USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Lee > Early Burial Grounds
[Transcriber's Note:-- Names & dates are given as engraved upon the stones in the Early Burial Ground, however the epitaph verses have been omitted. Old style lettering such as É has been rendered as "s" or "f" as the word requires.]
Inscriptions From The Cemeteries in the old grave-yard, now in the north-east corner of the cemetery near the center of town, there are 72 monuments with memorials to 84 persons who died before 1801. Mattey, daughter of Joseph & Lois HENDY is supposed to have been the first person buried there. Doubtless there were earlier deaths among the settlers here, but no certain record of any has been found. In Holland's Hist. of Western Mass. (vol 2, p 516) is the following: "The first death that occured in Lee befell a child of JohnWINEGAR. The death occurred at Crow Hollow and the child was buried on the West side of the river." Probably the statement was made on traditional authority.
It is supposed one of the earliest graves is marked by a rough stone bearing only the rudely carved letters "S B". The name for which these letter stand has not been determined. The stone with the letters I V D, marks the grave of Isaac VAN DEUSEN, 8 years old, a son of Matthew VAN DEUSEN.
Only two dated before 1801 are in the South Lee cemetery; one at the grave of Isaac DAVIS, the first settler, the other at the grave of Abijah STEARNS.
A few early graves in each cemetery are marked with uninscribed, unhewn slabs of stone. There are, also, several early graves marked in the same manner near the residence of C. E. MORLEY, Cape St., where, according to tradition, some of the settlers in that section named GIFFORD & ROBERTS are buried.
If any of the early inhabitants were buried elsewhere in town, all knowledge of their graves is lost.
Owing to weathering, probably some of the punctuation has been effaced from some of the stones.
Austin: An Infant Son of Mr. James & Mrs. Achsah AUSTIN who was Still born Oct 20th, 1794; Also Zefna, their son, d. Aug 26th, 1793, aged 18 months; Margaret their daughter died at Salem State of N york Oct 21 1786, aged 3 mos
Austin: In memory of Zafna, son of Mr. James & Mrs. Achfa AUSTIN, d. Apr 16, 1797, aged 18 M
Austin: Joseph F., son of Mr. James & Mrs. Achsa AUSTIN, d. May 16, 1701, aged 12 months; Also their son was born & died May 3d 1798;
Ball: Sarah, daughter of Mr. Nathan & Mrs. Ruhamah BALL, d. Aug 1, 1784, aged 11 Years & 3 Mon.
Bassett: Annah BASSETT was born Jun 12, 1780 & died June 5, 1798, aged 18 years
Bassett: In Memory of Harriot, daughter of Mr. Cornelius, Jr., & Mrs. Abigail BASSETT, who died Jan 19th 1798, aged 2 years & 9 days
Bassett: In memory of Joseph BASSETT son of Mr. Nathaniel & Mrs. Bethiah BASSETT, who died August 10th 1800, aged one year & 3 days
Bassett: In memory of Mrs. Mary BASSETT who Died May 4th in the 44th year of her age
Bassett: Nancy, daughter of Mr. Cornelius BASSETT, Jr., by Mrs. Abigail, his wife, died with the Small pox March 19th 1785, aged 12 Months & 19 days
Beecher: Children of Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Phebe BEECHER: Permela Died April 3d 1793 Aged 2 years & 3 Months; Phebe died August 30th 1777 Aged 1 Year & 9 Month; Thomas Died February 17th 1788 Aged 14 Months
Bennet: Betsey (daughter of Mr. George & Mrs. Elizabeth) BENNET died Sept 7th 1790, aged 5 Months
Chadwick: Mrs. Desire CHADWICK the late Consort of Mr. Abiathar CHADWICK, died August 13th 1790 in the 35th year of her age.
Crocker: Children of Insign Joseph & Mary CROCKER: Mercy Hamblin CROCKER Died Sept 8th 1795 in the 4th year of her age; Joseph CROCKER, Jr., Died July 24th 1796, aged 7 Months & 6 Days
Crocker: In memory of Miss Zeruiah CROCKER who died Sep 2d 1798 in the 21st year of her age
Crocker: In memory of Mrs. Content, the late Consort of Mr. Noah CROCKER, who Died July 23d 1794 in the 65th year of her age
Davis: Mrs. Hannah DAVIS, wife of Mr. Hope DAVIS, d. Feb 23, 1795 in the 65th year of her age
Easton: Polly, daughter of Mr. Silas & Mrs. Rachel EASTON d. Feb 15th 1795, aged 16 days
Ewer: Mrs. Marcy EWER, wife of Mr. Paul EWER, d. March 18th 1795 in the 39th year of her age
Foot: David (son of Mr. David & Mrs. Elizabeth FOOT) d. Oct 14th 1790, aged 3 Months
Foot: In memory of an Infant son of Mr. Alvan & Mrs. Sally FOOT who died Aug 5th 1799, aged 9 hours
Freeman: Thomas, son of Mr. Elisha & Mrs. Elisabeth FREEMAN, d. Jun 28th 1780, aged 3 years
Grant: The heirs of Mr. Elisha & Mrs. Mary GRANT: Eunis died Mar 19th 1794, aged 3 Years; Jared died May 15th 1785, aged 2 Years & th Months
Hall: Nansey, daughter of Mr. Moses & Mrs. Felief HALL, who Died Feb 19th 1797, aged 16 days
Hamblin: William Phinney HAMBLIN, son of Mr. Cornelius & Mrs. Marcy HAMBLIN, d. Oct 23d 1797, aged 1 Year, 4 Months & 15 Days
Hatch: In memory of Mrs. Mariam HATCH, wife of Mr. Josiah HATCH, who died Nov 9th, 1800, aged 83 years
Hatch: Mrs. Rebecca, wife of Mr. Oliver HATCH, died May 1, 1788 in the 33d year of her age
Hinckley: In memory of Charles, son of Mr. Benjamin & Mrs. Puella HINCKLEY, who died Jan 5th 1795, aged 16 months & 20 days
Hodges: Leua, daughter of Mr. Samuel & Mrs. Lydia HODGES, d. Apr 14, 1795, aged 2 months
Howk: Rochana, daughter of Mr. Abraham & Mrs. Easther HOWK, who died Jan 3d 1799 in the 4th year of her age
Hurd: Here lies Worthy to be lamented Mrs. Sibyl HURD, wife of Stephen LEONARD, who departed this life July 19th 1787, in the 24th year of her age
Ingersoll: Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Eunice INGERSOLL, Consort of Mr. Moses INGERSOLL, who departed this live Nov 19, 1795, in the 51st year of her age
Jenkins: In memory of Mrs. Elizabeth JENKINS, Consort of Mr. Ebenezer JENKINS (late of Barnstable deceased), who died Oct 28th 1788, aged 91 years
Leonard: Stephen LEONARD, junr, died May 1787
Nye: In memory of an Infant daughter of Mr. Joshua & Mrs. Charity NYE, who died Jul 23d 1793, aged 5 days
Nye: In memory of Thomas NYE, son of Deacon Levy & Mrs. Sarah NYE, who Died Nov 2nd in the 19th year of his age
Perry: In memory of Mr. Arthur PERRY who died May 7, 1794 in the 73d year of his age
Porter: Huldah, daughter of Mr. Levi & Mrs. Catharine PORTER, died March 13, 1794, aged 8 years & 13 days
Porter: Rohda, daughter of Mr. Levi & Mrs. Catharine PORTER, died June 5th 1795 in the 4th year of her age
Thatcher: This stone erected by Rowland THATCHER, junr to prepetuate the memory of Miss Electa WILCOX who departed this life May 16th 1800, Aged 19 years, 2 months & 14 days
Tobey: In memory of Miss Remember TOBEY, daughter of Mr. Stephen & Mrs. Lydia TOBEY, who died Feb. 6th 1799, in the 22 year of her age
Tobey: In memory of Mrs. Lydia TOBEY, consort to Mr. Stephen TOBEY, who died April 3d 1799 in the 43d year of her age
Whitney: Mary, daughter of Mr. William & Mrs. Sarah WHITNEY, died July 27th 1790, aged 1 month
Williams: In memory of Mrs. Lucy, wife of Mr. John WILLIAMS, who Departed this Life, Aug 28 A.D. 1786, AE 24
Winegar: In memory of Mr. John WINEGAR who Departed this Life the 14th of March 1798, aged 55 years & 2 months
Winegars: Two infants of Jacob & Anna WINEGARS. One died March 3, 1797, The other died Jun 16, 1802
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