More From Samuel Sewall

Saw the stone of my Aunt Rider's Grave. She died March 21 1687/8. Lies at Baddesly burying place.

- Diary of Samuel Sewall, February 20, 1688/9

On a journey to England, Samuel Sewall took some time to visit his relatives. On the trip, he mentions observing his aunt's gravestone about 11 months after she died. This does not tell us how much time elapsed between her death and the erection of a monument, but it was definitely less than a year.

Samuel Sewall's "Connecticut Stone Post"

I'm reading more of Samuel Sewall's diary today and came across this intriguing entry:

This day, [September] 16 [1721] I set up my Connecticut stone post in Elm pasture, in Remembrance of my loving Wife Mrs. Hannah Sewall.

I don't know what a "Connecticut stone post" is, but since it seems to be a material object dedicated to the memory of the dead, I am interested in finding out.

Little Bits of Evidence

Mrs. Mary Winchcomb was buried in the old burying place, in the 67th year of her age, as her Relations tell me; though the Stone bear 69.: died suddenly.

- Diary of Samuel Sewall, August 22, 1717

I have not been able to find out exactly when Mary Winchcomb (Winchcombe? Whitcomb? Wincom? Winchon?) died, but if she was buried in August, I do not imagine that much time elapsed between burial and death. There seems to have been a carved gravestone present at her funeral. I only have a transcription of Sewall's diary, so I cannot tell if the part about the stone was added in later, but it seems to be integrated into the rest of the entry, so I would venture a guess that it really was written on August 22, 1717.