USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Woburn > Woburn records of births, deaths, and marriages from 1640 to 1873 Part II - Deaths > Part 19
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Mary, widow of -- , June 7, 1743. Hannah, widow of -, Aug. 17, 1743.
Mr. Ensign Samuel, s. of -, Dec. 18, 1743; 55 y.
Thomas, s. of -, June 26, 1745.
Mr. Isaiah, s. of -, Feb. 18 (?), 1747.
Eleazer, s. of -, July 16, 1747.
Seth, s. of Hezekiah, March 21, 1749.
Sarah, wife of Mr. Reuben, April 20, 1750.
Phebe, wife of David, Nov. 24, 1750; 54 y.
Elizabeth, d. of Benjamin and Esther, Aug. 26, 1751; 4 d.
Esther, wife of Benjamin, Sept. 16, 1751; 44 y.
Susanna, widow of Ensign Samuel, Nov. 24, 1752; 65 y.
Elizabeth, widow of --- , May 2, 1752.
Jesse, s. of -, Nov. 2, 1754 ; 23 y. 6 m.
Rebecca, d. of Mr. Nathan, Sept. 15, 1759.
Mrs. Mary, wife of Mr. Eliphaz, Sept. 6, 1765, in her 28th year.
Susanna, wife of Mr. Silas, Aug. 27, 1767.
Mr. Samuel, s. of -, Dec. 23, 1767 ; in his 67th year.
Ilullah, wife of Nathan, May 28, 1768; 68 y.
Zebadiah, s. of-, Jan. 6, 1770; 61 y.
Mr. Eli, s. of -, Feb. 4, 1771.
Abigail, wife of Dea. Samuel, Aug. 3, 1772; 53 y. - wife of James, Oct. - , 1772.
Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin, Jr., July 6, 1773; in her 30th year. Mr. Nathan, s. of -, Feb. 4, 1773; 78 y.
Capt. Benjamin, s. of -, May 26, 1771; 68 y. - widow of Mr. Joshua, Second Parish, June -, 1774.
215
WOBURN RECORD OF DEATHS.
WYMAN, continued.
Mr. Benjamin, s. of Capt., July 6, 1774.
- child of Silas, by his second wife, Aug. 26, 1774.
wife of Paul, Nov. 4, 1774.
- wife of Nehemiah, Second Parish, Nov. 18, 1774.
Mr. Jonathan, Jr., s. of - -, Nov. 18, 1774.
s. of Noah, - 1775.
Nehemialı, s. of - , of small-pox, June 7, 1775 ; 52 y.
Abigail, d. of Mr. Samuel, Jr., Aug. 18, 1775.
Lois, d. of -, Sept. 8, 1775.
Sarah (?), wife of Hezekiah, Oct. 16, 1775.
Jesse, s. of -, mortally wounded in Bunker Hill Fight, buried June. 22, 1775; 21 y .*
Elizabetlı, wife of Zebadiah, Aug. 12, 1776; 42 y.
Nathaniel, s. of -, April 2, 1776; 49 y.
Jonas, s. of -, in the army, in New York, -, 1776.
Mr. Elijah, s. of -, July 9, 1777.
Susanna, d. of Mr. James, Jan. 2, 1778.
s. of Nathaniel, Sept. 27, 1778 ; 4 y. 4 m.
- d. of Nathaniel, Oct. 6, 1778 ; 1 y. 7 m.
- s. of Abel, March 17, 1780 ; 1 y. 5 m. Mr. Jonathan, s. of -, Aug. - , 1780.
Capt. Jesse, s. of -, Marchi 8, 1782. child of Eliphaz, May 15, 1784; 3 w.
Peter, s. of -, March 31, 1784.
Lucy, wife of Daniel, Dec. 24, 1785 (1784?) ; 34 y.
Martha, relict of Jonathan, Sen., Nov. 24, 1785.
Eliphaz, s. of - , Dec. 16, 1785 ; 48 y. d. of widow Sarah, Feb. 7, 1786; 7 m.
Sarah, widow of Eliphaz, Nov. 8, 1786; 38 y.
Sarah, d. of Eliphaz, deceased, Dec. 30, 1786; 15 y.
Elizabeth, d. of -, of town's poor, March 20, 1787; 66 y.
Samuel, Esq., s. of -, June 14, 1787 ; 70 y.
Abigail, relict of Jonathan, July 5, 1787.
Ezra, Jr., s. of -, Sept. 21, 1788 ; in his 30th year.
Noah, s. of --- , May 27, 1789; 57 y. Samuel, s. of -, Nov. 29, 1789; 43 y.
Mrs. Huldah, widow of Elijah, July 18, 1790; 57 y.
Rebecca, d. of Nathan and Mary, Nov. 8, 1790; 2 y.
child of Dea. Zebadiah, Jan. 9, 1790; under 1 m. child of Benjamin, March 5, 1790; 1 y.
Nabby, wife of Benjamin, March 6, 1790; 22 y. child of Abel, Oct. 4, 1790; 1 m. Peter, s. of - Aug. 30, 1791; 80 y.
Mrs. Abigail, widow of Mr. Zebadiah, Oct. 9, 1792; 83 y.
wife of John, March 14, 1792 ; 30 y. Zebadiah, Esq. (deacon), s. of -, April 14, 1793; 52 y. Jacob Tyler, s. of - Jan. 25, 1793; 1 m.
- child of Joshua, 2d, Sept. 26, 1794; 6 m.
Catharine, d. of Samuel and Catharine, of canker and canker rash, Feb. 15, 1795 ; 17 y. Abigail, relict of Peter, Aug. 12, 1795; 76 y. Joshua, 2d, s. of -, Nov. 17, 1795; 25 y.
* So recorded by Marrett in his account of the funeral. The name should be Samuel Russell, s. of Jesse Russell. - W. R. CUTTER.
216
WOBURN RECORD OF DEATHIS.
WYMAN, continued.
Mary, wife of Joshua, Nov. 27, 1796; 63 y.
Betsey, d. of -, March 12, 1797; 4 y.
- child of Samuel E., Dec. 18, 1797 ; 1} y. - wife of Paul, Dec. 26, 1797.
Amos, s. of -, of Billerica, boarding in Woburn, Sept. 19, 1797 ; 76 y. Sarah, widow of -, April 14, 1798; 89 y.
Joshua, s. of -, Nov. 23, 1801; 79 y.
Abigail, d. of Zebadialı and Eunice, Oct. 28, 1802. child of Daniel (Samuel's youngest,- S. Thompson, Esq.), Feb. 5, 1802.
- - child of Samuel E., June 26, 1802.
Nathan, s. of -, of old age, June 12, 1802.
child of Zadok, Oct. 26, 1802.
widow of Jabez, town's poor, of old age, Dec. 31, 1802.
Paul, s. of -, March 9, 1803.
- child of Samuel E., July 10, 1803.
Caleb, youngest child of Nathan, Sept. 2, 1803.
- wife of Ahira, in Burlington, Jan. - , 1803.
Mary, d. of -. , Feb. 4, 1804 : 24 y.
- child of Zadok, Nov. 11, 1806; 1 d.
Mary Ann, d. of Zebadiah and Mary B., Jan. 6, 1806; 5 y. 2 m.
Jesse, s. of - Jan. 21, 1807; (42 y. - S. Thompson, Esq.).
Waldron, s. of Zebadiah and Mary B., March 14, 1809.
John, s. of John, Dec. 26, 1811; (Dec. 9, S. Thompson, Esq.), 23 y.
Samuel Eames, s. of - May 20, 1811; 42 y.
Rebecca, widow of -, Oct. 9, 1811; 85 y.
David, s. of - March 5, 1812; 58 y.
Anna, widow of Samuel E., Feb. 11, 1813; 51 y.
Samuel, s. of -, of croup, May 30, 1813; 29 y.
Samuel Converse, s. of Nathan and Mary, May 25, 1814 ; 29 y.
- infant of Nathan, Jr., Aug. 12, 1814; 1 d.
Elizabeth, wife of Jesse, Oct. 15, 1815; 40 y.
-- infant s. of Benjamin, Jr., Jan. 13, 1817; 1 d.
Mary, wife of Nathan, Sept. 3, 1817; 51 y.
-- infant s. of Marshall, March 20, 1818.
Anna, wife of Marshall, March 31, 1818; 24 y.
Washington, s. of -- , Oct. 1, 1818; 28 y. .
Anna, wife of Marshall, March 31, 1818; 24 y.
David, s. of -, died in Boston, buried in Woburn, Feb. 25, 1819. Nathan, s. of -, April 30, 1821.
wife of Mr. Zadok, Nov. 16, 1823; 32 y.
Charles II., s. of Charles and Mary E., Jan. 5, 1825.
Joseph William, s. of Joseph and Lucy T., Aug. 17, 1825; 1 y. 2 m. - child of Amasa, Aug. 4, 1826.
Oliver, s. of -, Feb. 12, 1827; 36 y.
Joseph, s. of -, Nov. 15, 1827 ; 36 y.
Joseph William, s. of Joseph and Lucy T., July 10, 1827; 1 y.
- child of widow Oliver, May 15, 1827; 2 m. Elijah, s. of -- , April 30, 1828 ; 56 y. - widow of Jesse, Jan. 17, 1829 ; 65 y.
Anna, widow of Samuel, died in Stoneham, Aug. 31, 1829.
Eunice, widow of -, Nov. 5, 1830; 82 y.
Daniel, s. of -, Dec. 18, 1831; 80 y. - widow of Paul, -, 1831.
Joseph Wilder, s. of Nathan, -, 1831.
217
WOBURN RECORD OF DEATHS.
WYMAN, continued,
Mary Elizabeth, wife (?) of Benjamin, Jr., Feb. 23, 1832; 12 y.
Dea. Benjamin, s. of -. Feb. 28, 1836; 68 y.
Charles, s. of -, March 29, 1836; 44 y.
. Hannah W., widow of Daniel, Feb. 8, 1841; 79 y. (Gravestone, Second Burying-Ground.)
Andrew Jackson, s. of -- , July 17, 1842; 1 m. 22 d.
- wife of Earl, d. of Josiah and - Locke, of consumption, Sept. 29, 1843; 30 y.
Zebadiah, s. of Zebadiah and Elizabeth, of bowel complaint, July 30, 1844; 74 y.
Lydia. wife of Herbert, d. of Ezra and Lydia Kimball, of consump- tion, July 24, 1845; 26 y.
Nathan P., s. of Marshall and Susan, of typhus fever, Sept. 29, 1845; 18 y.
Elizabeth, widow of Zadok, of old age, Feb. 7, 1847; 86 y.
Alvan, s. of Nathan and Esther (b. Jan. 25, 1823), of consumption, Jan. 24, 1848; 25 y.
Jesse, s. of Paul and Lucy, of consumption, April 17, 1848; 78 y. 1 m. 20 d.
Hannah, widow of Dea. Benjamin (b. in Littleton), of palsy, Feb. 1, 1849; 75 y.
Zadok, s. of Zadock and Betsey, of dropsy, Dec. 22, 1849; 62 y. 1 d. Esther, wife of Nathan, d. of Joseph and Susanna Wilder (b. in Leominster), of exhaustion, Dec. 1, 1850; 61 y. 8 m. 15 d.
Nathan, s. of Nathan and Mary, of cancer, Nov. 30, 1852; 69 y. 2 m. 19 d.
Ruby B., widow of Jonathan, d. of Abel and Mary Richardson, of cancer, Sept. 2, 1853; 84 y.
Randolph, s. of Jesse and Esther, of pericarditis, April 14, 1854, 75 y.
Esther, widow of Elijah, d. of Jacob and Esther Eames, of dropsy, Aug. 7, 1854 ; 67 y. 4 m.
Zebadiah, s. of Zebadiah and Mary, of dropsy, Nov. 9, 1855; 53 y. Amasa, s. of Zadok and Betsey, of paralysis, June 16, 1857; 62 y.
Elbridge, s. of James and Betsey (b. in Lexington), of dropsy, Oct. 8, 1859; 53 y.
Samuel E., s. of Samuel E. and Anna, of pneumonia and typhoid fever, June 12, 1860; 63 y. 4 m.
Sarah, d. of Zebadiah and Eunice, of consumption, Dec. 5, 1860; 74 y. 11 m. 22 d.
Calvin B., s. of Calvin A. and Sophia B., of consumption, July 16, 1862; 24 y. 6 m.
Rufus H., s. of Rufus P. and Abby, of putrid sore throat, Dec. 29, 1863 ; 6 y. 9 m. 27 d.
Abel. s. of John and Ruby, of phthisis, Feb. 10, 1864; 69 y.
Sarah T., wife of Joseph, d. of Nathaniel and Sally Turner (b. in Hampden, Me.), of heart disease, April 12, 1866; 43 y.
George, s. of Daniel and Hannah, of apoplexy, Feb. 4, 1866; 70 y. 10 m.
Catharine Mabel, d. of Samuel W. and Catharine, of cholera infantum, Sept. 8, 1866; 1 y. 3 m.
Maverick, s. of -, Jan. 15, 1868; 79 y. 2 m. 12 d. (Gravestone.)
William P., s. of - (b in -- ), of apoplexy, Dec. 5, 1869 ; 61 y. 29 d.
Patty, widow of Randolph, d. of Joshua and Susanna Tay, of dysen- tery, Oct. 3, 1870 ; 85 y. 3 m. 23 d.
15
.
218
WOBURN RECORD OF DEATHS.
WYMAN, continued.
Calvin A., s. of Benjamin and Hannah, of paralysis, Dec. 22, 1870; 69 y.
Elijah, ¿ of Zadok and Betsey, of old age, Jan. 2, 1871 ; 78 y. 7 m.
Elizabeth B., wife of , d. of William and Mary Maloy (b. in New York). of pleurisy, March 8, 1871 ; 45 y.
Nancy R., widow of Oliver, d. of Joshua and Ann Reed, of dropsy, July 24, 1872 ; 78 y. 9 m. 23 d.
Marshall, s. of Elijah and Phebe, of exstrophy of the bladder, July 28, 1872; 51 y. 8 m. 18 d.
YORK.
Harriet Ann, d. of Thomas, April 4, 1840 ; 7 m.
William B., s. of William S. and Mary P., of cholera infantum, Aug. 15. 1855 ; 1 y. 1 m. 8 d.
Henry S., s. of William S. and Mary P., of cholera infantum, Sept. 19, 1861 ; 9 m. 23 d.
YOUNG.
Nancy, d. of -, July 20, 1788 ; 6 y.
William, s. of -, April 16, 1812; 71 y.
Elizabeth, widow ot -, June 3, 1816; 66 y.
Lydia, wife of William, Aug. 23, 1838; 50 y.
Mary Augusta, d. of -. Ang. 2. 1839 ; 5 w. (Gravestone.)
Josephine W., d. of William E. and Parnell, of fits, July 14, 1843; 1 y.
Sumner, s. of William and Lydia, of diabetes, Nov. 13, 1852; 40 y. Abby M., d. of Alonzo and Abby, of hemorrhage, Aug. 29, 1859 ; 2 d. Asena h, wife of William, d. of Asa and Jerusha Richardson (b. in Reading), of dropsy, Dec. 4, 1862; 63 y.
Daniel, Jr., s. of Daniel and Bethany (b. in Acton), of suicide by hanging, Jan. 17, 1865 ; 39 y. 2 m. 23 d.
William, s. of William and Elizabeth (b. in -), of old age, July 12, 1865 ; 77 y. 1 m. 25 d.
Otis Sumner, s. of Alonzo T. and Abby (b. in Nashua, N. H.), of dysentery, Aug. 14, 1865 ; 1 y. 9 m. 25 d.
TRANSCRIPT OF EPITAPHS
IN
WOBURN FIRST AND SECOND BURIAL-GROUNDS.
CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, WITH BRIEF ILLUSTRATIVE NOTES.
BY WILLIAM R. CUTTER AND EDWARD F. JOHNSON.
WOBURN
LOCATED
)164
> A CITY 1889.
NOUSTI
VIRTUSM
NC
RIA ET
OR
OR
" Your fathers, where are they ? "
WOBURN :
ANDREWS, CUTLER & CO.,
BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS.
1890.
EXTRACT
FROM
"NOTES FOR A CONCISE HISTORY OF WOBURN."
BY WILLIAM R. CUTTER.
Ancient Public Burial-Grounds. - In Woburn proper there are two ancient public burial-grounds. The first and oldest of these is on Park Street, Woburn Centre, and is probably coeval with the first settlement of the town, 1642. The second burial-ground is on Montvale Avenue, and, like the other, is situated near the Common. It was first opened as a parish burial-ground in 1794, and was subsequently purchased by the town in 1824.
The First Burial-Ground. - The earliest mention of this burying-ground in the Town Records is the comparatively late date of 1662, and there are no stones now standing earlier than one double dated 1689-90. The num- ber of epitaphs in 1866, the latest one being dated 1856, was 269, which is four less than were there in 1847. One was erected in 1872, to a person dying in 1792, and one was erected in 1875, to a hero of 1775. Adding these two to the four of 1847, the number is increased to 275. Of early references to interments in the yard may be cited the following from the first volume of the Town Records : The town debtor in 1678, to Gershom Flagg, " for Cutler's grave," 3s. 6d. ; May 5, 1679, the selectmen appointed John Houghton, Senior, " to ring the bell, to dig graves, and to cleanse the meeting-house."
Two collections of the inscriptions have been made, one by Nathan Wyman, in 1847, and another by W. R. Cutter, in 1866. Mr. Wyman's list was published in the " N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg.," II., III., 1848-49, but for want of space all the material sent was not printed, and the literal trans- cript, which was expected, did not appear. The Cutter transcript is a literal one, with explanatory notes for each epitaph, and is in manuscript. . The number of headstones now standing, of date previous to 1700, is 12 to adults, and 12 to young children. The age given of the oldest per- son of this number is 82; there are 4 of age from 72 to 79; 2 among the 60's; 1 among the 50's; 2 among the 40's; 1 among the 30's; and one only 19 years. The ages of the children are from a few hours, or 1 day, to 5 years, viz., 5 of age less than 7 days; 1 whose age was reckoned by
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EXTRACT FROM NOTES FOR A
weeks; 3 whose ages were reckoned by months; and 3 whose ages were reckoned by years. These stones are of the enduring nature of those of the older persons, all being imported apparently from the old country.
The ground has been subjected by action of the town to some encroach- ments of its original territory ; and, owing to these impairments, some gravestones are known to have been relocated. It may be supposed, how- ever. that these changes have been small, and that they have effected little change in the appearance of the yard. The principal entrance was for- merly by a passageway under the rock beside the Central House, and another entrance, in the direction of Park Street, was cut off with bars, being the way much used in former times leading to a spring, or watering- place, near the junction of Park and Centre Streets. The encroachments, the past entrance near the Central House, and the way to the watering- place appear on a plan belonging to the city, by C. Thompson, of date 1855
The number of interments represented by headstones, during the period from 1700 to 1750, is 128. This number may well be used as an illustration of the corresponding growth of the town itself. Of this num- ber there are in all 49 male persons, of ages from 17 to 94 years ; 9 were over 70; 23, from 50 to 70; 12, under 40; while 5 were between 40 and 50 years. Of women there are 47, of ages from 20 to 98 years ; 6 were over 70; 12, from 50 to 70; 20, under 40; and 9, from 40 to 50 years. The mortality of women under 40 appears large, nearly half the whole number. Of persons below the age of adults the number is 32, of ages from 2 days to 15 years ; under 10 are 24; and 8 were over 10.
In connection with this period is an interesting discovery. The only table monument in the yard is not the monument of Elizabeth Cotton, as might appear, but the monument of Nathaniel Saltonstall, Esq., who died in Woburn, June 23, 1739. It is a red sandstone slab, on which 'are indentations where a coat-of-arms and an inscription on tablets of lead or stone were admitted, but which, like the original base of brick, long ago disappeared. Four granite pillars now support it in a horizontal position, and on its top reclines the slate slab of Elizabeth Cotton (1742), a nieee of Saltonstall. The executors' probate account of Saltonstall's estate, filed with his will and inventory, Middlesex County registry, of date June 25, 1739, presents amounts of considerable size on behalf of several persons ; such as, Ebenezer Kendall, of Woburn, for digging a grave, and Isaac Snow, of Woburn, for coffin and plates, charges amounting to more than £10. Nathaniel Lamson, a stone-cutter of Charlestown, presents a charge of £26 for a tombstone. Thomas Moulin, an out-of-town party, charges for use of pall and porterage, and for making a brick grave, - bricks and lime and workmen, -a sum amounting to more than £10. The items of tombstone, brick grave, etc., were contracted in the latter part of July, 1739, the whole being completed on the 29th. The Boston Weekly Newsletter for June 28, 1739, under the heading of " Boston," has
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CONCISE HISTORY OF WOBURN.
the following notice: "Last Saturday night, died very suddenly at Woburn, Nathaniel Saltonstall, Esq .; he was younger brother to the late Governor Saltonstall, of Connecticut. A gentleman well respected among us." He removed to Woburn before 1738. (See Woburn Journal, Jan. 19, 1883.)
The slate slab of Elizabeth Cotton, now evidently removed from its site, contains an epitaph unusually singular, of such phrases as she " died a virgin," and, " if a virgin marry she hath not sinned," etc. A search at the Middlesex registry fails to discover any papers of administration on her estate.
The headstones from 1750 to 1775, the remaining years of the provin- cial period, are proportionately numerous. The number erected to persons over 25 years of age is 60, -30 males and 30 females. Of the males, 2 were over 90, - 1 in his ninety-sixth year; while 8 males and 9 females were over 70. The oldest female was 81; 10 females were under 50, and 11 from 50 to 70. Of persons under 25, the number was 24, including 4 married females; 15 were over 16; 1 was 6, and 8 were under 5 years. The age of the youngest was 4 days. The number was about equally divided as to sex. There is a noticeable decrease in the number of headstones to children at this time, and adulatory inscriptions are more common.
From 1775 to 1793 the stones are mostly those of aged persons; the number to children, from 1775 to 1787, being 6, of ages from 6 weeks to 3 years. The whole number to 1793 is only 36, or at most 38, counting two of recent erection. A new burial-ground was opened in 1794, and a small number, perhaps not over 3, were removed from this to that. The comparatively fewer stones after 1775 show that the Revolution bore hard upon the prosperity acquired by the people under the provincial system of government. The war began at their very doors, and little was left afterwards for luxuries of any kind.
On March 5, 1810, the town granted the request of the heirs of Col. Loammi Baldwin to build a tomb, the yard in which it was to be built being left discretionary with the Standing Committee. This yard was selected, and a granite obelisk over the tomb contains a marble tablet to Hon. Loammi Baldwin, died 1807, æt. 63; " erected by his children." Inscriptions still more recent are those of Wyman Richardson, Esq., 1841, and John Fowle, 2d, 1856; the latter on a marble monument, erected in memory of James Fowle, Esq., and his descendants, on a lot deeded to the town. Asahel Porter, killed at Lexington, April 19, 1775, was com- memorated by a marble stone, erected April 21, 1875, by the local Grand Army Post.
In July and August, 1874, a series of articles by the present writer appeared in the Woburn Journal, on the subject of this and other Woburn old cemeteries. These were intended to describe their appearance, and gave a general account of the gravestones and the persons interred beneath
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EXTRACT FROM NOTES FOR A
them. The subject was still further referred to in the Woburn Journal, May 1, 1875; and an article was printed on the subject of the Woburn Cemetery on Salem Street, ibid., Jan. 9, 1875. From these articles and the lists of inscriptions, as well as the gravestones themselves, a good idea may be obtained of the value of these monuments as a record of the past. It had been the writer's intention to present a list of the names of those buried beneath these memorials, but his limits have already been exceeded.
The Second Burial-Ground. - This was originally established by the society of the First Parish in Woburn. The subject was agitated early in 1793, and at first Ensign Ichabod Parker, Mr. Daniel Reed, and Capt. Joseph Brown were appointed a committee to see about " a new burying- place." The Standing Committee of the parish at this period appear to have charge of both burying-grounds, from allusions in the records to the old one. On April 14, 1794, the parish voted to purchase of Capt. Joseph Brown the land that had been Zachariah Brooks's, about one acre, for their purpose, for a sum a little less than £40. The three deacons, Samuel Thompson, Obadiah Kendall, and Josiah Richardson, with the Standing Committee, were to fix a fence about the enclosure, make a gate, and arrange the ground for interments. They were also to determine when the new burying-place should be opened, and the old one shut up. Certain members of the Baptist Society in the limits of the parish soon desired a share in the benefits of burial in the "new burying-yard," by paying their " proportionable part"; and on April 13. 1795, the privilege was granted. Later in the same year, the Baptists, not owning any right, were allowed liberty of burial, on the payment of half a dollar a grave. Later still, April 11, 1796, all Baptists were admitted joint proprietors, on payment of their proportional part of the expenses. In 1799, in respect to what the parish will do " respecting the burying-yard," it was decided that the Standing Committee shall " take care " of it, and " conduct that article " as they think best for the interest of the parish. After the separation of Burlington, in 1799, the town and the First Parish were practically one in the effect of their action in the matter of the burying- grounds Thus the town in 1806, and following years, chose committees to take care of the meeting-house and burying-grounds. The parish was incorporated as the First Congregational Parish in 1816, and in 1823 the parish granted permission to Dr. Rufus Wyman to erect a tomb, under supervision of the Standing Committee. At the same time, in 1823, the parish took measures to sell their burying-ground to the town, and this was soon accomplished for $162.50.
The earliest dated stones are removals from the older yard, or else- where, and many later ones have been removed to the Salem Street Cemetery, opened in 1845. Interments have rarely been made in recent years. Many useful characters, deserving of respectful remembrance, are interred here : Fathers of the Revolution; four victims of the fall of the Clapp house-frame, July 14, 1807; school-masters, doctors, magis-
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CONCISE HISTORY OF WOBURN.
trates, the wife of a minister, and many others. There are verbatim lists of the inscriptions here as they were in 1847, and have been since. They were the joint work of Dr. Benjamin Cutter and Nathan Wyman, continued and recopied by the present writer. The number of headstones is about 350; some containing inscriptions to at least two persons. Dr. Cutter's number of inscriptions was, in 1847, counting by individuals, 365. The one of earliest date was 1789. Of persons over 70 there were 78; 7, over 90 years. The number under 20 was 105. Of unknown age, 2. Of women, there are 121 over 20 years; the number under 40 and over 20, being 47, - a very slight decrease in the mortality of that class over the corresponding period of the previous century. The Richardson family in Dr. Cutter's list presents an interesting instance of longevity. The num- ber of persons of that name represented by inscriptions was 50. Of these 5 were over 90; 2 were 96; over 70 and under 90 were 16 persons; under 20 were 4 only. Of the remaining 25, there were 12 between 40 and 70; and 13 between 20 and 40. Of the last number, 2, one aged 30 and the other 31, were killed outright by accidents connected with the fall or destruction of buildings. In B. Cutter's list are some twenty-four inscriptions that are not in N. Wyman's; and in the latter, to 1847, are some accessions not found in the former; but, otherwise, they corre- spond fairly well. Mr. Wyman continued his work after Dr. Cutter ended, and thus obtained additions. The whole number, by individuals, to 1870, is 388. Since 1845, the removals have been far greater than the accessions, and some monuments have perished, from the character of their materials, wood having in some instances been used. Since 1848, there is one stone to a person of 24, another to one of 48; others to per- sons of 71, 81, 88, 83, and 97 years : total, 7.
EPITAPHS, OLD BURYING-GROUND, PARK STREET, WOBURN CENTRE.
INTRODUCTION.
This collection of inscriptions from the gravestones now standing in Woburn Old Burying-ground was gathered by the undersigned during the fall of the year 1866. The time when this ancient depository of the dead was first opened for interments is not definitely ascertained. Its exist- ence in 1662 is mentioned. ( Vide Town Records, Vol. I., page 51.)
It was doubtless extant some time prior to that date. The oldest stone standing, i. e., bearing the earliest recorded death, is dated, old style, " 1689-90" (epitaph 1). Capt. Edward Johnson, author of the " Wonder- working Providence," and the most influential of the founders of Woburn, is supposed to be interred in this yard. No stone to his memory is found. When, during the present century, the wall and the town pound were built on the western side of the yard, several skeletons were exhumed. The earliest interments are thought to have been in this part.
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