USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Handbook of Old Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts : its history, its famous dead, and its quaint epitaphs > Part 1
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HANDBOOK
OF
Io Burial Kill
PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.
Its History, Its Famous Dead, and Its Quaint Epitaphs.
BY
FRANK H. PERKINS.
> -
PUBLISHED BY A. S. Burbank, Pilgrim Bookstore, Plymouth, Mass.
F 74 P & P4 1
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, TWO COPIES RECEIVED JUN. 24 1902
COPYRIGHT ENTRY gove 2 4-1902 CLASS &/ XXa No.
36099 COPY B.
Copyright, 1902, by A. S. BURBANK, Plymouth, Mass.
1
-
=14. 1 FCFA. -
Engravings by FOLSOM & SUNERGREN.
Printed by C. H. HEINTZEMANN, Boston.
PRISCILLA.
The Old Burying-Ground.
"The Pilgrim Fathers are at rest : When Summer's throned on high,
And the world's warm breast is in verdure dressed, Go, stand on the hill where they lie. The earliest ray of the golden day On that hallowed spot is cast, And the evening sun, as he leaves the world, Looks kindly on that spot last."
- PIERPONT.
O spot in Plymouth is so interesting to the antiquary as Burial Hill. Here are the sites of the Pilgrims' fort and watch- tower. Here sleep the early settlers of the colony, the heroes of the Revolu- tion and of our later wars, and the men who went "down to the sea in ships" and braved dangers, in the days of Plymouth's maritime glory. Here are to be seen the rude symbols of the sculptor's art and the crude effusions of the elegiac poet.
Burial Hill is 165 feet above the sea level, and rises abruptly just back of the town's busiest thor- oughfare. It is irregular in form and contains about eight acres. From this elevation the visitor has a splendid panorama of ocean and country. Nestling at his feet, between the hill and the sea, are the thickly clustering roofs of the old town. Turning his eyes northward, he sees in the far distance the villages of Kingston and Duxbury and the monument on Captain's Hill, erected in memory of Myles Stand-
5
ish, the doughty Pilgrim commander. To the west stretches a rolling swell of hills, ending in an almost unbroken forest, through whose shades Massasoit led his warriors to meet the Plymouth colonists. On the south, shrouded in purple mist, are the "Pine Hills" of Manomet. Looking eastward, across the bay he spies the green dot known as Clark's Island,
CLARK'S ISLAND,
where the Pilgrims spent their first Sabbath ; and far beyond the shining strand of Plymouth Beach, if the day be clear and his vision keen, he can just discern Provincetown, at the point of Cape Cod,-the "tip end of Yankee-land."
Visited as it is daily by tourists from all parts of the world, it is fitting that this consecrated ground should be well cared for and that its surroundings should be somewhat in keeping with its historic character. By the will of J. Henry Stickney of Baltimore, late vice-president of the Pilgrim Society, $10,000 was bequeathed for improvements on this ground. It had been suggested that the legacy be
6
used in removing some, at least, of the unsightly build- ings which skirted the foot of the hill on the easterly side, and in the erection of an ornamental gateway at the Town Square entrance. These improvements have been effected.
There are several ways of approaching Burial Hill, but the main entrance is at Town Square. As we pass through the gateway the new First Church, begun in 1896 and finished in 1899, looms up on our left.
ŠI
CHURCH OF THE FIRST PARISH.
It is of gray stone, in the Norman type of architecture, and its severity of style is suggestive of the rugged lives of the Fathers. In the vestibule of the square central tower will be placed tablets of a historical character. This church is the oldest religious organ- ization in the country. In an unbroken succession the ministry of this church has continued from the days of Robinson and Brewster to the present. Its records are piously preserved.
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THE OLD FORT AND FIRST MEETING.HOUSE,
Aside from its interest to those who find pleasure in meditation among the tombs of past generations, Burial Hill has a history which forms a part of the early history of the town. Long before the spot was used for burial purposes, it served as a ground for possible defence against the savage foe, and here the first church of the colony was established. Shortly after the landing of the Pilgrims, on Dec. 21, 1620, they set about to provide against attack from the redskins, and we learn from their records that "in one field is a great hill, on which we poynt to make a platform and plant our ordnance, which will com- mand all round about."
In 1622 a larger fort was erected, and in 1627 De Raisieres describes it as a large square house, with flat roof made of thick sawn planks, stayed with oak beams, upon the top of which six cannon were mounted. The lower part was used for a church. The Pilgrims assembled at beat of drum, each with his musket or firelock, and marched to the place of worship.
The exact situation of this fort is unknown. No traces of it remain. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that it stood well toward the top of the hill on the southeasterly side, on a spot which would command the approach from Leyden Street (the first thoroughfare) on the east and the approach from the path leading to the fording-place on the south. This path, now Spring Street, leads directly from the hill to Town Brook.
On Sept. 23, 1643, it was agreed that a watch- house "shall be forthwith built of brick." This
9
structure stood at the top of the hill, on the south- easterly side, and commanded a wide view of all the country about. Its bounds are marked by four square granite blocks, and a small oval stone on a standard, suitably inscribed, more definitely desig- nates the location. Within recent years pieces of the brick of which this watchhouse, or watch-tower, as it is more commonly called, have been unearthed.
Strolling down the southeasterly slope, the visitor comes to another similar oval stone, which tells us that here stood the old fort, erected in 1621. This may be the site of the first fortification, but history makes no record of it. We have evidence, however, that in 1676, when invasion from King Philip, the Indian chieftain, was feared, a fort was built on this spot, and the conformation of the ground indicates the existence at some time of such a work. On Feb. 19, 1676, the colonists decided to erect a forti- fication, " to be a hundred foot square, the pallasadoes to be ten foot and a halfe longe; to be sett two foot and a halfe in the Ground; and to be sett against a post and a Rail . . and that there shal be a watch house erected within the said ffence or fortification, and that the three peece of ordnance shal be planted within the said ffence or fortification said watch house which is to be sixteen foot in length and twelve foot in breadth and eight foot stud, to be walled with board."
This construction is significant of the peril of the times and of the stern and unbending determination of the Forefathers. With the close of King Philip's War the fort was abandoned, and in 1677 the material
IO
of which it was built was granted to one William Harlow. Some of the massive timbers were used in the construction of the old Harlow house on Sand- wich Street, and are still to be seen.
The hill was not used as a place of burial until after it was abandoned for defensive purposes. Those
WILLIAM HARLOW HOUSE, 1677. Built of timber from old Burial Hill Fort.
of the "Mayflower " company who died the first winter were buried on Cole's Hill, and, while no traces of their graves remain, a tablet appropriately inscribed marks their resting-place. Others of the Pilgrim band found burial on their own estates, and no man knoweth their sepulchre. The first mention of Burial Hill as a cemetery was in 1698, when Chief Justice Sewall recorded the following in his diary: "I walk out in the morn to see the mill, then turn up to the graves, come down to the meeting-house, and seeing
II
GENERAL VIEW.
the door partly open went in and found a very con- venient place to pray."
The oldest stone in this ground is that of Edward Gray, and bears the date of 1681. It is proba- ble, however, that earlier burials took place here. Tradition says that the oldest grave is that of John Howland, who died in 1672, although the stone which marks it was erected within comparatively recent years. Tradition also places here the earthly remains of Gov. William Bradford, and a monu- ment bearing his name rises among the graves of the Bradford family, the exact place of the Governor's interment, however, not being designated.
There are six ancient gravestones bearing date before 1700, as follows : -
Edward Gray, 1681.
William Crowe, 1683-84.
Hannah Clark, 1687.
Thomas Cushman, 1691.
Thomas Clark, 1697.
Ten children of John and Josiah Cotton, 1699.
Possibly there is a seventh, -the defaced tomb- stone of Nathaniel Thomas, who is said to have died in 1697. The figures on the stone are illegible.
All these stones are on the summit of the hill, within a narrow radius, and near the intersection of the two main paths. With the exception of Gray's, all are of English make, and in fact most of those bearing dates to 1745 were brought from across the water.
The Gray stone, the oldest on the hill, as has been said, is of dark, compact slate. It probably has the
I3
BRE LYES BURIED. y BODY OF M
WILLIAM CROWE AGED ALDE 55 YEARS WHO DEGEHJANUARY
usual "cherub," or symbol; if so, it is concealed by the iron hood which protects the edges from water and frost. By its side is a wooden slab bearing the legend, "The Grave of Edward Gray, June, 1681." The inscription on the stone is as follows :-
Here Lyeth ye Body of EDWARD GRAY Gent Aged About 52 years & Departd this life ye Last of June 1681
Edward Gray appeared in Plymouth about the year 1643. Tradition has it that he and his brother were sent from England in order that scheming relations might obtain possession of their property. He be- came a merchant, and the wealthiest man in the colony.
The stone of William Crowe, the next in order of date, is of purple slate and is thus inscribed : -
Here lies buried ye body of Mr WILLIAM CROWE Aged About 55 years who decd January 1683-4
The Bradford obelisk is one of the first objects to claim the visitor's attention. It is of white marble on a granite base, and rises to a height of eight feet or more. On the south side are these words : -
H I William Bradford of Austerfield Yorkshire England. Was the son of William and Alice Bradford He was Gov- ernor of Plymouth Colony from 1621 to 1633 1635 1637 1639 to 1643 1645 to 1657
On the north side is a Hebrew sentence, said to signify "Jehovah is our help," but by other Hebrew
I5
GOV. BRADFORD'S MONUMENT.
scholars translated "In Jehovah's name I die." Then follows : -
Under this stone rest the ashes of William Bradford a zealous Puritan & sincere Christian Gov. of Ply. Col. from 1621 to 1657, (the year he died) aged 69, except 5 yrs. which he declined.
The grave of that sturdy old Pilgrim, John How- land, has a great attraction for thousands who tread this sacred soil, many of whom come from the good old Pilgrim stock. The stone is of reddish hue, tall and wide, and bears the following beautiful inscrip- tion : -
Here ended the Pilgrimage of JOHN HOWLAND who died February 23, 1673 aged above 80 years. He married Elizabeth daughter of JOHN TILLEY who came with him in the Mayflower Dec. 1620. From them are descended a numerous posterity.
" Hee was a godly man and an ancient professor in the wayes of Christ. Hee was one of the first comers into this land and was the last man that was left of those that came over in the Shipp called the Mayflower that lived in Plymouth."
Plymouth Records.
One of the six stones bearing date in the seven- teenth century marks the grave of Thomas Clark, or Clarke, who is often spoken of as the "mate of the ' Mayflower.'" History, however, tells a different story, and it is known that the name of the first officer of the ship was John Clark. The stone is of purple Welsh slate, and is thus lettered : -
I7
Here lyes ye body of Mr. Thomas Clark aged 98 years departed this life March ye 24th 1697.
A huge boulder has been recently placed on this grave, and a metallic plate secured to it reads : -
Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Thomas Clarke, aged 98. Departed this life March 24, 1697. Thomas Clarke came to Plymouth from England in the ship Anne 1623. He married Susan Ring of Plymouth, 1634. Their children were Andrew, James, William, Susanna, Nathaniel, and John. From whom descended a numerous posterity. He married his second wife,
TERE ZYES V 300YO8
THOMAS CARKAGED
38 VEA ARE DEPARED
LIFE MARCHO
Mrs. Alice Hallett Nichols of Boston, in 1664. He lived for some years in Boston, and also in Harwich, of which town he was one of the original proprietors. He died in Plymouth, having lived in the reigns of six British sovereigns and the Com'th. This stone is erected to his memory by his descendants A.D. 1891.
It is with reverent step that the latter-day Pilgrim approaches the Cushman monument, an enduring memorial to a "precious servant of God." This is
I8
a granite column, twenty-five feet high, and it is by far the most conspicuous monument on the hill There is a bronze tablet on each of its four sides, that on the northerly side reading as follows :-
CUSHMAN MONUMENT.
19
ROBERT CUSHMAN,
Fellow-exile with the Pilgrims in Holland, Afterwards their chief agent in England, Arrived here-IX- November, -MDCXXI, With Thomas Cushman his son : Preached -IX- December, His memorable sermon on "The Danger of self-love And the sweetness of true friendship :" Returned to England -XIII- December, To vindicate the enterprise of Christian emigration ; And there remained in the service of the Colony Till -MDCXXV, When, having prepared to make Plymouth His permanent home.
West side : -
He died, lamented by the forefathers as " their ancient friend, - who was as their right hand with their friends the adventurers, and for divers years had done and agitated all their business with them to their great advantage."
" And you, my loving friends, the adventurers to this plantation, as your care has been first to settle religion here before either profit or popularity, so, I pray you, go on .- I rejoice -that you thus honor God with your riches, and I trust you shall be repaid again double and treble in this world, yea, and the memory of this action shall never die." DEDICATION OF THE SERMON.
South side : -
THOMAS CUSHMAN.
Son of Robert, died -X- December, MDCXCI, Aged nearly -LXXXIV- years. For more than -XLII- years he was Ruling Elder of the First Church in Plymouth, By whom a tablet was placed to mark his grave on this spot, Now consecrated anew by a more enduring memorial. MARY,
widow of Elder Cushman, and daughter of Isaac Allerton, Died -XXVIII- November, MDCXCIX, aged about -XC- years, The last survivor of the first comers in the Mayflower.
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East side :
Erected by The descendants of Robert Cushman In memory of their Pilgrim Ancestors, XVI- September, MDCCCLVIII.
The stone originally erected over the grave of Elder Thomas Cushman was removed in 1858 to make room for this memorial, and now stands a little
HERE YETH BURIED y BODY OF THAT PRECIOUS SERVANT OF GOD M'THOMAS CUSHMAM WHO AFTER HE HAD SERVED HIS GENERATION, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD, AND PARTICULARLY TE CHURCH OF PLYMOUTH FOR MANY YEARS IN THE OFFICE OF A RULEING ELDER FELL ASLEEPIN JESUS DECEMY 9910. 16916 AN-98 64 YEAR OF HIS ACE
distance from its first position. It is of purple Welsh slate, and is in a remarkable state of preservation. The inscription is as follows : --
Here lyeth buried ye body of that precious servant of God, Mr. THOMAS CUSHMAN, who after he had served his gen- eration according to the will of God, and particularly the church
2I
of Plymouth for many years in the office of a ruleing elder fell asleep in Jesus Decmr. ye 10, 1691 & ye 84. year of his age.
There is always eager inquiry from the visitors to Burial Hill for the grave of the "Nameless Noble- man," the hero of Mrs. Jane G. Austin's famous his- torical novel of that title. We find it near the Cush- man monument. The stone has the small figure of an hourglass at its top, under which appears the
OF FRANCIS LEBARRAL
DEPARTED THIS LIFE AUG. 8 1704
OF HIS
winged cherub, the sculpture being better defined than is usual in such old work. The inscription reads : -
Here lyes ye body of Mr. FRANCIS LE BARRAN phytician who departed this life Augst ye 18th 1704, in ye 36 year of his age.
22
Dr. Le Baron was the surgeon of a French ship which was wrecked in Buzzard's Bay in 1694. With the officers and crew he was taken prisoner and sent to Boston. On their way a stop was made at Plym- outh, where the doctor had occasion to perform a surgical operation. This led to a request, made by the citizens to the lieutenant-governor, and granted, that he be allowed to remain in the town. From him the numerous Le Barons in America are descended.
By the side of Dr. Le Baron is buried his wife Mary, who after his death married a Wait. Near by is the grave of their son, Dr. Lazarus Le Baron, who
the Body of
who departed thisLi
one ?
seventy one
in if forty eight Y
23
also figures in Mrs. Austin's writings; and in the rear of these graves is seen the tombstone of Nathan- iel Goodwin, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Jane (Goodwin) Austin, who married Lydia, daughter of Lazarus Le Baron.
Various other people mentioned in Mrs. Austin's novels are buried in this ground. Among them is Ansel Ring, who, as we are told in "Dr. Le Baron and His Daughters," was cursed by the old witch, Mother Crewe. He lies with the sixty seamen who perished on board the "General Arnold." A marble shaft on the extreme southwesterly edge of the hill marks the place of their interment. The inscription on the northeasterly side is : --
In memory of Seventy two Seamen who perished in Plym- outh harbour on the 26, and 27, days of December 1778, on board the private armed Brig, Gen. Arnold, of twenty guns, James Magee of Boston, Commander, sixty of whom were buried on this spot.
On the northwesterly side : --
Capt. James Magee died in Roxbury, February 4, 1801 ; aged 51 years.
On the southwesterly side : . -
Oh ! falsely flattering were yon billows smooth When forth, elated, sailed in evil hour, That vessel whose disastrous fate, when told, Fill'd every breast with sorrow and each eye With piteous tears.
On the southeasterly side : -
This monument marks the resting place of sixty of the seventy two mariners, "who perished in their strife with the storm," and is erected by Stephen Gale of Portland, Maine, a stranger to them, as a just memorial of their sufferings and death.
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Another of Mrs. Austin's characters is Hannah Howland, who is said to have died of a broken heart on account of Ring's sad end. Her stone is to be
Sie Trans
the Memory
Mis, HANNAH, HOWLAND who died ofLanguishment january 25 1780 ALLACiŞ 26 For us they Janquick & for'or they die And shall they fonduush shall they die in v
found on the crown of the hill, not far from the Le Baron graves. Its inscription reads : -
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi To the memory of Miss Hannah Howland, who died of a Languishment, January ye 25th 1780 ÆEtatis 26. For us they languish, & for us they die And shall they languish shall they die in vain.
Readers of "Dr. Le Baron and His Daughters" will recall the following reference to the graves of the Howland family : -
25
Consider Howland slept with his fathers on Burying Hill, and Ruth Bryant, his loving wife, had meekly followed him thither. You may see their stones today, in the shadow of that majestic though mistaken monument to the memory of John Howland, the Pilgrim, who married Elizabeth Tilley, and not Ellzabeth, daughter of childless Governor Carver. There too may you see a plaintive little stone to the memory of
Consider son to Mr Consider and Mrs. Ruth Howland, Aged 7 years.
The graves of Capt. Abraham Hammatt and Capt. Simeon Sampson, both mentioned in "Dr. Le Baron and His Daughters," are to be seen here.
Capt. Sampson's tombstone is referred to among those of the Revolutionary patriots. That of Capt. Hammatt is near the group of Howland graves, and is thus inscribed : -
In This sacred spot Are deposited the remains of Capt Abraham Hammatt who died of a malignant Fever October 12th 1797 Ætatis 47 And of his daughter Sophia who On the fst De- cember following Fell a victim to the same Disease Atatis 13.
Hers was the mildness of the rising Morn And his the radiance of the risen day.
The stone of Elder Faunce occupies a prominent position on the hilltop. It bears the figure of a skeleton, seated on an hourglass. The left hand of the skeleton holds a scythe, and wings are attached to the hourglass. Above the figure is the drawing of a scallop shell. The inscription is : -
Here lyes buried the Body of Mr. THOMAS FAUNCE ruling ELDER of the first Church of CHRIST in Plymouth deceased Febry 27th An : Dom. 1745-6 in the 99th year of his Age.
The Fathers, where are they ? Blessed are the dead who Die in the Lord.
26
Near by are entombed the remains of Dr. Chandler Robbins, and on the stone we read : -
This Stone Consecrated to the memory Of the Revd Chand- ler Robbins D D was erected By the inhabitants of the first Religious Society in Plymouth As their last grateful tribute of respect For his eminent labors In the ministry of JESUS CHRIST Which commenced January 30th 1760 And continued till his death June 30th 1799 Ætatis 61 When he entered into the everlasting rest Prepared for the faithful ambassadors Of the most high God.
Ah come heaven's radiant Offspring hither throng Behold your prophet your Elijah fled Let sacred symphony attune each tongue To chant hosannahs with the virtuous dead.
A few feet away is the white marble slab erected to the memory of another noted divine, Dr. James
VARE THE!
REV JAMES KENDALL; DID,
DROAINED' TUAN: [800) DIEDI7MARCH 1859. AGED 89' YEARS FOR SIXTY YEARS MINISTER OF THE FIRST PARISH IN THIS TOWN ,
" MY PEACE I'GIVE UNTO YOU ! "THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE!
27
Kendall, of blessed memory, who for more than half a century served the First Church as its pastor. It is thus inscribed : -
Rev. James Kendall, D.D. Ordained I Jan. 1800. Died 17 March 1859. Aged 89 years. For sixty years Minister of the First Parish in this town.
Plymouth played her part in the Revolution, and of her soldiers and sailors who fought in that mem- orable struggle a number are buried in this historic ground.
Near the site of the old fort an iron fence encloses the Warren lot. Within it stands the monument of Gen. James Warren, president of the Provincial Con- gress and major-general of the militia. He died in 1808. His wife, Mercy Warren, sister of James Otis, the patriot, lies in the same enclosure. She was a woman of marked literary ability, and the author of several works. Their son James, who served with Paul Jones on the "Bon Homme Richard," and who lost a limb in one of the naval engagements, is said to have been buried in this lot, but there is no stone to indicate the grave. It is quite probable that the body was laid away in the Warren tomb, at the foot of the hill.
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