USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > Notes on old Gloucester County, New Jersey, Volume I > Part 17
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The Union Graveyard and United Association, in Mantua, was founded February 13, 1804. The ground for the cemetery was given by Martin Turner and deeded to Richard Moffett, Moses Crane, Thomas Carpenter, Edward Carpenter and Captain Robert Sparks, and their successors. Mary W. Pancoast by will bequeathed $1,000 toward the building of the wall. The yard is scarcely more than a quarter-acre in extent, and soon became com- pletely filled. No burials have been made there of late years. The principal family names to be found upon the tombstones are Turner, Chew, Clark, Eldridge and Paul.
A most interesting old burying-ground is the one on the outskirts of Blackwood known as the Walling or the Powell burying-ground. It was included in the original limits of Gloucester County, but is now just over the line in Camden County. It is supposed by some historians to mark the site of the lost town of Upton, which appears frequently upon the early records of the county. It is picturesquely located on a high piece of land which slopes precipitously down to Timber Creek, and gives every ap- pearance of having been a village or church cemetery.
There are many interesting old burying-places with- in the present limits of Camden County, which was for-
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
merly a part of Gloucester County. The oldest and most important of these is the Newton Burying-ground, which was established ; by members of the So- ciety of Friends, who settled on the banks of Newton Creek in 1681. Their meetings were at first held in the homes of the various members, but as soon as they found it possible, they built for themselves a meeting- house, and set aside space for a cemetery adjoining.
Thomas Sharp, who proved to be the historian of the Society, in his account of their early settlements, says : "In 1684, the Friends in the vicinity of Newton, desirous of erecting a house of worship, selected a lot of land on the bank of the middle branch of Newton Creek, contain- ing about two acres, it being on the bounds of land of Mark Newby and Thomas Thackara, which was laid out for a burial-ground, and at the west end a log meeting- house was erected." They chose the banks of the creek for the reason that their plantations were located on the various branches of the creek, and their only means of communication was by water.
This burying-ground is very convenient of access, being not more than one hundred yards from the West Collingswood Station on the Reading Railway. The original Newton Burying-ground, together with an ad- ditional plot of one acre which was given for the purpose in 1791 by James Sloan, is enclosed with a substantial stone wall, and is the most impressive relic of the first settlement of that section of New Jersey. Standing at the lower edge, on the banks of the creek, one can readily imagine that the spot has changed little in appearance since the early days. The creek at this point is quite wide, and the wooded hill-sides which remain suggest the heavy forests which originally covered them. The rough stones which marked the graves of those who were first buried in the plot have largely disappeared, and for many years it was not the custom of Friends to erect tombstones of any kind. Numerous descendants
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
of the early settlers, however, are there buried, and among the well-known families whose names may be found inscribed on the tombstones are :
Hugg, Collins, Collings, Howell, Clayton, Heritage, Christy, Bickham, Davis, Ogden, Sloan, Ellis, Albertson, Smiley, Jones, Thackeray, Watson, Cooper, Redfield, White, Knight. The oldest stone in the yard appears to be that of Mary Heritage, who died September 16, 1768, in her 18th year.
The history of this yard appears to be but little known to the average person, although there is no more interesting chapter in New Jersey annals. Thanks to Thomas Sharp, the history of the organization of the colony has been preserved in great detail, and a later historian, John Clement, in his "History of the First Settlers of Newton Township," has vividly portrayed its growth and development. The old cemetery appears now to be going through a period of neglect. Although the wall, as before stated, is very substantial, the opening in it is not closed by a gate and the yard has therefore become a playground for boys. The town of West Col- lingswood should be proud to have such a relic as this within its bounds, and its citizens should be glad to con- tribute whatever may be necessary to keep it in condi- tion and to preserve it as a memorial to the trials and privations of the pious men who established it.
The Zane grave-yard lies within a few hundred yards of Clement's Bridge on Timber Creek, on what is known as the old Wartman place. The remains of Colonel Isaiah Marple lie in this plot, and the tall stone which marks his grave is standing in good condition. There are but two other stones to be found-Mary S. Zane, born May 25, 1780, died October 12, 1847, and Samuel Zane, died January 3, 1833, aged 55 years, 10 months and 17 days. The stone of Mary S. Zane has been shattered, and the inscription is read with difficulty.
The Inskeep burial-ground lies about one and one-
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half miles west of Marlton, on the banks of the stream which separates Camden County from Burlington County. It is located on the brow of a hill, and from it a meadow slopes gently down to the stream. The plot is about forty feet square, and is partly enclosed by a dilapidated board fence, which does not prevent the gentle meadow herd from seeking the grateful shade of its cedar trees on hot summer days.
Several stones remain in excellent condition, but a study of the inscriptions discloses the fact that no fewer than four members of the Inskeep family died within a period of fifteen days, two of them on the same day. Whether they were carried off by some infectious or contagious disease is not known to the writer; but, even after the lapse of nearly two centuries, the sad story told by the well-cut and well-preserved tombstones can be visualized, and the sorrow and anguish of the sur- viving members of the family imagined.
The inscriptions are as follows: Mary Inskeep, daughter of John Inskeep, died Nov. 13, 1756, in her 26th year; Sarah, wife of Titz N. Leeds and daughter of John Inskeep, died Nov. 5, 1756, in her 18th year; William Inskeep, died Nov. 13, 1756, in his 27th year; John Inskeep, died Oct. 30, 1756, aged 55 years; Mary Inskeep, died September 19, 1775, aged 30 years; Sarah Rogers, died Jan. 22, 1855, aged 81 years, 4 months ; Joseph P. Rogers (no date).
George R. Prowell, in his History of Camden County, published in 1886, mentions a number of other burial-places in Camden County, among which are the following :
The Henry Wood grave-yard, on the farm lately owned by Lemuel Horner, near the site of the Camden City Water Works. This, of course, does not mean the present artesian plant of the City of Camden, but the older plant in the neighborhood of Cooper's Creek. This yard has been abandoned for many years.
I8
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
The Bull grave-yard, located somewhere in what is now the City of Gloucester. Even the approximate site of this grave-yard is not now known.
The Watson grave-yard, situated near the road which leads from Blue Anchor to May's Landing, about one mile south of Winslow. This was a comparatively public place at that time, being the crossing of two In- dian trails-one going from Egg Harbor to the Dela- ware River, and the other from Burlington County towards Cape May. Nothing now remains to show the spot.
The Graysbury grave-yard, located a short distance west of the White Horse and Camden Turnpike. This yard has entirely disappeared, and the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railroad now passes through it.
Woos' burial-place, about one mile south of Water- ford, where the Indian trail crosses Clark's branch. This was established by Sebastian Woos and his brothers, who settled at that place prior to 1800.
The Bates grave-yard at Bates's Mill, about one mile south of Waterford. Benjamin Bates, who was an officer in the Revolutionary War and did much active service, lies there ; also other members of the Bates family, as well as of the Cole and Kellum families are buried there.
The Hopewell grave-yard, located about two miles south from Tansboro, in Winslow Township, on the old Egg Harbor Road. This was probably the burial- ground for the Friends' Meeting-house which formerly stood there.
The cemetery at Berlin, formerly known as "Long- a-Coming," dating back perhaps as far as 1714. The original cemetery now forms a part of the larger ceme- tery which adjoins it, and is kept in excellent condition.
Burden's grave-yard, on the brow of a hill, near the point where the turnpike road from Berlin strikes the Clementon and White Horse Road. It was probably
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
founded by Thomas Webster, who owned the land in 1742, and who with part of his family was buried there. Richard Burden became the owner in 1789, and the burial-place has since been known by his name. No vestige of a stone or grave may now be found there.
Matlack's grave-yard, on a farm formerly owned by Alexander Cooper, Esq., in Delaware Township, near Glendale. Concerning this cemetery, Prowell states "it is a small inclosed spot in a field. The fence is carefully maintained, and it is contemplated to erect there a marble tablet to commemorate the place and to secure it from encroachments or neglect." The writer has not had the opportunity to visit this spot and to ascertain whether the laudable resolution was carried into effect.
Tomlinson's grave-yard, near Laurel Mills, in Glou- cester Township. This was strictly a burial-place for the Tomlinson family, and was probably established by Joseph Tomlinson, who settled in that section as early as 1690.
Sloan's burial-place, a neglected spot on the south side of Irish Hill, in Union Township, a short distance east from the Blackwood and Camden Turnpike. Prow- ell states "this cemetery has no fence about it, and is entirely covered with timber and underbrush." It has probably disappeared entirely by this time.
The Mapes grave-yard, "on the turnpike road lead- ing from Camden to Kirkwood, in Center Township." It was established by John Mapes, and adjoins the house in which he and his family lived. John Mapes was a soldier in the corps of Colonel Henry Lee.
In the lower end of Old Gloucester County, now Atlantic County, are numerous old burying-grounds, but it is not possible in this article to give a complete list of them. The following information regarding them was furnished by our historian, Frank H. Stewart, of Woodbury, and Miss Sarah A. Risley, of Pleasantville.
The burying-ground of the Mathis family is lo-
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
cated at Chestnut Neck, where the Revolutionary battle was fought. Several undated and unmarked stones are to be seen, but there are only three standing with in- scriptions. They are John Mathis, born Dec. 23, 1753, died October 20, 1824; Martha Mathis, wife of John, born June 29, 1762, died April 12, 1842 ; Louiza Mathis, wife of John Mathis, born October 3, 1804, died Oc- tober 27, 1850.
Above Chestnut Neck, on the Mullica or Little Egg Harbor River, opposite Hog Island, is a now almost in- accessible place known as Clark's Landing. A tramp of about one thousand feet through the woods and swamp up the river from the landing brings one to the lonely and desolate graves of Thomas Clark and his wife Ruth. According to the inscription on his headstone he died May 17, 1752, in his 63rd year. Vandals have broken both headstones and the dates are now missing from that of Ruth Clark. Thomas Clark was the ancestor of a long line of distinguished men of New Jersey. At Clarks Mills, near Port Republic, is another plot contain- ing the remains of other members of the Clark family. The oldest marked stone is T. C., Oct. 31, 1793, aged 71 years. Adriel, Judith, Elizabeth, Sherman, Parker, Martha, Thos. P., Mary and Thomas Clark all have in- scribed head-stones. This grave-yard belonged to the former Presbyterian Church, about one mile from Port Republic.
In the town of Port Republic, across the road in the woods and brush from the Methodist grave-yard, is another old grave-yard holding the remains of many members of the old families of the neighborhood. Among them, according to the tombstones, are Micajah Smith, Jonas Morss and members of the Endicott and Burnett families. The headstones are covered by a dense under- growth.
On the Morss Mill Road (named for the pioneer Robert Morss), about a mile west of the Shore Road at
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Smithville, is the private burial ground of the Collins family. The first interment with a date was that of Sarah, wife of Richard Collins, who died Jan'y 12, 1801, aged 65 years 6 mos .; Richard, b. May I, 1725; died June 17, 1808; Matthew Collins, born May 7, 1764, died Sept. 29, 1851 ; Judith, his wife, died Oct. 27, 1822, aged 54 years; Levi Collins, died March 24, 1813, aged 40 yrs. 6 mo. 4 da. ; Richard Collins, born Oct. II, 1798, died May 22, 1833; Sam'l G. and Daniel L. Collins and Aseneth Sooy also have tombstones. There are many other graves without markers and several with un- marked stones. This yard is now well kept.
At Leeds Point is a small plot of the Leeds family.
At Absecon are two burial grounds of the well- known Doughty family, one on John Doughty's farm on the East side of the Shore Road, a short distance back. The other is on or near the Pitney Road above the church.
On the Judge Doughty farm Abner Doughty, who died 1820, age 65, is buried, also two children of Enoch and Charlotte Doughty, who died 1829; also his wife, Leah, who died in 1831, age 73.
The Shillingforth cemetery is on the East of the Shore Road in Absecon, near the Doughty plot.
The Risley family plot is on the east side of the Shore Road near the Delilah Road, Pleasantville, now plowed up. On Park Avenue, Pleasantville, the Fish family established a burial plot. On the David L. Steel- man farm, at Northfield, Peter and Rachel Steelman were originally buried.
In the woods on the Fast Shore Line tracks near Linwood, under a fine old white oak, are the grave stones of Capt. John Somers, who died March 26, 1824. aged 68, and others by the names of Smith, Scull and Somers.
On the trolley road outside of Somers Point, on the road to Pleasantville, is a well-kept graveyard of
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
the Steelman family. It contains several modern monu- ments and tombstones. The oldest stone is that of John Steelman, born May 4th, 1748, died Jan'y 8th, 1818.
Inside of the Public School grounds, at Somers Point, is a small burying ground known as the Somers cemetery. Here Col. Richard Somers, who died Oct. 22, 1794, in his 57th year, and Sophia his wife, who died Feb. 3, 1797, in her 56th year, parents of Richard Somers, who lost his life in Tripoli Harbor, Sept. 4, 1804, are buried. A memorial is also erected to his memory.
Sarah Keen, widow of Capt. Jonas Keen, and sis- ter of Commandant Richard Somers, has a stone, as does Constant Somers, Junior, who died at Cronstadt, Russia, Aug. 24, 181I.
A short distance to the west of Somers Point there is another Somers cemetery. The oldest stone is that of Deborah, wife of Jesse Somers, who died Sept. 18, 1835, aged 60 years, 7 mo., 2 days.
Near Estellville, about a mile from the main road, in a clump of tall oak trees, is an ancient graveyard of the Steelman family. The first marked stone is that of Andrew Steelman, who deceased Feby. 9, 1772, aged 53 years. Several children of Frederick and Naomi Steel- man also have markers dated from 1784 to 1795. Another Steelman plot is about a mile away. The oldest burial there, that of a child, stone is dated June 21, 1806.
At Sayres Field, near Buck Hill, are buried Judith Conley, died 1780, aged 40; Ephraim Sayrs, Jr., died 1772, aged 24; Bethia Sayrs, died 1780, aged 77; Ephraim Sayrs, died 1773, aged 66.
In plot at English Creek the following are buried :
David Babcock, born Nov. 18, 1734, died June 6, 1812; Hannah Babcock, born July I, 1739, died June 22, 1803; Elijah Smith, died Nov. 12, 1831, aged 67 yr. 6 mo. 17 da .; Zellah Smith, died Apr. 18, 1805, aged
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
36 yr. 9 mo. 3. da .; Daniel Champion, died Feb. 1, 1805, aged 46 yr. II mo. 18 da .; J. C., d. 1830.
Outside of Tuckahoe, near the county line, is the ancient Methodist Church, known as the Head of the River Church. In its yard scores of families are buried and it is well worth the time to visit this well preserved building kept as a memorial of by-gone days.
It was established in 1792. The oldest marked gravestones are those of Joseph Estell, who deceased May 29, 1793, aged 46; Elizabeth, his wife, died March 6, 1821, aged 69 yr. 5 mo. 7 days; Peter Corson, dec'd May 31, 1797, aged 23 years ; David Sayres, dec'd June 7, 1811, age 75 years ; Jane Sayres, dec'd July 26, 1805, age 65 years; Capt. Benjamin Weathby, died Apr. 20, 1812, aged 65 yrs. 7 days; Capt. Jeremiah Smith, Sol- dier of the Revolution, born July 24, 1752, died Feb'y I, 1831; Samuel Stille, died Aug. 2, 1818, aged 62 yr. 4 mo. 12 days.
Other family names on the tombstones are Stiman, Vanaman, Treen, Ingersoll, Marshall, Steelman, Seeley, Cambern, Champion, Godfrey, Darwin, Hunter, Wil- liams, Burnett, Warner.
The Smith and Ireland burying ground, located near Estellville, contains the graves of Japhet Ireland, who deceased Feb. 20, 1810, aged 66 yrs. 2 mo. 28 da ; Mary, his wife, who died March 20, 1801, aged 54 yr. 7 mo. 22 da .; Thomas Smith, deceased Oct. 8, 1816, aged 31 yr. 8 mo .; Elias Smith, died July 3, 1838, aged 72 yr. 2 mo., and other members of the two families.
On the Main Road, Mays Landing, is the Wescott Burial Ground. Among those buried there the follow- ing names appear : Adams, Conley, Ford, Frazier, Penn- ington, Rape, Smiley, Taylor, Vaughan, Walker, Wes- cott.
At Clarkstown, below Mays Landing, there is a private burying ground of the Rape family. At Cataw- ba cemetery, on the Great Egg Harbor River three
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
miles below Clarkstown, are several graves of the West and Steelman families. Here, too, vandals have broken the tombstones.
Central cemetery, at Linwood, is the old burial grounds of the Friends, but there are no ancient-dated stones.
In that part of Old Gloucester Co., now known as Atlantic Co., it is not uncommon for hunters to find in the woods graves in what seems today to be virgin forest. The exact location of many of the old family burial plots inadequately described in deeds cannot be located today. Tales of tombstones being used for various purposes are so common that many of them must be true. Vandals smashing tombstones and farmers plow- ing up graveyards should be imprisoned in the county jails.
According to an old deed conveying to Daniel Ire- land a tract of land between the two Egg Harbor Rivers, dated Jan. 9, 1728-9, a tract 30 ft. square, known as the burying ground wherein Thos. Green's children are buried, is reserved. Thos. Green bought the land from the daughter of Francis Collings May 8, 1699. Hannah Dole, widow of Joseph Dole, of Great Egg Harbor, sold it to Ireland. It adjoined land of Peter Scull. Loca- tion of burial ground is now unknown.
Old Gloucester County-Its Formation and Its Divisions *
Old Gloucester County included the present counties of Gloucester, Camden and Atlantic. Atlantic County was created in 1837 and Camden County in 1844.
Prior to the formation of Atlantic County, Old Gloucester extended from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean and at one time large quantities of bog iron was dug out of the swamps and was used to make cannon and cannon balls for the wars of the Revolution and 1812.
In 1694, eight years after the inhabitants of Glouces- ter County had formed the County, the following law was passed by the Province of West Jersey: "Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives in this As- sembly met and assembled and by the authority of the same that the two distinctions or divisions heretofore called the third and fourth tenths be and is hereby laid into one county, named and from henceforth to be called the County of Gloucester, the limits whereof bounded with the aforesaid river called Crapwell on the North and the river Berkley ( formerly called Old Mans Creek) on the South."
The same year (1694) the people of the Great Egg Harbour section were allotted to Gloucester County.
The early plan of dividing West New Jersey into tenths met with considerable difficulty and was soon aban- doned.
The third or Irish tenth got its name from the Irish Quakers who settled there. It extended from Pensauken to Timber Creeks. The fourth tenth extended from Timber to Oldmans Creeks-and probably got their
* By FRANK H. STEWART.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
boundaries from the deeds given by the Indians. To the best of my knowledge the boundaries were established by common consent rather than by law, although an effort was made to divide the frontage on the Delaware River and each tenth was to extend back into the woods far enough to make it contain 64,000 acres.
Distinguished Clergymen
Rev. Andrew Hunter, Chaplain of Militia and the Continental Army during the Revolution, participated in the tea burning episode at Greenwich, Cumberland County, N. J., Nov. 22, 1774. At the battle of Monmouth he was complimented for his conduct by General Wash- ington.
After the Revolution he was pastor of the Presbyte- rian Church at Woodbury. He was one of the founders and Principal of the Woodbury Academy. From 1788 to 1804 he was a trustee of Princeton College and from 1804 to 1808 professor of astronomy and mathematics. His first wife, Ann Riddell, is buried in the Presbyterian graveyard at North Woodbury, near the street.
Rev. John Croes was born at Elizabethtown, June Ist, 1762. He was a Revolutionary soldier and a friend of Rev. Nicholas Collin, rector of Trinity Church of Swedesboro. January 24th, 1790, he received an invita- tion to succeed Dr. Collin at a salary of 125 pounds specie per annum. The invitation was signed by
Isaac Vanneman,
George Van Leer,
Mounce Keen,
William Matson
Peter Lock,
David Hendrickson,
William Homan,
Gideon Denny,
Andrew Hendrickson,
Charles Lock.
In 1802 he left Swedesboro and became pastor of a church at New Brunswick. In 1815 he was elected the first Bishop of P. E. Church of New Jersey. He died July 30th, 1832.
Rev. Nathaniel Evans, Clergyman and Poet, was born June 8th, 1742. He lived in Old Gloucester County and preached at Gloucester. He died Oct. 29th, 1767. His poems were published in Philadelphia in 1772.
* By FRANK H. STEWART.
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DRAWN FROM A SKETCH MADE IN 1826 BY FRANK H. TAYLOR
ELIZABETH HADDON HOUSE.
Haddon Hall, of Haddonfield *
A sizable book, of the greatest historic and human in- terest, could be written about the Quaker Lady who founded the village of Haddonfield, New Jersey, and whose maiden surname was given to that locality in Old Gloucester County long before the village of Haddonfield was thought of. My present object, however, is only to briefly describe the home of a remarkable woman, the only woman, so far as I can discover, who came to America single-handed, as it were, to take possession of and settle upon a Colonial Plantation in her own right.
Elizabeth was the daughter of John Haddon, Quaker anchorsmith, of Southwark, London, and Elizabeth (Clark) his wife. She was born in 1680; arrived in America 1701 ; married John Estaugh, a Quaker minister of England travelling in America, in 1701. She died in 1762 and was buried in Friends' graveyard on Haddon Avenue, not far from the Town Hall, a Memorial tablet being there erected to her memory at the 200th anniver- sary of the founding of the Town, in October, 1913.
John Clement, historian of Haddonfield, published, in 1873, a short article in the American Historical Record, entitled "The Estaugh House." This mansion, with its accompaniments, will form the subject of my paper. I shall designate it by the appropriate name of "Haddon Hall," given to it by its last occupants, the family of the late Isaac H. Wood. To distinguish it from the classic old ruin of Derbyshire, we have but to add-"of Had- donfield"-and its identity is complete, and the chance thought of Mistress Dorothy Vernon is transformed into the more real, yet no less romantic and loving one, of Elizabeth, the Maiden Pioneer.
* By SAMUEL N. RHOADS.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
That first American dwelling, where the noble wife of John Estaugh began her housekeeping, was located near the centre of a 500-acre tract bought by her father, John Haddon of Londontown, in 1698. A Friend, John Willis, had been the original patentee from Penn and Byllynge, and John's son, Thomas, sold it to John Had- don. The original house was located about 150 yards from the south bank of Cooper's Creek, on ground rising about thirty feet above the tidewater landing at that point. The landing, now unused, was recently called Coles' Landing, after the late owner of the property. It is in the extreme rear of the present village of Westmont (formerly named Rowandtown), and is one and one-half miles below the bridge over which the King's Highway, from Burlington to Salem, crosses Cooper's Creek. No vestige of this house has been known to the oldest inhabi- tants now living, nor to the generation preceding these, so far as can be ascertained. The late James Starr Lip- pincott, who once lived on the property adjoining, used to point out the reputed site of the old house cellar, but even that cannot now be located.
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