USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Groveland > Inscriptions from the old cemetery in Groveland, Mass. (formerly East Bradford.) > Part 4
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How kind their flumbers are
From fuffrings and from fins releaf'd And freed from ev'ry fnare Far from this world of toil and ftrife
They're present with the Lord The labours of their mortal life End in a large reward
Memento Mori In memory of Mr SAMUEL WOOD
who departed this life Oct ye 27th AD 1792 Atat 71
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IN GROVELAND, MASS.
Memento mori
In Memory of Mrs ALICE WOOD Confort of Mr Thomas Wood who died Feb ye 23d 1795 Ætat 47
Mr MOSES WOOD departed this life March 5th 1799 Ætat 82
Hannah Wood Consort of Moses Wood, died March 29th 1808. Æt. 55 Ah yes, She's Gone-but dry each tear Her Saviour lives forever near ; To Him she raised her parting breath, Then peaceful clos'd her eyes in death. May angels guard her sleeping clay, Till comes the great revealing day, Then in her Saviours image drest, May she appear completely blest,
1
MR. THOMAS WOOD departed this life June 13, 1813 Æt. 69.
Mr. MOSES WOOD 3d died March 13. 1816.
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INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE OLD CEMETERY
Æt. 21.
Forbear, my friends, to weep ; Since death has lost its sting. Those Christians that in Jesus sleep Our God will with him bring.
Gone in a fatal moment hence
Mrs. APPHIA wife of Mr. Moses Wood. died July 25, 1821. Æt. 56.
Midst health and strength she yields her breath Lock'd in the cold embrace of death
Her care, her hope, her joy and fear In one sad moment buried here.
Now while lamented by the world The great repose in clay She too has found as soft a bed And slumbers sweet as they.
Miss POLLY WOOD Died Dec. 28, 1829, Æt. 81.
Two Children of
THOMAS & BETSEY WOOD MOSES H. Died Sep. 29. 1830, Aged 10 years. ALICE, Died Sep. 22, 1830. Aged 3 years.
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IN GROVELAND, MASS.
MR. MOSES WOOD Died July 10, 1830. Æt. 77.
July 12, 1841. Æt. 90.
In Memory of SAMUEL WOOD Who died Nov. 8, 1839, Æt. 82.
In memory of LUCY, wife of SAMUEL WOOD Who died Feb. 28, 1843. Æt. 86.
In Memory of MISS
BETSEY WOOD, DIED
SARAH WOOD, Who died
Aug S, 1869, Æt. 97 yrs.
APPENDIX.
The ground was first used for burial purposes in 1723, three years before the East Parish church was organized, previous to that date the old burying ground in the first parish (Bradford) was used. It was not however until 1752 that the parish acquired any ownership of the land, as evidenced by the following deed :
To all people to whom these presents shall come. GREETING :-
Know ye that we Ephraim Pemberton, Taylor, & Ann Pember- ton wife of sd Ephm & Mary Jewett & Sarah Jewett spinster all of Bradford in ye county of Essex Province of Massetts Bay in New England for & in consideration of four Pounds lawful money of New England to us in hand before ensealing hereof well & truly paid by Samuel Palmer, Wm Hardy & Thomas Stickney a com- mittee in behalf of ye East Precinct in sd Bradford ye receipt where- of we do hereby acknowledge & ourselves therewith fully satisfied & paid have bargained & sold & do by these presents freely & ab- solutely give, grant, bargain, sell, aliene, convey & confirm unto ye sd Saml Palmer Willm Hardy & Thos, Stickney in their afores'd capac'y & by them unto ye East Precinct in Bradford for ye use of a burying place-one acre of land scituate in sd Bradford bounded on ye south west by ye Worster's line fifteen rods in length & on ye north east or opposite side seventeen rods & ye wedth about ten rods so as to take in one acre by due measure, ye corners having stakes with stones, the land being yt & adjoining to yt where the dead have been buried for some time in sd East Precinct in Brad.
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INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE OLD CEMETERY
ford together with ye privilege of a convenient way to it from the country road for passing & repassing as there shall be occasion.
To have and to hold ye sd Premeses to ye sd east precinct in Bradford for ye use aforesd free from all Incumbrances forever & we ye sd Ephraim & Ann Pemberton & Mary Jewett & Sarah Jewett for ourselves our heirs exes & admes do hereby avouch yt we are ye sole lawfull owner of ye bargain'd Premises & are lawfully seised thereof & have good right to dispose of ye same as aforesd free from all Incumbrances & yt we will warrant & defend ye sd East Pre- cinct in Bradford against ye lawfull claims & demands of all persons whatsoever.
In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this sixth day of July in ye twenty sixth year of his majestys Reign Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred & fifty two
Ephraim Pemberton SEAL
her
Signd Seald & Dd in ye
Ann X Pemberton SEAL
presence of
mark
his
her Mary O Jewett SEAL
Eliezer X Burbank
mark
mark Wm. Balch
her
Sarah X Jewett SEAL .
mark
ESSEX SS. Bradford Feb.'y 1 1753 then appeared personally ye above named persons (viz.) Ephraim Pemberton, Ann Pemberton, Mary Jewett & Sarah Jewett & acknowledgd ye above written ob- ligation to be their own act & deed.
Before me Nath! Peaslee, Justice of ye Peace
THE ADDITION OF 1838.
At a meeting of the citizens of the East Parish in Bradford held at the Academy on Monday evening April 30th 1838 to take into
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IN GROVELAND, MASS.
consideration the importance of enlarging and improving the bury- ing ground in this place, and repairing the hearse and hearse house, Rev'd Gardner B. Perry was chosen chairman, Nath'l Ladd clerk.
Resolved that it is expedient to enlarge the burying ground in this place.
Voted to choose a committee of nine to ascertain the quantity of land necessary, and the price for which it can be obtained.
Revd Gardner B. Perry, Nathaniel Ladd, Doct. Jeremiah Spof- ford, Abner Hardy, William M. Rollins, Stephen Parker, Aaron Hardy, Benjamin Burbank, and William S. Balch Committee.
Voted that the Committee examine the hearse and hearse house and report what repairs are necessary at the adjournment of this meeting.
Voted that the clerk put up a notice of the adjournment of this meeting on the two Meeting-houses in this place. Voted to adjourn to Monday evening May 7 at 7 o'clock.
May 7 1838. Met agreeable to adjournment and heard the re- port of the Committee chosen at the last meeting to examine the burying ground.
Voted that the report be recommitted to the Committee for fur- ther consideration and that they report at the next meeting.
Voted to adjourn to Tuesday the 15th instant at 7 oclock in the evening.
May 15 a meeting was held agreeable to adjournment. The committee made the following report :
The committee met at the place and after looking over the ground came to the unanimous conclusion that it was expedient to procure an addition to the lot now occupied, and upon enquiry found that Mr. William Balch is willing to part with land lying on the wester- ly side of the old yard in width about eight rods, and extending so far north as to make about one and one quarter acres at the very low price of ten dollars per acre. That he will part with a piece on the southerly end of the burying ground sufficiently wide for a carriage way, for five dollars, and also in order to give a convenient
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INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE OLD CEMETERY
passage from the highway to the burying ground he will part with land and trees standing on it sufficient for this purpose in connection with what Mr Ira Hopkinson will accommodate us with, for five Dollars. The Committee have also received an offer of land on the north of the present burying ground from the heirs of the late Mr Nathaniel Wallingford, for the sum of twenty three Dollars. All of which the Committee consider as very reasonable and manifest- ing an accommodating disposition on the part of all those gentlemen, and they recommend to those interested an acceptance of those offers The hearse house they find in great need of immediate repair, to which they would respectfully call the attention of the citizens. And that should the proposal of wedening the passage to the ground go into effect it would be desirable to remove the building from its present location to one more convenient on the burying place. The Committee would recommend that the ground to be purchased should be laid out in lots twenty feet in length and seven and a half in width. And that any one who is disposed may on advancing a certain sum of money to be fixed upon have a space set off to him. The money so raised after paying for the land to be expended in making such improvements on the ground as a board of managers to be chosen for that purpose may think proper to effect, or for to meet the expenses upon the hearse house and carriages. In respect to the wheeled hearse the Committee are of the opinion that a four wheeled carriage should be provided on which the present body af- ter undergoing some considerable repairs, particularly in the trim- ming might be hung. They think the sleigh hearse should be changed for one having double runners particularly on account of the great difficulty of turning one so long among the tomb stones, especially when the snow is deep. They understand that in several instances monumental stones have been injured and a few even broken down when turning the hearse among them.
To meet the expenses which these improvements may create, estimated at 250 Dollars we recommend the appointment of a Com- mittee to circulate subscriptions through the Parish, that all may
IN GROVELAND, MASS.
have an opportunity, which they believe will be thankfully embrac- ed, to express their kind remembrance of friends gone before them, and to do what they can beforehand to prepare for their own decent burial. They suggest the propriety of appointing a Committee to take conveyance of the land in trust for all those interested and the conveyance to be made upon the condition that the land shall be used for a burying place and for purposes incidental to that and for no other purpose. In behalf of the committee.
G. B. PERRY.
Voted to accept the report of the Committee.
Voted that the price of lots be one Dollar.
Voted that the Committee chosen at a former meeting viz. Rev'd G. B. Perry Nathaniel Ladd Doct J. Spofford Abner Hardy Wm M. Rollins Stephen Parker Aaron Hardy Benjamin Burbank and Wm S. Balch be the Committee to carry the same into effect.
Voted to choose a committee to ascertain the number of lots that will be taken at one Dollar. Moses P. Atwood, Wm M. Rollins, Leonard Balch & Daniel B. Stickney, Committee.
Voted to adjourn to the 22 instant.
May 22. Met according to adjournment. Doct. Spofford Sect. pro tem.
Voted that the Committee heretofore chosen should cause the yard to be fenced in such a manner as they think best.
Voted that the same Committee cause a plan of the ground to be drawn and the lots numbered.
Voted that the land be divided by lot among the proprietors. Meeting adjourned Sine die.
June IS, 1838. Met at the academy agreeable to notice.
Voted to put the names of those who wish to purchase lots into a box to be drawn out, and the first drawn to take his first choice of lots and the second the next choice and so on to the end.
Voted that the lots be paid for on delivery of certificates and that to be within 30 days of the time of drawing.
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INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE OLD CEMETERY
Voted to meet at the burying ground on Monday the 25th instant at 9 o'clock a. m. to draw and select lots.
Voted that the secretary put up notices of the time of meeting on the two meeting houses and at some other public places.
June 25th 1838, met at the burying ground according to notice, and the following persons drew and selected their lots. (A few names have been added to the list since the drawing.)
Adams, Isaac
Gile, Thomas
Atwood, Aaron
Hovey, Rufus P.
Atwood, Moses P.
Hardy, Luther
Atwood, Simeon
Hardy, Josiah G.
Burbank, Samuel
Hardy, Samuel B.
Burbank, Benjamin
Hardy, John B.
Balch, William S.
Hardy, Calvin
Bragdon, Barak
Hardy, Wm S.
Burbank, John T.
Hardy, David Jr.
Balch, William
Hardy, Abner
Brown, True
Hardy, Aaron
Bailey, Jonathan
Hardy, Silas
Boynton, Enoch
Hardy, Elizabeth Mrs.
Clark, Elijah Jr.
Hardy, Jeremiah
Colby, John S. M.
Hardy, Leonard
Colby, John
Hardy, Tyler
Cole, Moses
Hopkinson, David W.
Colby, Eliphalet H.
Hopkinson, Daniel
Chase, Abner
Hopkinson, Uriah
Curtis, E. T.
Hopkinson, Thomas M.
Carleton, George
Harriman, Jonathan K.
Danforth, Stephen B.
Harriman, Enoch
Fowler, Wm
Harriman, Enoch Jr.
Griffith, William
Harriman, W. H. H.
Griffith, William, Jr.
Harriman, Charles
Griffith, Nathaniel H.
Harriman, Samuel
Greenough, William
Hudson, George
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IN GROVELAND, MASS.
Huntress, George
Page, Eben S.
Hale, Jonathan
Page, Paul
Jaques, Benjamin
Page, John
Johnson, George W.
Page, Thomas H.
Jameson, James N.
Page, R. H.
Jewett, Eben P.
Palmer, Moses H.
Kimball, Samuel A.
Pemberton, John
Kimball, Hannah Mrs.
Perry, William
Ladd, Nathaniel
Perry, Gardner B. Rev.
Ladd, John I.
Pecker, Betsy
Lucy, William
Renton, Richard
Lucy, Alexander
Rollins, Charles P.
Morse, Thomas
Reed, Jacob W.
Mitchell, Peter
Richardson, John
Mitchell, Day
Sides, William O.
Morse, Sylvanus
Stickney, Joseph M.
Morse, Wm H.
Stickney, Daniel B.
Merrill, Burton E.
Stickney, John
Nelson, Benjamin
Spofford, Jeremiah Dr.
Parker, Theodore
Savary, George
Parker. Benjamin Jr.
Savary, Joseph
Parker, Daniel Parker, Peter
Sargent, Eliphalet
Parker, Nathaniel
Sargent, Nathan
Parker, Benjamin
Tenney, Philip
Parker, Warren L.
Tenney, John
Parker, Stephen
Tyler, Josiah
Parker, Aaron
Wood, Sarah Mrs.
Parker, Solomon H.
Welch, Richard
Parker, Phineas
Wood, Rufus H.
Parker, Frederick
Vance, S. Nelson.
Savary, Thomas
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 014 079 035 7
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