Gravestone of the Day: Mary Willington

Mary Willington, 1799, Arlington, MA

SACRED

to the memory of

Miss MARY WILLINGTON,

dau. of Coln.

JEDUTHAN and Mrs.

SUSANNAH WILLINGTON,

who died 26 Aug. 1799;

AEt. 16.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

Gravestone of the Day: Hephzibah Dickinson

 Hephzibah Dickinson, 1795, Hatfield, MA

In Memory of

Miss Hephzibah Dickinson

Daughter of Colo Lemuel

and Mrs Molly Dickin

son, who died Decr 29th

1795. in the 21st Year

of hir Age.

Gravestone of the Day: Abigail Carlile

Abigail Carlile, 1797, York, ME

SACRED

to the memory of

MRS. ABIGAIL CARLILE,

wife of

Mr. John Carlile, &

daur of Mr. Henry Sewall,

born Jan. 11, 1758,

died July 17, 1797,

AEt. 40.

without issue.

A lively christian.

Near this stone are deposited the re-

mains of BENJAMIN and DANIEL,

infants, and children of

Daniel Sewall Esq.

"Of such is the kingdom of Heaven."

Daniel Sewall (1755-1842) was Abigail's older brother. He married Dorcas Bartlett (1759-1843) in 1780. Their sons, Benjamin (b. 9 Nov 1785, d. 15 Dec 1785) and Daniel (b. 1 Feb 1794, d. 21 Feb 1794) were buried in a family plot with their Aunt Abigail.

Gravestone of the Day: Isabella Wildrage

Isabella Wildrage, 1789, Portland, ME

In Memory of

Mrs Isabella Wildrage

Consort of

Capt. James Wildrage,

who was born at the Island

of South Ronaldsha North Britain,

in the Year 1740,

& departed this Life

Septr. 23d 1789,

Aged 49 Years.

I think that the island is South Ronaldsay, pop. 854. 

Isabella Wildrage would be a good name for Fanny Forward's rancorous friend.

Gravestone of the Day: Titus Wells Tuttle

In Memory of

Mr. TITUS

WELLS TUTTLE

who died

Sepr. 18 1795

In the 29 year

of his age.

Death is a debt

To nature due

Which I have paid

And so must you

Titus Wells Tuttle, 1795, Holyoke, MA

Gravestone of the Day: Edward Thurber

Edward Thurber, 1795, NBG, Providence, RI

In Memory of

Mr. EDWARD THURBER,

Son of Mr. Samuel

and Mrs. Hopestill Thurber;

who died July 6, 1795,

aged 34 Years, 4 Months,

and 15 Days.

He was honest, industrious & humane,

Early in life, he by accident

lost his left hand in military service.

Being a Manufacturer & Tr[adesman?]

he was on to the Carolinas, where, p-----ly,

he inhaled the cause of his exit:

on his return passage, was taken sick,

& in six days after his arrival home

fell a victim to Death,

leaving a Wife & Six Children to lament

the premature loss of an esteemed Husband

& affectionate Father.

Gravestone of the Day: Catherine Greene

Catherine Greene, NBG, Providence, RI

Hear in hope of the

resurrection of the just

are deposited, the

mortal remains of

Mrs. CATHERINE

GREENE, wife of

Mr. JABESH

GREENE who

departed this Life

May the 9 AD 1793, in

the 39 Year of her age.

Gravestone of the Day: Zibeah Sweat

Zibeah Sweat, 1791, Wellfleet, MA

In Memory of

Miss Zibeah Sweat,

who Died

June 27th 1791. in

the 28th Year of her

Age.

Another obscure name from the Bible — Zibiah was the mother of King Joash. Zibeah Sweat's mother, Zibah, is buried nearby. The divergent spellings make me wonder how the family pronounced this name.

Gravestone of the Day: Timothy and Salla Stearns

Timothy & Salla Stearns, 1793, South Burying Ground, Billerica, MA

IN memory of 2 Children of

Lieut Timothy Stearns & Mrs: Sarah his wife

Timothy Stearns

born Septr: 8th 1788

& died NOVr: 22

1791, In the 4th

year of his Age.

Salla Stearns

born Septr: 21st 1790

& died Febry: 23

1793, In the 3d

[year of] her

[Age].

Two lovely babes here sleeping lie,

Which God did lend us for a while;

Then took them back our faith to try,

And we resign'd them to his will.

Gravestone of the Day: Cleora D. Fisher

Cleora D. Fisher, 1799, Wrentham, MA

In memory of

Cleora D. Fisher,

Dautr, of Mr.

Timothy & Mrs.

Sally Fisher;

died July ye 13th

1799

Aged 17 Days.

Gravestone of the Day: Knight Dexter Haskell

Knight Dexter Haskell, 1790, Sheldonville, MA

In memory of

Knight Dexter, Son

of Mr. Comfort

Haskell & Mrs.

Lepha his Wife;

died Octbr. 12th

1790 Aged

1 Day

I think "Comfort" is the most common name on this stone.

Gravestone of the Day: Asenath Foster

Asenath Foster, 1795, Wrentham, MA

In memory of Mrs.

Asenath, wife of Mr.

Ebenezer Foster,

who died Decr, ye

24th 1795

in ye 26th, year

of her Age.

In bloom of life was I cut down

like as the grass & flowers mown

Let this a warning be to all

to be prepar,d when Death shall call.

In the Bible, Asenath is Joseph's Egyptian wife.

Gravestone of the Day: Judith Corbin

Judith Corbin, 1792, Wrentham, MA

In memory

of Widow

Judith Corbin:

who died

May ye 17th,

1792.

in ye 83rd,

Year of her

Age.

It's unusual for a stone to note that a woman was a widow without naming her husband (Ebenezer Corbin).

I like the soul effigy — it looks like an angry man-eagle. It is typical of the Fisher/Farrington workshop's work from the 1780s and 1790s.

Gravestone of the Day: Anna Charlotte Druce

Anna Charlotte Druce, 1798, Wrentham, MA

Here reposes the dust

of Anna Charlotte

Druce Daughter of

Mr Samuel and Mrs

Hepzi Druce

She Died April 25th,

1798. Aged 2 weeks

and 3 days.

Its Brittle life was

ended in a span

Its period finish'd

ere its Well began.

A few things worth mentioning:

• "Here reposes the dust" — maybe it's time to start a 101 Ways to Say "Here Lies" series.
• Hepzi — was she Hepzibah called Hepzi, or was Hepzi her given name?
• This epitaph is another example of the use of a gender-neutral pronoun to refer to an small child.
• Samuel and Hepzi Druce were in the habit of giving their children middle names, a relatively new fashion in New England in the late 18th century. Some New Englanders had been given family surnames as middle names in earlier years, but names like "Anna Charlotte" would have sounded very modern.

Gravestone of the Day: Hepzibah Heaton

Hepzibah Heaton, 1797, Sheldonville, MA

In Memory

of Miss.

Hepzibah Heaton;

who died May

ye 21st, 1797.

in ye 38th year

[of her age.]

I love an alliterative name. Sadly, I don't think Pete would go for Hepzibah Hopkins.

Also, I was very taken with this soul effigy's scowling little face.

Gravestone of the Day: Hermon Heaton

Hermon Heaton, 1792, Sheldonville, MA

In memory of

Hermon, son of

Mr. Isaac Heaton

& Mrs. Thankfull

his wife; who

died April

ye 21st, 1792,

aged 2 years

Gravestone of the Day: Butterworth Children

Rachel, Alfred, and Lewis Butterworth, 1795, Sheldonville, MA

In memory of Rachel,

Alfred, & Lewis; Daughter

& Sons of Capt. Noah &

Mrs. Rachel Butterworth;

Alfred died Septr. ye 12th,

1795. aged 2 years, Rachel

ye 25th, aged 7 years, & Lewis

ye 27th, aged 7 months.

I do not know who this carver is, but I am intrigued by his work. Every stone he cut looks as if it were designed for the Sturbridge Village gift shop. These stones were made between the 1780s and 1820s and tend to feature geometric tympanum designs rather than figures, urns, or plants. I have only seen his work in Sheldonville, MA, which is just over the border from Cumberland, RI.

Some other carvings:

Ruth Heaton, 1781, Sheldonville, MA

Hannah Harskell, 1788, Sheldonville, MA

Anyone out there know who carved these stones? Until I know his name, I will  call him the Sheldonville Geometric carver.

Gravestone of the Day: Daniel Guild

Daniel Guild, 1795, Wrentham, MA

Here lies Deposited

The remains of Mr

DANIEL GUILD

who Died June 22d. 1795

Atatis 58 who for 40 Years

was employ'd as a Saxon in

Commiting his fellow mortals

to the silent tomb.

Oh! Stranger

Contemplate that ere long

thy dust must mix with

mine -------------

Another epitaph cut short by an unfortunate preservation effort. Most of the old stones in Wrentham's Central Cemetery are embedded in concrete strips that keep them in straight, mowable lines. Sadly, many of the epitaphs were cut off when the stones were sunk into the concrete.

I think that Daniel Guild was probably a sexton, rather than a Saxon, but who am I to nitpick? I always love finding gravestones dedicated to carvers and others who made their livings creating the graveyards in which they were buried. It's interesting to see how they were memorialized. Daniel Guild (or his family) chose a winged skull that was decidedly old-fashioned by 1795. The Fisher/Farrington shop was still producing these stones in the 1790s, but they were not the height of fashion.

Some other stones dedicated to men in the mortuary industry:


Josiah Manning, 1806, Windham Center, CT

John Stevens, 1736, Newport, RI:

Gravestone of the Day: Ledyard Hide

Ledyard Hide, 1796, East Bridgewater, MA

In memory of

Ledyard son of Mr

Ephraim Hide & Mrs

Mary his wife he

died Nov, 20th 1796

Aged 6 weeks

Life is a dream, a morning flower

Cut down & witherd in an our:

Gravestone of the Day: John and Esther Dunwell

John and Esther Dunwell, 1797, North Burial Ground, Providence, RI

A Memorial of

CAPT.

JOHN DUNWELL,

who died in Surinam in 1766,

aged 51 years.

MRS.

ESTHER DUNWELL,

wife of Capt. John Dunwell,

died Feb. 11, 1797,

aged 77 years.

Behold my night of death has come,

My flesh now rests beneath the tomb;

When the last trumpet shakes the skies,

Then shall my slumbering dust arise.

There is a sub-genre of cenotaphs in maritime communities that are dedicated to husbands who pre-deceased their wives by several decades. These men often died at sea or in far-flung ports. I have noticed a lot of these in Plymouth. In some of the most extreme cases, 50 or 60 years separate the deaths of husbands and wives.

The Dunwells died 31 years apart, but the gravestone still identifies Esther as the "wife of Capt. John Dunwell." I imagine that someone who died in Surinam probably wasn't home a lot even when he was alive. What does it mean to be the wife of someone who died three decades ago? This gravestone does some substantial imaginative work — it reunites two people across many years and many miles and restores the idealized version of their relationship: independent adult man and wife. The gravestone becomes a monument to a fiction that does not bear very much resemblance to day-to-day life.

I'm also trying to pay attention to is the chronology of resurrection imagery and allusions. This particular epitaph also appears on the Eleazer Nickerson stone (1796).