USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Pelham > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 42
USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Prescott > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 42
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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Aug. 23, 1789, William Lindsey and Susannah McMillen, Pelham, 2ª Parish. Sept. 6, 1789, Anthony Cutler and Jemima Conkey, Pelham.
Dee. 5, 1789, Esq' Isaac Abercrombie and Martha McCulloch, Pelham.
465
CONCERNING THE WOMEN OF PELHAM,
Jan. 8, 1790, Paul Thurston, Pelham, and Mary Rodgers, Ware. April 15, 1790, Ichabod Hayward and Ruth Hacket, Pelham. May 21, 1790, John Atkinson, Pelham, and Mary Woods, Shutesbury. Aug. 22, 1790, Jeremiah Gray and Margeret Gray, Pelham. Feb. 14, 1791, Thomas Johnston, Pelham, and Sarah Bell, Newport, R. I. Mar. 7, 1791, James Forbs, Shoreham, Vt., and Sarah Conkey, Pelham. April 10, 1791, William Forbush Peebles, Salem, N. Y., and Elisebeth Religh, Pelham. .
April 10, 1791, James Bell, Salem, N. Y., and Isabel Harkness, Pelham. June 10, 1791, Jeremiah Hase and Levince White, Pelham.
June 18, 1791, Alexander Conkey and Elenor McConel, Pelham.
Aug. 20, 1791, Joseph Shaw, Canterbury, Conn., and Prudence Robertson, Pelham.
Aug. 2, 1791, Elihu Gray, Pelham, and Martha Wilson, Oakham. Sept. 5, 1791, Thomas Brooks and Martha Knapp, Pelham.
Sept. 5, 1791, Ebijah Edson`and Sally Atkinson, Pelham.
Oct. 3, 1791, Jeremiah McMillen and Nancy Lindsey, Pelham. Nov. 17, 1791, George Lindsay and Anne McMillen, Pelham, 2ª Parish. Jan. 10, 1792, David Huston and Martha Pratt, Pelham.
Jan. 20, 1792, David Clarey, Leverett, and Rhoda Hayward, Pelham.
Feb. 12, 1792, Justus Gray, Pelham, and Lucy Tekiel, Deerfield.
Mar. 11, 1792, Thomas Harlow, Pelham, and Sally King, New Salem. Mar. 25, 1792, John Gray and Susannah Hunter, Pelham.
June 30, 1792, Isaac Barlow and Hannah Hacket, Pelham. July 30, 1792, Thomas Johnston, Pelham, and Lucy Ashley, Adams. Sept. 17, 1792, William Crosett, Hebron, N. Y., and Margeret Gray, Pelham. Sept. 30, 1792, William McMillen, Pelham, and Jean Linsey, New Salem. Nov. 10, 1792, Samuel Hyde and Rachel Peebles, Pelham.
Jan. 5, 1793, James Joans, Shutesbury, and Sarah Leach, Pelham. Jan. 18, 1793, Andrew Hyde, Pelham, and Mary Morton, Amherst. Feb. 5, 1793, Hugh Moore Johnston, Pelham, and Levina Powers, Shutesbury Feb. 5, 1793, Seth Foster and Hannah Shays, Pelham.
July 8, 1793, Moses Gray, Pelham, and Marcy Whiteham, New Salem. Sept. 22, 1793, Joseph Robeson, Greenwich, and Sarah Wilson, Pelham. June 23, 1794, John Eaton, Jun., Pelham, and Sally Cudworth, Barkley. June 23, 1794, Jonathan Field, Amherst, and Elisebeth Johnston, Pelham. Sept. 7, 1794, Abisha Sampson, Pelham, and Damaries King, Taunton. Oct. 20, 1794, Abiah Southworth, Pelham, and Keziah Boltwood, Amherst. Jan. 19, 1795, John Cole, New Salem, and Sarah Thompson, Pelham. Feb. 19, 1795, Robert Stutson, Greenwich, and Isa Crosett, Pelham. Jan. 10, 1796, Berthiah Holcomb Granger, Hadley, and Sarah Peeso, Pelham. Mar. 6, 1796, James Thompson, Pelham, and Mitilda Parce, Shutesbury. April 3, 1796, Jonathan Leach, Pelham, and Lydia Amerson Pettengall, Belchertown.
Oct. 25, 1796, Aaron Gray, Pelham, and Ruth Powers, Shutesbury. July 2, 1797, Eliphaz Eaton, Pelham, and Polly Barns, Greenwich.
466
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Sept. 24, 1797, John Gray 3ª, and Batsey Rinken, Pelham. Oct. 14, 1797, Calvin Ashley and Matilda Mun, Pelham. July 22, 1798, David Winter and Polly Newton, Pelham. July 22, 1798, William Barry 2ª, New Salem, and Sally Ray, Pelham. Sept. 13, 1798, Levi Gray, Pelham, and Abigail Robbins, Belchertown. Oct. 14, 1798, Seth Bryant and Nabby Baker, Pelham.
Oct. 14, 1798, Morrel Leach and Rebekah Howard, Pelham.
Mar. 24, 1799, Elias Shaw, Belchertown, and Mary Thurston, Pelham. Aug. 11, 1799, Patrick Gray, Pelham, and Battsey Moor, Chester. Oct. 5, 1799, Henry Strobridge, Northfield, and Anne Montgomery, Pelham. Oct. 7, 1799, Robert Abercrombie and Mary Thurston, Pelham. Oct. 10, 1799, Gaius Right, Pelham, and Lucy Sheldon, Ludlow. Nov. 17, 1799, Samuel Briten, Pelham, and Bashaba Haskins, New Salem. May 11, 1800, Seth Draper, Belchertown, and Polly Haden, Pelham. May 25, 1800, Ebenezer Lyskem, Pelham, and Hannah Lach, New Salem. June 22, 1800, Stephen Graves, Deerfield, and Lucy Clark, Pelham. July 19, 1800, James Bruce, Greenwich, and Sally Wright, Pelham. Sept. 7, 1800, Nathan Falten and Mary Hinds, Pelham. Sept. 29, 1800, Lockwood Barry and Polly Childs, Pelham.
Dec. 18, 1800, Samuel Miller and Jinney Sloan, Pelham.
Sept. 28, 1801, William Hunter, Pelham, and Abigail Andros, Belchertown.
Nov. 15, 1801, Oliver Hamilton and Battsey Gray, Pelham.
Mar. 7, 1802, Amos Blackamore, Greenwich, and Margeret Gray, Pelham. June 27, 1802, Calister Gray, Pelham, and Hannah Cahoon, Greenwich.
Oct. 24, 1802, Agnostius Chase, Pelham, and Mary Arnold, Belchertown. May 2, 1803, George Smith and Battsey Cleveland, Pelham.
Oct. 15, 1803, Eliab Packard, Pelham, and Lyda Forde, Abingdon.
Nov. 26, 1803, William Shaw, Belchertown, and Eunice Baker, Pelham. April 9, 1804, James Sloan and Hannah Leach, Pelham.
Aug. 14, Obed Dickinson, Pelham, and Experience. Smith, Whately. Nov. 11, 1804, Andrew Johnston and Judah Chase, Pelham.
Dec. 25, 1804, William Paul, Greenwich, and Catrin Rice, Pelham.
Mar. 3, 1805, Nathan Peso, Pelham, and Lucretia Dorety, Hardwick. May 20, 1805, Joseph Howard, Pelham, and Olive Lanord, New Salem. Sept. 30, 1805, Major John Conkey, Pelham, and Polly Dolan, New Salem. Oct. 21, 1805, John Falton, Pelham, and Mary Cahoon, New Salem. Oct. 27, 1805, Thomas Fisher, Pelham, and Venis Simons, Shutesbury. Oct. 27, 1805, Thomas Sampson, Pelham, and Bettsey Darling, Amherst. Nov. 25, 1805, David Gray, Pelham, and Ester Clough, Belchertown. Dec. 1, 1805, Nathanial Gray, Pelham, and Philena Macomber, Shutesbury. Dec. 1, 1805, Andrew Gray and Sally Harkness, Pelham.
Dec. 15, 1805, Seth Field, Leverett, and Margery Lotherige, Pelham.
Aug. 31, 1806, Paul Thurston, Pelham, and Mary Moody, Amherst. Nov. 23, 1806, Levi Cook and Anne Montgomery, Pelham.
Jan. 11, 1807, John Ward Jr., Belchertown, and Polly Davison, Pelham. Feb. 4, 1807, Theverick Weeks, Petersham, and Lydia Borden, Pelham.
467
CONCERNING THE WOMEN OF PELHAM.
June 6, 1807, Rufus Mellin and Eunice Hyde, Pelham.
June 19, 1807, Isaac Powers, Madison, N. Y., and Anne Mellin, Pelham. Aug. 13, 1807, Isaac A. Conkey and Vesta Hinds, Pelham. Oct. 10, 1807, Jasper Stearns, Pelham, and Patty Wyman, Winchendon. Oct. 27, 1807, Eli Gray and Elizabeth Conkey, Pelham.
Nov. 14. 1807, Barzillia Packard, Belchertown, and Olive Rider, Pelham. Dec. 5, 1807, Amos Tylor, Hinsdale, and Widow Phinneus Larrabee, Pelham. Jan. 2, 1808, Alexander Conkey Jr., Pelham, and Lucy McColough, Colrain. Jan. 23, 1808, Joel Johnson, Pelham, and Alenda Fails, Holden.
June 25, 1808, Nathaniel Wheeler, Shutesbury, and Faithful Herrington, Pelham.
July 9, 1808, Elisha Graves, Leverett, and Sarah Hinds, Pelham. Aug. 27, 1808, Samuel Orcutt, Wendal, and Widow Mary Wood, Pelham. Sep. 16, 1808, David Mellin, Pelham, and Hannah Patch, Stowe. Oct. 1, 1808, David Ide, Amherst, and Lucy Draper, Pelham. Oct. 8, 1808, Pliny Wilson, Belchertown, and Hannah Thompson, Pelham. Nov. 8, 1808, Oliver Smith, Pelham, and Sarah Gay, Walpole.
Nov. 25, 1808, Nathan Pettengall, Belchertown, and Lavinia Tower, Pelham. Feb. 17, 1809, Isaac Tower Jr., Pelham, and Polly Haskell, Belchertown. Mar. I, 1809, Noble Keep, Jeffrey, N. H., and Anna Johnson, Pelham. May 6, 1809, Haffield Gould, Pelham, and Betsey Phelps, Holden. May 6, 1809, John Berry and Betty Millen, Pelham.
July 27, 1809, Levi Millen and Patty Sears, Pelham. Aug. 12, 1809, Rozel Knowlton, Belchertown, and Prudence Conkey, Pelham. Sept. 9, 1809, Rev. Sebastian Collumbus Cabott, Pelham, and Electa Osburne, Belchertown.
Sept. 12, 1809, William Millen, Jr., Pelham, and Sally Snow, Greenwich. Nov. 4, 1809, Pattrick Millen, Pelham, and Livena Sadler, Ashfield. Mar. 1, 1810, James Cook, Pelham, and Martha Moody, Amherst. Mar. 15, 1810, Andrew Thompson and Almedia Keep, Pelham. Mar. 24, 1810, Patrick Gray Jr., Pelham, and Sally Pierce, New Salem. Dec. 8, 1810, John Harkness Jr., Pelham, and Esther Willson, Belchertown. Jan. 11, 1811, Samuel Kimball, Shutesbury, and Polly Cook, Pelham. April 8, 1811, Josiah Pierce Jr., Pelham, and Ruth Ayers, Greenwich. June 1, 1811, Thomas Packard, Pelham, and Estha Powers, Greenwich. July 6, 1811, Rufus Nowley and Olive Prat, Pelham.
Aug. 3, 1811, Benony Streter, Cumberland, R. I., and Sally Allen, Pelham. Jan. 4, 1812, Luther Pomroy, Amherst, and Elizabeth Tower, Pelham. Mar. 10, 1812, Nahum Wedge, Pelham, and Rhoda Chapin, Heath. Mar. 27, 1812, Daniel Dodge, Pelham, and Esther Brown, Belchertown. April 15, 1812, John Berry and Dorcas Thompson, Pelham. April 18, 1812, Benjamin Bard, Belchertown, and Lucy Davison, Pelham. Sept. 26, 1812, William Abercrombie and Abigail Bell, Pelham.
Dec. 9, 1813, Silas Rankin, Pelham, and Sally Robbins, Belchertown. Mar. 20, 1813, David Millen and Patty Rankin, Pelham.
Aug. 16, 1813, Jonathan F. Sears, Pelham, and Polly Town, Greenwich.
468
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Aug. 21, 1813, James Hood and Nancy Harkness, Pelham. Sept. 27, 1813, Collins Braly and Lurana Jilson, Pelham. Jan. 29, 1814, Josiah Smith, Boston, and Chloe Harkness, Pelham. Jan. 29, 1814, Oliver Smith, Boston, and Lovicey Harkness, Pelham. Jan. 29, 1814, Samuel J. Lincoln, Pelham, and Diana Brown, Belchertown. June 24, 1814, Alvan Hill, Shutesbury, and Polly Cleavlin, Pelham.
Aug. 29, 1814, Lieut. John Gray, Pelham, and Patty Smith, Rutland. Sept. 3, 1814, James Cowan and Lovina Miller, Pelham.
Oct. 3, 1814, Daniel Reeniff, Pelham, and Rhoda Comins, Shutesbury.
Oct. 7, 1814, Moses Williams, Amherst, and Teurah Bartlett, Pelham.
Mar. 17, 1815, Daniel Woods, New Braintree, and Widow Nabby Joslin, Pelham.
Sept. 2, 1815, Benjamin Wheeler, New Malborough, and Anna Dunn, Pelham.
NOTE .- The names of those married or published, are printed as written upon the records.
BIRTHS.
It is not our purpose to undertake publishing a list of births for any long period after the settlement of the town, but some of the earlier births may have interest. The earliest birth record was a paper covered blank book, and the earliest entries have become so worn and torn that not all of the entries can be made out clearly, though as originally written they were very plain and distinct, though somewhat too closely written. One of the earliest, if not the first birth record was that of a daughter to Thomas Dick and Margarett Dick, but that portion of the leaf on which the names of children were written has been lost. We give the full list of Thomas and Margerett's children :
Dau. born Dec. ye 18, 1738. Dau. born Sept. ye 31st, 1746.
Dau. born Jan. ye 4th, 1740. Dau. born Sept. ye 17th, 1748.
Dau. born Aug. ye 29th, 1742. Son born May ye 12th, 1750.
Son born Oct. ye 7th, 1743. Dau. born June ye 15th, 1752.
Dau. born May ye 4th, 1744. Dau. born June ye 14, 1754.
The family of the first settled minister, Rev. Robert Abercrombie and Margarett Stevenson Abercrombie :
David, said to have been taken prisoner at Bunker Hill.
Andrew, married Mary Conkey, Nov. 22, 1773.
James, married Margery Conkey, Dec. 5, 1780.
Margerett, married John Conkey, Jr., 1772.
Samuel, married Lucinda Castle, Dec. 1802.
John, died at Fort Edward.
William, married Ist Jemima Darling; 2d, Mrs. Nabby Pease.
Sarah, born Oct. 11, 1756, never married, died Dec. 8, 1854. Robert, married Mary Thurston.
Isaac, born Sept. 30, 1759, married Martha McCulloch, Jan. 6, 1790. Mehetable, born July 4, 1767, married William Akers.
469
PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS MEN.
The family of Rev. Richard Crouch Graham, the second settled pastor, and Molly Graham :
William Lee, born Mar. 7, 1762. Nabby Peggy, born June 23, 1766.
Becca, born Feb. 7, 1764. David, born Aug. 8, 1769.
" Rev. Richard Crouch Graham, Husband to Madam Molly Graham Departed this life Feb. ye 26, 1761."
The family of Rev. Andrew Oliver, the fourth settled pastor, and Battsey Oliver :
Mary Given, born July 11, 1786.
Jenny Fulirton, born June 16, 1788.
Wm. Morrison born in Londonderry, Oct. 15, 1791.
Battsey Ormston, born in Londonderry, Feb. 22, 1793.
Nancy, born Nov. 4, 1796.
Margarett, born Nov. 4, 1798.
Robert Ormston, born May 2, 1802.
Probably the first four in the list were all born in Londonderry, N. H., and the last three in Pelham. The size of the families in the earlier years of the town is indicated by transcripts from the birth records of a few families copied from the much worn pamphlet used from the first settlement of the town ; it also gives evidence of the numbers who bore the surname of Thompson. Children of John and Prudence Thompson :
Mary, born July 5, 1758. Molly, born Oct. 6, 1770.
Thomas, born April 20, 1760.
Sarah, born Jan. 5, 1773.
Susanna, born Mar. 19, 1762.
George, born July 15, 1775.
Elesebeth, born April 10, 1764. John, born Aug. 6, 1766.
Daniel, born May 4, 1777.
Eunice, born Oct. 1, 1780.
Martha, born Aug. 13, 1768.
Children of Joseph and Margarett Thompson :
Jacob, born Nov. 7, 1774. Elesebeth, born June 5, 1783.
Jane, born Nov. 17, 1775. Molly, born Mar. 16, 1785.
Mirriam, born April 27, 1777. Martha, born Sept. 11, 1787.
William, born Sept. 29, 1778. Achsah, born May 23, 1789.
Joel, born April 23, 1791.
Joseph, born Mar. 13, 1780. James, born Sept. 9, 1781.
Sarah, born May II, 1793.
The usual form of death record was as follows :
"James Peebles departed this life March 6th 1784-Husband to Rachel Peebles."
" Levi Thompson Departed this life Nov. 19, 1791-Son to Thomas and Jean Thompson."
" Rebeckah Selfridge Departed this life January 3ª 1815, daughter to Edward and Elisebeth Selfridge."
" Margeret Cowan departed this life June 22ud 1808-wife to James Cowan."
No ages were ever given upon the record book, of those whose deaths were recorded.
Mount Lincoln.
Mount Lincoln is about a mile and a half from the old meeting house, or town hall, in a southwesterly direction. When covered with forest it was known as Pine Hill. The height is given by the state survey as 1220 feet above tide water. It is not remarkably high when compared with Greylock, the highest point in the state, which is 3500 feet above the sea, or with Wachusett which lifts its head 2500 feet above tide. But the wide extent of the view from Mt. Lincoln is quite remarkable. The route to the mountain from Amherst is by the old county highway, and from the west line of Pelham a part of the way it is the same as the sixth chartered turn- pike built in Massachusetts, which began at the east line of Amherst and extended to Worcester, the company being chartered June 22, 1799. The ascent really begins as soon as the limits of Pelham are reached, and one on a trip to the mountain must be content to take time and drive slowly. When the summit is reached one finds him- self in position to sweep the entire circle of the horizon with unob- structed vision as there is no higher land near by to prevent.
To the west and seemingly close at hand Amherst, with its colleges, its straw factories, its churches, residences and farm houses, is in full view ; Hadley's two spires, Hatfield with one, Northampton, East- hampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington and other hill towns of Western Hampshire beyond the Connecticut river valley and the farther away hills of eastern Berkshire can be seen. At the left Mount Holyoke and Tom crowned with mountain houses, and south of them the towns of Granby and South Hadley and the cities of Holyoke and Springfield ; while still farther south, across the state of Connecticut, we believe East and West Rock may be seen under best conditions of atmosphere.
Toward the northwest Whately, Conway, Sunderland, South Deer- field, and farther on the wild country of Franklin county; while the mass of blue far beyond is the rounded top of Greylock, and the Green mountain range of southern Vermont. Sugar Loaf, with its red sandstone cliff seems but a hillock, and farther to the right are
TOWER ON MOUNT LINCOLN.
BOILING CIDER.
47I
MOUNT LINCOLN.
5
Clifton Johnson -
VIEW FROM THE ENFIELD ROAD TO THE HIGHWAY LEADING TO PELHAM CENTRE.
the rounded masses of Mt. Toby, while beyond them are distant mountains in Southern Vermont.
To the north the steeples of the two churches at Shutesbury are seen above the high land in the north part of Pelham, and beyond the church at Pelham center, New Salem is in full view. In the same direction Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire looms up, and farther to the east, Wachusettin this state is visible. Portions of Enfield, Prescott, Hardwick and New Braintree appear more directly east, while far away Rutland and other western Worcester towns can be located when the afternoon sun shines clearly upon them. To the south portions of Belchertown and Granby are not far away, but owing to the height of "Great hill" in the northern part of the former town the center of the town cannot be seen ; the ranges of hills and mountains beyond are located in eastern Hampden or farther away. Close at hand the eye rests upon forest or young growth of trees with now and then a farm-house ; probably more of the tract now known as Pelham and purchased of John Stoddard of Northampton can be seen here than from any other point.
It was from Mt. Lincoln that beacon fires flashed forth during the Revolutionary war when it was necessary to give alarm to the sturdy yeoman in this section of the state; and during the geodetic survey of the state the surveyors established a station from which
472
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
triangulations could be made with other stations of similar character miles away.
Looking toward the west from the summit of Mt. Lincoln the nearest farm buildings are those of Uncle Reuben Allen and Char- lotte Johnson Allen, his wife. Here, far up the slope of the moun- tain, and perhaps three-fourths of a mile from the nearest neighbor, Mr. Allen cultivates the acres of his farms, raises potatoes and corn, gathers hay enough to keep his horse and two cows. and every Sat- urday in sunshine or storm drives down from his high perch to Amherst with butter and eggs to his customers, and carries back groceries and other necessaries for the coming week in his home and on the farm. Sunday he rests, and on Monday resumes his labors again on the farm ; the days go by one by one until another Satur- day comes and the customary trip to market is undertaken in the same thrifty business-like way as the previous week. The weeks of summer pass with a repetition of the simple round of duty and labor little varied from week to week, and when the winter comes and the chilling winds pile the snow into drifts, the days are passed in haul- ing wood from the nearby forest, cutting it for the fires, the care of his horse, his cows, and his hens, until the market day comes with its imperative duty.
EAST SCHOOL HOUSE.
SAMUEL DAVIS'S RESIDENCE.
THE REUBEN ALLEN FARM BUILDINGS.
Old Burial Places.
A SKETCH OF EACH OF THE ELEVEN BURIAL PLACES OF PELHAM.
THE OLD BURIAL GROUND AT THE CENTER.
When the sturdy Scotch Presbyterian settlers took possession of the tract of land now known as Pelham in 1739, it was surveyed and plotted by William Young, surveyor, and ten acres was set apart on the West Hill for use as " common, training field and burial ground." The old burial ground in the rear of the ancient town hall, which the settlers began to build for use as a church almost as soon as they settled, was the first established burial place in the town and is within the ten acres set apart as stated above.
Perhaps an acre and a half of ground is included by the heavy stone fence. Here the early settlers were laid to rest when they died, and the ancient moss-covered stones, stand as sentinels above them. Enough of the inscriptions can be read to show that Scotch names predominated where none are heard now. Such names as McMillan, Patterson, Peebles, Gilmore, Thurston, Dunlap, Houston, Cowan and Johnston are frequently found on these rough stones.
The first settled minister, Rev. Robert Abercrombie, was buried here though no stone marks his grave; and 'tis said that the old church now used as a town hall was moved back into the burial ground, covering some of the graves, and that of the first minister among the rest. Recently, however, this has been disproved and the location of Mr. Abercrombie's grave has been established, it is thought, and a large boulder with a suitable inscription is to be placed at the head of his grave, behind the town hall and near the west wall of the enclosure. Not all accept this as the true location, however.
Rev. Richard Crouch Graham, second pastor of the Pelham Pres- byterian church, died at the age of 32, and a large stone marks his grave showing that he died in 1771. One of the oldest fairly legible inscription is on a stone above the grave of Margaret Hood who died in 1758.
474
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Perhaps the oldest record of burial by an inscribed stone is that of " Margerett, Wife of Alexander Conkey, who died Nov. 13, 1756 in ye 75th year of her age." There are many graves which show only as low mounds with no stones at the head or foot, and others with only rough stones without inscriptions and sunk to a level with the mounds they were intended to mark. Of the inscribed stones very few are of marble, but black slate slabs are common. A coarse dark grey stone was much used and was probably quarried, split out and inscribed by the people here. These gray stones are covered with moss and the inscriptions are so much obliterated as to make it almost impossible to decide whose remains lie beneath them. The storms of a century and a half have beat upon them, the frosts of winter have heaved them, some lean one way, others the opposite way, few stand erect, and some have fallen and cover the mounds ; others are broken and stand against the wall of the enclosure where some kindly hand has placed them.
No burials have been made in this ancient burial ground for many years ; and of many lying here it can be said none bearing their names are now living in town. The grass that grows among the grave-stones is mowed every summer and carried away, so that the chance visitor can walk among the graves of the first settlers and recall their sturdy virtues, but not much money is expended to beautify and adorn the place. In the early summer the white daisy blooms in profusion among the time worn slabs and upon the graves.
THE WEST BURYING GROUND.
A mile or so west by the main or middle range road is another ancient burial place. It waslaid out as early as 1760, and is located upon a hillock which commands a magnificent view down the valley westward, with Amherst, the Holyoke range and the Connecticut river valley in the distance. As it is reached by an untravelled by-way leading off from the main road, no one passing through the town on a carriage drive ever passes this old burial place. It is somewhat larger in area than the one just described at the center of the town and is used occasionally for burials now.
Here we find many well remembered names of families that were large and prosperous during the first half of this century. Descend- ants of Rev. Robert Abercrombie, are buried here. William and Isaac Abercrombie with their families are here, the former buried
THE OLD GRAVE YARD AT THE CENTER.
J. W. KEITH'S RESIDENCE.
475
OLD BURIAL PACES.
in 1811 and the latter in 1837. Descendants of another family of original settlers are found here, the Grays. John Gray, ruling elder, died in 1782, aged 82, his wife in 1799 at 92. Nathaniel Gray, in 1777 at 32, Dea. Ebenezer Gray, probably the good deacon to whom Stephen Burroughs offered his services as "Supplyer," and showed his letter of recommendation from the Palmer pastor in 1784, was laid to rest in 1834 when 90 years old ; James Gray died in 1802, Amos Gray in 1823 and another John Gray in 1852. Stone posts with connecting chains enclose the graves of the Grays.
The Rankins were once numerous in town, there are none now. John Rankin was buried in 1786, John Rankin, Esq., in 1829, Lieut. Rankin in 1830, another John Rankin in 1860. Another common name was Harkness, but it is heard no more in town save as the lettered stones speak. Lieut. Harkness was buried in 1779, aged 57. David Harkness died Mar. 19, 1816, when 59 years of age. Capt. Thomas Dick, one of the original settlers and an officer in the army or militia, was buried here in 1774, aged 70. Robert McCul- loch's head-stone tells of his death in 1800 at 80.
Four solid stone posts and an iron fence rusty with age enclosing a lot just large enough for one grave, also encloses a stone which informs the visitors that Nancy Park, 26, wife of Stuart Park, with infant child, were buried in the same grave in 1803. There are graves of Macombers, Westcotts, Robinsons, Eatons, Kingmans and other well known names. Adam Johnson, a liberal doner to Amherst College was buried here in 1823, and a white marble slab bears the following inscription : " Erected by the trustees of Amherst College in testimony of their gratitude for the Johnson Chapel." Not a very generous or adequate testimonial of gratitude on the part of the trustees for benefits received, nor what was promised to Johnson, if current history of the matter is true.
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