone of the Day: Ruth Conant

Ruth Conant, 1760, South Burying Ground, Concord, MA

Here Lies Buried

The Body of

Ruth Conant Dafter

of Mr Andrew &

Mrs Elisabeth Conant

Who Died March

ye 14 1760

In ye 15 year

of Her Age

Gravestone of the Day: Lot Conant

Lot Conant, 1767, South Burying Ground, Concord, MA

Here lies

Interred the Remains

of Mr: Lot Conant, who

departed this Life

September. 20th: 1767.

In the 90th: year of

his age.

The sin of Adam's laid me low,

For sin hath wrought an overthrow;

From dust I came to dust am come,

And now the dust's become my home;

When Christ comes down with saints to rign

Then dust me no more shall detain.

The Park workshop carvers used this verse more than once. I think it's fairly awkward, but someone must have liked it.

Gravestone of the Day: Beriah Wittney

Beriah Wittney, 1768, Grove Hill Cemetery, Waltham, MA

Here Lies Buried

the Body of

Mrs. BERIAH WITTNEY, Wife

to Mr. JOHN WHITTNEY of

weston) formerly the Wife of

Mr DANIEL CHILD,

by whom She now Lies

Who died Novbr. ye 4th 1768

in ye 88th Year of Her Age.

Gravestone of the Day: Jonathan Blood

Jonathan Blood, 1763, Pepperell, MA

Memento mori

Here lies the Body of

Jonathan Blood the Son of

Deacon David and Mrs. Abigail

Blood, who receiv'd a Wound

by a Cart Wheels going over 

him at Concord July 19th. 1763

of which he died in a few Hours

in the 21st Year of his Age

This is just one of the many gravestones dedicated to people who were killed in cart accidents.

Gravestone of the Day: Thomas Cogwell

Thomas Cogwell, 1761, Haverhill, MA

THOMAS

COGWELL

SON OF MR

JOHN AND

SARAH COG

WELL DIED

AUGUST 6

1761 AGED

3 WEAKS

Gravestone of the Day: Richard Warner

Richard Warner, 1768, Pepperell, MA

ERECTED

In Memory of Mr

RICHARD WARNER

he Departed this Life

Sept. the 15th, 1768 in

Ye 93d Year of his Age.

He was a Kind & Loving husband,

A pleasant & tender Parent, Compas

sionate to the poor, diligent in bu

siness honouring God with his

Substance, & now, is gone to receive

a reward for his past labour.

It looks like this carver initially left the d off of "husband" — the comma suggests that he didn't intend to put it on another line and the size of the d is much smaller than the last two letters of "receive." Dropped ds and ts are not uncommon in New England gravestones.

Gravestone of the Day: Hannah and Daniel Glover

Hannah and Daniel Glover, 1760, Marblehead, MA

Hannah Glover

Who died Octob. 17

1758 Aged 1 year, &

3 days.

Daniel Glover

Who died Octob. 3.

1760 Aged 1 Year &

6 Months.

Children of Mr. John & Mrs. Han-

nah Glover.