Gravestone of the Day: Ruth Eastman

Ruth Eastman, 1739, Hadley, MA

RVTH

EASTMAN

DYED MARCH

30 1739 AGED

8 YEAR 4 MON

Gravestone of the Day: John Westcarre

John Westcarre, backdated 1675, Hadley, MA

DOCR IOHN

WESTCARRE DYED

IN SEPR 1675 IN YE

XXXI YEAR OFS AGE

This stone, carved by Joseph Nash, is almost certainly backdated. There are a few Nash stones with dates in the 17teens, but most are from the 1720s and 1730s. It would be very unusual for a carver to go 40 years between carving stones, but not very unusual for a carver to commemorate an important citizen who died before the town had a carver. As I have argued before, Nash probably moved west after the 1690s because he was familiar with Boston stones from that era. Perhaps Dr. Westcarre had a wooden marker that was decaying in the 1720s, or perhaps an elderly widow requested a stone for the husband of her youth when Nash came to town.

Gravestone of the Day: John and Zebina Montague

John and Zebina Montague, 1803, Hadley, MA

In Memory of

Lt, JOHN MONTAGUE.

who died

14th, June 1803.

Aged 753 Years.

Also ZEBINA his

son was Born

18th, Novr, 1786

& died Aged 10 mon-

ths.

Here's another example of a father and child buried together.

Zebina is really scraping the bottom of the Biblical names barrel. He is only mentioned once (Ezra 10:43) — he is one of the many, many Israelites who took a foreign wife in Babylon.

See also Noadiah. Apparently, the citizens of Hadley had a thing for obscure names.

Gravestone of the Day: Chester Williams

Chester Williams, 1755, Hadley, MA

Here Rests ye Body of ye Rd.

Mr. CHESTER WILLIAMS,

In whom bright Parts, Solid Lear-

ning, unfeigned Piety, happy Elocution,

universal Benevolence, Hospitality,

& Christian Love, combined to form

the exemplary Pastor, ye kind Husband,

the tender Parent, the delightful

Companion, and the faithful Friend;

Who departed this life Octr. ye 13th

1755 36 [AEtatis Suae]

Gravestone of the Day: Preserved Smith

Preserved Smith, 1718, Hadley, MA

PRESER

VED

SMITH 1718

See also Preserved Fish.

Gravestone of the Day: Martha Warner

Martha Warner, 1787, Hadley, MA

In Memory of

MRS, MARTHA Wife of

MR, NOADIAH WARNER

Who was born July

17, 1750.

& died Octbr, 25, 1787.

Life is Uncertain

Death is sure,

Sin is the wound

& Christ the cure.

Noadiah is another name in the Zebina category — the Biblical Noadiah was an Israelite who returned from Babylon and is mentioned in Ezra 8:33.

Gravestone of the Day: Warham Smith

Warham Smith, 1802, Hadley, MA

In Memory of

Mr. WARHAM SMITH

who died October

30 1802, In the

68 year of his

age.

Life's narrow circle soon is run,

The voige is quickly o'er,

Death points to is the race is done,

Eternity the shore.

Spotlight on Joseph Nash

Some of the most distinctive gravestones in Western Massachusetts were created by Joseph Nash. Nash was active from the 1720s until the 1740s, carving stones for the dead of Northampton, Hadley, Hatfield, Springfield, and other communities in that section of the Connecticut River Valley.

Chileab [Caleb?] Smith

d. 1733
Hannah Smith
d. 1731

Hadley, MA